Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1901-05-17
CHAPTER XVIII.

>0oSSA AAAA@ S"~e
of Monmouth, all gashed and bleeding,
with a crimson glory as Col. Roland
Chester started to make a tou through
the wood. He had been paroled and
feared no rudeness from the American
troops even if he should meet them. The
only weapon the colonel wore was his
sword. He chose a path winding through
the wildwood, which brought him to a
large, elegant. hut gloomy, old house.
While trying to make out which place
it was, he saw old Dobbins, the servant
of Sir John Harcourt, hobbling way
toward the stables, which had been con-
vertcd into a hospital, followed by Ame-
liza, who had become a self-constituted
nurse to relieve the suffering of the
wounded.
This is Harcourt Hall, - the colonel
murlnured. Il have heard much of it
and at last have seen it,"
The colonel preferred the solitude OF
the forest until the dead and wounde
should be gathered from the CHASTITY
plain. There was a narrow path run
ming through the tanglewood, which had
been made by the pigs and cattle going
to the brook to drink. At it's end he sud
denly uttered Il half-supprcssed eNclama-
ton, started and stood still. Standing in
an easy attitude, With his back against Il
tree. contemplating two dead bodies be-
fore him with an expression of pleasure,
was the man whose presence, of all man
kind. in any place and least of all in that,
he could least endure-Sir John Har-
court.
Before Sir John, and only a few feet
away. lay all that remained of that once
beautiful N Ruth Sanford, alias
Nancy Lake; while ten or fifteen PAGES
further at the root of Il tree lay another
figure whose red coat indicated the rank
of a captain in the British army.
Lit was very clear to Col. Chester what
was passing in the mind of Sir John. In
the eternal silence of the ghastly corpses
before him lay his safety from exposure.
The secret OF the dead could never be
given UP, and it was the fate of wal
that had swept off the uindoo and all
who knew his secret. Sir John never
ldeemed himself so fortunate as ON this
lovely summer morn.
Although Col. Chester's blood so rose
against this man, and his wrath so STIR
red within him that he could nave struck
him dead, he put such fierce constraint
upon himself that he passed before him
without a word or look. lie would have
gone on and not turned back if this man
had not himself summoned him to stop,
and that with an assured compassion in
his voice which drove the colonel we'll
nigh mad.
why have you called meg he de-
manded.
10 remark said Sir John Harcourt.
with his wonted composure, what an
odd chance it is that we should meet
here.,"
1T is a strange chance"
Strange? The most remarkable and
singular thing in the world. L never
stroll in tie forest in the morning; l have
not done SO for years, and, above all, l
detest scenes OF horror such as these.
The whim seized me early this morning,
very unaccountably. How very solemn
this isl He pointed as he spoke to
the slain.
Your work. in all probability
Sir John let fall his glass, inclined his
face towards him with an air of almost
courteous inquiry. and slightly shook his
head as though he was remarking to him
self, II fear this animal is going mad!."
II say that in all probability this is
your work." repeated the colonel.
Work. echoed Sir John, looking smil-
xingly round. milne! l beg your pardon
Il really beg your pardon"
lit may not have been your hand that
did 1t, but you planned for a part of it.
Around on the other side of the fallen
tree lies the Hindoo; here lies Ruth San
ford alias Nancy Lake. Those two YOU
supposed held a secret in their breasts
known to no one but yourself md Cap
tain Sanford. Judging from the posi-
ton of these, Captain Sanford is the
murderer OF this woman, and vengeance
swiftly followed the cowardly act. You
can see the whole plan yourself, can YOU
not! There is much between us, Sir
John, much which I know, and you lit
tie dream l know. You had two BROTH
ers-twins-both older than YOURSELF
Robert and Hugh. Robert, being the
oldest, inherited your fathers estates and
title. He was an army officer, and your
brother Hugh, the second twin, in the
navy. Your brother, Sir Robert, mar
ried my sister, my only living relative
all l had to love. One dark day in NV
life, while they were in India, both your
brothers and their wives and one child
died. Hugh and his wife were drowned
in the bay Of Calcutta, and Sir Robert
and his wife died from a cobra's bite.
One child perished."
"sir Roberts, my dear colonel, 1 az.
sure you it was Sir Roberta"
ut was not"
How do you know? You was not
there and l was.' cried Sir John, his
eyes opening wide with surprise.
There are those who could speak. Sir
John. if they had lived. You know that
Nancy Lake was the nurse for my sis
ter's child. She was in Calcutta at the
time. The horror of the cobra and death
of her mistress. almost, but not quite,
unseated her brain. You hurried away
to England with the nurse and placed
her in a madhouse, where she languished
Cor years. Meanwhile, under other
nurses, strangers, but kind, little Anne
Ma grew from infancy to childhood. She
was removed to America and made to
believe that Hugh Harcourt was her
father; that Hugh, having persisted first,
you were the heir to the title and estate
OF your brother. You discharged all the
old servants. Nancy Lake escaped from
che Neutrality-suspicious. -