The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-02-19
CHAPTER I.
THE PURPLE ORCHID.

@AifAtAANNA- 40 A4AN- AlANNt NGL through the
ample doorway, with their instruments
under their arms. the first faint streak
OF early dawn became visible in the
east one of them, a lank, plain
featured youns man OF ungainly
aspect. but penetrating eye, called the
attention OF the others to it.
Look said he: there is the day
light This has been a gay night for
Sutherland town"
Too gay" muttered another, star
ing aside as the slight figure of a
young man coming from the house be-
hind them rushed hastily by. Why,
who's that"
As the.- one and all had recognized
the person thus alluded to. no one an
severed til ne had dashed out of the
gate and disappeared in the woods on
the other side of the road. Then they
ali spoke at once.
It's Mr.. Frederick
He seems in a desperate hurry"
"He trod on my toes.
Did you hear the words he was
muttering as he went by?''
As only the last question was calcu-
lated to rouse any interest, it alone re-
ceived attention.
No; what were they? I heard him
say something, but l did not catch the
words"
he WASH [ ldlklIlS 10 you or me-
either: but l have ears that can hear
an eye wink. He said: Thank God,
this terrible night is over" Think of
that! After such a, dance and such a
spread, he calls this night terrible and
thanks GOD that it is over. 1 thought
he was one to enjoy this kind of thing
more than most folks.
80 did ].
And so did l."
The five musicians exchanged looks,
then huddled in q group at the gate.
He has quaTreled with his sweet
heart" suggested one.
Pm not surprised at that" declared
another, I never thought it would be
a match"
shane if it werer' muttered the I'M
calmly youth who had spoken first.
As the subject Of this comment was
the son of the gentleman whose house
they were just leaving, they neces-
sarily spoke low; but their tones were
rife with curiOSlt--, and il was evident
that the topic deeply interested them.
. One of the five who had not previously
spoken now put IN Z. word.
II saw him when he first led out Miss
Page to dance, and 7 saw him again
when he stood up opposite her in the
last quadrille, and 1 tell you, boys,
there was a mighty deal of difference
IN the way he looked at her the last
time from what he did the first. You
wouldn't have thought him the same
man. Reckless young fellows like him
are not to be caught by dimples only,
They want cash.
"Or family, at least; and she hasn't
either. But what a pretty girl she is
Some fellow as rich as he and as well
connected would be satisfied with her
good looks alone"
Good IoolzsH High scorn rvas OBJ
servable in this exclamation, which
was made by the young man who 1
have before characterized as ungain-
y. u refuse to acknowledge that she
has any good looks. On the contrary,
consider her plain
''Oi Or burst in protest from more
than one mouth. And why does she
have every fellow IN the room dangling
after her, them" asked the player on
the yellow fageolet.
But she hasn't a regular feature"
what difference does that make
when it isn't her features you notice,
but herself
It don't like her"
A laugh followed this.
'That won't trouble her, Sweetwater.
Sutherland does, if You don't, and
that's much more to the point And
he'll marry her yet; he can't help II.
Why. she'd witch the devil into leading
her to the altar, if she took q, notion to
have him for her bridegroom"
There would be consistency in that"
muttered the fellow just addressed.
But, Mr.. Frederick
Hush! There's someone on the door
step. Why, it's sher'
They all glanced back. The graceful
figure of a young girl, dressed in white,
was TO be seen leaning toward them
from the open doorway Behind her
shone a blaze of light-the candles not
having been yet eXtinguished in the
hall-and against this brilliant back
ground her slight form. with all its be-
witching outlines, stood out in plain re-
lief. There was an anxious bend to it,
however which none of them had ever
observed in it before.
who was that?" she began, in a
high, almost strident voice, totally out
of keeping with the sensuous curves of
her strange, sweet face. But the ques-
ton remained incompletes as well as
unanswered, for at that moment her
attention, as well as that Of the men
lingering at the gate. was attracted by
the sound OF hurrying feet and con-
fused cries coming up the hill
Murder Murder" was the word
painted out by more than one harsh
voice; and in another instant a dozen
men and boys came rushing into sight
in a state Of such excitement that the
five musicians recoiled from the gate,
and one of them went so far as To start
back toward the house AS he Qld so
he noticed a curious thing. The young
woman whom they had all perceived
standing in the door a moment before
had vanished. vet she was known to
profess the keenest curiosity of any
one in town.
Murder MURDER terrible and
unprecedented cry in this old, Cod
fearing town. Then came in hoarse eX-
PLANTATION from the jostling group, as
they stopped at the gate: Mrs. Webb
has been killed! Stabbed with knifei
Tell Mr.. Sutherland
Mrs. Webb, .
AS the musicians heard this name. so
honCred and so universally beloved,
they to a man uttered a cry. Mrs.
Webb, Why, It was impossible.
Shouting in their turn for Mr. Suther-
land they all crowded forward.
Not Mrs. Webb" they protested.
'Who could have the daring or the
heart to kill herr"
God knows" answered a voice from
the highway; but she's dead-we've
just seen herr
Then it's the old mans work. qua
vered q piping voice, well known as
that of the village shoemaker's. I've
always said he would turn on his best
friend some day. 'Sylum's the best
place for folks as has lost their wits
r.
But here a hand was put over his
month, and the rest of the words be-
came an inarticulate gurgle. Mr.. Suth-
erland had just appeared on the porch, !
and these We're not men to let their
voices be heard in his presence.
He was q superb-looking man, with
an expression OF mingled kindness and !
dignity THAT invariably awakened both |