Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1902-09-10
The Split Button.


"SAS andJ do olISully oS NC A1o SA
tered.
"He seems right enough" said
when the door had closed upon nj!
retreating form.
What about the servants at The
Hall?"e
"All of them are absolutely trust
worthy, and all,o them loved poor Sil
William as father He lived in the
house quite alone save for the ser
wants, AMI was a bachelor, his only
surviving relative being q brother
who, however, has not been heard oil
for long time"
"And the brother succeeds him,
presumed" asked quickly.
"Yes. There is no other heir, and
thouh the gentleman has not been in
evidence for some years, l expect he
will turn up now that large estate
and 100000 per annum await him."
mo doubt" replied drily; and then
having asked DR.. Powis a great many
more questions, all of which he an
swered most satisfactorily, took my
leave, promising to go on to the Hall
and see if I could elicit anything
there.
Let me know" 1 said, as I shook
hands in parting; 'let me know by
wire the exact hour of the inquest and
| will come down, SO as to back you up
If you need any assistance. And let
me advise you, DR.. Powis, to agitate
yourself as little as possible, for
hope and believe that this mystery
will be traced to its fountain head be-
fore you and are much older"
Heaven grant it so" he said wear
lily, and then taking my hat and stick
set out for the Hall.
Every information that desired was
given me at that place, but it helped
me but little. 1 journeyed back to
town at p. M, telling myself that the
affair was a black mystery and that.
the doctors position was indeed,
sad one. The jury would, of course,
take the view that he had blundereu
in preparing the physic, and he would
be ruined man.
Next morning received note from
the doctor that ran thus:
Dear Mr.. Harding-The inquest is
fixed for next Friday at 12 noon, at
the Hall itself. would have wired
you the information, but as have
some other news to communic''o l
write instead
tine news in question is that my
messengers, Travers, has suddenly dis
appeared. He went out at Z o'clock
this evening and las not returned.
Following so closely on the terrible
tragedy at the Hall, the disappearance
seems suspicious, AMI I presume you
will use all your influence at Scotland
Yard to have him traced.
--------- = Z II AIz---..-. en Il fully
I--hrrs-ss---Sl-----
''Now, what does this mean?" i
asked myself, as read and re-read the
letter. "Why on earth should the mes
senger vanish at this point? Assum-
ing even that he was responsible for
the crime, what possible motive could
he have possessed for committing it,"
However, it was of little use to ques-
ton myself thus, and went to work
Immediately to have the man traced.
All our efforts in this direction proved
useless, and when went down to Mar
grave to attend the inquest on Friday,
the man was still beyond our reach.
DR.. Powis, who looked exceedingly
haggard, was very pleased to see me,
but his face fell when told him that
Travers was not to be discovered.
The jury will say that have got
him out of the country for some rea-
son of my own" he mumbled help
lessly; but perceiving that the coroner
was at this moment entering the Ii
brary where the inquest was to be
held, he checked his speech and fol-
lowed the official silently into the
apartment.
The jury were called in, sworn, and
seats were allotted to them. The usual
formalities followed, and then the eX-
animation of the witnesses took place.
These included DR.. Powis, two of the
Hall servants, and the present baronet,
Arthur Marg i've, who had read of his
relatives shocking end in the papers,
and who had come down to the Hall
Immediately to take up his residence
there and to give the lawyers any aid
that. might be required.
The evidence of the servants was
disposed of very quickly, and was of
small service. The doctors turn fol-
lowed, and it was evident from the
manner in which the coroner ad-
dressed him the latter believed the
physician to have been guilty of gross
carelessness in the handling of the
drugs. The doctor felt that the coroner
was taking this harsh view, and It
did not help to make him more COM
Portable. On the contrary, it broke
down completely what little nerve was
left in him. and When, at length, ne
was curtly told that he might stand
down, he collapsed completely, and
was obliged to seek the nearest chair
Arthur Margrave's turn now came
He was a tall. clean-Ahaven young
man, with easy, confident manner and
please mt voice. He told how he mad
been wandering about the continent
for the past few years, had recently
returned to England, where he had re
sided at his London club>for some five
years. He was>convinced that his rel
ative had had no tendency toward sui
eide, and that the present TRACED!
must be attributed to something else
That was all he had to tell, and yer!
well and very glibly he told it.
He was about to glide from the
apartment when something that:l hat
not noticed previously sprungi to m!
gaze, and even as it did 50 an iliumi
mating intelligence swept my entire
consciousness.
IN, n