Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1898-04-07
CHAPTER NIX.

ut the fair speaker saying, sadly:
MADAME. Major Burns has just left
me: he, presided ut the investigation
of this mystery; he has told me ev-
crything; and he leaves me without Il
hope in the world"
IL have also heard all. Monsieur. and
l remain full of hope" said the lady.
firmly.
what! have they told you ALP en-
claimed the captain, in astonishment.
Everything"
"The-the state of her bed chamber
on the morning Of the discovery
Yes. Monsieur"'
The facts brought out in the i'll.
vestigation before the magistrates"'
"Yes. Monsi 'ur!'
"And-and-the-t circun1-
stantial evidence against my nephew?"
inquired the old man, in deeply-agi-
tated and 'Iuavering voice.
"Yes. yes. yes. Monsieur lie Captaine.
I know all that is known to anyone in
this house,
And you still hope?"
And l still hope"'
"Ah. Madame. you so ealvanize this
But give me the grounds for Your
hope: How do Iou get over the des-
perate struggle for life in her bed
room:" eagerly inquired the captain.
Simply by knowing that no such
desperate struggle. with it's acconlpa-
nying shrieks. and groanS and falls.
could possibly have taken place. with
out having aroused the whole house.
No one in the house heard sound
that night; therefore. no such struggle
could have taken place; and. there
fore. the false evidences of the mag
mary struggle We're artfully produced
for the purpose Of misleading investi-
CATION. This could easily be done by
| quietly Overturling few chairs.
drawing away a few tables and rend-
ing Il few draperies-'
But the spots of blood. Madame?"
Dropped. probably. from someone's
! finger. cut for the very purpose
"Rut the facts brought out during
the magistrates investigation?
"-All these facts We're manufactured
by the kidnappers.'
''And-the cirmcumstantial evidence
against my nephew?'
''-Mere condolences
''Then you do not believe that Fulkc
Grevillc could have had any hand in
! this nurder:" brcathlessly exclaimed
| the captain.
"NO"'-emphatically answered the
lady-"how could lie have had-being
your nephew?
God bless you for these words.
lady: for l know that he could not
have had."
Besides. I repeat. no murder has
been committed. This is a case Of
kidnapping! and the kidnappers. to
| concac1 thnr o11-, c1.i,nI, l,ava orff,,lly,
arranged all these false signs, to pro-
ducc the impression that they, in fact,
have produced, namely-that the o. idle
has been assassinate1 by the BRIDE
| groom. Listen, Monsieur lie Captaine.
to explain the reason of my belief, l
must go back some years, to the date
of my daughters infancy. My attor-
ney has told you of her first abduction
by supposed gipsies"
'Yes. Madame"
But he did not pretend to assign
any motive for the abduction?''
mo, Madame. he did not"
NO; for no one except myself ever
SUI pected that motive: but mothers
instincts are not to be deceived.
knew the instigatng motive and the
instigating man. 1 could have put my
hand upon the man and laid bare the
motive
And YOU forborc 20 do so, Mad
anlc:'
Yes; for moral conviction, however
strong. is not legal evidence. / never
breathcd my suspicious, Or rather.
Should say. my certain knowledge OF
the criminal. to any human being TO
have done so would have been to
show my cards before playing them of
slow my cards before 1 had an oppor-
tunity Of playing them. in other words,
it would have put the criminal on his
guard. But to you. Monsieur, I feel
that | can safely impart this know
ledge"
Indeed you can, Madame! The vi
tai interest feel in little Daney would
teach me discretion. even if had nev-
or possessed that virtue" said the cap
tain. earnestly.
Il ani sure of that Monsieur, and so
will go on with my explanations.
The criminal. then. of whom speak.
is my brother-n-law. the younger
brother Of my husband. the present
Marquis De G1a.:e. / am certain that
it was ut his inStigatiOn that my child
was first stolen
Good heaven. Madame! the child's
own uncle. the Orphans natural guard
ian. He who should stood to her in
The place OF Il fatherT'
Even 50. Monsieur. for he was a
bad man.
AN unnatural monster. and no man.
But the motive. Madame! tie motive?'
1T was sufficiently obvious, Mon-
sipur. it was to get possession Of her
vast wealth: for my darling. though,
she could not heir her fathers large
landed estates. yet inherited a vast
funded property. which. in case of her
dying unmarried. fell to her fathers
younger brother. the present Marquis
De GIace.'
''Oh. lady. lady. be sure of what you
say, before YOU accuse Il human being
of so black Il crime" cried the ola
man. recoiling in horror from the tale
that had been told him.
" am sure of it. Monsieur. although
l may not have legal cy::::..t"e to prove
it. Listen forthcr: W!i;..; yLy husband
died. and the present marquis sue
cceded to the title and estates. lie. the
last mentioned. was very poor and
very deeply in debt. Nothing but all
infant girl stood between him and Il
~ 49,