Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1900-05-24
CHAPTER XIII.
Seeds of DiScOrd.

Three days had elapsed since Sybils
loss. and still the well-nigh hopeless
search went on.
Only for her remains, or for some
trace of her burial place-for it was
the general conclusion now that the
shot had proved fatal, and the af-
frigEted murderer had concealed the
body and fled ere the pursuit had we'll
begun.
The intricate maZeS of Give Forest,
the hundreds of by-paths leading to the
river. made immediate escape both
practicable and easy; and young Mr..
Gives horror at the awful deed had
for the first few moments so paralyZed
his powers that he could only with diff
Guilty recall the exact circumstances
under which the murder had occurred.
He had heard the shot; he had been
blinded by the flash; then had seen
Sybii lying bleeding from breast
wound beneath her horses feet; had
lifted her to neighboring bank. and,
finding her severely, if not fatally. in
iured. had rushed to give the alarm,
and seek for the help which he thought
so near. When he returned to the spot
on which he had left her she was gone.
1t was all he knew-all the informa-
ton the most curious cross-questioner
could elicit: and, though all sorts of
wild rumors were current in the neigh
borhood. none could be traced to any
reliable source.
DR.. Bond had been in bed for the last
three days with severe attack of
rheumatism. brought on, as he in
formed inQuirers, by his "infernal folly
in spending ten hours in Give Forest
on a wild goose chase"
He was so irritable and testy on the
subject that his visitors found it wisest
to avoid as much as possible any allu-
sion to it; for Sybil had been a favor
lite patient Of the old doctors, and it
was one of his peculiarities to speak
of nothing that reached his heart.
Mr.. Give was concerned in his state
ly overwhelmingly concerned. The
yourg lady was in his house, under his
protection, and that was sufficient
cause in itself for his Indignation and
anxiety, laying aside any warmer in
terest he might have in his daughters
friend.
So Mr.. Give had astute detectives
sent from the city, and the mysterious
affair was discussed with all due SOL
emnity in his library.
The doors were closed. the curtains
drawn. and Herbert. over whose pale,
haggard face a score of years seemed
to have passed, was called upon again
to go through the whole account,
whose repetition made his heart-strings
bleed and culver.
The flash. the shot, the fall, and the
inexplicable disappearance of the
wounded girl, all were retold, briefly
oIo ,,J1 Nfr irl- nn16n6
smiled and interposed various ques-
lions and suggestions, and his confrere,
Mr.. Quinn,sat silently by the table
stroking his wiry beard.
Mr.. Quirk talked a great deal. going
round and round his subject by all
manner of impossible suggestions and
Notwithstanding it suddenly by q
well-aimed question, rebounding in a
different direction. and making bril-
liant sallies on another point.
Mr.. Quirk was, in fact, such a
charming conversationalist that people
! were very apt to lose sight of his part
ner entirely and forget the quiet Mr..
Quinn, whose keen gray eyes and keen
er ears were following every turn of
the head and change Of the voice and
movement Of the body, cleaning up
swiftly and silently the grains that his
brilliant companion scattered and
| passed by.
So it was quite a matter of surprise
to Mr. Give when the gentleman by
the table suddenly lifted his eyes from
an apparently distracted study Of the
| tiled hearth and asked 'if the young
lady's family had taken any steps In
the matter"
It was q rather embarrassing thing
to acknowledge that they had not
that. in fact, nothing was known OF
Miss Wraye's family; that the honored
3nsp,est of the naughty Olives was, so
| cially speaking, nonentity.
1t was still more embarrassing whel