The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1898-02-03
CHAPTER Iv.-[CoNrINuEp

ut is time. Go UP and call Miss
Trenhoime. Where is Imogene?"
Even as she spoke Imogene Ireton
stole among them, her eyes flashing,
her cheeks scarlet with some unwonted
excitement: yet Mrs Trenholme noticed
that when she touched her hand it was
cold as ice.
my dear Imogene, you must go up
and summon Marina"
Inogene 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 it, 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 faith
full guardian in all her walks.
The four girls stepped into the room,
and it was no wonder that they were
pa!lid 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 and 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! Fouliy 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
the awe-stricken spectators. Then,
lifting up his right hand to heaven, he
said soiemnly:
Hear me swear 1t, 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,
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 a
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, were the
marks of a man-very small tracks in
deed for those OF man, yet such they
evidently were. And still further.
among the leaves of the vine. was
found a 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-
tectiye, and when IL was given she
drew back and the color faded out OF
her face leaving IL like wax