The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1903-06-18

him in embarking In several indepehd.
emit enterprises. In any number OF
ways did the planter show his graft
tude for the services rendered him
by the lawyer.
At the time Wright was murdered,
Franklin was about 40 years old. He
was tall of stature and he dressed
with srcupulous care. He was a very
handsome man, and it was a matter
of pride with him to groom himself
well. The correctness of his attire,
the faultless linen, and the rose that
he always wore in the lapel of his
coat were all Intimately connected
with the suayity and courtliness of
his demeanor. His hair was partly
frosted by Times blighting touch.
His eyes were small and soft and
brown; the set of his mouth,
Swallowed by a small mustache, was
resolute and masterful, and the gem
cral expression of his face was dig
nified and gracious. Evidently he was
q a of resolute nature, whose
friendship was as valuable as his hos
tility would be dangerous. Such a
man seemed to Warde in the nature
of a special dispensation in this
emergency, for he would doubtless
enter with all his soul into any efforts
made to bring the murderer of his
friend to justice, and it need hardly
be added that Warde had now become
a prey to a rather absorbing interest
in the mysterious crime and had made
up his mind to unravel it, if that were
possible.
When he entered Col. Franklin's
law office he found that gentleman
smoking a cigar and reading Byron's
poems, a book Of which he was ex-
cessively fond. He seemed to think
it necessary to explain that whenever
he did not feel like working he did
feel like reading Byron; sthe greatest
of all the poets," he would say, with a
Embarrassing touch upon the worn
volume.
He received the newspaper man
coufteously and laid the book aside.
ST come to see you," said Warde,
"about the murder of your friend,
Wright"
HAS anything come to light?"
"No; nothing tangible; but 1
thought perhaps you might be able
to suggest a theory concerning it."
Il am afraid" said the colonel,
shat I can throw but little light on
that terrible affair. Everything seems
yelled in the densest mystery. Wright
was killed in the woods where no
human being could have been a wit
ness to the deed. For two or three
days the body lay there, and no one
but the murderer knew that the
crime had been committed. In the
meantime the homicide. whose object
seems to have been robbery, but who
may have used robbery to veil a
deeper motive, has no doubt left this
section of the country, and will not
be likely to make his appearance here
again for some time-unless, indeed,
he can be apprehended and brought
back by the law"
81 have some reason to doubt
whether he has left Nilus,'' said
Warde.
Indeed" replied the colonel, keen
ly interested.
"Of course, it is only a surmise on
my part, but there are certain circum-
stances which lend color to the idea
that the murderer was not an ordi-
nary thief, and that his motive was
something else than robbery. It is
my opinion that he is now in the
city"
THAT is important news, surely, if
true. What proof have you in sup
port of such a theory?"
j. "You see," answered Irving, smiling,
81 have contracted the detective craze
recently, and [ have made some inves-
LEGATIONS on my own hook, and I be-
lieve the murderer has not only not
run away, but that he has seen his
victim twice this very day"
"How do you know this?" asked
the colonel with a skeptical smile.
81 do not know it, but I suspect it
very strongly, and I will give you my
reasons for doing So" !
He then gave a detailed account of
his Investigations. Col. Franklin lis
tened attentively to the story without
interruption and without betraying
whether OF not he was impressed
with the young journalists ingenious
theories. When the story was fin
ished, he sat lost in thought. He
was evidently bringing to bear upon
the evidence presented all the powers
OF his astnte intellect. At length he
said: "Your story is certainly start
ling, and you deserve great credit for
the interest. you have taken in the
matter. I believe that your investi-
cations will aid materially in solving
n mystery, and I thank you for
putting me in possession of such facts
as you have"
This al all the satisfaction that
Narde could get out of the lawyer.
and he was yisibly disappointed; but
he knew that Franklin was not the
man to catch at every plausible sur
mise offered, and, after obtaining
from him the main events in the life
of the cotton king for biographical
purposes, he took his departure after
agreeing to inform Franklin of any
new discoveries on his part.
81 shall need every assistance pos
sible in u%nwinding this tangled skein
and you may aid me materially" said
the great lawyer with a fattering
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