Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-03-07


ly, and friend had carried away the
body. To save the family's name a
suicide had been declared; rejected
over and over. it was said, the young
man had come into the garden and had
shot himself. All the evidence and the
surrounding circumstances pointed
plainly to this theory. The man who
discovered him, it was said, had found
a note from the suicide upon his table,
directing him where to look for his
body; but. added Holbin, while the
coroner had by skillful selection of a
i jury from among the family's friends
secured hasty verdict in accordance
with the theory of suicide, it was APP
parent that the police were suspicious,
and it was said that some of them were
quietly searching for the woman who
had left the imprints of number two
shoes uader the window of the wing
room. Such was the story.
Louise believed it implicitly. The
horror of her crime deprived her for
the time of her mental powers and
good judgment. She suffered herself
to be guided and directed by Holbin.
She was consigned to the care of an
elderly negro woman, and readily ac-
cepted her room as her prison. 1t was
not long before she was physically
powerless to leave it.
Raymond Holbin's most serious APP
prehension during the day which wit
messed the death of John Brookin
grew out of the fact that by infer
ence at least he had been charged with
crime in connection with Louise. His
i common sense told him that something
said by Frances in her last interview
with her father had provoked the sud
den accusation. What did Frances
know of Louise and who was her in
formant! Gradually during the day
his suspicious nature secured ascend
ancy over his common sense. A Sc
cret visit outside the window of the
wing-room betrayed the still distinc,
tracks made by Louise and the fact
that the ivy had been disturbed.
From the moment of these discov-
cries Holbin was miserable man. 1t
is a peculiar but a well-known lido.
syncrasy of the masculine nature that
whatever the man himself may bring
to the marriage altar he demands that
he shall meet there only immaculate
; purity. The realization by Holbir
that fortune could be secured only by
linking himself for life to Frances
who was thus proven to have com
promised herself, was alone sufficient
10 until fr-ol
though it did not for moment deter
: him; but by not unnatural operation
l of the processes which were moldins
I his future he had found himsel
strangely influenced from the hou
3 of their first meeting by this youn.
] girl whose future was to be linked t.
] his. Fresh from school, her mind un
: formed, and with but vague ideas o
real life, Frances Brookin presente,
! that charming combination of knowl
t edge and ingenuousness which make
t the girl-woman forever irresistible
e men of experience. Himself accom-
o plished and versatile, he set about tn
r pleasant task of winning her conf
: dence, and he might perhaps hav
Succeeueu Dut lOT
and the wonderful intuition of tn
t feminine mind. The unwelcome re
t suits of his efforts were that with
t two weeks he had fatally alarmed he
d and as fatally involved himself. Fc
# the first time in his life he was gen,
e inely in love.
n 1t was at this time that DIR. Bro,
d mar, lowering around his aged patien
t discovered the drift OF affairs, and, b
T. coming aware of the infamy planne
a through the will, privately took co
It troll of Frances and revealed to h,
,e the plot of which she was to be Il
victim. From that moment Frame,
ia turned from Holbip as from a crir
u inal. and Holbin was piqusd to cou
n her with fercer jealousy 1872