Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1881-08-03

had been shot in his own room, and that
Gerald Myrtlemore, the sutton of his
daughter, stood charged with the crime.
CHAPTER II.
The whole community was in a fer
ment and, as in oil such cases, the most
absurd and exaggerated stories were
ahoat about Ashdale. About the two
main facts, however, of the shadow of q
doubt. Capt. Tranton had come down
to Pedbury by the night express of the
10Th, and had arrived in the village the
next morning. At II o'clock that even
ing he was O. corpse. The chain of evil
dence upon which Gerald Myrtlemore
had been first suspected, and then i'm
prisoned, was apparently strong one"
1t had few links, but those were ugly
ones. The young man, knew myself,
had expressed his determination to lose
no available time in the prosecution of
his suit; indeed he did not himself deny
that at 1870 o'clock that night he had
been closeted with the doomed man in
the very apartment of the murder. He
had gone away agitated; that was sworn
to on good authority. It was probable.
thought [, that hC~nad been refused and
was agitated. A pistol of very pecu-
liar pattern had been picked up not
many yards from the house, and had
been since identified Us Gerald Myrtle
more's property; fact that [ will con-
fess staggered me little, and very GER
tainly looked dark. On these premises
Inspector Roberts had thought it good
policy to make sure of his prisoner.
Holies hall stood about mile out of
the village, on the high road to Finches-
ter. It was lonely house. and there
were only a few laborers' cottages any
where near. [ went up there once, and
found everything i'll disorder and under
the surveillance Of the police. The widow
and bereaved daughter had been merci-
fully taken away by the rector. The
body lay for the present on a couch in
the chamber of the crime. 7 sought the
police inspector. Annoyed as I was at
the charge against my friend, I had at
this moment not the least doubt either
of his innocence, or of his being able
thoroughly to clear himself. Roberts
was sympathizing and thoroughly COM
municative, but it was easy to see be-
viction that he had arrested the right
man.
"You see, sir, he said, "Mr. Myrtle
more was observed on his way down
from the Hall by the keeper who lives
at the chalk-pits. Brown says he was
out in the garden smoking, and, dark as
the night was, noticed Mr.. Myrtlemore
particularly. Mr.. Myrtlemore passed
quite close and was in a tremendous
hurry, grooming and, Brown says, swear
ing to himself all the way, things, which,
when put together, seem very odd. be-
cause generally that gentleman is very
quiet one-Yery. And then there's the
pistol"
"What did Ger-Mr. Myrtlemore say
when you went down to Ashdale lodge?"
"He was in bed, sir; and when [ saw
him he looked as pale as death; but all
he said was, I am sorry, Roberts. I
am perfectly innocent, but of course I'll
go with you at once"
"And innocent I am sure he is, I
answered warmly; "but somebody has
committed a foul crime and must be de-
tected. You have made a thorough
search, of course, indoors as we'll as out,
and have examined the servants?"
Every one, sir, without exception;
but they are all accounted for right
enough. And, what makes it darker,
Mr.. Parke, harder to make out, is, that
it clearly was not done for robbery"
Unless the thief thought to find the
room empty. and to save himself shot
Captain Tranton.' -
ono, sir, mol There's not the least
sign of breakingin. Beside, the pistol p
Red-tape was bringing me back mer-
oil 10 bic HvaI I, l.
A business-ike thought seized me.
81 am the family solicitor as you
doubtless know" I said. "You will al
low me to go into that room, and make
Investigations for myself? ?"
"Certainly, Mr.. Parke; man is on
guard there all the while, of course p
Divided by several unused rooms and
the whole width of the hall from the
rest of the house, this chamber was very
lonely, fitted up as library, with heavy
oak appurtenances, it wore always SOM
bre appearance. I had been in it many
times, and knew it we'll. With the
blinds drawn, and so CHASTITY an occu-
pant, the gloom was ten times more op-
pressive Only the faint hope OF STUN
bling on some clew, overlooked by the
rest, could have induced me to spend the
next half hour as I did spend it. Dis
ordered as the place had been by the
events of the night, method still reigned
on Captain Tranton's table and desk.
There was thin case of documents, bills
and receipts, evidently brought home
the day before from Scotland; probably
the issue of my own latest advice was
hidden there; but [ had no heart to look
There were filed letters, answered and
unanswered. There we're a mixed pile
pamphlets, political and legal. There
was county court handbook and the
little red-backed book in which the I'M
fortunate gentleman had made notes of
our last meeting. I opened this, and
found it to be a record of engagements
and important memoranda. Brevity was
it's chief feature. A full half of the en-
tries were quite unintelligible to any
but the writer. Letters did duty for
words, and apparently numbers had a
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