The Bozeman weekly chronicle. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1883-1889, 1886-10-13

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Mr. Mauleverer. So you need not wonder
that the whole party-there are some Of
them still over there-have been working at
the business for years past At one time /
know they meant to make an end of the old
man in his own house at Wangoora. But
YOU see some of them had got bit blown
upon there, and they were afraid that if
anything happened it would not do; so then
tn. doctor hit upon plan of bringing him
away to England and getting rid Of him
quietly at time when the worst members
Of the gang were at the other side of the
world
"But how could it profit Dr. Branksome to
kill Mr. Maulevererl He was not his heir"
No; that is just it. But the plot began
great deal sooner than you seem to suppose.
1t began nearly twenty years ago. At that
time Mauleverer had no heir. His only sis
ter had died childless, and there was neither
kith nor kin to come after him
His sister childiess! Why, Miss STAN
Life had been born then"
just so; only in those days she was Miss
Somebodyese; Miss Stancliffe, as you call
her. had not been tho1ght Of at that time.n
Harding uttered g low cry of amazement.
found it difficult to put the next question.
'What in heavens name do you meanl'
Il mean," he said doggedly, shat it was a
plant from the very beg .nningl DR.. Brank-
some and his party were determined to get
every farthing of the old mans money. He
had no heir and so they found one for him,
and planted her on him successfully"
"But why should they have fixed upon
Mis-, Stancliffea What goo did they
imagine it would do them, supposing that he
did leave everything 20 her"
The sneering smile appeared on the fell
lows face again.
"Really," he said, 'you are not very
bright They must have found it easy to
make a fool of you Daisy was adopted by
the doctors wife when she was little more
than baby. She lived in the DOCTORS house
for a dozen years or more, and Branksome
got such an influence over her that he knew
he could twist her round his fingers ex-
actly as he pleased. Why, bet you two to
one that she has made her will in his favor
since her arrest.
cou d not command my countenance en-
tirely when l heard this direct guess at the
truth 1t brought with it to my mind a
terrible confirmation of the truthfulnes; Of
this unwilling witness.
~ see YOU know something about it, he
continued swell, it is just as / thought it
would be- They never meant the girl to
share with them She was to have all the
kicks, while they got all the ha'pence. 1t
would have been different. though, II she
had LIST .ned to me"
~ don't want either to throw doubt upon
your story or to seem to accept 1t without
further inquiry; but must ask you to tell
me who in your belief, Miss Stancliff9 Isl"
x-1I-. =. NJ, Nall
she is the daughter, / am told, of poor old
parson named Sheldon, who died at Mel
bourne t~enty years ago His wife lived
tEelve or eighteen months after him, and
then she died, too, and Daisy was left little
child, without friend in the world. 1t was
then, as I've said, that Mrs. Branksome
took pity on her, and adopted her She was
good woman, was the doctors wife, and he
never dared to carry out his plot about
Daisy until she was gone. God knows
whether he did not help her off in the end.
He was equal to it At all events, as soon
as she die Branksoms goes to poor old
Mau everer. and tells him the whole tale
the tale he had made up-how be had kept
the ecret of Daisy's real birth until then,
partly because of his promise to her mother,
and partly for his w fe's sake, as she would
neve have par ed with the girl Mauleverer
swallowed the bait whole, and from that
time Branksome had complete command, not
only over Daisy, but over the old man also.
"How have you got to learn all thisY
"That's my business" he said in sullen
tones But Immediately some swift fear OF
the consequen res of giving me offense took
possession of his mind. "If you must know,
learned it all from an old servant of Drank
some's whom got hold Of | always sus-
pected there was something wrong. and after
Branksome quarrelei with me, and got me
dismissed by Mauleverer, wormed the truth
ont of the old woman"
Harding and were SO much astounded by
the extraordinary revelation thus made to
US that neither of us felt capable OF carrying
Gregsonis examination further. Strange as
it may seem, we had no doubt as to the
truth of his story Rascal as the fellow un-
mistakably was, he had told his tale In
manner which compelled our acceptance OF
it. l sat bewildered, almost paralyzed. oy
the nature of his statements. Daisy not the
niece of Maulevererl And Branksome the
head of gang of scoundrels, whose d1a-
bolical plot against the life of the millionaire
had only now been carried out, after years
of careful preparation 1t seemed incred1-
bic, and yet in my heart | felt certain that 1t
was true.
Harding was the first to recover the full
use of his faculties.
"Will you be good enough" he said, adj
dressing Gregson, "to give us your opinion,
If you have one, as to the way in which MIR.
Mauleverer was murderedP
II thought you knew all about that. Daisy
Stancliffe gave him the poison instead of his
powder that night
By look Harding warned me to keer
calm GDo understand" he pursued, "that,
in your opinion, Miss Stanclffe-for so, l
think, we may still call her-administered
the poison knowingiyp
"Why, put it to your own sense, sir.
Somebody gave the old gentleman his dose
that night. 1t was not done by Branksome,
Or by FIinter, or by Fosdyke, nor by Mr..
Fenton here. Who did it'll Not any of the
English servants at Great Lorton There's
none of them in the secret, am sure. Don't
you see it must have been done by the girl
who had been brought up for that very pur-
pose-ever since she was babyP
"No!" / cried, regardless of Harding's ap-
pealing glance u do not see it. God only
knows how the thing was done. but if Mss
Stanciffe was the accompiice of these vii
lains, she was an unconscious and an inno-
cent one"
"Then will yots tell me how the thing was
ione9 Why, you know yourself that neither
Branksome nor Flinter had been near the
hall for weeks before the old man died; and
they were thousand miles away when the
dose was given.
/ put my hand 10 my forehead wearily.
aAh. If / could only tell you how it was
ionel / have thought, and Thoughts over
everything till my brain has grown giddy.
There is only one theory that has even q
chance in its favor, and of that, alasi If it
be the true one, we can never obtain the
proof
sand what may that theory bep asked
| Gregson, with an air of interest
! hesitated as TO whether toreveal my idea
to him. 1t was one which had occurred to
me more than onca during the long sleepless
watches of the night; but had said moth
ing of it to any one, chiefly, think, because
it was but, and in the nature OF things never
cou.d be anything more than, a theory. Un-
less miracle were 10 happen. no proof of it,
short of the confession of the criminals,
could ever be adducel Still, it might be
well to hear Gregson's opinion OF it
aAIay it not have been possible" ! said,
| afor a powder containing strychnil to have
| been secretly substituted iy Finter for one
containing Mr.. Mauleverer's propr medi-
cinel In that case Flinter might be able to
| Grove an alibi although be was really the
culprit; and Miss Stancliffe ay have given
the poison to Mr.. Mau'everer. alth ugh per-
fectly innocent Of any knowledge Of its
nature
| | beard low chuckle and looked up.
| Belski had entered the room while ! was
speaking ami had heard my theory:
~ beg your pardon, gentlemen. knocked
twice, bat could not make you hear me