Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1894-12-06

Gilbert handed the Coroner Mel,
aine's letter, which had now assumed
n crnmpled and dilapidated appear,
ance, as Of letter that had IAN an
night in the dew and dirt OF the loot-
path under the trees.
The Coroner puzzled through the
letter. reading it aloud, with various
mistakes and pullings up and trylhgs
back, the jury listened open-moutnea'
This clearly indicates that Mr.
Wyatt came here by appointment re-
marked the Coroner, sage'y' "Who Is
this Melaine Duport;"
MY wifes mall
II was explained to the Coroner that
Melaine Duport was missing.
After this, the jury having duly
viewed the body or, at any rate, made
believe to view it, the inquest was ad-
iourned to give the local police time TO
make their Investigations, though
what they were to invest gate seemed
a somewhat puz2ling question.
They'll bring some London detec-
tives who will look into my ROOM see
those guns, and thon put two and two
together" thought Gilbert. L don't
sup 3ose my alibi won hold water at
the assi2es. A Jury would want some
independent evidence to sustain my
account of my time between Z o'clock
and midnight yesterday"
The Coroner's inquest dragged its
slow lengths along. No new evidence
was elected to make the case stronger
against Gilbert Sinclair. The TACT OF
his departure remained the only damn
ing fact against him.
There was also the fact of Melanie
Duport's disappearance on the morn
ing of the murder, and opinions were
divided as to which of these two was
guilty, or whether both had not been
concerned in the act
The newspapers made much capital
out of an event which soon became
known as the Davenant Mystery, and
Constance Sinclair had the horror of
knowing that she was the object Of a
morbid interest in the minds OF the ma
zion at large. She left Dagenant al
most Immediately after her husband,
and took up her abode at Marchbrook,
with Martha Briggs and the little girl
for her only companions, until the ar
rival of Lord Clanyarde from the CON
tinent.
The inquiry before the coroner ended
at last in an open We dict The de-
ceased had been shot by some person on
persons unknown.
Davenant was formally taken posses
sion of upon midsummer day, not by
Sir Cyprian Davenant, but by his law
YER, who installed some of the old fam
ilv servants as care-takers. Sir CyP-
rian had left England, u few days be-
fore James Wyatt death, on his long
talked-of African expedition.
The year wore round and the horror
Of James Wyatts unexplained death
faded out Of the national mid, as all
such horrors do fade when the news
papers leave oil writing about them.
Constance lived her quiet life at March
brook as she had lived at Davenant,
happy with her child, yet mindful,
with shuddering pity of that fri nd
less wanderer doomed to bear the brand
of Cain. Christmas came and passed,
and for nearly q year she had remained
in ignorance of her husband fate.
Then came letter, in y strange hand,
but signed by Gilbert Sine air:
DEAR CONSTANCE. Il am down with
malignant fever common to this part
OF the world, and generally fatal. Be-
fore [ die | should like to ask you to
forgive me for all the pain my jealousy
gave YOU in days gone by, and to tell
you that now believe that jealousy to
have been causcless, 1t was what the
thieves call put up business and
Wyatt was the lago. lie set trap for
me, and got shared him elf in tie end.
"I want to tell you something else,
which may perhaps distress you, but
that is no fault of mine. The child
you are so fond of is not your own
Poor little Christabel was eally
drowned and the little girl brought tC
Davenant while you were ill is a child
adopted for the purp SO of bringing
about your recovery This plan was
sugge ted TO me by your father. He
knows all about it.
II have made my will, and sent it tt
my London Layers. | leave you
everything. So, if matters go well il
the North, YOU will be very ricf
woman wasted good dea of money
on the Newmarket stable: but will
your Gu ct life, you will soon recover
lost ground. OF course you will marry
c. D. Well. can't help that, l ough
never to have thrust my.elf between
you and your first love. Nothing bu
misery has come of our marriage,
God bless you, and give you ;
happier life than you would ever have
spent with me. Your dying husband
"GILBERT SINCLAIR.
"P S.-If go, the man who write
this, Thomas Grace, tobacco grower
will send you certificate o. death, ant
all necessary evidence. If l live, yol
shall hear from me again.