The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1895-10-03
CHAPTER VIII.
The Wnndan hn,

Ooueh EoNs
We pass over the events of the next
few hours very briefly.
a neighboring doctor, who was
brought in while the physician was be-
Ing sent for, pronounced life to be
quite extinct, though il had not long
been so. for the body was still warm.
In about two hours DR.. Grant arrived.
AS far as the dead man was con-
cernei his presence was useless. What
he had to do now was to inquire into
the cause of death. Naturally he
turned to those who had first discov-
cred the sad event.
BY this time Luke Abershaw. al
though trembling with excitement. had
succeeded in gaining some control over
himself, and. though not without be-
coming n little incOherent at times, he
told his story of how, hearing creeping
footsteps upon the stairs. and the
sharp click Of a lock. he had risen, left
lis loom and saw RosamOnd stealthily
4uitti"g Mr.. Medlicott's chamber: how
he had been so struck by her terrified
and strange manner that he had called
up the servants, etc.
Before leaving Mr.. Medlicott for
the night" he said. II filed a large
glass with barley water and placed it
beside his bed as usual. | found the
glass there nearly empty. l ordered
Dawson to lock it up, just as | found
1t In that cupboard. He has the key
and will give it you"
The glass was taken out of the cup
board and handed to the doctor, who
smelt it and put his tongue to it.
Then he carefully poured out what
was left of it's contents into a clean
bottle, which he put in his pocket.
"There has been foul play, Mr.. Aber-
shaw he said. What remains now
Is to discover the guilty party. Let me
e Miss Rosamond.'
IF there be poison in that liquid it
must be she who put it there. Would
1t not be better to call in the p~olice?"
said Luke eagerly.
The doctor turned upon him with a
sharp scrutinizing look, before whice
his eyes fell, and he could not help re-
marking the extraordinary change
that had come over this mans face
since he last saw il.
He had never regarded it as a pleas
Ing one; as n physiognomist he had
never liked it.
But now with it's greenish pallor. it's
blOCdshOt eyes, full of the %crouching
terror of the wild beast. and its cruel
mouth, it was utterly repulsive.
"We must not be too hasty." an
nounced the doctor. quietly. Il wish
to see the young lady"
Then 1t came out that. by the sec
retary's orders. Rosamond. after hav-
ing been informed of Mr.. Medlicott's
death, had been locked in her own
room.
The poor girl was scarcely able to
stand when brought into the room, and
was still Historically sobbing.
While DIR. Grant was trying to re-
her by kind and soothing words
Luke Abershaw stole out of the room.
No one remarked his absence. He was
gone about five minutes. When he re-
turned Rosamond was a little more
composed. The doctor was asking her
to explain her presence In Mr.. Medli-
colts room at such a strange hour.
ROSamOnd told the story just as we
have set 1t down here, so simply and
earnestly that 1t seemed impossible to
doubt its truth.
81 am afraid. DR.. Grant" said Luke,
once more endeavoring to assume his
old suave tones, THAT you suppose l
have an animus against this young
lady, but indeed nothing would grieve
me more than to think her in any way
guilty: but my first duty is to my poor
dead master, and whatever l may do
or say, you must attribute to the over
whelming grief | feel at his untimely
death. Indeed. l feel at times AS