Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1899-03-31
IN.

hPei' sh' way
hind luminosity that has led him on to
pcrs.cwr Yolande Mcrvyn. and that is the
fact thai man. of the Jurors are her faith
.ur's tr,,nts. horn and bred on the Mervyn
property. loving and honoring the Mcr-
WIN aoi:s,. with logged and faithful at
.arhmrWt.
The .,.,a.t is that the jury brings in Il
",cr,ii,t nj ".Accidcntal Death"
The night closes in. and silence broods
over anxious, aching hearts ut Mcrvyn
Court
The mlStcr is dnoincd-not to death. as
death which is so inrxprrssibly awful in
lis p!,ifYi imhccility and childish helpless
ness.
The stock to the old mans brain has
been tso severe for recovery. He is dead
now ia all thu sorrows. sutferings. and
anxic;i,s which may fo!low-dcad to the
so.rosv Md rrnorsc. the piteous prayers
and ,.scrci,ings of his bcst-lovcd child.
lie is MIN. placid. helpless: and so he is
dnoinrl 10 rcmaim-in mercy. so nan
think. though Yolan.ic is not of the num-
her. She has shed no tcarS-has given
WHY tt, III outward sign of anguish: but
there is something in her face which no
nnc has seen there before through all the
lri-l,; un.roublcd years of her girlhood-
yeavs wilirh look so terribly far away
now ;S she turns to them in wondering
ro.;o>t"ct.
III is late when Lance Staplcton leaves
-Ac Court. AS he hurries swiftly through
,Ac #N"u3;r. his eyes glance to the right
and !r;t. his brow is knit in gloomy. anx-
iN.> thought. The bright moonlight floods
all il,r Stopping lawn and the flower border
cd terraces. leaving only IL side of the
gray old mansion in shadow. 1t is toward
that shadow that Lance Staplcton's eyes
are directed. Something moves to and
fra. keeping steaithy watch on the house
fomr;:ting dim aud iildistinct. yet which
;hr ken young eyes, sliarpcned by love
and d|istruSt. make out to be the figure of
a man.
Il; is as I feared" he muttcrs. "That
wretch is not satisfied yet. He means
more mischief. No time is to be lost now.
l must do as l resolved at iirst-sec Her.
rick hnd ask his advice"
He turns away abruptly. restraining,
for prudcncc's sake, n wild longing to re-
turn and kick the cunning. malicious spy
out of his place of co%nrealment.
'lIc cannot do any harm tonight. at all
events, the young man thlnES: and to
mo-row-wcll. at least I shall know he,
ease is in safe hands il the worst comes
Within half an hour he reaches his OWL
%lioHsr. aud ainazps the groom by a visi
IN The stable yard. and a request for til,
finim date saldiins of his ~favorite horse
,IieYili.onf. Then, without IL word of OK
r'a"..;ior. he mounts and rides away. in
erc.,sin. his pace to Il furions gallop til,
momen lie is ont on the high road.
The moonlight lies calm and silvcry o,
stree and leaf, OH wood and field. Grad,i
ally The country grows wilder md NOR
somber. Great hills ard bleak, bare plain
give place to deep, rocky glcns. all thick
~ dotted with ash and fir. aea elm: an,
there, shut in by the thicx Sc,ren o
woods, stands a solitary house.
1t is all dark now. save for one win
dow. ont of which CLEANS II single light
lance sees it, and uttcrs an exclamation
of pleasure. Hastily %dismounting. h
throws the reins over an adjacent railin.
and rings the bell. A sleepy looking MAJ
servant answers the summons, and look
with mingled establishment aud DISCUS
at the BATS visitor.