The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-03-18
Copyright 1899, By
the Author.l

his own set; she was not, according to
report even an English woman.
Nothing was known of her except that
county debated little over the ques-
ton of calling upon the fair unknown,
but some bold spirits set the example,
and the rest followed at discreet inter-
walls.
AS the winter advanced, and it be-
came generally known that Lady Wal
den contemplated giving grand ball.
the number of callers increased. and
great was the excitement when the
cards were sent out Equally great
was the CONSERVATION whom two days
before the great event was to have
taken place notices were sent round to
everybody announcing that there
would be no ball What could it mean?
One or two disappointed guests called
ladyship was not at home.
Indignation meetings were held
under the guise of tea-parties, and
many ingenious theories were pro-
pounded to account for the extraor-
binary circumstance.
The Waldens vouchsa5ed no explana-
ton, however. and greeted their numer-
Gus acquaintancesa as if nothing had hap
pened. although Lord Walden was OBJ
served to appear little uncomfortable
when the subject was mentioned, and
appeared to regard the matter as freak
of his wifo's which he could not alto
gether account for Or understand.
Two or three months passed, and tho
ball which did not come off had almost
ceased to be q topic of conversation,
when one d ay the whole countryside
was Mortified by the news that Lady
Walden had been found dead. The
circumstances were these: The WAL
dens were dining out at q house some
distance off, and their butler had taken
advantage Of their absence to take
himself off on his tricycle. to see some
friends who lived in tho market town
some ten miles away.
About eleven o'clock tho carriage
unexpectedly returned, and tho foot
man who answered tho bell was sur
prised to find that only his mistress
had come back in it She went straight
to her boudoir and ordered the footman
to tell her maid to 60 to bed, as she
would not require her services that
night.
Between twelve and ono the butler
returned, and seeing a light in the
boudoir went and listened at the door.
He heard Lady Walden speaking rath-
er excitedly in some strange language,
and a mans voice answer her in the
same tongue. He then went to his
n aster's room and found it empty.
This somewhat alarmed him, and he
FASTENED down to the boudoir again.
knocked at the door and entered quick
II. Lady Walden was alone. She
asked him irritably what he wanted.
and ordered him to 60 to bed and not
disturb her again.
Early in the morning, Just rs the
servants were getting up. q dog-cart
drove up to the door, and Lord Walden
entered the house and anRrily asked
where her ladyship was and what time
she had returned. He then went to
AIS VINO . IoOul, dHu Cou4C OQtS 1OOhluG
very much disturbed.
''She is not there" he said, in reply
to the frightened query of the maid.
He hurried to the boudoir, followed by
the butler. who waited outside while
his master went in. For a moment
cry and the sound of heavy fall
The butler rushed in and found his
mistress dead in her chair and Lord
Walden lying on the floor in a swoon.
An inquest was held in due course,
but there was nothing to show how
Lady Walden came by her death. 1t
was apparently sudden failure of the
heart, and the jury returned verdict
to that effect.
Lord Walden's story was that he and
his wife dined with their friends on the
night in question, and afterwards a
small dance took place. The carriage
was ordered at two o'clock, but Lady
Walden came up to her husband dur
ing the evening and said that as she
was engaged for every dance, she
would not be ready to leave until an
hour or SO later. Lord Walden betools
himself to the smoking-room, and at
three o'clock proceeded to the BALI
room to find his wife. There, to his as
constituent, he learned that she had
gone home some hours ago
His host persuaded him to stay and
sleep. but his anxiety would not per-
NIT him to rest. and he fastened home
as soon as it was light.
His grief and dismay at the sudden
and awful blow which had fallen upon
him were beyond words
Preparations were made for an elab-
crate funeral, when, the evening be-
fore it was to have taken place, a
stranger presented himself at the Parl,
and asked for Lord Walden He was
informed that his lordship was unable
to see any body, but he insisted that his
business was most important, and was
finally admitted. The vicar Of the par
ish. Mr.. Hume. was with Lord Walden.
who was seated at his study table with
some papers before him He looked
pale and haggard. and brusQuely in
euired the nature of the strangers
business.
II am detective, my lord" was the
mans reply. My name is Cory, and
have been sent down here because of
certain statements made by prisoner
who was arrested five days ago"
He paused
Lord Walden made no response. He
sat leaning his head on his hand and
scarcely seemed TO hear what was be-
ing said.
My lord" continued the detective,