Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1892-03-17
CHAPTER II.

D
which had been overturned He had
fallen face downward and blood had
trickled down the side of his neck and
formed little pool upon the white floor
| beside his head.
For a moment Marion seemed about to
! faint and she chung to Judith Kredge
dumb with horror, while her blood seem
ed turning to ice in her veins. and she
experienced a painful contraction of the
heart
Judith Kredge was more composed,
but there was terror in the expression of
the wOman's hard. immObile features,
/ and tremOr in her harsh, shrill voice,
as she said:
This is murder and robbery, too,
think. See, the safe is open"
AS she spoke she pointed to q large
safe in the side OF the Office, the door of
which stood wide open.
With All effort which cost all the will
I power Of which she was capable, Marion
regained her strength and sprang to her
/ fathers side With the lamp in her
/ hand she knelt beside him and scanned
his livid face
II there had been hope in her mind
that the vital principle was not yet ex-
/ tinct, it was crushed as she gazed upon
| her beloved parents features, for she
/ saw that he was indeed dead
| -PoOr father! Poor father" walled
/ Marion in heart-broken tones, and bitter
/ tears streamed down her cheeks and fell
upon the liyid face where the dread
white shadow rested
| Judith Kredge stood watching the be-
reaved girl, and there was a strange ex-
ultant expression in her venOmous eyes
They have killed my father to rob
the safe, said Marion, presently, and
the sound OF her voice seemed to arouse
Judith KFedge. for she cried:
"Yes; and We must not delay. The
] al ha rrfur
run to the door and call the police.
/ You may be heard; and call Mr.. Har-
land" said Marion.
yes, yes. To think that your father
should be murdered here in his Office and
we could not help him." answered the
woman And, muttering TO herself in
an excited way. she ran TO the street
door and threw it open.
| The next moment her shrill, harsh
voice rang out upon the night
/ ~Help! POlicei Murderi" she shrleked.
1t was a cry which, heard at the dead
| of night, might well startle and thrill
| the stOutest heart
Thrice Judith Kredge uttered this ter
| rible cry, and then she saw police officer
| hurrying down the street toward her
! Waiting not for his arrival, she darted
| up the stairs to Stuart Harland's room,
and knocked loudly on the door, at the
same time screaming:
"Awakei Awakel Mr.. OakbuEn is
! killed-murdered!"
OF course she receiV ed no answer, and
ske tried the door. which opened readily,
and entered the apartment in which IL
CHANGED Stuart Harland had left the gas
burning family.
Judith Kredge gave utterance to a
surprised exclamation as she saw that
the room was untenanted, and with an
expression of blank amazement on her
features she few to closet in which she
knew Stuart Harland kept his vaiise,
and threw it open.
Suddenly look of intelligence and
cunning supplemented the expression of
perplexity which her features had mo-
mentarily assumed. and she ran down
stairs and gained the Office again.
She discovered that the travelling bag
was gone, and her beetling brows con-
tracted into a frOWn as she stood for
moment staring into the closet
.@Mr. Harland has gone, and taken his
valise with himlD she cried.
| Marion seemed Thunderstorm.
She had risen, and, starting forward,
exclaimed:
~Gone! Mr.. Harland gone."
~Yes, he has fed"
at cannot bel" gasped Marion.
at is true "
mo, no. That he is not in his room
does not imply that he has fed"
"But he retired as usual Ny room is
next to his, and 1 heard him moving
about but q few minutes before You
called me-"
Marion sprang to Judith's side and
clutched her arm.
do not tell that I beg, I implore
you do not tell a living soul that yon
heard Stuart Harland in his room few
moments before we discovered my father.
If you do you will direct dreadful sus-
piciOn to an innocent man. she said in
intense, thrilling tones
Before Judith kredge could answer,
the door opened and the policeman who
had heard the cry entered the Office.
whats thisi a man killed." exclaimed
the policeman. and while Marion hur-
riedly explained how she had discovered
her father, he proceeded to examine the
dead.
~Ah, shot through the back of his
head! Burglars work, no doubt" con-
tinued the officer, glancing at the open
safe.
an turn in the alarm and we shall
have help here in no time. he added;
and running TO the street door he began
TO rap with his club TO call an officer
from the next beat
In a moment or so the policeman he
was calling arrived, and his cO-laborer
sent him TO telephone the alarm to
headquarters while he returned to the
Office
| IN lew moments sergeant OF police
and several officers of the precinct. with
Mr.. Paxton, of the detective service of
the city, arrived
Marion and Judith Kredge had re-
NAMED in the Office.
The detective and the police at once
began to make the usual investigation.
First, the body of the victim of the
crime was examined, and the nature of
the wound which occasioned death was
duly noted The face of the dead was
then covered. and the sergeant ordered
that the body be not disturbed until the
inquest
Alter this the room was carefully ex-
IRmined, and every detail OF its appear
ance infinitely observed.
The contents OF the large safe, the
door of which was open, were strewn
about as though some one had hurriedly
searched it; but the lock had not been
forced, although il was one of those in
tricate combinations devised-to baifie
burglars
The key Of the safe was in the lock,
and as Marion stated that il was the one
her father always carried. Mr.. Paxton
said:
probably the old gentleman had him
self opened the safe when he was sur
prlsed by the assassin
4 do not agree with you, sir, said the
police sergeant stifiy. at is my impress
sion that this safe was opened BY some