Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1897-08-05

" 1tnC aROh hSh AAAC
direction OF affairs and give her orders
with sufficient c~learness.
IL ought not to be suffered to leave
the island. John. do you hurry down to
the beach. take the boat and go across
the water to Burnstop. Major Burns IS
a justice OF the peace; tell him what has
happened here and ask him 70 come
over Immediately, and bring as many
cOnstables as he may think necessary!
Hurry"
John few to do her bidding. And
then she she turned Il another man
servant
James, call the coachman and the
gardener. and take them with you. and
make a thorough search for the body
through the island. Hasten!'
James rushed out to execute these or
ders.
Mandy. you must remain In this
with me, for / shall stay here to watch
that nothing Is changed until the mag
istrate arrives"
Mandy Immediately left the group Of
awe-stricken servants and went II
stood behind the chair of her mistress.
"And now, Monsieur she said. adj
dressing the French cook, you will
please TO take all these people away
with you and keep them in order until
the arrival OF the magistrate
The Frenchman testified his obedi-
ence By a succession of bows, and beck
oned his attendants TO follow him
from the room.
When Miss Hit was left alone with
Mandy in the fatal chamber, she leaned
back IN her chair and closed her eyes.
as IL to shut out the scene OF blood
around her.
Monsieur lie Chef had no trouble in
keeping the servants in order; they
crept down to the lower regions OF the
house. where they remained in panic
stricken silence, or spoke to each other
only IN terrified whispers.
The coachman and the gardener, with
their assistants. were beating the BUSH
es i'm every direction, searching for the
body of the murdered bride, or some in.
dicat!on of its fate. Col. Greyilie, in an
agony of grief, was flying about the ISL
and on the same quest.
Things were in this condition when
Major Purns, accompanied by another
magistrate. who happened to be staying
at his house, and also by a pair Of coun-
ty constables, arrived upon the scene of
action.
Colonel Greyille rushed to meet them.
What Is this, Greville. they tell me!
1t cannot be true!' said Major Burns, Il
little, red-faced, gray-haired, fiery Irish
man.
1T is truer' cried the colonel, with a
groan of anguish.
"But. surely, you don't mean, really,
that-that2' gasped the little magis-
trate, in CONSERVATION.
.'Shc-my bride. my wife! has been
murdered. assass;nated. In her room
exclaimed Colonel Greville, wildly.
Great Lord of Heaven. by whom
"We do not know, Would to Heaven
we didm
Where is her body? Show it to us.
Alta. Mix. rim and fetch the coroner at
once.' exclaimed the magistrate. ad-
dressing first the bereaved husband
and her one of the attendant consta-
blcs.
The man started to run upon his err
rand. hut was Immediately recalled by
Il distracting gesture from Colonel Gre
Vile. who said. in a despairing voice
1T Is useless. quite useless! her body
has been carried or and concealed, or
destroyed"
"Great Heaven! when was this
done?"
Last night.r'
LAST night? And where were you at
that hour. sir?"
Colonel Greville started Mt the ques-
ton. The voice that put 1t was a
strange one. He looked mp ut the quca-
toner. He was a stranger-being a tall.
well proportional young man. with
good features, fair complexion, yellow
hair and blue eyes.
"Oh,-this is my brother magistrate
rather n young man for the ofice-bnt
an efficient one. for all that. I should
have introduced him before. but. really.
the shock of this affair drove every
thing else out Of nv mind! Mr.. Erling-
ford-Colonel Greville." said the major.
Mr.. Erlingford very slightly lifted his
hat. keeping his eyes steadily and al
most in%sultinglv fixed upon the face Of
his new acquaintance.
Colonel Greville bowed. He had no
hat to lift. He had rushed wildly from
| the house without one.
"You shy that the body has not been
found: How can you be so sure. then.
that a murder has been committed ut
ALP queried the little major.
Colonel Greville started again, An
expression Of sudden hope flushed from
his face for an instant, and then faded
away again as he groaned forth the an
swer-
'Oh. sir. the evidences Of the crime
are but too conclusivew
II would ask. sir. where you. the nat
/ ural protector of your bride, We're. last
night. while this crime was being per
| retrated?' meaningly inquired Mr.. Err
| linsford.
Fer an instant the instinct Of habitual
| pride caused Gel. Greville to lift his
eyes in naughty aston ishmept at the in
science OF this demand: but in the next.
| the rushing consciousness of his awful
bereavement overwhelmed this feeling.
and again he groaned in answering
II must have been in my oyn apart
mept. not in hers; l would to Heaven
had beent'
A smile Of derisive i~ncredulity passed
over the younger magistrates face us
he said
Rather an incredible story. under the
circumstances. sir"
Again the flush Of pride flashed up