Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1894-06-07
2 buSba3d'SS
CriMQ.
BY FLoRENck WARDEN.

of blood could not have been used as q
; weapon. Then came the more impor
tant work of examining the body.
1t was without anxiety that Duke
now watched the doctors movements
After all. the result of the examination
might not be conclusive enough to
clear him from all suspicion. For there
were blood stains under the body ard
on the wall The doctor asked a few
questions as to the condition RadStock
had been in on the night of his disap
pearance Then he uttered an inter.
lection. as if satisfied.
"And what. doctor. was the cause of
death?" asked Mr.. William Bennington,
who had been getting more and more
subtlucd of speech and manner.
''Sutfocation. undoubtedly. The un-
fortunate man entered the cellar in a
state of partial intoNication. completed
the process by knocking the necks off
couple of bottles and drinking the
contents. cut himself badly While try
ing to serve Il third the same way,
fell down on his face helplessly drunk.
gashing his face and throat with the
broken glass Oh the floor. and died of
suffocation.'
The only person who did not feel, as
they all emerged from the cellar, in
tensely relieved by the result of the in
quiry, WAS Mr.. William Bennington.
Even the salvation of the credit of the
family did not Weigh upon him against
the humiliation of finding that his ex-
ultation over his nephew's downfall
had been premature. His c,ngratula-
lions so obviously lacked sincerity that
Duke asked him with touch of bis old
lnSolence. if he WAS sorry to See his
:haracte" cleared.
You can comfort yourself. you know
uncle. he Went on, glan;'ii.g uncaSily
ut his wife. Who had heart the result
Of the examination in S!altltring 81
lence. by the knowledge THAT W" are
ruined. l have forged YOU: name to
bills which will be due before l can
meet them. and-''
Cicely rose from her III ~. and tot
tered over to her hrS!,a..;i's SIDE. Eut
she would not look at :hn elder NAN,
who was taking out his pot key~:;yok
with 4 flush on his face. The res: OF
the party. on Il hint from Nl;lna. had
gone ont Oh the lawn.
IF you can't meet the bills when they
become due. l Will" said Mr. Berring-
ton. He did feel some contiition for
the eagerncss he had shown in hunting
out the Young fellows supposed crime.
and he WIS anxious to reinstita him
self in the proud position he ,:iAa;. to
occupy. by IN acgion of gre,. gener-
oSity. He therefore produced tr@la his
pocket-:;nok me very bills On which
Duke had logged his name. i, !, I:,lt-
ter of fact. he had got them ir:o his
own possession with the ob.ircf of using
them to ruin his nephew. as :icely
shrcwdly guessed. Duke. 'l>wever.
more impulsive than his wife was over
Whelmed by this act Of forebearance
1t was some minutes before he could
speak. and when he did so, it was in a
subdued and humble voice
II can't thank You. UNCLE" he began
brokenly. but my wife-my children
God bless wou uncle / viii never come
so near di$gracing our name again.
He Wrung his unces hand; and the
elder man touched and even abashed
by his evident sincerity. returned the
pressure with real warmth. Then he
turned to his nephew's wife.
Il am sorry. madam, if l caused YOU
pain on my last VISIT" he said. IL
won't intrude upon you any longer. l"
He pulled out his watch and looked
at it with the desperate anxiety Of
man in search Of an excuse to get away.
II have an appointment-at least, 1
promised my wife to be home-half an
hour ago, intact. Where A!gernon?"
He darted out into the garden. The
two young men We're standing at side
gate, anxious to get away without hav-
ing to intrude upon Duke and his wife
after the trying scene they had just
gone through
Leonard, said Minna. suddenly,
take me to see Aunt Marion, and tell
her that Duke has come back and that
you are about to become the happiest
Of men, as they used to say in old
fashioned novels. She lives up on the
; Heath. it's only ten minutes walk. and
she will give US cup Of tea. You wont
I will prepare you for what you are to
t expect with me for wife"
II shant mind it. 1t will be one way
, OF economizing. Shall / wait here
} while you run in and tell them where
you are going?"
Minna shook her head, smiling rather
archly.
, "They won't miss me-" she said, land
} IT'S good thing that you have been
kind enough to propose to take me of
, their hands. For. if I'm not mistaken.
they've fallen in love with each other
at last''
So they had. Duke. Passionate, i'm
: pulsive, weak Of principle. affectionate
, tadored the wife WHO had stood by him
, worked for him. suffered for him. c.
, ely, high-mi. ded, reserved, not easily
moved. had had the fire struck out Of
her at last. They sat together in the
drawing-room. lovers for the first time.
while the dusk deepened.
"Cice:y.' whispered Duke as he tried
to look into her pretty eyes in the gath
ering darkness, Its strange thing to
have to ask. out if you had never
thought I had committed murder,
: would YOU ever have loved me?"
ooh. Duke, don't say such absurd,
such wicked things! 1 have always
loved you. have l not?"
: "Ye,es." said Duke.
She believed she had, and there was
, mo need to contradict her.
For the strongest love of the strong
, is that which has most to give, and 10
, forgive. Duke felt this dlmly as. hum
bled, subdued. penitent, he leaned back