The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1896-12-16
CHAPTER vi.

Tragedy wears two masks, one for
the rich and one for the poor. To the
rich come the blessing Of routine, the
sedulous succor of the body with every
alienation and anodyne that art can
procure or love suggest, by which to
strengthen it for its burden, spiritual
and mental; to the poor comes the pros
tration of physical need, Of PERSONAL
misery, till at last the light medicines
bred of want either turns their brains
to madness or plunges them into gulf
of despair, whence they emerge manned
and broken for all time, the main
spring of life broken. z ~E
Hagar had been mercifully saved this
latter experience by the kindness OF
stocky little gentleman who was power
| ful enough to come between her and all
those disagreeable details that follow
| in the wake of a murder, and her only
bad Quarter of an hour was when, un-
der Lord Straubenzee's wing, she an
swered the coroner's questions concern
ing the events of the preceding day.
She had walked out early with her
father, and remained at home with him
J during the morning. At half past IL
Antoine Laroque had called, and she
went out, leaving the two men together.
Asked who Antoine Laroque was, she
said friend of her father, whom he
had known intimately in Paris. They
had quarreled there, but she did not
know on what subject. Was he an es-
pecial friend of her ownf No. She had
gone for rather long walk to the wood
outside the town, and knowing the men
were engaged in conversation in the on
" sitting room the cottage afforded she
afterward fingered ON the beach, and II
was there she heard Of her fathers muir.
der. She could not account for the re.
moval of his books, papers and chemic'
ais, unless Antoine Laroque had re-
turned and for his own reasons made
away with them.
| At this point Hagar looked full at DIR.
Martin, and before those clear, proud
indomitable eyes his own wavered anG
sank. while what had hean incredible
before seemed to him from that mo
ment impossible and not to be harboret
in the mind of any sane man.
But the coroner had heard whisper
and was inclined to think that not OLE
Nick or Antoine, but some third person
knew more about the matter than ap
peared ON the surface.
"You did not leave your room tina
night?" he inquired, with some courage
"Dr. Martins draft kept me asleel
from half past 8 last night till thi
morning." she said, and Lord Strauben
zee, with little flush of color ON hi
cheek, Mastered to corroborate her.
"Miss Gregorias was in her bedroom
when my daughter and retired to res
last night" he said. "She was Their
when we awoke this morning, as ~,
servants can attest. J"
The coroner presently asked IL sh
knew the subject OF these books, an
she said she did not feel bound to repl
TO that question, and as it wa quit
clear that no earthly power would max
her the subject dropped, and soon tn
proceedings were at an end, verdic
of willful murder against Antoine La
rogue being returned.
Then Lord Straubenzee took the gil
home to be looked after and cared 10
after the manner of his order, and Nan
ME was good to her as only one woma
knows how to be to another. Heart an
soul she had espoused this poor girl
cause, and Will Cassilis, in great dif
gust, marked his sense of the situatio
by not coming over all day.
"I can't be sorry" said Hagar ono
to the dear little sprite who was tend
ina her SO lovingly, that is the mos
awful part of it--that can't I've &C
O stone here" she touched her breast