Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1896-02-05
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1t was the 7th of November J.,,
never forgot the date. though the though
aao crossed her mind several times dur
ing the morning how uneventful the day
were. each resembling the other In l.,
dullness. :" ~
Nearly . week had passed sinc. IN,
tneatricals. and she had seen nothinv q,
Colonel Prinsep. Though the weatbe,
nao been fne. once or twice there bsi
"eGn shower OF rain In the evening.
Ane CLOCK had just struck four on that
espeeiai AFTERNOON of that date, when sha
neaId footsteps in the veranda. It wa
tae nour Stephen Prinsep had Renerally
CHOSEN Tor his visits, when they were an,
| gaeeo; and she thought it might be tbe
| colonel now. But when q few momenta
| passed and no servant came to Announce
nlm' she opened the sitting-roou dooI
ana went into the hall. No ono waa
tnere, but almost Immediately Mrs. Knox
came out Of the quartermaster's writing.
room looking flushed and put ont.
a native came running from the ad.
| Joining compound belonging to a house
wnicn' on account of the reputation II
nao gained Tor unhealthiness, was unoc-
cupied, and now formed a convenient
Looking up with casual interest Mrs.
knox's attention was arrested bv his
terrified expression, and she STONED
short in her complaints.
what Is it" she asked. sharply.
The man, q respecta BILE looking servant
81 the Mussulman caste, was for some
time uninfelligible by reason of his fright.
and could only fold his hands and i'm.
plore pardon for the fault he declared he
nad not committed. 1t was only after
an impatient cross-examination that Mrs.
Knox ELECTED the fact that a "Sahib" was
lying dead some few yards away.
More likely tipsy," was her contemptu.
ous observation.
1t took them some minutes to reach tho
spot indicated. and then when they came
within . few yards of 1t, Mrs. Knox
hurried on. to spare her daughter what
might be an unnecessary shock. But as
she came up and saw who it was. she
forgot every consideration in her own
horror. The first glance had assured her
that the servants supposition was cor
rect-the man was indeed dead; and as
she had swiftly scrutinized his features
another truth was borne upon her, that
he had not died by his own hand. She
could not repress q scream.
1T is Jacob Lynn-murderedv she
cried, and turning, was just in time to
catch her daughter in her arms or she
would have fallen to the ground.
"Mother. say he is not dead! 1t can't
be true! He is i'll, hurt; but not that-not
thatv'
Against her firm conviction Mrs. Knox
knelt down. and laid her hand upon his
heart, his pulse. and even upon his fore
head. from which the blood was tricklinc
slowly down. He was warm still, and for
q moment she thought he was alive. She
raised his head upon her knee, and sent
the native for water in the almost forlorn
hope that it might be Of use.
For the first time Jane acknowledged
the good looks which to every one else
had been always patent; and looked upon
him with pity that though in nowise akin
to love, was yet 20 tender that the tears
came welling into her eyes as she thought
Of his lost opportunities and possibilities
Of good.
Whose hand was it that had struck him
down? The question fell upon her minds
ear SO clearly that involuntarily she
turned to see If any one had spoken.
They were alone still, her mother and
she, with all that remained of the man
to whom she had been engaged, and to
whom she had been SO dear. He would
never vex her more! She wished she had
been less impatient Of that love which
she had never valued. Now that It had
vanished from her life, she felt It az q
loss. Yet only a week before she dread
ed his very presence, and begged Stephen
Prinsep's aid In delivering her from his
attentions.
81 will get rid of him somehow, never
fear" he had assured her.
10 %ha% t. L.
answer TO the question which was trou-
bling her? Had he taken these terrible
means Of removing Jacob Lynn from her
path forever? Oh, heaven forbid!
Mrs. Knox laid the head Of the hand
some hussar gently on the ground again
and rose to her feet.
ut IL no good, Jenny-he II dead!'
And a. she spoke some troopers from
the barracks came running up. Full Of
conjecture a. to the cause Of his death,
they surrounded him at once, and AZ
they did 30, . sudden remembrance
struck Jane that, before their feet had
obliterated II, there had been the mark
Of q boot % distinctly printed on the
soft, sandy soil that q triangular cut in
the sole had been clearly visible. There
were no such marks on the boots Of Jacob
Lynn.
The only clew lay in James keeping,
and it seemed to her az though the foot
print had been seen BY her alone-that
she, who had been the indirect cause Of
his death, might be also its avenger.
A court Of inquiry was convened by
the Colonel, but nothing transpired at it
beyond the fact that the murdered man
had once been engaged to marry the
auartermaster's daughter. This lent to
the affair an adventitious interest, and
public curiosity was proportionately dis
appointed when 1t was decided that to
cali Mrs. Knox and her daughter to give
evidence would be needlessly distressing
them.
"Died by the hand Of some person o.
,ersons unkne wn," was the verdict.
A, d 10 the matter was allowed to rest
rhe deceased had no relations to insist
,pon further investigation. and the gem
raj opinion seemed to be that all Inquiry
would be Of no avail. 1t had probably
,een q drunken brawl: and even II there
,nd been any witnesses to II. feeiing OF
oyalty would prevent them from saying
xhat they knew would ruin a fellow.
Colder. They would indeed be apt to
look only too leniently on q crime that.
though 80 fatal In its results, had yet been
accidental, and not the fruit Of malice.
Yet his death had been q great shock
to the whole regiment. and the sympathy
felt was shown by the number OF those
who followed him to the cemetery. Most
IF the oficers were present-among them
the Colonel and the Adjutant-and just
:. the service began the wife and daugh-
.er of tho quartermaster came up quietly
and stood beside the grave. Mrs. Knox
Was dsrkly dressed. though not actually
X black. ept q. regard - the DGaAchely