The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-07-19
CUT BY THE COUNTY.
NOVEL BY MISS M E. BRADDON,
Mems Shoes Etc
PART V.-CHAPTER VII.

| &c. Inc DAINTY nCLlo DredkIdSL- CdOlc pSSiNO AOA
was scarcely disturbed from the neat order in
which it had been brought into the room.
"You have eaten positively nothing, mother, J"
said Grace, scrutinizing the table.
II have had some tea and a little toast I
have done very we'll" answered Clare, and then
in a despairing tone she added, "Oh, Grace
there is no improvement. spoke to one of the
nurses. She was going off to her bedroom, with
such an orderly air, if life or death were all
the same to her. There is no diminution of the
fever-the temperature is just as high. He has
not spoken one sensible word since that night
Mr.. Friedricson is to come again today; but the
nurse thinks it would be madness to attempt to
extract the bullet while he is in this state. l do
not believe these people have any hope of saving
him."
''Oh, mother, we must save him. God will
answer our prayers" cried Grace. "Let US pray
for that dear life together side by side, with
heart and strength, and mind. Surely God
must hear and answer such prayers"
In the library Mr. Penwern, homely looking,
middle-aged man, with pepper and salt hair and
whiskers, and pepper and salt clothing to match,
was listening and questioning, and making notes,
until he had the story of Sir Allans wound, so
far as it was known by Miss Darnel and Colonel
Stukely, all in black and white before him. Then
he went up to see the room in which the catas
trophe happened, and moving to an fro, quietly,
lest he should disturb the patient in the adjoining
room, he made a complete inspection of the
ground. Here was the spot, just inside the
threshold, where Sir Allan was found lying There
were stains of blood upon the Aubusson carpet to
mark the place where he lay while they waited
for the coming of the DOCTOR He had clutched
the portere as he fell, for the first three four
hooks that sustained it were wrenched from the
| brass rod. There was Lady Darnels writing
table She had been sitting there writing ten
minutes before she heard the pistol shot from
the corridor outside. There were two French
windows opening on to the balcony.
| Was either of these windows open on the
night! Yes, one was open. The Colonel re-
membered the wind blowing in his face as be
came in at the door.
Mr. Penwern stepped out upon the balcony and
made his survey. 1t was broad, old-fashioned
balcony, roofing in a colonnade outside the
breakfast room below The iron piasters of the
| colonnade were covered with greenery-a
wisteria spread itself along the ironwork like
curtain, an old magnolia was trained over one
side of the balcony. Easy enough for any
active man to scale such balcony No difficulty
| as to access. The next question to be considered
was motive
ANY valuabes kept at this end of the house?"
| asked the detective
Lady Darnel has some jewelry in her dress
ing room," answered Dora, ''but Lady Darnel's
are not family iewels-not of sufficient renown
to tempt a thief, I should think"
| 'Thieves are easily tempted nowadays" an
| swered Penwern. THE trade is overrun, and
business is often slack. 1t seems to me that this
balcony is about the easiest access all along this
| side of the house, and the point at which any
| man would naturally enter"
| ''But with this room occupied, with lamps
burningF suggested Dora incredulously.
1.-The room had been deserted for some minutes
| before the shot was fired. A man might have
| been on the watch for this opportunity"
Surely he would have waited till Lady Darnel
had gone to bed; till the house was dark. That
| seems only reasonable, said Dora.
ut seems reasonable; but there is the fact
| that the shot was fred, and there is the antece
| dent fact that Sir Allan got up and came to that
| door yonder. take it that he heard strange
| footstep in this room, and that he came in Just
in time to surprise the burglar. Are you sure
that there were no valuables kept in this very
| rooms"
| "Quite sure" answered Dora. It is Lady
/
thing kept here except her work-boxes and
| writing cases, and books, just as you see them
| now"
| The detective had devoured the room with his
eyes He knew every article it contained.
| I'm that Italian cabinet for instance, are no
| vauables-trinkets. money-kept thereH' he
| asked
Nothing of the kind, to my knowledge"
''Stay," exclaimed the Colonel. Sir Allan told
us that he had drawn four hundred pounds in
| bank notes for travelling expenses How do we
| know that he did not keep the money in this
room-in that cabinet, perhaps! saw him put
away lease in that very cabinet fortnight ago,
when was here with him and Lady Darnel at
| afternoon tea"
Lady Darnel would be the most likely person
to enlighten us, l take it," said the detective,
who thirsted to see Lady Darnel.
| Until he had scrutnZed and taken stock of
every member of the family and household it
was to Mr. Penwern as if he were playing diff
cult game of cards blindfold. When he had
seen all his cards he would begin to understand
| what game he had to play.
After a few minutes whispered conversation
with the Colonel, Dora went in quest of Lady
Darnel She went reluctantly, since she would
| have preferred that this professional investiga-
| ton should have been carried on without Lady
Darnels knowledge, secret underground bust
ness, dark as Belzonis researches in Egyptian
tombs She wanted the thing to be her work,
| mystery between her and the detective, to
plode at given moment in a starting revelation
| which should bring shame and discontinue on
the woman she hated. And now this detested
second wife was to be let into the secret, was to
have due notice of what was taking place, and
would thus be able to prevent discovery were
she, as Dora Darnel firmly believed, a guilty
agent in the catastrophe.
IF it was her nfamy in the past which drove
him to suicide, or If it was some lover OF hers
who stole into the house to murder him, this
detective ought to be able to unravel the mys-
terry" Dora told herself, as she went slowly to
Grace's bedroom But Lady Darnel once On
her guard may be able to Illustrate him in his
| investigation, to throw dust in his eyes,"
| She found Glare Darnel sitting by her neg
lected fire, just as Grace had left her.
There is person here trying to find out the
mystery of my brothers wounds. said she. curt
| ". He wants to ask you few questions"
Clare started suddenly to her feet That mar