Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1899-03-24
CHAPTER VIII.

CHAPTER VIII.
The inquest is to be held at the Mcrvyn
Arms. and Il jury has been hastily sum
mOned.
Such a clever man. Budd!" the farmers
and friendly tradesmen murmur over
their glasses Mt the bar. "Hc's always
got his eyes in the right place. Trust
Budd to ferret out this mystery; he's the
man."
But they look graver and more doubtful
as the hours creep by, and a strange whis-
per circulatcs. 10 one quite knows how.
among them.
"A lovers quarrci"-.,Thc last person
who saw anything of the unfortunate
acknowledgements of dress found near
the place where the body was discovered
-"Strange silence all this long while
sudden illness, when she'd been we'll and
strong enough on the day of thc-disap.
~pearance." So the ruinors rum from
mouth to mouth. whispered with bated
breath. and as the night advances they in.
crease and grow wilder and stranger.
Tho process of Identification is well.
nigh impossible; for not a feature of the
body is recognizable. In that horrible pool
the work of corruption has been rapid;
' aud no clew. even in clothing or linen. is
Forthcoming. But then there is no doubt
in the mind of any that this body is the
4, body OF the missing man, and the finding
of the kat near the pool. and the fact OF
! Mr.. Chartcris having been seen in the
ncighhorhood of the spot being clearly
proved. the coroner declares himself salts.
| fed that this is no other than the long
! sought for man.
Now come the evidence of witnesses
First and foremost appears Budd him.
SELF. whose pale face and swollen lips
make his benign pliysiosnomy less pleas.
ing than usual. But his voice is as oily,
his smile as sweet as ever.
! He relates the fact of tracing the miss
| ing man to the almost unknown spot by
mean of Lance Staplcton's retriever, he
the inspcctor-having furnished the ami.
NAL with II glove belonging to the deceas.
ed: then came the finding OF the hat, the
persistence of the dog in keeping to the
pool. the dragging of the water, and sub
segment finding OF the body. These facts
Lance S%tapleton is called upon to corrob.
crate. which he does.
But at the conclusion of his curtly given
evidence. he observes that he has a re.
mark to makc-namcly. that DIR. Deanc,
| who is we'll known in the village. and per.
| fcctly acquainted with the missing man,
has expressed IN opinion that the body
found is of shorter stature thar that Of
MIR. Chartcris.
Upon this DIR. Dcanc is summoned. He
repeats the statement he has made to
Lance. and with it another to the effect
that the evidences of decomposition in the
discovered corpse are surprisingly great
for the lapse of time since Dcnzil Char
teris has been missed.
.lt looks as il it had been six months,
instead of six weeks, i'll the water" he
says in conclusion.
"Could you swear that this body has
been in the water longer than six wecks:"
asks the coroner.
The worthy doctor hcsitatcs, fidgets,
| and then says doubtfullv:
Il could not swear to it: but l give it as
my opinion. 1t is difficult to speak with
absolute certainty in Il case of this kind
taking into consideration the state of
| the water and the abundance of vcgeta.
| BILE and animal substance contained in it,
would you give it as your opinion that this
body could not have been reduced to such
! an un%rccognizable condition in the space
of six wceks?" persists the coroner
II could not absolutely say it is impossi-
ble." answers DIR. Dcane.
II beg your pardon. sir" says the pc.
lice inspector. ''but Il fact has escaped my
memory that is very important indeed
In drawing the unfortunate gentleman out
of the water l seized one of the hands to
help. AS 1 took hold of it something slip
ped from the fingers. 1 looked at it and
found it was a ring. l put it hastily into
my waistcoat pocket. intending. of course,
to produce it at the inquest. Strange to
say. it never occurred to me till this mo-
mcnt."
.producc the ring" orders the coroner
eagerly.
ut is here. sir-in my pocket. just as 1
put it,; and Mi. Rudd hands it up as lie
speaks.
"Gentlemcn.' says the coroner. 'you
have heard Inspector Budd's evidence.
Are any of you acquainted with the seal
and motto on that ringw
One or two declare they are; the others
maintain a discreet silence.
"Then it is my duty to inform you, Mr..
Budd, that this is indeed the most impor.
tant evidence you could have supplied
The ring bears the seal and motto of the
Charteris family"
TO be c%ontinued.)