Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-07-24

Parkmun volunteered, speaking for the
nrst time, with earnest kindness. u Will
diculous your conduct for years makes
This charge appear" The color came
back TO the clerks face. "Thank you,
sir,n he. said.
Perhaps you will let yourself be
searched herel" asked the policeman.
Crisp nodded acquiescence, and did not
1lnch when the operation began. But the
nrst articles to appear were two keys.
The policeman looked carelessly at the
hrst; but his face lit up wonderfully as he
held up the second.
This is the missing keyW he exclaimed,
and = thrill of intelligence seemed to pass
round the room,
THAT key" said Crisp, still bewildered
n graphing with the memory of things
which seemed to have happened so long
stopped with trembling lips. He had gone
SO Tar unthinking, and then his position j n
all its bearings flashed across his mind.
ne remembered all that the presence of
that Key upon him, all that the words he
nad uttered, might mean for him. The
ana Mr.. Crit"hlow swan before his eyes.
AMID an appalling silence, which had
greeted his words, he fell to the floor in a
dead faint.
Rive minutes later the room was cleared
OF oil save the owner and tho short, stout
man. II can not believe it now" Mr..
farkman was saying, land yet the key
the key! How can he explain that?
How can he explain thnt?"
You remember, sir, l told you it was a
pretty clear case?" answered the detective
-tor such he was and a we'll known one.
"You did. and 1 did not believe you,,
the merchant answered, with q groan. He
was very greatly distressed, and no won
der.
"Well, sir, I'm inclined to think that
you were right and I was wrong" the
other ans wered, dryly.
"Eh! Less clear now, Inspector? But
the key?"
SIT is the key and another matter or
two that puzzle me-" the man answered
thoughtfully. you've read, I dare say,
Of murdorers doing stupid things, sir2
There was that nurse who %strangled her
patient and then could not refrain from
laying her out? Yes, quite so. But I
never heard of q murderer CARRYING a
proof against himself in his pocket, and
that proof a thing he had no motive for
keeping - every chance to get rid off,"
his interest IN the puzzle thus presented
to him forgot his anxiety on behalf of his
poor clerk. But" he suggested, "it was
very likely sheer carelessness. Its dis
cover.y you can see was a terrible shock to
him."
quite true, sir" the detective said.
And the female who, if the policeman
is to be believed, was with him-if YOU
oil up"
81 hope she may" tho man answered.
coolly, for I have not only got the clue
to her; l shall see her to-day. I don't
think there can be any ~imprudence in
showing you this" He took from a large
pocket-book which he produced a tiny
newspaper cutting. Mr.. Parkham looked
read thus:
"Gl vgsyo nzrmgivv slfhv srtstzgv nvvg
nv wvzivhg zg II xszmtv zoovb zg ulf'
glnliild yb gszg grnv rdtoo szev irw
vimvhg."
"But this is gibberish p the merchant
said after turning it over.
mo, not gibberishW the detective an
swered,. wondering that such a man
should know SO little Of such a subject,
"only a cipher, and the easiest that ex-
alphabet; z is A, Y is B, and SO on. But
here is my translation. may add that
the advertisement appeared in the Stand.
ard OF last Friday, SIR"
The translation ran as follows: O
TO Ethel, Maintree House, Highgate:
alley, at four Tomorrow. By that time
l will have rid myself Of our worst enc
my. You loving EaNEsr.
"Good h~eavens!" cried the merchant,
pale with excitement. HE is lost!" This
is almost conclusive evidence. I don't
know-good heayens!-I don't know what
"Umph2" the detective said. 'This
advertisement is another thing which I
had not when l gave you my opinion this
morning" He said it meaninyly, and
paused as II expecting to be qusstioned.
But Nj: Parkman had not marked thu
drift Of his last word and let than pass
unchallenged.
Shortly afterward the merchant, pale
but collected, had to be present at the Lord
Mayors inquiry at the justice room OF the
Mansion House. We need not attend hin
as would justify a remand, and the reader
can guess what that was. The policeman
was examined who had seen Crisp go into
the house on the Saturday afternoon, and
had likewise seen him leave it d little
Later, zach time in company with a lady.
duced the key found upon the prisoner,
and proved that it was the key OF M.
Critchlow's Office, the door of which was
found locked upon the outside. And two
of Parkmans' clerks reluctantly des cribed
the bad terms upon which the prisoner
with which the former had lott Critchlow
upon tho last occasion when the cashier
was-so far as could be proved-seen alive
by any one except the murderer. This
amply sutticed; and Ernest Crisp, clerk,
was formally remanded-bail being, OF
course, refused-until the following Thurs
lay, upon the charge of willful murder.
The inquest, opened the same day, was
adjourned to await the result of the mag
~isterial inquiry.
CHAPTER ~.
ga clergyman to see Miss Maunder? I
will sea him first myself" said Miss Main
tree, in her stitfes tone. She was the prin-
cipal of the Maintree House Seminary.
She was absent from the school-room
ten minutes. The girls looked curiously
at Ethel, and the latter wondered who it
could be. She know OF no cler gyman
likely to visit her, and was surprised by
the gracious permission to go to the draw
ing-room which Miss Maintree presently
vouchsafed her.
"You wished to see met" Ethel said,
surprised at confronting a short, .portly
clergyman, who was a complete stranger
to her.
II do. You look a sensible young lady,
and l will tell you right out who l am and
what I want. Please don't faint or screa III,
or all my trouble expended in making
things comfortable for you will be thrown
away. My name is Peters-I ain a de-
tactiva OfH cer. Won know a gentleman