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About The North Platte semi-weekly tribune. (North Platte, Neb.) 1895-1922 | View Entire Issue (May 19, 1914)
THE 8EMLWEEKLY TRIBUNE. NORTH PLATTE, NEBRA8KA. The Hollow of Her Hand m I' t I i m ii , 8YNOPSIS. Chain Wrandall In found murdered In mail Iiouho npar Now York. Mr. Wran dall Is summoned from the rlty and Iden tifies tho body. A young woman who m companled Wrandall lo the Inn and aub aenuently disappeared, Is suspected. "Wrandnfl, It appears, had led n Kay life nnd neglected his wife. Mia. Wrandall utarm hack for Now York In an auto dur ing n blinding snoW ptorm. On tho way he meets n. young woman In the road who proves to bo tho woman who Killed "Wmndnlt Feeling that tho girl had dono lier a service In ridding her of tho man who though alio loved him deeply, had canned hor great sorrow Mrs Wrandnll determines to shield her and tHkea her to lier own homo. Mrs. Wrandall heara the. utory of Hetty Caatleton'a life, except that portion that relate to Wrandall. Thla and tho atory of the tragedy alio forbids the girl ever to tell. She offera Hetty a lome. friendship and accttrlty from peril on account of the tragedy. Mrs. Bara Wrandall and Hetty attend tho funoral of rhallls Wrandall at the home of hla parcnta. CHAPTER IV. Continued. Besido Sara Wrandall, on the small, flilnk divan, sat a stranger In this som flier company: a younn woman In (black, whoso pale face was uncovered, nnd whoso lashos wore lifted bo rnroly that ono could not know of tho deep. real pain that lay behind them, In hor Irish bluo oyes. She had arrived at the house an hour or two beforo tho time sot. for the ceremony, In company with tho widow. Truo to hor resolution, the widow of Challls Wrandall had ro xnntned away from tho home of his Iicoplo until tho laBt hour. Sho had been consulted, to bo sure, In regard to tho final arrangements, but tho meetings had taken place In tier own npartmont, many blocks distant from the house In lower Fifth avenue. Tho afternoon bofbro she had received Jledmond Wrandall and Losllo, his son. Sho had not sent for thorn. They came perfunctorily and not through Any sense of obligation. Theso two at least knew that sympathy was not what she wanted, but peace. Twice IdurJng the two trying dayB, Losllo had come to seo her, Vivian telephoned. On the occasion of hla first visit, Resile had mot tho guest in tho house. jThe second time ho called, ho made It a point to ask Sara all about her. It was ho who gently closed tho door after tho two women when, on tho morning of tho funeral, thoy en tered tho dark, flower-laden room In which Btood tho caskot containing tho body of his brother. Ho left them alone together in that room for half tut hour or more, and It was ho who went forward to meet them when they came forth. Sara" leaned on tils arm s as she ascended tho stairs to tho room .where tho others, wore waiting. The feshen-faced girl followed. Mrs. Wrandall, tho older, kissed Sara and drew hor down beside hor oil the couch. To her own surprise, as .well as that of the others, Sara broke down and wept bitterly. After all. kIiw was sorry for Chains' mother. It was the human Instinct, sho could not hold out against It. And tho older woman put away tho anciont grudge fiho held against this mortal enemy and dissolved Into tears of real com jiasBlon. A little later sho whispered broken ly In Sara'a oar: "My dear, my dear, this has brought ua together. I hope you will learn to lovo me." Sara caught hor breath, but uttered no word. Sho looked Into her mother- ill-law's eyes, and .smiled through hor tears, Tho Wrandalls, looking on in mazo, saw the Binllo roftcotod in tho faco of tho older woman. Then it was that Vivian crossed quickly nnd put 'her arms about tho shoulders of her sister-in-law. Tho whlto flag on both Bines. i Hetty Castleton stood alono and wa vering, Just Inside tho door. No tranger situation could be imagined than the ono in which this unfortunato girl found herself at tho proBont mo ment. Sho was virtually In tho hnnds of those who would destroy hor; bIio was in tho houso of those who most deeply were aftocted by hor act on that fatal iftgut. Among them nil she stood, facing them, listening to tho moans and sobs, nnd yet her limbo did not glvo way beneath her, . . . I Sorao ono gently touched her arm. It was Leslie. She shrank back, a fearful look In her oyes. In tho semi darkness ho failed to note the expres sion. "Won't you sit here?" ho asked, in dicating the little pink divan against the wull. "Forglvo mo for lotting you stand so long." Sho.lookod about hor, tho wild light still In hor eyes, Sho was like a rat In a trap, lier lips parted, but the word of (hanks did not come forth, A strange, inarticulate Bound, almost a gasp, camo Instead. Pallid as a ghost, she dropped limply to tho divan, and dug her fingers Into the satiny seat. As If fascinated, she Btarod ovor the black heads of tho three women Imme diately in front of her at the full length portrait hanging whore the light from tho ball fell upon It: the portrait of a dashing youth In riding togs. A moment later Sara Wrandall camo ever and Bat besido her. Tho girl nUlvered as with a mighty chill when the warm hand of her friend fell upon hers and enveloped it In, a Arm clasp. "His. mother kissed me," whlspored Para. "Did you seo?" Th f lrl eould not reply. Sho could COPY?Gfr.P2 OY only Btare nt the open door. A email, hntchot-faced man had como up from below and was nodding his head to Losllo Wrandall a man with short sldo whiskers, nnd a sepulchral look In his oyes. Thon, having received a sign from Lcslio, ho tiptoed away. Al most instantly tho voices of people singing softly camo from somo distant remoto part of tho houso. And thon, a littlo later, tho per fectly modulated volco of a man In prnyor. Back of her, Wrandalls; besido hor, Wrandalls; beneath her, friends of tho Wrandalls; outside, the rabblo, those who would Join with thoso black, raven-llko spoctors In tearing her to pieces if they but knewi Tho droning volco camo up from be low, each well-chosen word distinct and clear: trlbuto beautiful to tho irrc proachablo character of tho deceased. Lesllo watched tho face of tho girl, curiously fascinated by tho sot, emo tionless featured, and yet without a conscious Interest in her. Ho was dully senBlblo to tho fact that sho was beautiful, uncommonly beautiful. It did not occur to him to foel that she was out of placo among them, that sho belonged down Btalrs.' Somehow sho wub a part of tho surroundings, Uko tho specter at tho feast. if ho could" have witnessed all that transpired whilo S,nra was In tho room below with her guest hor companion, as ho had come to regard hor without having in fact boon told as much ho would have boon lost in a maze of tho most overwhelming emotions. To go back: Tho door had baroly closed behind tho two women when Hetty's trombllng knoes gave way bo noath her. With a low moan of hor ror, she slipped to tho floor, covering her faco with hor hands. Sara knelt beside her. "Como," sho said gently, but firmly; "I must exact this much of you. If wo aro to go on together, as wo have planned, you must stand besido mo at his bier. Together wo must look upon him for the last time. You must see him as I saw him up thero In tho country. I had my cruel blow that night. It Is your turn now. I will not blame you for what you did. But If you expect mo to go on believing that you did a bravo thing that night, you must convince mo that you aro not a coward now. It Is tho only tost I shall put you to. Como; I know It Is hard, I know It Is terrible, but It Is tho truo test of your ability to go through with It to tho end. I shall know thon that you havo tho courago to faco anything that may como up." Sho waited a long tlmo, her hand on the girl's shoulder. At last Hotty aroso, "You aro right," sho said hoarsely. "I should not bo afraid." A. Later on they sat over againaijtho wall beyond tho casket, Into ."flHbh thoy had peerod with widoly varying omotlons. Sara had said; "You know that I loved'hlm." The girl put her hands to hor eyes and bowed hor head. "Oht how can you bo so merciful to mo?" "Bocauso ho was not," Bald Sara, white-lipped. Hetty glanced at tho half-averted faco with queer, indescrib able 'expression in hor oyos. If Leslie Wrandall could havo looked In upon them at that moment, or at any time during tho half an hour that followed, he would havo known who was tho alayer of his brother, but It is doubtful It ho could havo had tho heart to denounce her to tho world. When thoy wore ready to leave tho room Hetty had regained control of Hetty's Trembling Knees Gave Way Beneath Her. hor nerves to a most Burprlslug extont, a condition unmistakably duo to the intluonco of the older woman. "I can trust myself now, Mrs. Wran dall," Bald Hetty steadily as thoy hes itated for an Instant beforo turning ii IBilt 1, : 11 rCnrn nlflM IBJiTTmmT " " r SjQzFvfiik Awfflim I Jl tho knob of tho door. "Thon I shall ask you to open tho door," said Sara, drawing back. Without a word or a look, Hetty opened tho door and permitted the other to pass out boforo her. Then sho followed, closing It gently, even deliberately, but not without a swift Blanco over hor shoulder Into tho depths of tho room they wore leaving. Of tho two, Sara Wrandall waa the e Barr GtORGnSAWtSClTCffWr i COPyfitftfr, W2 3Y PODD,AflD S COMPArtY paler as they went up tho broad stair- enso with Leslie. Tho funeral oration by the Itev. Dr. Maltby dragged on. Among all his hearers thore was but ono who bo Moved the things ho said of Challls Wrandall, and she was ono of two per sons who, so thoy saying goes, aro tho last to find a man out; his mother nnd his sister. But in this Instanco tho mother waB ntono. Tho silent, attentlvo guests on tho lower floor listened in grim npprovnl: Dr. Maltby was doing himself proud. Not ono but all of them knew that Maltby knew. And yet how .soothing ho was, By tho end of the week the raurdor of Challls Wrandall was forgotten by all save tho police. Tho Inquest was ovor, tho law was baffled, tho city was soronoly wnltlr.g for Its next sensa tion. No: sno cared. Lesllo Wrandall went down to tho steamer to seo his sister-in-law off for Europe. "Goodby, Miss Castleton," ho said, ae he shook the hand of tho slim young Englishwoman at parting. "Taka good caro of Sara. Sho needs a friend, a good friend, now. Keep her over thero until sho has forgotten." CHAPTER V. Discussing a SIster-ln-Law. "You remember my sister-in-law, don't you, Brandy?" was tho question that Lesllo Wrandall put to a friend ono afternoon, as they sat drearily in a window of ono of tho faBhionablo up town clubs, a littlo moro than a year after tho ovonts described In tho foro going chapters. Drearily, I have said, for tho reason that it was Sunday, and raining at that. "I mot Mrs. Wrandall a few yearB ago In Rome," said his companion, re newing interest in a conversation that had died somo time before of its own exhaustion. "She's most attractive. I saw her but once. I think it was at eomobody'B fete." "She's returning to New York tho end of tho month," Bald Leslie. "Been abroad for over a year. Sho had a villa at Nico this winter." "I remember her quite well. I was of an ago thon to bo particularly sen sitive to female loveliness. If Id been staying on In Homo, I should havo screwod up tho courago, I'm Bure, to havo asked hor to sit for me." Brandon Booth was of an old Phila delphia family: an old and wealthy family. Both vIowb considered, ho wns qualified to walk hand in glovo with tho fastldlouB Wrandalls. Leslie's mother was charmed with him be cauBo sho waB alBO tho mothor of Viv ian. Tho fact that ho wont In for por trait painting and seemed averse to subsisting on tho genoroslty of his father, preferring to live by his tal ent. In no way operated against him, bo far as Mra. Wrandall was con cerned. That was his lookout, not hers: it ho elected to that sort of thing, all woll and good. Ho could afford to bo eccentric: thoro romained, in tho perspective he scorned, the bulk of a huge fortune to offset whatever idiosyncrasies ho might choose to cul tivate Somo day, In Bplto of himself, Bho contondod soronely, he would bo very, very rich. What could be more desirable than famo, family and for tune all heaped together and thrust upon one exceedingly, interesting and handsome young man? He had been the pupil of colebrated draftsmen and painters In Europe, and had exhibited a sincerity of purpose that was surprising, all things con- Bldorod. Tho mere fact that ho was not obliged to paint in order to obtain a living was sufficient cnuao for won-, der among the artists he met and studied with or under. His studio In Now York was not a fashionable resting placo. It waB a workshop. You could havo tea thoro, of course, and you were sure to meet people you know and liked, but it waa quito as touch of a workshop as any you could mention. Ho was not a dabbler In art. not a moro dauber of pigments: ho was an artist. Booth 'was thirty porhaps a year or two older; toll, dark and good look ing. Tho nlr of tho thoroughbrod mnrkod him. Ho did not affect loose, flowing cravats and baggy trousers, nor was he carolosa about his finger nails. Ho wae Blmply tho ordinary, overy-day sort ot chap you would moot In Fifth avonuo during parado hours, and you would take a second look at him because ot his faco and manner but not on account of his dress. Some ot his ancestors came ovor ahead ot tho Mayflower, but he did not gloat. Leslie Wrandall was his closost friend and harshest critic. It didn't roally matter to Booth what Lesllo said ot his paintings: ho quito .under stood that ho didn't know anything about them. "When does Mrs. Wrandall return?" asked the painter, after a long porlod ot Bllenco spent in contemplation ot tho gleaming pavement beyond the club's window. "That's queer," said Leallo, looking up. "I was thinking of Sara myself. Sho sails next weok. I've had a let ter asking me to open her. houso In the country. Her placo Is about two miles from father's. It hasn't boon ' . . ..- IT ,.!!,. I,,. II, oponeu in vwo yuum. nwoi uum. MCutcheon It fifteen or twenty yearB ago, and left it to hor when ho died. Sho and Challls spent soveral summors there." "Vivian took mo through it ono aft- ornoon last summor." "It must havo been quito as much of a novelty to her as It was to you, ola chap," Bald Lesllo gloomily, "What do you mean?" 'Vivian's a bit of a snob. Sho never lik'ed tho place because old man Gooch built It out of worsteds. Sho never went there." "But tho old man's been dead for years." "That doesn't matter. Tho fact Is, Vivian didn't quito tako to Sara until after well, until after Challls died. We'ro dreadful snobs, Brnndy, tho whole lot of us. Sara was quite good enough for a much bettor man than my brother. Sho roally couldn't help tho worsteds, you know I'm very fond of her, and always have boon. We'ro pals. 'Gad, it was a fearful slap at tho homo folks when Challls justi fied Sara by getting snuffed out the way he did." Booth made an attempt to change tho subject, but Wrandall got back to it. "Slnco then we've all been exceed ingly sweet on Sara. Not becauso we want to bo, mind you, but becauso we're afraid she'll marry some qhnp who wouldn't bo acceptable to us." "I should consider that a vqry neat way out of it," Baid Booth coldly. "Not at all. You see, Challls was fond of Sara, In spite of everything. Ho left a will and under it sho came in for all he had. As that includes a third interest In our extremely refined and irreproachablo business, It would be a douco of a trick on ub If sho mar ried ono of the common people and set him up amongst us, willy-nilly. Wo don't want strange bedfellows. We'ro too snug and I might say, too smug. Down m her hearty mother is saying to herself it would be just like Sara to get oven with us by doing just that sort of a trick. Of course Sara 1b rich onough without accepting a sou under the will, but she's a canny person. Sho hasn't handed It back to us on a silver platter, with thanks; still, on the other hand, alio refuses to meddle. Sho makes us feel pretty small. She won't sell out to us. Sho just sits tight. That's what gets under the skin with mother." . "I wouldn't say that, Les, if I were in your place." "It is a rather priggish thing to say, isn't it?" "Rather." "You see, I'm tho only one who really took sides with Sara. I forget myself sometimes. Sho was such a brick, all those years." Booth was silent for a moment, not ing tho reflective look in his compan ion's eyes. "I supposo the police haven't given up the hopo that sooner or later the er the woman will do something to give herself away," said he. "They don't tako any stock in my thoory that she made way with herself tho same night. I was talking with the chief yesterday. He says that anyone who had wit to cover up her tracks ao she did, is not the kind to make way with herself. Perhaps he's right It sounds reasonable. Qad, I felt sorry for tho poor girl they had up last spring. She went through the third dogrce, if evor anyone did, but, by Jove, sho camo out ot it all right. Tho Ashtley girl, you remembor. I've dreamed about that girl, Brandy, and what they put her through. It's a sort of nightmare to mo, even when I'm awake. Oh, thoy've questioned others as well, but she was the only one to have tho screws twisted In just that way." "Where is she now?" "She's comtortablo enough now. When I wrote" to Sara about what she'd been through, sho settled a neat bit ot money on her, and she'll nevor want for anything. She's out west somewhere, with her mother and sta ters. I toll you, Sara's a wonder. She's got a heart of gold." "I look forward to meeting her, old man." "I was with hor for a few weeks this winter. In Nice, you know. Viv ian stayed on for a weak, but mother had to got to the baths. 'Gad, I be lieve sho hated to go. Sara's got a most adorable girl staying with hor. A daughter of Colonel Castleton, and she'B connected In some way with the Murgatroyds old Lord Murgatroyd, you know. I think her mother was a niece of the old boy. Anyhow, mothor and Vivian have taken a great fancy to hor. That's proof ot the pudding." "I think Vivian montlonod a com panion of Bomo sort." 'You wouldn't exoctly call her a companion," said Leslie. "She's got money to burn, I tako It. Quito keeps up with Sara In making It fly, and that's saying a good deal for her resources. I think It's n pose on her part, this calling herself a companion. An Eng lish joke, eh? As a matter ot fact, bIio'b an old friend of Sara's and my brother's too. Knew them in England. Most delightful girl. Oh, I say, old man, eho's the ono for you to paint." Lesllo wpxed enthusiastic. "A type, a positive typo. Never bow euctyeyes In nil my life. Dammit, thoy haunt you. You droam about 'em." "You seem to bo hard hit," Bold I i Booth Indifferently. .He was watching tho man in tho "slicker" through moody eyes. "Oh, nothing like that," disclaimed Leslie with unnecessary .promptness. "But if I wero given to thnt sort of thing, I'd bo bowled over in a minute Positively adorable face. If I thought you had it In you to paint a thing as it really is I'd commission you myself to do a miniature for mo, Just to havo it around whero I could pick It up when I liked and hold it between my hands, just as I've often wanted to hold the real thing." Sara Wrandall roturnod to New York nt the end of the month, and Leslio met hor at the'dock, as ho did on an occasion fourteen months ear lier. Then she enme in on a fierce gale from the wintry Atlantic; this time the air was soft and balmy and sweot -with the kindness of spring. It was May and the sea was bluo, tho land was green. Again sho went to tho small, exclu sive hotel near tho park. Hor apart ment was closed, the butler and his wlfo nnd all of their hastily recruited company being in the cbuntry, await ing her arrival from town. Leslie at tended to everything. He" lent his re sourceful man servant and his motor to his lovely slster-ln-lnw, and saw to it that his mother and Vivian sent flowers to the ship. Redmond Wran dall called at tho hotel. Immediately after banking hours, kissed his daughter-in-law, and delivered nn ultimatum second-hand from the power at homo: sho was to come to dinner and bring Miss Castleton. IA little quiet family dinner, you know, because they wero all in mourning, ho said in conclusion, vaguely realizing all tho while that It really wasn't necessary to supply the information, but, for the life of him, unablo to think of anything else to say under the circumstances. Some how It seemed to him that while Sara was In black sho was not in mourning in the same sense that the rest of thom wero. It seemed only right to acquaint her with the conditions in his household. And ho knew that ho de served tho scowl that Lesllo bestowed upon him. Sara accepted, much to hla surprise and gratification. He had been rather dubious about it. It would not have surprised him In the least it she hod declined the Invitation, feeling, as he did, that he had In a way come to her with a white flag or an olive branch or whatever it is that a combative force utilizes when it wants to sur render in the cause of humanity. As soon as thoy were alone Hetty turned to her friend. "Oh, Sara, can't you go without me? Tell them that I am ill suddenly ill. I I don't think it right or honorable of mo to accept" Sara shook her head, and the words died on-tho girl's lips. "You must play tho game, Hetty." "It's very hard," murmured the other, her face very white and bleak. "I know, my dear," said Sara gently. "If thoy should over find out," gasped the girl, suddenly giving way to tho dread that had been ly' g dor mant all thoso months. "They will never know the truth unless you chooso to enlighten them," sold Sara, putting her arm about tho girl's shoulders and drawing her close. "You never cease to be wonderful, Sara bo very wonderful," cried the girl, with a look of worship In 'her eyes. Sara regarded her in silence for a momont, reflecting. Then, with a swift rush of tears to her oyes, she cried fiercely: "You must nevor, never tell me all "You Must Play the Same, Hetty." that happened, Hetty! You must not Bpeak it with your own lips." Hetty's eyes grow dark with pain and wonder. "That la the thing I can't under stand lu you, Sara," sho said slowly. "Wo muBt not speak of It!" , Hetty's boBom heaved. "Speak of it!" sho cried, absoluto agony In hor volco, "Havo I not kept It locked In my heart slnco that awful day " "Hush!" "I shall go mad It I cannot talk with you about " ' "No, nol It 1b the forbidden sub ject! I know all that I should know Ifmlili W, I ifffliP nil thnt I caro to know. Wo havo not said so much an this in mbnths in ages, it seems. Let sleeping dogs lie. We aro better off, my dear. I could not touch your lips again." "I I can't bear tho thought of that!" "Kiss mo now, Hotty." "I could die for you, Sara," cried Hetty, as Bhe Impulsively obeyed tho command. "I mean that you shall llvo for me," said Sara, smiling through her tears. "How silly of mo to cry. It must btf the room we aro In. Theso aro tho same rooniB, dear, that you came to on tho night we mot. Ah, how old I feelt" "Old? You say that to mo? I am nges and ages older than you," cried Hotty, the color coming back to hor soft cheeks. "You are twenty-three." ' "And you are twenty-eight." Sara had a far-away look In hor, eyes. "About your size and figure," said she, and Hetty did hot comprehend. CHAPTER VI. Southlook. Sara Wrandall's houso In tho coun try stood on a wooded knoll overlook ing tho sound. It wao rather remotely located, so far as neighbors wore con cerned. Her father, Sebastian Gooch, shrewdly foresaw tho day when land In this particular section ot tho sub urban world would return dollars for pennies, nnd wlsoly bought thousands of acres: woodland, meadowland, beachland and hills, Inserted between tho environs of Now York city and the rich towns up the coast. Years afterward he built a commodious sum mer home on the choicest point that his property afforded, named it South look, and transformed that particular part of his wilderness into a million aire's paradise, where ho could dawdlo and putter to his heart's content, where he could spend his tlmo and his money with a prodigality that came so late In lifo to him that ho mado waste ot both in his haste to live down a rather parsimonious past. Two miles and a half away, In tho heart of a scattered colo'ny of purse proud New Yorkers, was the country homo of the WrandallB, an imposing placo and older by far than South look. It had descended from well worn and tlnle-stained ancestors to Redmond Wrandall, and, with others of its kind, lookod with no littlo scorn upon tho modern, mushroom struc tures that sprouted from the seods of trade. There was no friendship be tween tho old and tho new. Each had recourso to a bitter contempt for the other, though consolation was small in comparison. It was in tho wooded by-ways of thla despised domain that Challls Wran dall and Sara, tho earthly daughter of Midas, mot and loved and defied all things supernal, for matches aro mado in heaven. Their marriage did not open tho gates of Nineveh. Sebas tian Gooch's paradise was more com pletelyostraclsed than It waa before tho disaster. The Wrandalls spoke of It as a disaster. Clearly the old merchant was not over-pleased with- his daughter's choice, a conclusion permanently es tablished by the alteration ho made in his will a year or two after the mar riage. Truo, he loft tho vast estate to his beloved daughter Sara, but he fast ened a stout string to It, and with this string her hands were tied. It must havo occurred to him that Chal lls was a profligate in moro ways than ono, for he deliberately stipulated in his will that Sara waB not to sell a foot ot the ground until a porlod of twenty years had elapsed. A very vpollto way, It would seem, of making his investment safe in tho faco of con siderable odds. Ho lived long onough aftor the mak ing of his will, I am happy to relate, to find that ho had mado no mistake. As ho preceded his son-in-law Into tho great beyond by a scant three years, it readily may be seen that he wrought too well by far. Seventeen unneces sary years ot proscription romained. and he had not Intended them for Sara alono. He was not afraid of Sara, but for her. When tho will was read and the con dition revealed, Challls Wrandall toolt It In perfect good humor. Ho had tho grace to proclaim In tho bosom ot his father's family that tho old gentleman was a father-in-law to be proud of. "A canny old boy," he had announced with his most ongaglng smile, quite free from rancor or rosentmont. Chal lls was well acquainted with himself. And so tho ncres wore strapped to gether snugly and firmly, without so much as a town lot protruding. So Impressed was Challls by the far sightedness of his father-in-law that he forthwith sat -him down and mado a will of his own. Ho would not havo It said that Sara's father did a whit bettor by hor than ho would do. He left everything ho possessed to his wife, but put no string to It, blandly implying that all danger would bo paBt when sho enmo Into possession. Thero was a sort of grim humor In tho way ho managed to pnwnt him self to view as the real and ready sourco of peril. (TO BE CONTINUED.) A a