Shot With Crimson

se, tired and depressed after a sleepless night. Soon after she had her breakfast,—choc

was alarmed. She took the girl’s temp

o back to bed. It’s nothing, I daresay, b

llowed to dress and go out for her walk. There wer

be cross with me. I must have eaten something last night th

for being careful today. No, my dear, I must insist on you

is he

im and would send him here as soon as

y this morning, Aunt Frieda,

tastes right when on

sh air. It is a perfectly lovely day. I am sure Dr

k to bed,—just for a little while,” she said, and there was an inexorableness in her tone that roused swift resentment in Louise

e I drank,” sad Louise, excitement causing her voi

ing manner. “Dr. Browne will give you something to straighten out your digestion, and you will be

as one with the power to scourge if resistance continued, she had begun to divest herself, rather helplessly, of the gay peignoir in which she had brea

ild, shattered her resolve; she saw that argument was useless. The rob

nt?” inquired

ell, I suppose,” replied the g

. It is no trouble at all. I

unt Frieda. It—it

Something told her that it would be the wrong thing to do,—something that for want of ano

tucked the bedc

m sure,” she said. “Do you feel an

this wretched nausea. What do the morning papers

has been held up for the time being. Waiting for full details. Wasn’t it fortunate,—

vant came

ephone, Mrs. Car-stairs. S

s it,

ldn’t catch the nam

see wh

to transmit its vital strength to the organ which pounded so violently. Her tall figure was tense; her face took on the pallor of death and its rigidity. For as long a

r gi

e swayed slightly. She even put out a hand to steady herself against the w

se in the butler’s pantry, her husband’s study, and the one that stood on the night-table at the head of his bed. Her knees suddenly became weak; the

realizing that her voice betrayed nervousness and even alarm, r

pronounced)—“and I called up, Mrs. Carstairs, to ask if it is true that Captai

er lips parted but n

spoke in her ear

hen: “I hear you quite distinctly.” There was a click at the other end.

er to remain in bed; he would run in and see her in the morning. If anything, ah!—a—alarming turned up, he murmured to Mrs. Carstairs, she was to call him at once. Not likely, of course, said he, nothing to be apprehensive about, but—well, you nev

r pyromedan to bring down the temperature

rop in at his favourite club about four in the afternoon. On this afternoon, however, he drove straight home from the office. The

irs come in, Hol

ot go out today, sir.

e had been gravely worried over his niece’s condition. Hollowell’s su

ome, Hollowell,

Is there anythi

at do y

aps you might b

bly. “Ask Mrs. Carstairs to come to my ro

hink as I am

—commo

h—what you might call stomach—ah—although cook

hat made you t

you do look a bit seedy, si

ne. Please avoid mentioning my re

the butler, he stared long and hard at his features in a m

which, for some strange, almost uncanny cause, seemed almost unfamiliar to him. And yet it was the same,—nothing had been changed. Only he had altered—his own perspective had undergone a vast, incompr

wife was a long time in appearing. She came into the study at last, and, as was her unvarying custom, pressed her lips to his cheek. He noticed that her lips,

in amazement as he tu

range,—so—Oh, something dreadful has happened! Is

was a dull, hollow note in his voice,—a n

he hasn’t

hing gently to her. It might—there is n

. Her face now was as white as his. It

You can take it like a soldier. Derrol Steele shot himself last night. He is dead. He—There, there, dearest! I shouldn’t have blurted it out like—sit down he

most rigidity. “Just a moment. Compose yourself. Pull yourself together, dear. It’s—it’s a cruel story—an incredible story. I would have staked my soul on Derrol Steele. I’ve known him since he was a little boy. I

ngers tightening on his, her vo

er in her hands, and pointed to t

rieda. Read

ast, and waited for her to finish. At last the paper fell from

enport,—I will not belie

ed, however, until he heard them speak of a man long suspected by the department. Then he pricked up his ears. The marshal did not repeat the name, for obvious reasons. The man heard enough to convince him that this suspect and one or two other men were to be at Steele’s apartment before three o’clock this morning. The address was carefully, precisely given by one of the men, who was very greatly agitated. Capt

eplied, as if wak

ol lives—or lived. They seized the driver of the taxi-cab, but the others evidently got wind of the raid, for when they went up to Steele’s apartment, hoping to catch them in the place with him, they found him alone. He had slipped a bath gown over his pajamas and was undoubtedly waiting for his fellow-conspirators. He realized in an instant that he was trapped. They smashed

e cheeks of Davenport Ca

t of him, Frieda,—

the proof, Davenport,—the ind

? What pro

ld have taken his own life in the circumstances. We—we must believe

s just below the temples, indicative of the vast effort she had been called upon to exert in order to regain command of her nerves, she was visib

of the men—one of the oth

axi-dr

r handkerchief she wiped away the moisture that suddenly appeared

face absolutely emotionless. After a while he

as she laid the last of the papers on the table. H

ard the door. As she neared it, she

me go on, please,—I can see revulsion in your eyes. Whether we like it or not, we must look at it squarely from every point of view. Last night, for example, he heard the Admiral;

rieda,” he said slowly. “You m

htest degree unless we volunteer information that concerns no one but ourselves.

rough. They will go to the bottom of this. Of course, I can manage it so t

scussed these very grave and im

not forget that we spoke of them in the pres

re is no proof against him except the few words overheard by that man in front of the café,—well, it is possible, don’t you see, that the

in the world. He shot hi

s. A queer little spasm

nsteadily, “yes,

as on the

in to tell he

han you think. I must have time to collect myself. It will be very

Frieda,—God bless you an

er call to him with that door and doubtless another intervening. Strange that she should have cl

the telephone receiver from the hook. The next moment she

on struggling for mastery. At last she pushed the instrument a