Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-04-11
CHAPTER XVII.
THE MORNING AFTER.

| The house that was to have been the house
of feasting was turned into one of mourning.
| Not until daylight was Mr.. OvingtOtS M
animate body discovered lying in the }inrary.
One of the servants, passing through tie
| hall at sunrise, noticed the door partly
open and the gas still burning brightly, and
she ventured to know the reason for such an
unusual occurrence.
Peering cautiously in, she saw her old
master stretched upon the carpet, his head
resting in pool of blood. Soon the house
was in q state of intense excitement.
Mr.. Ovington had been murdered! The
ugly cash in the skull told the tale.
No trace of the murderer could be found,
but the contents of the safe, scattered about
the floor, pointed to his motive. Surprised
in his work of robbery by the owner, he had
killed him to escape detection.
But, on closer inspection, it was found
that the injured man was neither dead nor
! dying, although severely-perhaps, fatally
wounded.
He was carried to his bed-chamber, where
he was attended by DR.. Storms, the family
| physician, who excluded from the room
every one except the nurse.
Declared from her fathers bedside, Miss
Ovington paced her apartment in frenzy of
fear and horror. What was the meaning of
this strange, unlocked for interruption to
her contemplated marriage? What if it
should now be delayed long enough to give
her enemies q chance to produce the missing
letters? And, in the event of the death of
her father, what would she do? Oh, how
maddening were the thoughts of the beauti-
full womanl The bare thought of the miss
ing letters coming to light was now suffi-
cient to drive away every attempt to rest
She had passed weary, sleepless night, and,
with restless eagerness, had counted every
stroke of the buhl clock upon the mantel
opposite her bed. This addition to her per-
turbation came like a thunderbolt.
So soon as the excitement was somewhat
allayed and quiet was restored, Maud Owing
ton babe her waiting maid send William
Gorton to her.
The man entered her presence rather re-
luctantly.
"You told me last night that you had
letter for me, said Miss Ovington, in low
tone
eyes, madam"
''Why, then, have you not brought it to
me?"
because I have lost it, madam"
''Lost it!' exclaimed Miss Ovington.
'sWhere and how?"
SIN my own room, last night. tainted
away trom fall, and, when revived, dis
covered that the letter had been stolen from
me-
"By whom?"
81 suspect one of my fellow-servants, but
am not certain that it was he who stole it.
'Did the letter reveal anything?"
every little"
ttTNilIiopo GOrto11 - cold NTou5 O1-iDutO1,
fixing her large blue eyes upon the man, 'if
you wish to become rich serve me and serve
me well, but beware how you betray me!
You should know me well enough to remem-
Der that do not fail to revenge myself upon
those who injure me-
81 remember everything madam"
"And you are resolved to serve me?"
81 am"
''You will do wisely will give you a
thousand dollars for each of those missing
letters, and see that your wages are more
than doubled as soon so am married"
"You are very generous, madam"
The coachman bowed.
Short as this interview had been, it had
not escaped the ears of man who stood in
the hall, close to the door. James Dalton
had overheard every word.
At nine o'clock General CRANKY Dumont
arrived at the Ovington mansion.
After time, curbing her impatience, Miss
Ovington descended to the drawing-room,
where the General soon joined her.
GLOW is he, CRANKY? Do tell mep' plead
ed Maud; "they will not allow me to see
him.
HE is asleep now," answered CRANKY
Dumont, gently. ''You can see him when
he wakes"
"Do they know who the-the coward that
struck the blow is?"
''No; your father does not seem able to
give any definite idea as to who struck him."
"And he cannot identify his assailant?'
''He did not see him-the blow was dealt
from behind his back.
AIauds eyes cleaned almost spitefully
for moment, and then changed to milder
expression as they met the Generals.
''Maud, dearest" said he, II sympathize
deeply with you in this affection. You have
good, kind father, and, if he were taken
from you"
"Do not speak of it, CRANKY" she plead
ed, tearfully, and her lips quivered. ''Do
not, beseech you, anticipate such an event.
I should, indeed, be an orphan then-no
mother, no father, no one" She hesitated
moment, and then threw herself upon the
Generals breast, weeping unrestrainedly.
81 shall have no one but you, Granby-no
one but your
''Dare her enemies call her false-a MUIR
deress?" CRANKY Dumont thought, drawing
her close to him. ''And 1, my darling, will
see that your path is strewn with roses" he
said. "But cheer up-don't be downcast!
Father is not going to die. The physician
has every hope of his recovery"
Maud Ovington looked up into his face,
the tears glistening on her cheeks.
'But how is the doctor to tell at this stage
of the case?" she asked.
''Not very easily, it is true; but we must
not worry. We shall be forced to defer our
marriage, dearest, but let us hope not for,
any length of time. Meanwhile we can be
happy in each others society and in minis
tering to the wants of your dear father"
Not a word did the noble-hearted soldier
mention of that scene in the church. He
had come to the Ovington residence with
deathly feeling at his heart that there might
be some truth in the accusation of that
spirit form, but one look into the tear
stained, pallid face of his betrothed dispelled
all doubts. Nor would he add to her sor-
row by telling her of the last effort of her
enemies.
Plans of the library of Mr.. Ovington were
taken, and the position of every article was
noted by the officers and detectives who I'M
dertook to ferret out the mystery of the pre-
vious night. The paper-weight. bloody, and
with hair from the victims head clinging to