The daily morning journal and courier., 1895-04-10

have turned the Oldby murder over to confrere. This murder had no lurid background, no picturesque touches and yet it baffled him.
 The bald outline given to him was this:
 A mana Frenchman, Alphonse Himbu by name-had come to Oldby, on visit to Dr. Settle. These two had met at Vichy the previous year, and had chummed over billiards and cigars No great friendship had ripeped, and yet when little M. dHimbu had written from London to say, ''It would give me pleasure to see you before l return to Paris" Charles Settle had cordially re- piled: Come down for day or two, and see something of rural England, and give me my revenge for the last lost game"
 The stranger arrived on Wednesday by the 12:1B from Liverpool street; at six that same evening Dr. Settle re- ceived an urgent summons to Lea farm, about two miles away. M. d'Himbu, left alone, sauntered forth into the gar den, and from thence into the lane that skirts the doctors garden and the rec tory grounds--the Black Lane 1t is loc- ally called.
 A British earthwork, picturesquely crowned by elm and wild cherry trees, must have attracted M dHimbu, for he had evidently climbed the stile half way down the lane, and crossed the British Field' to the. Knoll There he was found twenty minutes later by Ar Y, fN a thereabouts, stabbed to the heart
 An inquest had, of course, been held, when the inevitable tramp theory was mooted. A beetled browed fellow had been seen loaf1ng around that day. But the coroner had dismissed this theory at once.
 "A tramp" he remarked pafentheti- cally, may mutter imprecations when sent away empty handed, but he does not run amuck like a Malay fanatic."
 The station-master was called.
 Had the 6:2o train set down any pas sengers?"
 Yes; one"
 "Who?" a..s1
 "The rector"
 There was a slight sensation here, for if the rector had taken his usual short cut across the Bristish field he must have reached the knoll at 6:25-the very time of the murder. The rector-Mr. Guyhirn-was the next witness; he had seen nothing g-absolutely nothing. He had walked home pondering over an address to the farm lads, and had look ed neither to the righthand nor to the left. Upon reaching the rectory he had gone straight to his study, and had there and then made notes of his thoughts.
 He spoke straightforwardly and his parishioners believed hin-they had never known him either say or do any, thing underhand, and they respected him for his happy blanding of sympa- thy, common sense, and humor.
 A parlor maid confirmed his state ment about writing in his study; she had taken him in cup of tea, and had not noticed that he was at all "fius- tered"
 There was nothing for it but to bring in verdict of murder against some persons or persons unknown verdict at which O1dby chafed. Was murder ar to run free and unpunshed in their midst?
 In the course of days trivialities leak i ed out. and these taken together could no longer be regarded as mere nothings.
 For two months a Marjorie Marchden had been a guest at the rectory--it was, In fact, to be her home until the return of MT. Marchden from Ceylon, where l he had a coffee plantation.
 On the evening of the murder, Jane, | the cook. had seen Miss Marchden "hy | up stairs as scared like as a crow with | 3 rattle behind it."
 Then Susan, the housemald, testified | with many tears, that a dagger-a queer, foreign-sticking thing-had dis from Miss Marjorie's room, where 1t had always hung on nail
 And to the whole village it was appar- ent that the hitherto energetic bright md bonny girl had suddenly become pale and deiected.
 "They say as they know the mur- 1erer," exclaimed Dr. Settles house 1eeper, as she hustled an omelette town before him. "Eat it while it's lot, sir--it's prime this minute; all hough. as said to Green, I'll never believe 1t of fine handsome young ady like Miss Marchden."
 "whaty' asked the young doctor, jumping up so suddenly that the break ast table danced jig and the omelette dipped from the dish.
 "It's took him more aback that MT. 0imby's death itself, and he feels that lad enough" said Mrs. Green, who was shrewd woman.
 She was right.
 That Marjorie should be suspected aused him more exquisite pain than id the murder of M. dHimbu.
 "T'd give my practice to clear her" e moaned; and suiting the action to he word he took out telegraph form nd dashed off request for Boss 'Tec's id.
 John Bridger had heard the story, ad seen the spot, and was baff1ed. That murder had been done was be- ond question; the position of the round did away with the possibility of uicde; but what was the motive? The rector had crossed the field at the , our of the murder but he was beyond | , uspicion; although, as Boss Tee , nought, "sometimes irreproachable | liddle age has the background of a 1 hady past"; but one piece of evidence lone diverted suspicion from MT. Guy irn--he had never been abroad and M.