Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1900-01-19
vice wear. He raralv had anv

CoIS NO" anu again one WIN q foreign
postmark, so the village postman told
him, would come, or maybe he would
have a French newspaper or chess
magazine. Young Marsden-ah. he was
always a nice, affable young gent he
was| Many's the bottle he'd had in the
room where they were now, and many
more bottles. he hoped to-open for him
Yes, Astray Marsden staid there at
Palace on the night of the murder. a..
in the morning, after Dobson had called
and seen him, he left for Barnstaple
''Bless your heart, sir said mine
host as Darrent buttoned up his coat
and prepared to start for The Grange
there are some people who suspect
Astray of the murder, but they might
just as we'll suspect me, sir-just as
we'll
The irritating church clock chimed
the hour Of 9 as Darrent reached the
gates of The Grange and found await
ing him, erect as a soldier on parade
the patrolman he had seen the previous
night
Good morning. I am glad to find
you are punctual. -
GOOD morning, sir
ANY message f1'.,n Mr. Dobson?''
HE hoped yo:' ID call upon him
again this morll:
Fright. Have you the keys?''
eyes, sir, - answered the policeman.
unlocking the gate as he spoke
II suppose you didn't see the ghost
who committed the murder?' Darrent
hazarded, with smile
''Ghost!'' laughed the young officer.
''Not much. There's no ghosts in Nor
combe. I've heard the fairy stories
about ghosts and The Grange being
haunted, but I don't believe any such
nonsense, sir. -
"IndeedH'
''No. sir. not bit Of it. There was
flesh and blood on this job. sir, and it
looks like a case Of revenge
"What makes yo:1 think that 20
ell, sir, lis far as we can make
o'AA, nothing in the house has been dis
: .r5ed and no robbery connlitted.''
"Well, let's get inside.
The policeman unlocked the heavy
door and pushed it open
'Now, 60 slowly, said Dtsrrent as
they entered, land tell lie all you know
about the building
'11c cc21 banged after thon, and the
dull echo of the sound reverberated
through the house.
The entrance hall gave access to
rooms on either hand, and the police
man, unlocking md opening a door on
the right, stood on one side for Darrent
to enter.
The room, which was at the back of
the house "1:d ;::dently the library,
was large and l. .ty apartment paneled
in dark oak, and he old fashioned fur
nlture matched the decorati on-solid
armchairs with deep seats and sunk
backs and a massive oblong table The
walls were lined with bookcases but
they We're evidently very rarely opened,
for Darrent noticed how thickly the
dust lay in all the crevices where the
glass doors shut. He walked slowly
round the room. Two sides We're en-
| tlrely taken up by the bookshelves,
| while at the two others We're the fire
place and broad window The Chin
ney piece, with its high mantel in
carved oak, had couple of coy corner
seats, one on each side. The window,
which was opposite the fireplace, COM
manded {: magnificent view Of the dis
tant snow covered country for miles
and the windings Of river, it's frozen
surface glistening in the sunlight. Some
dozen skaters We're gliding over the
splendid ice, and Darrent, after watch
ing them for moment, turned with a
sigh from the scene. He could not yet
afford time for indulging in an exhila-