The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1895-10-10

handsome y'uh" GcrtOr. HIS impulsive
manner Jared n her nerves
Shortly before Mrs. Davoru closed
her eyes forever Gil the world DR.. Le-
clerc got into trouble. He had left DR..
PerciVal fCG some time, and his own
practice i'll Claytelds did not flourish.
There were sinister rumOrS about his
financial condition, rumorS which
reached rhe ears both of aunt and niece.
Mrs. Davorn felt II certain noun Of
triumph at discovering that she had
been instrumental i'll preventing her
niece from entering into an engagement
with a worse than pcnnilcss young man,
but the news of the young doctors diff
culties had caused the wavering girl to
make up her mind suddenly and deci-
sively. She would marry her lover at
any cost. DIR. Leclerc informed Ethel
candidly Of his troubles and declared he
saw no way out of them except to flee
from the country. He had q brother in
the United States who would help him.
He offered to release Ethel from an en-
gagement which she had hurriedly en-
tered into without her aunt's knOwl-
edge the moment the first sinister ru-
mors Of her lover reached her ears.
Ethel was uncertain what to do. She
loved the man wholly and earnestly,
n while she was hcSitating he threw
himself at her feet and p~assionately
implOred her to marry him at once and
to fly with Kim as his wife to u new
country across the seas. Half in love,
half III pity, she had given a reluctant
consent to his wild proposal, but on
calm reflection she had seen the unwis-
dom Of taking so rash a step and had
suggested to Leclerc at the last moment
that the matter should be laid before
her aunt.
Mrs. Davorn absolutely declined to
e~ountenance Leclerc's wild scheme for
rehabilitating himself, and she was SO
indignant at learning that Ethel had
made the c~landeStine arrangement for
flight with the young doctor (whO had
already armed himself with Il marriage
Gcense) that she declared neither one
nor the other should ever have a penny
of her money. Losing her temper com
pletely, she tainted Leclerc with having
no object but that Of escaping from the
meshes in which he was entangled by
marrying Ethel and possessing himself
through her of sufficient money to en-
able him to escape from his difficulties.
This taunt, which was wholly unworthy
Of Mrs. DavOrn and undeserved by Le-
clerc, had angered Ethel beyond meas
ure, and on the night Of the 9Th of Oc-
tober she had given her lover at parting
q promise to marry him on the follow
ing day.
Ethel had pondered over all this in
the solitude Of her w oom on the
night of the 9th of October. She was
sorely grieved at having upset her aunt,
but she had not vet been able to forgive
the unworthy taunt which Mrs. Davorn
had lcveled at her lover. 1t was long
after midnight when she fell asleep, and
the first sounds which had disturbed her
in the morning were the sounds made
by Constable Metcalf in his attempts to
rouse the house.
Ethel Rodney was now in an utterly
bewildered state of mind. She was fran
tic with grief and could not yet wholly
realize that she was never again to see
her aunt, whose last hours she had
made miserable.
Her dazed reveries were interrupted
by Constable Metcalf, who knocked
quietly at the half open door of the par
lor. A faint Come in greeted him.
II am very sorry, miss" said the
suave policeman as he entered the room
and gazed at the distracted girl, "but,'
closing the door, Il must ask you for
some information
Metcalf was determined to have a full
notebook before the matter was taken
ont of his hands by his inspector.
The sight Of the policeman seemed to
have a steadying effect on the young
girl.
"Of course she said, II will give
you any information l can. was al
most stupefied when l opened the door
for yen this morning, but I think I feel
quieter low
I'm glad to hear it, mis- FUN
bling with his notebook.
The deceased lady, Mrs. Davorn,
"a your aunt"
eyes,
"Whcn did you see her alive last:"
"About II o'clock last night
"Where:''
"In her bedroom"
"Was she complaining of any illness?'
II do no remember that she COM
planned, but she had not been well for
some days from oyereXcitement, /
think"
by the way, miss said the coneta-
bic after he had committed this infor-
nation to his notebook, ARE you aware
that the window of this room here was
opened during the night"
Ethel Rodney rose quickly from her
chair at the question, her face distorted
with terror.
What do you mean?' she asked,
painting. The window opened during
the night? You surely don't mean to
convey that any one broke into the house
last night. Oh, do not tell me this"
she moaned. ut is almost more terrible
than what I discovered this morning"
She fell back into her chair and bnr-