St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-05-20

command himself sufficiently to speak, he
gasped out: -
s"Doctor Ellerton we have had the meeting,
and the colonel is dead The other man is
unhurt!'
"And the body?" asked Morton, as he
sprang to his feet.
sFour of the hands are carrying it to the
house. they will be here presently. Where
shall we take it, and who is to break the
news to his wife and his daughter?'
EEEMorton seized both Almedo's hands, and
said:
+ "You have been my good angel, captain,
; and I shall not forget it. Have the body
taken to the library; send messenger to
San Bernal for an undertaken, and have the
announcement sent up and down the coast
that Colonel Morton is dead, and will be
buried on the hill above Buena Vista, to-
morrow night at Dusk
Almedo's hopes grew stronger than ever.
Up to the coming of Ralph Holmes, he mag
ined he had clear field to himself and,
relying on Colonel Morton's promise, he saw
nothing intervening to prevent his becoming
the husband of Dora For a time this hope
was nearly destroyed, but now it leaped into
life with greater strength, and it was with a
feeling nearer to certainty than ever that he
saw the coveted prize within his reach. With
more foresight and tact than might have
been eXuected from man of his calber he
seemed to appreciate what should be done
under these trying circumstances, and he
did it with unexpected directness and en-
ergy.
Unnecessary here to give the preliminaries
or to detail how Colonel Morton made prep
arations for his own funeral. To increase
his resemblance to the man whose character
he had assumed, he put on suit of Eler-
tons clothes and wore his watch, which had
peculiar guard with a charm in the shape
of cross, which every one who knew the
doctor had frequently noticed; SO perfect
was this disguise that even the servants were
imposed on. But there were four people at
Buena Vista who were not deceived, and who
understood the mans motive quite as we'll as
he did himself. These were Mrs. Morton,
Dora, Mile. Bertrand and Fred, the operator
who seemed so much part of the telegraph
tower, where he worked and slept, that it
was very odd to find him moving about the
house and grounds, under the directions of
Morton or Almedo.
The news and manner of Colonel Morton's
death spread up ana down the coast With
the rapidity of the proverbial wildfire. Mes
sages of coincidence poured in on Mrs. Nor
ton and her daughter. The news was flashed
to San Francisco, and thence throughout the
length and breadth of the land, and the sus-
picions that were pointing to Colonel Morton
prominent figure in the great bond con-
spiracy, recently discovered, stopped for the
time.
By sunset the following afternoon grave
was dug in the mountain crest, directly above
Buena VISTA as had been directed in the col
onefs will. While it was yet twilight, car
riages by scores and horsemen by hundreds
reached Buena Vista to attend the strange
funeral. Mrs. Morton and her daughter
could not be seen; nor was this wondered at.
The visitors, who were nearly all men, sent
messages of sympathy. Morton and Almedo
had made perfect preparations for the
funeral. Just at dusk the coffin was placed
on the shoulders of six men, employees of
the place, and behind it, chief mourners,
- marched the man who was supposed to be