The Bottineau pioneer. (Bottineau, N.D.) 1885-1895, 1893-06-03

tu6 CONSbAUlo, having TSpldCeu ble
sheet, walked to a window.
"Don't.you seep The blow was a
left-handed one. Now Miss Stray,
as | happen to know, is not left
handed" +. .
This really does look like some
thing at last" said the other reflect
ing.
For even he could see that the cut,
instead of from right to left, which
would have been the case if the blow
had been dealt in the usual way.
went from left to right, as il q left
handed person had struck it.
But Mr.. Gresham's Incredibly re-
turned after a moment.
Don't let us be too quick" he
said. 1T is not impossible for a
right-handed person to have struck
such a blow; once in a score of times
it might happen, perhaps oftener. Be-
sides, you can't explain away tie
dagger, that damning fact remains. "
at will explain itself in good
time" answered Mr.. Mordaunt. Il
had faith from the first in the girls
innocence. Now I am sure of it. At
present | am going back to the
Locks, where everybody about here
is known. I am looking you see, for
a left-handed man who had some in
terest in this murder"
Mr.: Gresham shrugged his
shoulders, but quietly followed his
friend.
The inn at the Locks was crowded.
Everybody from a circuit of. twenty
miles around had been attracted
thither by the report of the tragedy.
The real criminal" argued Mr..
Mordaunt, evil most probably be
there, for he will be anxious to hear
the coroner's verdict. I wonder if
his manne will betray him to me.
But amid all the throng he saw no
one who showed the least sign of
guilt. The beer mugs circulated
freely, and the room was filled with
tobacco smoke. A dozen voices at
once discussed whether the lover had
been an accessory, but the opinion
was universal that the daughter was
guilty. No, not quite universal, for
one man, the farmer from the forest,
ventured to dissent.
''For where is the money!" he said.
II paid him three hundred and fifty
six dollars the evening before, some
money l had borrowed from him last
year. He was, l saw, afraid to keep
it in the house over night, he feared
robbers; he told meihe would take it
to the bank the first thing the next
morning. Now there was no money
found on him."
The girl robbed him after killing
him." said a harsh voice in answer.
''No doubt of it,"
Mr.. Mordaunt looked around
quickly. The man spoke in German,
with a Bavarian accent. As. if to
emphasize his words, he plunged his
beer mug down On the table with a
vigor that made the pipes lying
there rattle.
That beer mug was held in his left
hand! More than this, the button
which Mr.. Mordaunt had found was
the button belonging to the uniform
of the railway employees of Bavaria,
as he happened to know. =
Mr.. Mordaunt turned to his next
neighbor. <, #
'.Who is that fellow" he asked.
Well, I hardly know. A new
conner here, just from Germany; lives
off in the forest by himself. They
say he's been making up to the SER
want girl at old Stray's, however;
she's believed to have saved money.
She has probably told him that her
mistress robbed the old man; he
seems SO positive about it."
But this solution was far from be-
ing that of Mr.. Mordaunt. On the
contrary, he attributed the accusa-
ton of the man to a desire to screen
himself. AS if by a flash the whole
tragedy from this moment became
clear.
Mr.. Mordaunt rose and leaving the
room sought the district attorney.
Il want two search warrants" he
said. Zone for the trunks of the
servant girl at Stray's and another
for the house OF cabin of a Bavarian
living. l ann, told, at the three-mile
crossroads in the forest. Three or
four officers, also, as we may have to
make arrests '.. r.
This is rather unusual, as YOU
well know, but we will stretch a
point to please you,n said Mr.. Gresh-
am. 1'I'm afraid your zeal for once,
however, has outrun your judgment"
Trust me for that" replied Mr..
Mordaunt. .My intuitions in these
matters have never misled me-
Accordingly he found, on searching
the Bavarian's house, just what he
expected, the green uniform of a flag
station guard in Bavaria with one
button missing. The button had
evidently been violently wrenched
out. The bit of cloth attached to
the button, which Mr.. Mordaunt had
picked up, exactly fitted the rent.
$50 far SO good" said Mr.. Nor
daunt. ..Now for the servant girl
On examining her trunks a roll Of
notes was discovered, which the
farmer from the forest. who was
brought to the house for the purpose,
identified rs part of the money he had
paid to the old man.
"oee, here is my mark" he said,
showing q peculiar cross on each
note. II always put that on every
bill.n
When this was made known to the
servant the bravado which she had
shown at first gave way, and she con-
fessed all. The murder had been
suggested BY the Bavarian, who was
in the kitchen when the farmer came
to pay off his loan.