The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1895-11-21

| you udV0 uOb S8V6u llI0, per
haps you may some time have done for
some one good act for which you were
never recompensed," remarked the count
gently. "And perhaps take this means
of discharging an obligation conferred
upon me by some one whom was una
BILE to reward at the time. We must
make use of each other in this way. If
besides your services gain your friend
ship shall be still your debtor"
The somewhat formal manner of this
speech did not detract from its evident
sincerity. The count took ten one
thousand-dollar bank notes from his
pocketbook and laid them on the desk,
observing, 81 cashed check at the bank
venience you. Some time today you can
make a receipt, and also draw up a pa
per to give you my power of attorney,
and, if you like, one embodying our
agreement. And now," he added, as if
to prevent Tom from giving expression
to the feelings that were swelling in his
heart, "let us return to what I was say
| ing. have seen house that will suit
me. want you to secure it for me-"
'Whereabouts is the house?' inquired
Tom
The count described its location.
''Why that's the Harry Trent house?'
| Tom exclaimed. 'It's good house,
don't suppose there's better in town:
but no one has ever lived in it. Do you
| know why?"
'Its situation pleased me, and it seemed
| to have-what you call elbow room"
''The owner, the man who built it,
Harry Trent, was murdered there two or
three years ago. 1t was famous case.
was retained in it myself. It gave the
house bad name. Do you care for that
sort of thing?"
"No," answered the count simply. 81
think have heard of that man." he add
ed, after pause. 'Was he not a mer-
chant of diamonds?"
"That was the man. Tall, fresh look
ing, with white hair. An agreeable fel-
low. believe"
eyes, I have met him. Was he not in
Paris in eighteen hundred and sixty
nine? Yes, the emperor was said to do
some business with him. And he was
murdered, you say? And you were of
the counsel?'
ST appeared for the prisoner"
'The man who murdered him, who
was he?''
"Well, my conviction was then, and is
now, that the prisoner was not the man
who murdered him. Appearances were
against him, but believe he was inno-
cent. His name was Keppel Darke, an
artist"
''Did you prove it to the jury?"
'sNo,' said Tom with sigh; ssthey
found him guilty in the second degree.
He was sentenced to imprisonment for
life. They might as well have hanged
him."
"Why do you say that? If he is inno-
cent, it is always still possible that it
may be found SO; and then, since he still
lives, it can be made good to him.
s'It will never be much good to him,
poor boy! He was killed in a railway
smash as they were taking him to Sing
Sing. He's out of the question. But I'd
like mighty well to get on the trail of
the real murderer. That would be
worth while stillr'
"Have you suspicious on the real one?"
81 can't say have. Nobody seems to
have benefited by his death. His widow,
to be sure, got his fortune; but she must
have had the use of it while he was alive.
My idea was that Trent had some in
trigue or other that never was known
about, and that that was the cause of
his death. But there's no telling"
'Had he no relations-no friends-to
whom part of his fortuue might have
been left?"
''No blood relations, as far as is known:
but-well, this was an odd feature of
the case. There was an old lady and
her daughter in whom he was interested,
and believe they were some sort of dis
tant cousins of his. It was reported
that he thought of marrying the girl; he
was acting as her guardian, and allowed
the two an income out of his own pocket.
But when he died his will gave them
nothing, not even continuance of the
allowance"
'tAnd the will was not contestedw
ssNo. Miss Raven was sensitive un-
der the circumstances and preferred
not"
''But if he left widow how was it
that he expected to marry this young
lady?"
''That was little surprise. The mar
riage had been secret, and wasn't known
till after his death; took place in France
somewhere, I believe. Yes, there were
several queer things about the case.
should have advised following it up.
Still think the murder was not con-
nected with the other questionable feat
ures. It stood by ITSELF"
''The widow is still iving?"
''Oh, yes; and if I'm not mistaken she
means to play big part i'll society this
winter. She has money enough, and a
good position. wish the Ravens, poor
things, had had the half of her luck"
'Ah! and have they met with misfort-
unes, them"
''Well, it's hard enough for man to
make his way, let alone couple of
women. The old lady could do moth
ing, except eat and wear clothes; but
the young one had pluck, and she knew
how to draw and how to play the piano.
I advised her taking pupils, and she
jumped at the idea. got few for her,
and she succeeded so well with them
that others came along. But pupils are
not to be had in summer. and she would
be fortunate to make eight hundred a