Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1899-10-25
on suspicion. If you can prove an

on suspicion. If you can prove an
alibi"-
81 can'tl You know I can't.
81 know nothing of the kind"
Look here, I'll tell you all. !"
81 strongly advise you. for your own
sake, to wait until you're calmer,
Darrent observed, pausing in the work
of jotting down in very prosaic way
Astray's rambling statements
81 mean to tell you all that happened
that night, and you can do what you
choose with it and bring me to the SCAT
fold if You like"
My dear sir, you are talking wildly.
The law has no desire to bring you to
the scaffold if you'll innocent.
81 swear ami"
"Then, if you are and can put me on
the track of the guilty party, so much
the better" Darrent replied, seating
himself and preparing to listen to the
weak story Of defense, which he was
sure would only be like many others
that he had SO often heard
"On the night Of the 10th of Janu-
airy, just a week ago, I returned to Chi
cago from South Africa.
''And Travelled to Barnstaple by the
o'clock train next day." Darrent In
terjected.
eyes; hadn't seen my guardian for
two years. When I left him in 1894. it
was after serious quarrel. He wanted
me to marry one girl, and wouldn' 7
because loved another" Astray con-
tinued, with stronger look in his face
than he had worn throughout the inter
view.
"Well9'
81 returned to The Grange, and he
welcomed me-.
''You entered the library and stood
on the left hand side of the fireplace, as
you were standing when came into
the room, with your elbow resting on
the mantelpiece. Darrent continued,
"and then you quarreled about the lady
again. Your uncle asked you if you had
outgrown your mad infatuation, and
you answered NO. Then he asked,
will you marry the wife have chosen
for your and you said, No, no, mol
and emphasized each word by blow Of
your fist on the mantelshelf3"
Astray glared at Darrent in astonish'
ment. "How do you known" he asked
Because I'm bloodhound of the
law" Darrent replied, sneering in hi
4 excitement. "Then you both got more
and more heated in the discussion, and
at last the old man, overweight witt
excitement, became faint and asked
you to reach him some brandy from the
sideboard, and you did so"
eyes; that's right.
presently he grew calmer, and you
settled down and talked of Other
things
Eyes. of my travels.
"He became interested and asked yor
to tell him more You drew up you
chair opposite him and lighted you,
pipe, meerschaum.
eyes.
at wouldn't draw. You took out
your knife and cleared the dry, hare
tobacco away from the bottom Of tn,
bowl, refilled it and tried again, bu,
the stem was choked. Old Marsden Of
fered you cigar. You got out box, /,
fresh and unopened box, from the side
board, and pried it open with you
knife, Norwegian knife-this one. >
And Darrent suddenly displayed tn,
knife, with the letter "A' burned int
it, before Astray's eyes.
eyes; it's true. That's It,"
81 know it's true I know this is tn,
knife and that this knife killed oil
Marsden.
go on, hang mel You moan tor
"You quarreled again. Old men al
ways get back to the same topic, ant
he brought you back. You got angry
lost all control of your temper and"-
Darrent shrugged his shoulders.
"And left I swear it. ! left in
rage, turned the wrong way by mis-
take'-
"And you know the country b!
heart"
81 was blind with rage. I did no
know where I was walking. Iwalksl
for tallsA Thea ~ tiAer eans NeNA