Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1896-12-03

good TaDltha! For she felt almost
cafe between the two.
mot till they tears me away piece.
meal with pinchers, Miss! for reckon
I'm too big to be forced away all nj
once" replied Tabitha violently, draw.
Ing up her large person and looking
defiance from her resolute eyes.
"Officers, remove that contumacious
girl from the room, = said the doctor
angrily.
The two constables stepped forward
to obey, but Malcolm Montrose drop.
ped the hand Of Eudora and confront
rhem,. saying:
con your peril!
Then turning to the enraged physi-
clan, he said:
Doctor, nothing but my knowledge
of the sincerity Of your attachment to
the late family enables me to endure
the violence of your conduct. But you
push your privileges and my patience
too far. You have no right to say that
this girl shall not remain in attend
ance upon the unhappy mistress
through the night. What harm can
she do? Besides, If Miss Leaton is to
be guarded by constables placed on
the outside of her chamber door, it is
but proper that she should have a
female attendant In the room with
her."
every well" said the doctor grimly,
'tas far as am concerned she may
keep her waiting woman In; but
shall take very good care that she her.
self does not get out"
And so saying he went Immediately
to the two high Gothic windows that
rrk~ Ill
strong oaken shutters, placed the iron
bars across them, secured the latter
with padlocks and gave the keys to
the head constable, who held the war
rant. He next stationed one Of the Of
ticers on the other side Of the door
leading to the other rooms Of his suite
Of apartments, directing him to lock
the door and keep the key in his
pocket. And, finally, having ascer-
tanned that all the fastenings Of the
chamber were well secured, he pre-.
pared to withdraw.
Malcolm Montrose pressed the hand
of Eudora to his heart, saying:
Goodnight, dearest Eudora. Con-
fide in the God who watches over to
deliver innocence" And bending lowly
to her ear, he whispered:
"Hope." Then raising his head and
looking kindly toward Tabitha, he
said:
.Good girl, take great care Of your
mistress tonight"
"You may trust me for that, sir"
answered Miss Tabs confidently.
And once more pressing the hand of
Eudora he resigned it and withdrew
from the room.
The doctor and the head constable
followed. They all paused in the hall
outside until the constable had double
locked the door and put the key in his
pocket and taken his station before
the room.
'tAnd now I think your prisoner is
quite secure, even though you should
sleep on your post, officer" said the
doctor with grim satisfaction as he
walked from the spot.
Malcolm Montrose smiled strangely
as he followed.
In the hall below they were met by
servant, who announced the arrival of
Mr.. Carter, the family solicitor, who
had been asked to see Mr.. Montrose,
and VINO had been shown to the libra
~, where he now waited.
Malcolm Immediately went thither,
and when seated at the writing table
with the attorney, related to him all
the details of the household tragedy,
and the arrest of Eudora Leaton upon
the awful charge Of poisoning the
whole family.
Even the clear-headed, case-hard-
ened old lawyer vas shocked and stu
pe6ed by that dreadful story. When
Malcolm had finished, and the lawyer
had recovered his presence Of mind,
they discussed the matter as calmly
as circumstances would permit. The
lawyer insisted that the evidence
against the accused girl was quite con-
victing, and that there was not in the
whole wide range of human POSSIBLE
ity single chance of her being ac
quilted; while Malcolm, in agonized
earnestness, persisted in upholding her
perfect innocence.
"But if she did not do it, who did
it," pertinently inquired the lawyer.
"Aye, who, indeed! Conjecture is
at full stand!' answered Malcolm,
wiping the drops forced out by mental
anguish from his brow.
els no one else amenab1e to suspi-
cion?"
"Not one"
HAD the late family deeply offend
ed any person, or casually injured any
one, or made any enemy?'
"No, no, no; they never wronged or
offended a human being, or had an
enemy in the world"
"Was there no one whose interest
ran counter to those of the late baron
and his house?"
"None on earth! Lord Leaton and
his family were on the best possible
terms with all his friends, acquaint-
ances and dependents. They were
widely, deeply and sincerely beloved"
ut comes back, then, to this; that no
one would have any interest in the ex-
tinction of the whole family except
this half-Indian girl, who is their heir
ess, and who, it appears, attended
them in their illness and prepared and
administered the drinks of which they
died. and in which the poison was de
tected-the poison. mark you, Of the
Faber Sancia Ignatii. deadly product
of the East, scarcely known in Eng
land, but familiar, no doubt, to this
Asiatic girl. Mr. Montnose, the case is
very Clear" said the lawyer, with an
OminOuS Sha ko IF tho hoaR