The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-03-04


fell was so astounding, SO appalling, and
so tragic that my heart stood still.
The few words upon that flimsy paper
increased the mystery to an even more be-
,wildering degree than before. It was in
credible. sts = 1853 ---s-.y.,- ~ -.r FL.
~. CHAPTER XIII. ...
$685.. The Mystery Of Mary.
The astounding message dispatched from
Neneford and signed by Parkinson, the
butler, ran as follows:
Regret to inform you that Mrs. Courte
nay was found drowned in the river this
morning. Can you come here? My mis-
tress is very anxious to see YOU"
Without moments delay sent a re-
ply in the affirmative, after searching
in the A.. B. C. found that / had train
at O'Clock from Kings Cross. This 1
took, and after anxious journey arrived
duly at the Manor. all the blinds Of which
were closely drawn. ill: ..
Parkinson, white faced and agitated, a
thin, nervous figure In coat slightly too
large for him, had been watching my APP
proach up the drive and held open the
door for me.
'.Ah, doctor!" the old fellow gasped.
ITS terrible-terrible. TO think that poor
Miss Mary should die like that!''
Tell me about it, 1 demanded, quick
ly. Gomez and l led the way into the
mornng-room.
1--WE don't know anything about it, sir.
It's all a mystery, the Gray-faced OLD
man replied. When one Of the house
maids went up to Miss Mary's room at
8 o'clock this morning to take her tea, as
usual, she received no answer to her
knock. Thinking she was asleep she re-
turned half an hour later, only to find her |
absent and that the bed had not been slept
| in. I We told the mistress. never thinking
| that such an awful fate had befallen poor
Miss Mary. Mistress was inclined to be-
| lieve that she had gone off on some wild
excursion somewhere, for of late she
been in the habit Of going away for day
| or two without telling. us. At first none
of us dreamed that anything had hap
pened. until just before II o'clock Reu-
ben Dixon's lad, who'd been out fishing,
came up, shouting that poor Miss Mary
was in the water under some bushes close
to the stile that leads into the Monks
Wood At first we couldn't believe it
but with the others I flew down post
haste, and there she was, poor thing,
under the surface. her dress caught IN
the bushes that droop into the water.
! Her hat was gone, and her hair, unoound.
foated out, waving with the current: we
at once got a boat and took her out, but
she was quite dead. Four men from the
village carried her up here, and they We
placed her in her own ROOM
1.-The police know about it, of course?'
i Eyes, we told Jarvis, the constable.
He's sent a telegram to Oundle. l think.
And what doctor has seen her?' .-,
doctor Govitt, from Peterborough
He's here now"
4 "Ah! I must see him. He has exam
lined the body, SUPPOSE
! IT expect So, sir. He's been a long
time in the ROOM" -.'--r -.
"And how is it believed that the poor
young lady got into the water?' I asked,
anxious to obtain the local theory:
Its believed that she either fell in or
was pushed in, a. long way higher up; be
cause half a. mile away, not Tar from the
lock- there's distinct marks in: the long
grass showing that somebody went off
: the path to the brink Of the river. And
close by that spot they found her black
4 silk shawl" a. s<-.., s~s'>.ss-
"She went out without a hat, Them
=: T remarked, recollecting that when she
= had met her husband in secret she had
$ worn shawl. Gould it be possible that
/ she had met him again, and that he had
s made away with her? The theory seemed
e a sound one in the present circumstances.
3 1T seemed to me, sir, that the. very
: fact of her taking her shawl showed that
y she did not intend to be2out very long, y
e the butler said. 49,. >. - -. ILL.
e 1T would almost appear that she went
in the night in order to meet somebody =
Il / observed. - .. >,@.8 ~AE 49,
The old man shook his head, sorrowful-
|. ly, saying: ,'re'r :.
!. Poor Miss Mary's never been the same
n often very strange in her manner. Be-
r tween ourselves. L strongly suspect it to
= be a case of deliberate suicide. She was
= utterly broken down by the awful blow
Il don't see any motive for suicide, :
o I-fema rked:- Then I asked, "Iias she ever
been known to meet any one on the river
e bank at night?'. .,,.f
n Old Parkinson was usually an impen-
y etrable person. He fidgetted, and saw
I" that my question was an awkward one for
:, him to answer without telling a lie.
Il 'The truth will have to be discover
- ed about this, you KNOW 1 went on
~ Therefore, if you have any knowledge
- likely to assist at the inquest it is your
e duty to explain '-
n ''Well, SIR he answered, after a short
j. pause, "to tell the truth, in this last weel
or so there have been some funny rumors
l. rumor in the village. -" ~
y. about what? l.
People say that she was watched BY
l. Drake, Lord Massingtons gamekeeper
s who saw her at 2 o'clock in the morning
walking arm in arm with an old gentle
man. j heard the rumor down at the
Golden Ball, but I wouldn't believe it
n Why, Mr.. Courtenay's only been dead {
l. month or two. The man Drake is brag
ging fellow, and l. think most people dis
s. credited his statement - - a..
le Well said, lit might possibly hav'
20 been true. It seems hardly conceivable
IS that she should go wandering alone by tn,
- river at night. She surely had some mo
- tive in going there. Was she only seel
80 by the gamekeeper on one occasion?"
~ 'Only once. But, Of course, he 500
"a spread it about the village and it for1ne
for a week a nice little tit-bit of gossip
ne AS soon as I heard it I took steps to den
~ it, r.. - -. ....:-s r. s.s..a ~. =.
= 1T never reached the young lady
- ears?'' - ~ 49, -...s'--.f +. :. jt,.....-
I ooh, no. the old servant answered
| eve were careful to keep the scandal t
y ourselves knowing how 1t would pain hel
! She's had sufficient trouble in her life
poor thing And with tears in his era
old eyes, he added: II have known he
81 ever since she was a child in her cradle
>, It's awful that her end, should come lik