The sun., 1900-11-19
CHAPTER |.
"MURDERr'

S-ttt-Nt'
4 only the musicians remained.
As they filed out 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
young man OF ungainly aspect, but
penetrating eye, called the attention of
the others to it.
"Lookr' said he. "There is the day
light! This has been q gay night for
Sutherlandtown."
TOO gay" muttered another, start.
ing aside as the slight figure of a young
man coming from the house behind
them rushed hastily by. "Why, who's
thaty'
AS they one and all had recognized
the person thus alluded to, no one an
swered till he had dashed out of the
gate and disappeared in the woods on
the other side of the road. Then they
all spoke at once.
Its Mr.. Frederick"'
ole seems i'll desperate hurry"
"Te 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 an interest, it alone re-
ceived attention.
"No; what were they? | heard him
say something, but / did not catch the
words"
"Iie wasn't talking to you or me,
either, but have cars that can hear an
eye wink. He said. 'Thank God, this
terrible night is overr Think of that.
After such q dance and such a spread,
he calls this night terrible and thanks
God that it is over. thought he was
one to enjoy this kind of thing more
than most folks"
$50 did l."
"And so did l."
The five musicians exchanged looks,
then huddled in a group at the gate.
"He has qualreled with his sweet
heart" suggested one.
.I'm not surprised at that" declared
another. 81 never thought it would be
match"
"Shame if it were~ muttered the
ungainly youth who had spoken first.
As the subject of this comment was
the son of the gentleman whose house
they were just leaving they necessarily
spoke low, but their tones were rife
with curiosity and it was evident that
the topic deeply interested them. One
| of the five who had not previously
spoken now put in word.
Il saw him when he first led out
Miss Page to dance, and saw him
again when he stood up opposite her
in the last quadrille, and ! tell you,
boys, there was 0 mighty deal of diff
ference in tile 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 fell
lows like him are not to be caught by
dimpies only. They want cash."
cor family, at least. and she hasn't
either. But what a pretty girl she Is
Some fellow rs rich as he and as well
connected would be satisfied with her
good looks alone"
Good looks" High scorn was OBJ
servable in this exclamation, which
was made by the young man who
have before characterized as ungainly.
al refuse to acknowledge that she has
any good looks. On the contrary,
consider her plain
"Oh, ohw 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 ilage0let.
"But she hasn't regular feature"
"What difference does that make
when it isn't her features you notice
but herself"
II 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. lie can't help it.
Why. she'd witch the devil into lead
ing her to the altar if she took no
tion TO have him for her bridegroom"
There would be consistency il
that" muttered the fellow just al
dressed. "But, Mr.. Frederick
"Hush! There's some one on the
, doorstep. Why, it's she!'
They all glanced back. The grace
full figure of a young girl dressed ii
white was to be seen leaning TOWARD
, them from the open doorway. Behint
her shone blaze of light--the candles
not having been yet extinguished in tht
hall-and against this brilliant back
ground her slight form. with all its be
witching outlines. stood out in plail
relief. There was an anxious bent
to it. however, which none of them hat
ever observed in ii before.
"Who was that?" she began in :
high. almost strident voice, totally ou
: of keeping with the sensuous curves o
! her strange. sweet face. But the ques
l. tion remained incomplete. as well al
! J unanswered. for at that moment he
) attention. as well as that OF the mel
! lingering at the gate. was attracted
{ by the sound of hurrying feet and con
: fused cries coming up the hill.
Murder, murder" was the wore
, painted out by more than one harsl
8 voice. and In another instant a dozel
8 men and boys came rushing into sigh
0 in state of such excitement that tn
\ five musicians recoiled from the gat