The Panola weekly star. (Sardis, Miss.) 1882-18??, 1883-08-18
CHAPTER VI
WAY n-ILmuIn

All Rivrron was %conyulsed hv the
news of tat dark deed. The wild con-.
lectures al0ai scarcely touched upon
the truth a. 10 what had led up 10 this
tragedy. Rodney had been pcryerting
the funds Of the bank from their lcgiti-
mate use; he had defed the wise coun-
sells of the elder partner. and they had
quarreled, with this awful result. Such
was the theory which gained rcadicst
acceptance, and there WIS no contradio-
ton made.
lie appeared before q Magistrate ut
an early hour II the morning aud gave
himself mp as the slayer Of John Ten.
dyke.
No one except himself knew 81
Mignon's presence upon the SCENE u
the tragedy. and he had taken caro
that no shadow II blame could attach
Ia her. No one but himself knew all
the Occurrences II that dark night.
People said that he had gone. rcd.hand.
ed. from that deed of guilt To his wife's
chamber. and all but murdered her by
ayowing Il. At any rate, when hisown
household was aroused and u physician
sent for, Mignon was found in her own
bod In an unconscious state, from which
all efforts failed 10 arouse her. When
that deep stupor gave way nj last. Il
was to the muttcrings of delirium. and
the doctor himself carried the nezr n
Rodney France In his cell at the county
jail, that his wife was laboring un4ef :
violent attack 81 fever.
IL have taken Il upon myself - -
stall a nurse, and give oricrs i1r atf
he said, "but Il may suggesi sas8k
not he well 10 send fuf hsf hssl
she needs some one 70 siasi . ~ A.
this very trying season
"iou are right. kadnfJ t-s4xsrssl.
after n moments usagi ell
write a telegram b. h~sfsaihsr 81 a
trust II to your kindness y srA P0sy
Mignonl' he sighed. - him-sI lie
Is not the protector ! z1uh ehssae ~
her II thcr was any ons el-.
The message was asnt and IN 6-,r
time Mr.. Trcdegar Almoni made bis ap.
p"arance upon the scene, and was ID.
mltted to an interview with his son-in.
Law the day after his arrival.
"Yon made a mistake In not putting
In your defense NJ the hearing" be said,
as soon as the first greeting was over,
Its n bad job-a denccdly bad Job
nj the best; but nuw That ! am here. W,
will be able to put n better face 10 I
than u wears ut present"
"Why do YOU say thatP What 4,
You know about itfn asked Rodney. nj
most aerrely.
bc tranquil. my friend. and | vii
tell You, rcsgondnd Almont. n unfon
ccrncd rs II the life of the man befon
him were not the issue nj stake. 81
know what Il appears You have mo-
chosen TO diyulge that your partner
Tcndyke, and my late partner. varick
wcrc one and the same man. | ca,
reasonably suppose that the cause as
signed for this tragedy was not the tru
: cause; when that i made known Their
viii be. Inevitably. some rpvul.ion o
/ popular feeling In your favor. Alc'ts
which I received frum my dsuglts
some two weeks ago can be introduc,,
| A. effective evidence"
"A letter."
"She wrote. I believe. without YOU
cognlzancc. She knew that varick wa
bent upon mischief. She had hopes o
checkmating him BY bringing the law b
bear upon some II his past acts. bu
varick was always too slippery TO CIV,
the Law any strung hold on him.
didn't see that I could do her n good
and % didn't charge myself with an,
trouble In the AFFAIR."
"is. ne ZEE NE letter"
} Mr.. Almout was not wholly satlzae,
with his scn-in-law's sspcct uall
though Il was.
FRO m ~cosrrsrrp1