Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1895-12-05

was not added to the ~unspeakabie sors
row of the widow.
But, as the doctor was firm In MS
purpose of having a post mortem ex-
animation and a ~coroner's inquest, OF
ours both had to be held. Nothing
decisive, however, was elected. No
trace Of poison was found either IN
the body Of the deceased or in the
glasses from which he had drank or
anywhere else.
The single suspicious circumstance
Of Lady Leaton's seeing the shadow OF
a female on the wall and hearing the
rustic Of a silk dress In her husbands
chamber was disproved by a separate
examination Of each member or the
household. In which 1t was clearly
shown that every one was at that hour
in bed. And Lady Leaton herself ad-
mitted that her Imagination might
have deceived her. The verdict of the
coroner's inquest. therefore, was that
the decea sed died from natural causes
Lord Leaton had died too suddenly
to have made a will, but his wishes
were so we'll understood by Lady Lea
ton that she lost no time in carrying
them into effect. She wrote to Rome
~ hldlttIlIl NltlLllbSts : iiAhs "AAhh
of the sudden death of his uncle, and
requesting him TO come Immediately
to England. She wrote, also, to Nor
ham Montrose, who was absent with
| his regiment in Ireland, giving him the
| same fatal intelligence, and inviting
h'm to Join his brother at Allworth
Abbey by a certain day.
Malcolm, though the farthest from
thn Snnnn Of action Xyau tho first To
obey the m He fastened to
England, and. without resting a single
night on his journey. hurried to All
worth Abbey.
1t was near the close Of a stormy
day In March that he got out Of the
~stage-cOach at Abbeytown, and leav-
ing his luggage To the care Of the
landlord Of the "Leaton Arms" set II
70 walk the short distance to the alb
hey. He reached the top o. the east
ern range Of hills that surrounded the
abbey just as the sun, setting behind
the western hills. cast the whole dell
into deep shadow.
Never had the aspect Of that sombre
place seemed so gloomy and depress-
ing. The huge collection of buildings
comprising the abbey lurking at the
bottom Of the deep dell, reflected
dimly In Its dark lake, Ov~ershadowed
by its gigantic old trees, enclosed by
its LOFTY hills. and cast into the deep
est shade by the sinking u behind
those hills, well calculated TO
the traveller, even though he might not
have, as Malcolm had. a personal and
tragic interest in the scene.
A e. moments he spent In contem-
plating the picture. and then rapidly
descended the precipitouS path leading
down to the bottom OF the dell. At the
foot OF the precipice was the game
keepers lodge and the principal park
gate. Tie passed this and took the
Straightest line TO the abbey.
He passed n nor gate and en-
tered the grounds Immediately around
the house. A short walk brought him
to the outer banks of the shaded lake.
An avenue of elmS swept right and
left around this lake and led up To the
center front entrance to the abbey.
He took the right-hand walk, and pro-
Ceeding at a rapid pace, soon found
himself before the main entrance.
Here the first object hat arrested
his attention was the funeral hatch
ment suspended over the doorway. A
sigh was given to the memory of his
uncle, and then he went up the broad
stairs and knocked at the great fold
inGk)ak door of the main entrance. 1t
was opened by the aged porter. who
welcomed him respectfully and ush-
cred him at once into the library, while
he went TO announce the arrival to the
widowed Lady Leaton.
While waiting the entrance OF his
hostess. Malcolm Montrose Strolled TO
the front window and looked out upon
the Scene-the dark lake Immediately
under the walls Of the abbey. rem
dered darker still by the overhanging