The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-08-25

at the Hotel des Erangers. Her con-
duct seemed strange, yet could not
bring myself to believe that she knew
the truth If she did, She was as bad as
Felix.
"She must think that he is really
Francis and that Felix is in Paris, "
thought. "Surely she would not will
ingly 80 to the altar with a man whom
she knows to be a villain. Mol He has
thrown dust in her eyes and made her
believe what he pleases. l must save
the poor girl from such a fate. Perhaps
in spite Of outward semblance she in
stinotively feels that Felix is not Fran
els. Women have their instincts !
know of no other reason why she should
look pale and ILL"
My cogitations were cut short by
Aunt Jane knocking at the door and
telling me not to waste the candles.
was used to these little idiosyncrasies
of my aunts, so I answered that l was
going to bed and put out the light at
once, but the rest Of the night was pass
ed in wakeful state. Truly 1 had a
bad attack Of detective fever.
For the next few days l kept very
quiet, as l was unwilling to rouse the
suspicious of Felix. Atlength my aunts,
who entertained no suspicion Of my de-
signs, informed me that he had gone to
London with Mrs, and Miss Bellin
The coast now being clear, ventured
out and began to work out my carefully
laid plans,
In tho first place, went to Bob Fun
dy to hire horse. 1t was my intention
to ride out to the Fen inn and thorough
ly examine the rooms, as fancicd Fe-
lix might have hidden the corpse in the
house. From Fundy gained Il piece Of
unexpected information.
"Want to ride to the Fen inn, sir, "
said he, scratching his head. "Why,
whatever's come over that old ruin?
Every one seems to bo going there"
"What do you mean, Fundy?"
First Mr.. Briartield and now you, d"
said Fundy. "Blest if I can understand
it, though, to be sure, he rode there at
night, and you go in the daytime" "
Did MIR, Briarfeld 90 to the Fen
inn at night" | asked, seeing was on
the eve of learning something impor-
tant I had not forgotten Merrick s
theory.
THAT he did, sir. He rode there two
nights over a week ago"
Curious" said l, with assumed care
lessness. 1T is not an attractive place.
l dare say he only rode little way out
Of the town"
"No, SIR" said Fundy decisively.
"He went to the Fen inn. He told me
SO himself, as l noticed his horse was
done up. Look here" added Fundy,
opening his daybook, "See, on the
10th Of June he had a horse and on the
18th. Both at night and did not return
till midnight"
l mounted my horse and rode away,
thinking deeply. If Felix had gone to
the Fen inn on the 10th, then felt
sure that no had actually murdered his
brother. Hitherto believed that Strent
was the guilty party, but now, thanks
to the evidence Of Fuudy, saw that
Felix had committed the crime. He
had also ridden to the inn on the 11th
in order to conceal the body. Merrick' s
theory was thus proved to be correct.
Link by link / was putting the chain
together. / had proved that Francis
had not arrived in England till the 9th
of June and so made certain of the
identity Of Felix. l had discovered that
Felix was at the inn on the fatal night,
and also that he had concealed the body.
Now | wished to discover how the mur-
der was committed.
The Fen inn was quite deserted and
as evil looking as ever In spite of my
searching, l discovered no signs Of the
dead body Of my friend The clothes,
which had seen folded on the chair be-
side the bed, were also gone, and there
was not the slightest thing left to excite
| ousJlClOl'
'Ho must have hidden the body in
the Marshes" I thought after a vain
search. "I'll see if he has left q trail. .
Struck by the feasibility Of this idea,
I went out at the front door and exam
ined the ground. twas moist and mud
dy owing to the inccssant percolation
of marshy water. The path leading from
Marshminster was marked conusedly
with horses hoofs, so it was quite use
less to look for trail in that direction.
Looking from the door Of the inn, the
path trended to the right, but on the
left, whore there was no path, noticed
hoof marks; also that the lush grass was
trodden down.
Here is the trail, said l, mounting
my horse. "He took the body to the
left "
Following the trail carefully, and il
was plainly discernible owing to the
dampness Of the ground, rode straight