Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1892-12-30
The Sandycroft Mystery.
BY t. w. sPEIGHT.
CHAPTER XII-CoNTINUED.


that Emma announced her determine
ton TO her uncle. He stared at her
in wide-eyed establishment
IL am most uneasy about Ivor'
she went on to say. especially after
what Lord Senlac told us the other
night lie may be i'll, he may have
met with another accident half
score OF things may have happened
TO him. And then Lord Senlac limited
at some ENHANCEMENT and that If
possible, Ivor ought to be induced to
leave New York without delay. In
deed, what with one thing and an
other am most unhappy about
him"
But even II there were no other
obstacle, it is quite out of the question
that you should cross the Atlantic
yourself" objected her uncle.
Il have thought OF that. | will ask
Mrs. Bosworlh TO accompany me. "
You could ba no better person
ii you have really made up your mind
to go"
Il have made up my mind, uncle.
In that case ! will offer nc fur.
ther opposition knowing OF old how
useless it would be J." He sa d this
with a smile and a little shrug OF
resignation and then held out his cup
! for more tea.
Mrs Bosworth responded TO Enna's
invitation rs a matter OF course. Had
she been aske to accompany Miss
! Penleath on an exploring expedition
| into the heart OF Africa she would not
| have hesitated for moment She
reached Sandycroft within twenty
four hours after the receipt OF Emma
note. She was II quiet self possessed
woman, with gray hair very fine eyes
and "A voice that was full OF
! charm. Under her suave and
even.toned manner were hidden
great force OF will and inflexibility of
character In the way Of mental and
moral training Emma Penleath owed
more TO Mrs. Bosworth than she was
aware OF.
or the voyage from London to New
/ York there is no need to record any
thing. Although brimful OF novelty
to our two ladies. it was OF the usual
| stereotyped kind that warrants no
/ description. On their arrival they
/ drove direct from the custom house
to the address given to Emma by Lord
! Senlac-a small suit of rooms in an
uptown fiat furnished for bachelors
! only. Fortunately lvor happened to
be at home. and it would be hard for
a man to look more astonished than
/ he looked when his sister and Mrs
! Bosworth were ushcred into his tiny
sitting-room. He seemed. however
unfeignedly glad TO see them.
And so Senlac's account OF me
frightened you did it Ennie and you
thought you would come and see for
yourself how | was getting on? Good
| little sister,"
That coupled with your unac-
countabe silence. made both Uncle
! Godfrey and me very uneasy. We
! knew you were here alone. and that
was all we did know Twenty things
might have happened to you without
our being n bit wiser.
What should happen TO me9 Hav-
ing been the victim of one accident.
the chances were a thousand TO one
against my falling victim to another.
Of course it was very nice and kind OF
you and Uncle Godfrey to feel so con-
cerned about me. but just little bit
superIluouS don't you think especially
after Senlac had told you that | was
as well and hearty as ever?" He
spoke without the slightest trace OF
annoyance but rather as though he
were bantering his sister
Emma stared at him Sometimes IL
was difficult to tell when lvor was
serious and when be was merely ban
tering In which mood was he now?
Did he seriously mean what he said.
or was he merely trying to provoke
her to petulance a5 he had been SO
fond OF doing when they were younger?
But 1t could not be that he was really
as ignorant as he tried TO make out
Zone would have thought" she
said coldly. that the fact OF CAPTAIN
Darvilrs death under such terrible
circumstances. on the very night you
left Sandycroft would have been
! enough to induce you to write If only
TO obtain fuller particulars than the
newspapers could furnish you with. "
Ivors olive complexion had faded
to death-like paIlor by the time his
sister had done speaking.
'Darvill dead and on the night left
Sandycroft" he exclaimed Believe
me this is the first have heard OF it!
But you spoke of some terrible cir.
cumstanccs in connection with it
What are they?" His earnestness
was real enough now. whether he
were speaking the truth or not in say.
ing that this was the first he had heard
/ of the affair
Captain Darvill was found dead
stabbed TO the heart--in the smoking
room at Sandycroft, about II O'Clock
on the night of the 18th OF April"
My God" calculated Ivor. with
blanched lips Then. after mo.
ment's pause Did you say stabbed
TO the heart?"
Emma inclined her head. He had
been murdered. and the weapon with
! which the crime had been perpetrated