The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1903-06-04
Mystery of the
Bayou Woods
BY WALKER KENNEDY.
Copyright, 1908, by A. N. Kellogg Newspaper Co.
I.

On December 2, IS, a mai hurried
1y entered the dingy police quarters
in Nilus, unbuttoned his o%vercoat,
shook the snow from his large SLOUGH
hat, and, warming his thin, trembling
fingers before the fire, confronted the
chief of police. The latter made a
casual but not careless examination
of the newcomer, and saw that he was
a young man of good appearance
whose face wore an expression of be-
wilderment and horror. AS the snow
melted from his o%vercoat, it was seen
to be very much the worse for wear,
and the clothing under it was thread
bare in the extreme. The mans shoes
were pitifully thin and insufficient,
and the wearing of such makeshifts
was little more than a mere observ-
ance of custom. Suffering of an acute
Kind had drawn it's t~racery over the
young mans countenance. Deep lines
showed beneath the eyes, which were
unnaturally lustrous, and the skin
was drawn tightly owe the pale, de-
liant face, creating at once the i'm
preston that starvation had perhaps
been at work there. Despite the gen.
eral shabbiness of the mans apparel
there was an unmistakable' air of gen
tility about him; and there could be
little doubt that a history, possibly a
romance, was hidden beneath the tat
tered clothes and the suffering face.
The manner of the newcomer was
nervous, suspicious and eager, and
the chief of police was satisfied that
developments of Importance were
about to be made.
You have a communication to
make to me?" he asked, after direct
ing his visitor to a chair.
Yes
The response was prompt, and given
with an air of relief that the officer
had OWNED his errand.
just then the door opened and an
other young mar entered. He saluted
the chief atfably and was about to re-
tire, when something in the attitude
of the officer and the visitor caused
him to hesitate. He was the chief re-
porter on n of the Nilus papers,
and he shifted the aroma Of news in
the ain.
Am I ~interrupting you?" he asked
in a way ~intimating the hope that he
was not.
This gentleman is about to make a
statement to me. Whether it is of
q private NATURE
by no MEANS" quickly interrupted
the person referred to. 81 do not
Imagine that it would do any good to
keep it. private. Besides, the news
papers will have it tomorrow"
This gentleman is chief reporter
on the Gazette said the officer.
II have no objection to his hearing
what [ have to say"
Irving Warde, the newspaper man,
bowed and took his seat. He never
missed an opportunity to learn any
thing thai was apt to make its way
into the newspapers.
The stranger began his story at
once. MY name is Herbert Wright,
ond | am the son of John r.. Wright"
The Cotton KING" said the chief
in evident surprise.
OF course you L surprised to see
a son of his reduced to such straits
as am, but that has nothing to DO
with my coming here. I may as we'll
say at the start that differences have
existed between my father and N.Y.
self. but they are wiped out now, tor
he is dead"
"nead?!' said the chief, nov
Thoroughly aroused. when did he
die" #
THAT 7 cannot say exactly. His
body WAS found this morning.
Warde. who had been listening with
an alr of Indifference, now became
palpab'y interested.
"Then your father was killed?'
asked fhe chief.
-lit.rs IAN DE No doubt Of it,"