Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1902-05-23
-
z he Hand of Ice
TRANSCRIBED BY FLORENCE WARDEN
Author OF The House the Brent inn
by the Shore of Darkne $3.50
Copyrighted. 1909. By Florence warden,

/ which had been hung there as q cur.
! tain; and Jennie could not fail to hear
/ our words whenever our voices rose q
little in the heat of conversation.
| At last, unable to bear her suspense
any longer, she called TO US, and her
father, when her white face appeared
in the doorway, fastened back to her
no less disturbed than she.
What has he been telling you, ia.
ther?" asked she, in voice which was
surprisingly steady.
My dear, my dear, can't tell you,
said he, family, pushing her into the
kitchen with trembling hands. IL
only hope he's mistaken. IL"
! But she turned to me with such q
stern look in her beautiful eyes that ]
felt as much bound TO answer her as
it she had been Judge.
you must tell me, them" she said
simply.
got to the nearest chair. and sit.
ting down, with my aching head sup
ported by my hands, faltered out:
"Mullion came into my room last
night-got in through the window. l
had locked him out of the house."
"Why did you do that?" she asked
very quietly.
"I-I don't quite know. 1 suppose
was suspicious" I muttcred.
".Well?"
'sHe got in and would have at
tackled me again, as he had done be-
fore; he had his hands upon me, but
slipped away and got at my re-
volver."
Her breath game fast as she
listened, but she did not interrupt
me.
"He tried to get away then, but 1
fired, fired right into him, and--hc
fell. Presently the Hottentot June
came and dragged him away. That's
all l know. But-but-I'm afraid I
killed him."
l heard little scornful sound, and
looking up in surprise, j saw that
she was shaking her head incredu-
lousy.
IF what you say is true, it is not
ANAi. iNhuliiO1 you IdNC hllleu, she
said with decision.
was silent. I knew very well that
she was prejudiced, but I had not
the heart to contradict her.
"How do you account, then, for his
disappearance" said her father
quickly and angrily.
He had learned that morning. for
the first time, by my mouth, of the
feeling entertained by Dick Mulion
and his daughter for each other, and
he was ready, in his ve1ation, to be-
lieve the worst of the old Doctors
nephew.
MIR. Blair says he locked him out.
He must have found some place to
pass the night in," said she.
"But heard his voice." cried I.
HE said: AT lastl AT last!' l could
not be mistaken He spoke hoarsely,
like a man who is dying"
What do you think now?" asked
Mr.. Atkinson irritably of his daugh-
ter.
II think Mr.. Blair has made some
great and awful mistake. Unless"
Her face suddenly changed, and a
look of horror came over it.
well, where's the Hottentot?"
asked Atkinson quickly. HE surely
will know something"
HE seems to have disappeared
Also" said I. II saw him dragging
dragging"
I could not go on, and they both
sat silent, struck with horror as deep
as my own.
swell, we shall hear nothing" said
Mr.. Atkinson, until the fellow comes
back"
I had suggested that he and I
should go out together and examine
the place where the body had lain.
and try to follow the trail. But he
would not do this; he would only
peep out Of the window shuddering,
as I had done. lie even got up
mechanically from his seat in the
kitchen and bolted the front door,
more, I suppose, from vague feel
ing of unrest and disquiet than be-
cause he was apprehensive of an at
tack upon the house.
We were still sitting there, all op-
pressed by an awful sense of dread
and unrest, when we were sudden
ly startled by o sharp knock at the
door.
I sprang up and began to draw
back the bolt with shaking, nervous
fingers, and with terrible sinking
of the heart. Who was it that I was
letting in? had q horrible PRESENT.
ment that it was old DR.. Mullion,
come to demand justice on the man
who had killed his nephew.
How could I meet him?