The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1886-06-04

There is q troubled look in his eyes, O very
troubled look
Every bad indeed The rascals must have
done it in cold blood. 1t is nothing short OF
murder"
81 wonder why they managed the conceal
mont OF the body so badly!" Hereward speaks
with his head bent and his eyes on the
ground.
81 cannot imagine. Perhaps they were
disturbed while engaged in the operation.
There is one circumstance for which cannot
account. The bullet entered almost under
the mans chin-as if it had been fired FROM
below, you understand"
''Does not that look as if he had fired
the shot himself? He could pull the trigger
with his foot L have heard of its being
! done"
but he could not Lave attempted to con-
ceal his own body" the Doctor answers,
shaking his head. ''No, that does not hold.
But we shall hear more perhaps at the ill.,
quest. l shall telegraph for Lord Heriot in
the morning. He ought to Dv on the spot.
1t is most disagreeable aualr altogether,
and will annoy him greatly"
There is an inquest held the next day at
the Palliser Arms The body of Robert
North has been conveyed to the inn. and
! Hereward and the Doctor are obliged to at
tend. Hereward is empanelled as Juror
very much against his will. Doctor Jones
had tclegraped to Lord Heriot, but had
received an answer in the course of "a
couple of hours expressing great re-
greet for the unfortunate occurrence but
alleging the utter impossibility of his leaving
| town.
There is nothing new elected from the
witnesses at the inquest. Hereward listens
evidence ;+l Al.
rest to view the body, and agrees to the YER
| dict like one in q dream.
The evidence is not very interesting. Old
hathaway is sworn, aud repeats his state
ment of the night before rerbatim-his re-
turn from the village, his riding of the body,
and identification of it as that of the new
undcr-keeper Robert North. He was not on
friendly terms with the deceased, he allows,
but they never had words. He knew he was
paying his addresses to his daughter, but he
discouraged those addresses, and he thought
he had u perfect right to do SO. The girl
was not Of age yet, and he, as her father,
could compel her obedience. He lad not
-, seen North's gun, though it must have been
lying directly in the path. Some of the
neiShbors had found it, and carried 1t into
the mill. One barrel was loaded, the other
was not.
Here the gun is produced, also the bullet
which was extracted from the wound. And
police officer present. hands bullet-mould
which was found in Norths room that morn
ing
There is breathless pause while the coro-
ner fits the bullet into the mould. The ball
fills it exactly. There is piece broken off
the mould, where the two halves open, and
there is a corresponding excrescence on the
| r ILL hn n
doubt on the subject. The shot which killed
Robert North was fired from his own gun.
This causes great diversion among the
jurors. 1t seems to point to Hereward's first
suggestion, that the man had raised his hand
against his own life. The Doctors evidence
also would go to prove this But then, how
shall they account for the conceal
ment of the body--for its having been
dragged ut least five yards from the spot
where it fell That spot was very definitely
marked by the pool of blood.
The jurors are fairly puzzled. But the
entrance of Anne Grace Hathaway turns
their thoughts in another direction. Here
ward raises his eyes and gives her long,
slow, searching look. She meets the look
with one as searching and comprehensive. The
rirl looks like the ghost of her former self.
Her complexion has changed to dull chalky
white, her very lips are colorless. Her eyes
are swollen with weeping, and murmur of
compassion passes round the room rs she
comes forward to be sworn.
Her evidence is very slight. She had not
seen Robert North for more than three days
her voice trembles very much as she men
tions his name. The last time she had seen
him was at the stile near the mill, where the
path turned away from the waters side.
She had often met him. unknown to her
father and they used to part at the stile.
He dared not come near the house. She had
parted with him on bad terms, she allows:
they often quarrelled, for he was OF a very
jealous temper. But they had not been
worse friends this day than they had often
hern before. He always got over his jealous
fits before he came again. She will not say
of whom Ire had been jealous-of everybody
who talked to her, she believes. He had not
seemed il low spirits, and he had never
threatened to do anything to himself. The
e,son he had stayed away for the last three
days was because she would not promise to
fix day for their marriage. She allows that
she hnd promised to marry him. On the
evening OF the day before she had boon alonc
the house except for the old woman. Her
father was in the village He often spent the
day in the village. She had gone out Of tho
house for breath of air about three o'clock
this was oorroborsted by the old woman
but she had not been absent moro than an
hour at the most While she was taking off
her shawl she had heard shot frod in the
plantation, but she had not paid any attention
TO it She supposed it WAS North. shooting