The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1896-05-02
CHAPTER Iv.-[CoNrrSuEp.I

Even as she spoke imogene lretor
stole among them. her eyes flashing
her cheeks scarlet with some unwonteC
excitement; yet Mrs. Trenholme noticed
that when she touched her hand 1t was
cold as ice.
My dear Imogene. you must go uF
and summon Marina"
Imogene put her hand TO her fore
head in a half-dazed way, then. In
stantly recovering. bowed slightly and
passed up the stairs, followed by the
three other bridesmaids. of whom
Agnes was one.
They stopped before the door OF
Marina's chamber. Agnes knocked.
There was no reply. She repeated the
summons again and again. with like
result Then she turned the knob, and
the door swung open partially. Some
thing lay behind ii. Agnes stopped
down to remove it. and started back
pale as death. her hand dripping with
blood. For the obstacle was the bleed
ing body of Quito, the great black dog
that for years had been Marinas taith-
ful guardian in all her walks.
The four girls stepped into the room
and it was no wonder that they were
pallid as ashes, no wonder their limbs
shook under them, and their frantic
shrieks rent the air.
There, in her armchair, midway In
the apartment, clad in her bridal
robes. sat Marina, the white, glisten-
ing silk spotted with crimson, the long,
sweeping veil stained blood-red, and
over AID above all, the sweet fragrance
OF orange flowers. Marina's head was
a little dropped, the blue eyes closed,
the face white as marble, the hands
lightly clasped above her heart, from
which the blood still came slowly. She
was dead Foully murdered!
The cries of the bridesmaids brought
every guest to the fatal chamber
Ralph first of all. He gave one look,
then flew to the side OF the dead bride,
lifted her in his arms, pressed his lips
TO hers, and called on her wildly to
awake and speak to him once more.
But in vain. No human voice could
ever reach her more.
He laid her down on the couch at
last, and raised her face slowly toward
lifting up his right hand to heaven, he
said solemnly:
Hear me swear il, here before God,
and in the presence of my murdered
bride, that | will spare no pains TO bring
the guilty to account, and once dis
covered, will hunt him TO the death!
Though the law may make him free, l
never will; but to the latest hour of his
existence he shall feel the weight of my
vengeance"
Investigations were at once COM
menced. A strict guard was placed over
the premises, and none Of the guests
were permitted to leave the house. A
shrewd detective was brought up from
the city, and the case left in his hands.
And in the five hours he had satisfied
himself with the facts he had dis
covered.
There was the mark Of two bloody
fingers upon the window sill-two very
slender fingers, and just beneath the
window on the carpet were several lit
tie globules of blood. A grapevine
climbed nearly to the window on
strong trellis outside, and the bark
was stripped from this vine in several
places, indicating that the assassin had
escaped by that means. In the soft
earth. Just under the trellis. we're the
marks OF a man-very small tracks in
deed for those of a man, yet such they
evidently were. And still further.
among the leaves of the vine, was
found blood-stained kid glove, and
on the inside OF the wrist was written
the name of Lynde Graham!
Mr.. Strickland, the detective, an
nounced his discovery quietly in the
library, in the presence of the whole
wedding party.
Lynde Graham felt the charge-he
knew then that he should be accused OF
the crime OF murder. For a moment
the scarlet flush of wounded pride dyed
his fine face, and then he was himself
again. calm and erect as usual.
Imogene Ireton had bent forward,
and listened with quick breath and
flushed cheeks to the report of the de-
tective, and when it was given she
drew back and the color faded out of
her face, leaving 1t like wax.
Further facts were developed before
midnight The boots of Lynde Graham
fitted exactly the tracks in the garden.
and Just without the garden gate was
found a surgeons knife blood-stained
and bearing on the handle the initials
IL. c." Evidently the murderer had
stood behind the girl and stabbed her
as she sat In her chair. and then being
attacked by the dog had plunged the
knife into him.
Perhaps the brute might be able to
do something toward bringing the gull
ty to justice. He was not dead, though
severely hurt and every care was taken
TO save his life. He was an animal OF
wonderful sagacty. and Ralph felt GER
tain that IL he could be brought back
10 health he could make him instru-
mental in discovering the real MUIR
derer.
The chain OF circumstances was so
strong that IL fully warranted Mr..
Strickland in arresting DR.. Graham
upon the charge of the assassination OF
Marina Trenholme. At his examina-
tion before a justice, Graham refused
to offer any plea whatever; he simply
said he was innocent Of the crime
Two Of the old servants testified to hav'
ing met the prisoner about half-past
on the morning OF the murder In the gar
den, on the eastern side OF the house