Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1894-12-01

lie ,rds lyjng on The bed stiH and cold.
tered under their roof for the night.
Yet their flight looked suspicious. If
they Were innocent, why did they leave
the inn:
Another question pre- gnant with mean
ing was the reason of their being alone
in the inn. 1 had seen 10 servants
either indoors or out. Father and daugh-
ter appeared to DO all the work, yet il
was beyond all reason that they should
have no assistance. Where was the
cook, the waiter. the hostler, the cham
bcrmaid: The house was a large one. Two
people with ali the will in the world
could not thoroughly attend TO the do
nestle economy Of so great n mansion.
Moreover, the girl had looked unused
to work. That in itself was suspicious
Can it be:'' thought l. Can il he
that these two hired this inn 10 compass
the death Of Francis Briarfield, and that
he was drawn here a. into a snare by
his brothers letter: On the face Of il, il
looks absurd. and Yet in what other
way can explain the absence Of sery-
ants, the widowed aspect OF the rooms:
Now Francis j. dead, and they, with
out n word 10 me. have departed"
/ could not solve the mystery. Far
from doing so, the more i thought, the
more examined the surroundings, the
deeper grew the mystery. The door had
been locked, and l could find no key.
| The window also was locked, and even
had it not been no one could have en-
tered thereby. so considerable was the
height from the ground. How, then,
had the assassin gained admittance:
Yet sure was tha, Briariield had been
murdered, hut by whom it was hard 70
say--nay. impossible.
did indeed think that he had COM
mitSed suicide, but this was too wild an
idea TO entertain even for a momon'
When parted from him on the previous
night. he was in the best Of health,
looking forward 10 meeting Miss Bellin,
and was passably content with his life.
There was no hint Of self destruction
e. or in speech or action. The thought
that his brother had deceived him
would not have engendered such an
idea Rather was he determined TO un.
mask the traitor and regain his prom.
! ised wife by force. Murder il might be.
, Suicide was out of the question.
! Thus far thrashed out the matter,
yet arrived at no logical conclusion. A.
: there seemed no signs Of landlord and
maid, il behooyed me to consider what
should do According TO Francis, hii
, brother was due at the meeting place
! that morning, 50 i deemed il adyisabl,
to wait until lac arrived and then OK
, plain the circumstances 10 him. III IN
was in league with Strent TO murder hii
} brother, he would hardly be able 20 dis
guise his JOY at hearing the success d
. his plot. 1 therefore determined Il
watch his face during the interview
; and if i saw therein any signs If gull
/ To there and then, ia that lonely inn, &C
cuse him rs a second Cain. BY thus ter
t rorizing his soul :. a. such accusation
5 and with the sight of his victim l nigh
force him into confession.
If he were guilty, guessed the pie:
behind which lac would shelter himsel
D that he had not been near the plao
on the previous night This woul,
4 counter by the accusation that his ennis
l saries had carried out his orders and thee
: sought safety in flight. 1t might b
that / suspected Felix wrongly, yet aft
3 CT the story told me by Francis l coul'
t not but think he Was conn cited in som
unseen way with the death Of the latter
But. after all, these suspicious were ye
: | vague and aimless. All / knew for Ger
tain was that Francis Briarfield Wa
: dead. / swore on the instant to deyof
e myself 10 finding out and Furnishing hi
detestable assassin.
Having come TO this resolution,
e proppcd up the open door. so rs to clos
{ the entrance to the chamber of death
? and descended TO the lower regions
Finding rictuals and fuel in the kitchen
] cooked myself meal and made suf.i
l GENTLY good breakfast. Then lighte
$ my pipe and took my scat at the fron