Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1898-02-24
CHAPTER XII.
Ursula I'm London

"AllruI Murder against FRANK Les.
teri liz could hardly do otherwise, al
though several members of the jury
we lid have been thankful for any ex-
cuse which would have enabled them
to bring in a verdict of suicide. The
whole parasitic tell the plain truth
felt that the fact that the heir OF one
OF the old country families should have
been betrayed into committing so hor-
rible a crime was "A much greater ca
lamity than the death of a man like
Joyce; and they would have hushed
the matter up If they could. But APP
pearances We're too strong for them.
There was the quarrel. witnessed by
the landlady of the Golden Horn, and
Franks wild words. uttered as he left
the room In a state of uncomfortable
agitation. s
But the thing that seemed TO con-
denim Frank and brand him as guilty.
was that there vas no n else who
could be supposed to commit the crime.
The only other guest staying in the
house was Clovis, who had come, not
in the morning. rs he had stated 10
Frank, but very late at night. He had
zone straight 30 bed when he came in.
being very tired: and the landlady
swore that she did not mention Mr..
Joyce's name to him. and he had abso-
lutcly no knowledge that there was
such a person in the house. There was
nobody else on the premises who could
have dreamed of numbering Mr.. Joyce.
SO it was not surprising that suspicion
fastened with eager fang on the man
who was known to have had a quarrel
with him.
Ii anything had been wanting to
make people certain that the verdict OF
guilty was the right verdict. it would
have been supplied by the fact that
Lester had fed. Ii he were innocent,
people said, he would have come for
ward and faced the charge like a man.
| the inquiry had been adjourned for his
attendance. but he had not bee heard
Of sialce that fatal night. and the police
reported that he was not TO be found.
There could be no longer a shadow of
doubt about the matter.
Yet there was one human being who
did not think him guilty-the dead
mans daughter. IL there had been n
blow. OF v g a stab. dealt in the heat
CT n quarrel, she might have believed
that Frank had allowed his passion To
master him, and that he was guilty.
But nothing, she declared. would make
her believe chat Frank Lester would
steal to another mans bedroom In the
middle of the night and stab him as he
slept.
SO she waited patiently. strong in
faith. though sore perplexed by her
lovers silence. And at last it came,
the letter she had been waiting for
ever since that dreadful morning. II
-. 49, xr~hnn ar. xNnI - cLa fnlt
as one already dead. Her grief, her
despair, were too dreadful TO be exposed
TO the gaze OF the world. She shut her
self up alone with her sorrow.
or course, she knew she and Frank
must not meet again. Innocent though
he was, as far as his will was con
cerned. they must be strangers now.
She could not wed the man whose
hand was red with her fathers blood.
Not for a moment did the possibility Of
such q thing occur TO her. 1t was a re-
lief that Frank seemed TO feel this as
well as herself. There was no nee6 for
arguing the point. Sometimes the
heart, lately so full of hope and happi-
for a last sight of her. But she knew
that it was better not.
Time went on: the summer changed
to autumn; and Ursula's stricken heart
could take no tote of the change of
season. But she could not remain for
ever shut away from the world. She
had 70 come downstairs, and listen TO
her fathers lawyer. who came To tell
her that he could find no traces of the
wealth of which he had boosted. and
IN lot har Ennxy that lhA nlfrSt faaa tho
world once more, and depend, for the
mic st part. on her own exertions. The
interest OF the sum left her by Miss
Upton was o enough TO maintain her
in idleness, even IL she had desired To
lead such a life.
U So Ursula sat down to consider what
/, she had better do. The place that had
been hers at the school had been tilled
when she went to live with her father,
| and there was no teaching to be had in
| the neighborhood. Besides, atu told
| her that what she needed was change
| of scene. The familiar fields and
houses, the very faces Of her friends
! and acquaintances. seemed TO remind
her of nothing but the awful desola-
ton that had come upon her. She
longed for another sky. fresh sur
rouDdings. new faces. that would not
| torment her with ~half-veiled, shallow
| sympathy. SO she resolved to go TO
London and try and find n situation as
governess, either in a school or in q
private family.
Among those who called to bid Ursu-
la farewell was Captain Winter, a
| nephew of Sir Julius Winter. He IA
intimately acquainted with her, since
| he had constantly me ner at Miss
Upton's. where he used to be a fire.
| quent visitor. He was a good-natured.
| foolish, extravagant fellow. too fond of
| pleasure, too fond OF INDUCING him
self In whatever took his fancy for the
time being. Everybody liked him. and
nobody would have respected him but
for the fact thar he was Sir julius
heir at-law, and-the estates were en-
tailed.
Ursula was pleased TO see Captain
Winter. She knew that his sympathy
was genuine, IL not very deep; and
when he said that he meant to look her
up in London as soon as she had fixed
on a place OF abode. she believed that
he meant what he said, though she did
not believe that the memory of her
| would so much as cross his mind when
ne was in London. He srent nearly all
his time there, as he and his uncle
wacr not on vood terrns-buf than Cir