Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1898-07-28
sneered stephen. 'and IT has the added

sHeercu Sle1tHtu, anu III HAS tue duueu
merit of being quite true"
Mrs. Deane kissed him In the fullness
of her satisfaction. II cannot tell you
how greatly this story upset me. my
dear" she remarked. ''The wretch
went the length of assuring her that he
had dined with you and your wife in
Brixton. He ought to be severely pun
ished for telling such falsehoods."
I'm be even with him. never fear"
rejoined Stephen IL am very glad you
mentioned this matter to me-"
And so am /, my dear, although, TO
tell the truth, | was half-afraid TO
breach ii lest k should prove to be
true
How long do you propose 10 sta-
here. mGther?" he inquired, somewhat
abruptly. Were Sir Derek. by any
mischance. to hear of your visit, he
would quarrel with us all irrevocably,
and your income is a serious matter to
risk"
"Dr. Rowan hopes to see Oscar ont
of actual danger within three days"
she made answer. Until then ] ean
not and will not leave him, income or
no income. Remember, | am his moth
er, stephen
There was a quiet pathos in the sim
pie words that pierced even his callous
heart. Very we'll" he said. almost
gently, 1--WE must take the risks. I'll
caution Hirst to be extra-careful.''
That time-serving functionary had
become greatly perturbed In spirit by
a fresh whim of his eccentric master.
Sir Derek had taken il into his head TO
abandon the use of speech almost en-
tierly: and, whereas, he had hereto
fore been wont to gossip freely with
the butler and his wife. he new re-
mained either sulkily silent or replied
in monosyllables. often of a Drofane
character. He ate and drank as be-
fore. and showed no signs apart from
his great age OF n physical break
down; but he seemed. mentally. to
have retired entirely within himself
and to take no further interest in what
went on outside the walls of his he'd
room. Doubtless. from one point of
view, this altered demeanor of the old
man had its advantages, since ii de-
barred him from asking awkward
questions and from all active interior
ence with the household. But, on the
other hand. il tended entirely TO sub
vert the influence which the Hirsts had
exercised as confidential seryitors and
advisers-in-chief.
Tell you what ii is" remarked the
butler to his better half. Il can't stand
this new fit the old 'un has took. not at
no price. Fairly gives me the Jump, he
does, with his yes anu his mo- and
his mumbled cusses."
aIAAwst x,A,, 30 FnA1 ,- - 49,.
him, anyhow" cautioned the astute
wife. To my mind. it's a sign he amt
much longer for this world; he finds
the exertion o. talking too great for his
WORKOUT old lungs. Our game is jus,
to humor him to the end, and see he
dent alter that will he made two years
ago"
But he's bound TO make a fresh will
now that Master Derek's dead" sug-
gested Hirst.
NO. lie amt bound to do no such
thing retorted the housekeeper.
And. like as not, he'll never give the
matter a thought. without someone
puts 1t into his head. You take my adj
vice, and leave well alone, same as Mr..
Stephens a-doin', He knows what he's
about, that he does
That's more than | do was Hirst's
comment. HE scahe ever sees the old
'un, even to say How dye do?' and
when he does. no don't stop two min
utes in the room. You'd think he'd
take advantage of his brothers illness
to make the inner runnin' with Sir Der
elk. But he don't. It's just Hope / see
you better, sir. Any further instruc-
tfnyrG. ~ nr1 aff f.,,nCt .fn.,u %1,a nrl 80
has time to snarl No at him. He's
either playin' a very deep game or
trustin' a lot in Providence. is Mr.. Ste
phen. Time will tell"
Mr.. Hirst was quite right. Time al
ways does tell-in the end.
DIR. Rowan's forecast proved correct.
and three days later Stephen escorted
his mother to London uDon her WAS
back to Cheltenham. He saw her safe
ly off from Paddington, and the,.
looked In at his club.
Il say. Deane, what on earth are
your peaple up to down at Deans
hurst" queried the Hon. Dick Faucet,
glancing up from a newspaper he had
been perusing.
What do you mean. old mani"
asked Stephen. in his turn, approach
ing the speaker. II haven't seen an
evening paper yet"
Then read this rejoined his friend.
handing him the sheet.
Stephen did so. but, beyond a slight
raising of the eyebrows. showed no
sign of emotion at the perusal. Yet the
paragraph was startling enough
Another Tragedy nj Deanshurst.-
Following close upon the heels OF what
is now generally known as the Deans
hurst Mystery IN the report of yet
another tragedy at the same place.
Shortly before noon to-day the body of
Samuel Ashcroft. head gamekeeper to
the lord Of the manor. Sir Derek
Deane. Bart, was discovered I'm Bram-
ham Woods. at a spot o far distant
from the scene Of the previous catas-
trophe, by an underkeeper named
Joyce. Two punctured wounds over
the region of the heart sufficiently indi-
cate the of death which. in the
opinion of local surgeons. must have
taken place at least twelve hours prior
to the discovery. Rumor associates the
crime with the sudden disappearance
or a notorious poacher and e~x-convict
from the neighborhood. between whom
-