The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1886-07-16

iiI1,11;itss iSssi12 ss'|IS
this disappearance. eursly ho Nod
done nothing to make hsrts ise tohim.
He had studied her every wish, erati.|
fed every desire. No. IL could not Sol
that; there must b some trsachsry.
Suddenly he looked up at Melville,
who sat opposite to him, the picture
OF absolute despair. Risinghs walked
across the room to his companion,
and said eternly:
"Aferville, you have been a guest un.
der my root. I have noticed your
close attention to my wife, but have
passed it over because I believed her
too pure to do anything that would
inJure my honor. Answer me, as man
to man, can you give any reason for,
any clue to, this terrible mystery?"
For moment Merville seemed to
cover under his fierce gaze, but then,
recovering himself, answered bravsly
enough:
marquis Leontine, ! answer you as
q man, no! / confess that l loved
Heloise dearly-as cousin. We had
been together since childhood. But,
if you would insinuate that there was
anything wrong between uy, I answer
you no, no, mol"
Pardon me, Merville; was mad to
think 1t, j" and with groan the mar.
qnis sank back into his chair.
As soon as the sun had risen rigid
search of the grounds was made. Not
q trace of the missing Heloise could be
found until on the shore of the little
artificial lake, at point where the wa
ter was deepest, one of the maids found
book-the one that Madame had
been reading that mornings volume
of the poems of De Thurset. Gregoire
seized it and covered it with kisses; it
seemed to him come part OF the per-
sonality OF his beloved. But still no
trace of the missing lady. By noon
time every inch of ground had been
explored, but without success. At
last Melville suggested that q detec-
tive should be sent for. At first the
Marquis was loath to do this, as he
was unwilling to make public what he
feared would prove his shame. Mel
vile reasoned, argued with him, and
finally he consented.
A telegram was dispatched to the
Project of Police at Paris, who chanc-
ed to pe a friend of the Marquis, and
at nightfall quiet, business-likelook-
ing man presented himself at the
chateau. He bore letter from the
Project, recommending him as one of
his shrewdest officers, worthy of all
confidence. Perhaps it would be well
to let the detective tell his story in the
report submitted by him a week sub
sequent.
an. LIE Perfect-In the matter of
the disappearance of Nine. Heloise,
Marquise Leontine, l would report
that Immediately upon my arrival at
the chateau proceeded to question the
Marquis, who appeared to be prostra.
ted with grief. He told me that he
and Madame had lived upon the
most friendly terms, and he could as
sign no reason for her departure. He
told me that the grounds had been
searched, and the only trace was
book which Madame was known to
have been reading the morning OF her
disappearance. This book had been
found on the shore of an artificial lake
on the grounds of the chateau. OF
course at once concluded that this
lake contained the clew to the mystery,
but kept my suspicious to myself.
By this time it had grown late into
the night, and postponed my investi-
cations until the morning. Before the
rest of the household had arisen
awakened the gardener and told him
to procure me some strong fishhooks
and lines. He did so, wonderingly,
and then / babe him lead me to the
artificial lake, to the spot where Ma
DANES book had been found. Reach
ing there, l examined the ground close.
ly, and noticed slight evidences of a
struggle. Aboat was moored close by,
getting into this with the gardener, va
rowed to q position opposite the spot
I had examined. The water at this
point was nearly ten feet deep. To-
gether we threw over our lines and
rowed about. We had been doing |
this for some fifteen minutes when i |
felt myhook catch in something at the
bottom Of the lake. ! instructed the
gardener to throw his line over by tho
side of mine. He obeyed. His hook
also caught. Slowly we pulled, and in
a few moments brought to the surface
the body of beautiful woman. The
gardener threw pp his hands and cried:
"'My God! it is madame'
with difficulty ! pulled the body |
into the boat, and rowed toward the |
shore. l laid my burden upon the
grass. and was gtooping overit TO dis
cover if there were any marks OF vio-
lepce, when heard a deep groan and
a heavy body fall at my side. 1t was
the Marquis; xho had just arrived up
on the scene. My examination is, |
vealed marks of fingers around the
dead woman's throat and lacera-
ton at the back OF theneck, rs though
Qchain had been torn from it. Bear
ing the body to the chateau, at once
summoned a cemmissarY and stated
to him all the facts knew in the case
the evidence of q struggle on the shore,
and the suspicious marks upon the
throat and neck. When the Marquis be-
came calmer we questioned him as to |
whether Ills wife had been in the habit |
of wearing chain or any other neck
ornament. He started violently, and
answered that his wife had invariably
worn valuable locket enshrined in
Jewels and containing a portrait of
himself Oh ons side Raq g l9ck Of his
hairon the other. searof, was made
throughout the house, but the locket
could nowhere be found. Again
searched the spot by the lake shore,
aud at the end Of an hour found the
lockst in the grass some distance of.
Only the front portion OF it. how:
ever, remained-tliat containing the
portrait Of the Marquis--the back
having been wrenched from its hinges.
could find no trace OF the lock of
hair, have pursued my investiga-
tions for I. week, but can find no solu-
ton of the mystery. There is Mr..
Henri Merville here, a cousin Of the
deceased. with whom she was said to
be very intimate, but as he was in
Paris with the Marquis the day
of tho murder, II mIlder it was,
no suspicion can be attached to
him. His vito, apleasant woman, but
somewhat commonplace. has been
confined to her bed with illness since
the finding of the body. The servants