The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1903-07-11
Mystery Of the
Bayou Woods
BY WALKER KENNEDY.
Copyright, 1908, by A. N. Kellogg Newspaper Co.
CHAPTER WI.

nnlShed It's lnveSngatlOn. IL was
certainly not idle curiosity, nor the
mere professional instinct of the
newsgatherer; but some occult SYM
pathy seemed to draw him to the
cold, emotionless young woman
whose beauty had been as great
had been a mystery.
Miriam Wright had had no expert
ence with newspaper people, and had
no horror of the interviewer. At that
time he had not attained the pin
nacle of caustic opprobrium that has
since then been erected to his indus
try and his dicredit. So when Irving
Warde sent up his card she came
down Immediately to the parlor to
see what was wanted of her. He had
the appearance and manners of
condemnation he was one-and so
Miss Wright's suspicious of a prying
newspaper reporter were never
aroused.
From her appearance it was evident
that she was the victim of nervous
relapse from great mental strain.
Her behavior on the witness stand,
her marvellous self-possession until
she was led to testify in the dark,
had visibly been the result of an in
tense benumbing excitement. The
iciness had gone from her face. and
it was n helpless. feverish woman
who confronted him.
Warle found himself. strange to
say, erdeavoring to allay her alarm.
Miss Wright" he said. 81 am one
of those who believe that your
brothers innocence will eventually
be established. and | have come to
ask you whether can be of any as
sistance whatever to yon.'
After he had said this it sounded
very foolish: but she evidently APP
preciated his good intentions. for
she said: at is very kind of you, Mr..
Warde. 7 hardly know what to say.
1T has come upon us so suddenly, so
horribly that cannot tell what we
shall do. IL. however. we should see
way in which you could assist"
"Believe me. | shall be only too
ready to do So
Herbert and I have been peculiar
ly attached to each other since child
hood. and l need hardly say. Mr..
Warde. that his implication in the
murder is to me more terrible even
than my fathers death. and l. cannot
conceive how it would have been pos
siblc for him to bring himself to
commit sucil crime. 1t is true that
l., l.:
siona.e. but that he could have taken
his f:.ther's life, II cannot believe
it,
81 have become deeply interested
in this case. Miss Wright. because I
am satisfied that the mystery has not
yet been solved. 1t has taken hold of
me completely, and I have thought
of making some Investigations in an
entirely new line. The police have
taken up a plausible theory. and have
made out strong ease without a
doubt. but it is not a complete case,
for the reason that there are several
minor clews which they have ignored
entirely"
lie then went on to give her an
snow and then continued: "rhe 20,
lice dismiss this circumstance with
the clumsy explanation that the man
with the arctics stumbled across the
corpse by accident. examined it
through curiosity. then rambled
about the woods awhile. took the
short way for town. met the com
60 hn org i1Iy-v
and then went back with them to the
inquest. | have made Il number of
inquiries and aScertaincd that this
unknown person WAS not out hunt
ing. because there WAS no hunter in
the crowd that went to see the body
Vow ON a bitterly cold day no one
would be apt to go rambling around
in tho Bayou Woods for pleasure; sc
this lnan must have had some clear
~ defined object in view. Coming
upon Che corpse. he either realizes
his object %" is diverted from it ant
goes back toward town by another
route. If an innocent man SHOULD
stumble on Il corpse in the wood:
he would either go on his way OF
turn back Immediately by the route
he came and notify the authorities
But our unknown did neither. Take
the hypothesis that he shot you
father and left him for dead. TIL,
next day, drawn by some horrible
fascination that frequently assail
murderers, he revisits the scene o
his crime, perhaps to assure himsel
that his victim is really dead. Posi-
bly, it was important that he SHOULD
know this beyond the shadow of
doubt. Having satisfied himself an
not wishing to be seen on that path
way, he crosses to the short cut an
returns to the DEVILS Den. There h
falls in with the crowd going to tn
scene of the murder, and to thro'
suspicion completely off the track, h
goes back with them to witness til
proceedings"
Miriam's interest deepened visibl
as Warde developed his hypothetic'
case.
sBut," she said breathlessly. "n
fathers watch. knife and cuff bu
tons traced to Herbert-how can tn;
be explained"
81 can offer no solution as yet, b,
there is one thing in connection Wi
that which requires explanation. III
same afternoon that your broth
pawned your fathers watch he al
pawned another watch at anoth
shop. 1t could not have been his ow
for in his destitute circumstances
x,,o,,ld bova Do>yne6 or sold that In,