Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1901-11-01

cool ness and a liberat ion ofss u man
who is not the slave Of time ]; and vet,
So systematic were they that IN lost
motion being avoided every operation
was rapidly complet y sss=ss& 5s:5
In q short time the pile Of newspa-
pers had been disposed Of, and the
doctor, lighting a choice cigar, leaned
back in his comfortable armchair and
placedly putfed the wreaths OF fra
grant smoke ceilingward. He wassap-
parently satisfied with the world and
with himself, this calm, passionless
man. Andyet . sharp observer would
have noted an almost imperceptible
furrow between the eyes, which might
perhaps have Indicated only the
healthy mental activity Of an Or
binary man; but which, In one given
80 little to outward manifesto ton Of
feeling as DR.. Murdoch, might also
betoken more or less serious annoy
ance or displeasure. ..<z;,...:
While the chemist sat in this pen
sive attitude, there was a. rustic, Of
skirts outside, and presently there
came, a gentle knock at the door Of
the study. +: -, :, . "A
'Come in" said Murdoch, removing
the cigar from his lips. '-. /. \:
The door opened admitting tall
and beautiful young girl. evidently
not long out of her teens.
Ibid l disturb you, father?" she
asked, stepping lightly into the
room.
"No. Agnes" replied Murdoch.
courteously; las you see, am indulg-
| ing in a period of dolce far niente."
The young girl laughed a clear, sill
very laugh, as her eyes fell upon the
pile of newspapers.
IF the reading of dozen news
papers is dolce far niente, I should
think you would welcome hard work
as pleasant change"
"Oh!" replied, her father, "the
work I have done on those has not
amounted to much. I have only
been cleaning the news from the
morning papers.
EYES," he added, answering her sur
prised look, sit takes deal of skim
milk to yield little cream"
The last paper which Murdoch had
been examining lay upon the desk be-
fore him. From the closely printed
columns stood out in bold relief the
glaring headlines:
| MURDER IN A CAB.
MvsTER1OI1S ASSASSINATION OF AN
UNKNOWN MAN, IN BROAD
DAYLIGHT.
CABMAN REILLY DENIES ALL
KNOWLEDGE OF THE CRIME
Miss Murdock's glance rested care
lessly upon these words for an in
slant. They aroused in her nothing
more than the mild curiosity which
attaches to events of palpitating hui
man interest, when they have been
CONCEALED in the columns of the daily
newspapers and served to palates al
ready stated with sensational YER
bosity.
MARY said you wished to speak to
me-" said the young girl, after a
short pause. II thought would step
in to see you before going to Mr..
Sprague's." 49,. --s.z -,
ITO sprague's?" inquired Murdoch,
fixing his keen eyes upon the young
girl "Ah, yes; remember he spoke
of the appointment last night. How
is the portrait coming on?' s:Es
1T is almost fms She'd. Probably
only one or two more sittings, at the
most, will be necessary -.
Agnes seemed slightly embarrassed
by the fxity of her fathers search.
ing glance. She settled herself in an
armchair and assumed look of defer.
ent expectancy. ~ j.:
| Not a word of affection had passed
between father and daughter; not a
caress had been interchanged., The re-
lations between this impassive man and
his charming daughter were those o1
well-bred, if somewhat distant, rela-
tives. On the one hand there was the
uniform courtesy of the man of the
world toward a woman; on the other
the Difference of a young girl of good
breedin; toward a person much older
| ludu uSlSc11. Dut VIC fAOtC "a WI O19al
and intimate affection between father
and child was absolutely missing: :, -,
And yet Agnes Murdoch was natural
ly of an affect!onate and expansive ma
ture. During her mothers lifetime the
two women had been inseparable com
,panions, united by a strong bond q
sympathy. - - - ss.., !:
Mrs. Murdoch had. been an invalid
for many years. before her death, anG
with Agnes had lived either. abroad Q:
in the south during much Of the timt
in order to- escape the rigors OF tht
! .-.-; - S.'.}3F $->s-@ :ErEY
northern climate. Thus the father, ea.
crossed as he was with his occupations
and his scientific researches, had seeeAn
ibut little Of his daughter during her
childhood, and had been looked upon b
the child almost as stranger. {. :;
! When at last, after her .motherii
death, Agnes, heartbroken: at the -1osaal
Of her only friend, returned to the PAT ai
entail root, she was girl Of =16....In
the first loneliness of her bereavement;
when, hungering for human sympathy
I and consolation, she turned to her "a.
4 ther, she received patient .antbt cnnrI