The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1903-01-15

| 'Was he alone?
I mo, sir. There was a gentleman
| with him." "
81 knew his face, sir. but not his
| name. I have seen him on the street
| in the City of Mexico"
| Describe him-or, rather. let me try
l believe that I have seen him also.
| Not as tall as Mr.. Pendleton, eh9
Quite handsome. Black mustache.
black eyes, complexion rather pale foy
one with such dark eyes and hail.
Does that answerY'
| perfectly. sir"
"Now tell me what they did when
they came here together"
THAT 1 do not know, Mr.. Wyndham.
| did not hear the stranger utter
| word. He seated himself in that chair
| while Mr.. Burr went into the room
| where-where you found him, sir. He
came out again moment later with a
bundle of papers that looked like let
tiers in his hand. Then he sent me from
the room. Presently he rang for me
and ordered some brandy, which serv-
ed and again left the room. Nearly an
hour later heard the bell again. Mr..
Burr was alone then, although l am
sure that l did not hear the stranger
when he left the apartment. Ny mas
ter told me what clothes he desired to
wear tonight and said that he wished
to rest little while. He then went
into his sleeping room and closed the
| T
mission he had given me. l was not
away from the house more than TWEEN
ty minutes, sir, and when I returned 1
was surprised to discover that l had
| left the door which communicates with
the hallway on the latch. 1t was not
| open. sir, but it was not latched, and l
was quite sure that I had closed it
when l went out. My idea was that
| Mr.. Pendleton had remembered some
thing else that he wanted and had gone
to the door to call me back but that l
did not hear him. That is all, sir-until
| you came. That is all l know"
The old servant could restrain him
self no longer. but sank into a chair,
buried his face in his hands and wept.
| Wyndham strobe to the window and
let the old man sob on unheeded, while
he drummed with the ends of his fin
| gers upon the pane and stared into the
| darkness.
|. When James sobs ceased, Craig
| Wyndham turned back into the room
and, placing one hand gently upon the
old mans shoulder, spoke kindly, but
with an intensity that had an instant
| effect. The power of the man shone in
| his eyes at that moment. and, although
| his face was pale and drawn, he was
| outwardly as calm as if nothing unto
| ward had occurred.
| James" he said. 81 believe you loved
| your master very dearly"
LAS if he We're my own son, sir, or
more perhaps. | never had son, so
l do not know
| You would sacrifice much for him,
would you not. James?
"Everything. sir-ife itself, if that
could do. any good
| "You loved his father also, James,"
with all my heart. sir
would you be willing. James, in Or
| der that justice may be done not only
| to your dead MASTER but to his fathers
memory, and for the sake of the family
name, to permit great shadow to fall
upon you for a time?"
Il don't know what you mean, sir"
replied James humbly. II only know
that | am willing to do anything that
| can do if in doing it can serve him"
Il believe you, James. Now, listen
closely to what I have to say. Your
| master is dead and by the act of an
| assassin. A great crime has been COM
mitted, and that crime is the result Of
events that happened long ago. know
something of the history that led to
this deed. but my information is very
| meager. ! have no doubt that you are
aware Of many things connected with
this strange history which will assist
me to unravel this tangled skein. We
| will talk Of that later The death of
Mr.. PendletOn must be reported to the
police and to the coroner at once. If
we say anything concerning the visit
4 Of this stranger and the subsequent
open door, as you believed you had
closed and latched it, suspicion will
point it's finger at him, but we cannot
say one thing or prove one circum-
stance to convict him of the crime, and
he would therefore escape. By con-
1ecting him with the affair at all we
would strengthen the position he is in,
for you may be sure that he has plan
ned thoroughly to save himself. On the
other hand, James, there are those who
will suspect you of the crime" ....
James started back with a cry of ber-
ror.
Suspect mer' he almost shouted.
Eyes, James. If you look at it calm
ly, you will see that am right, and,
Jones, that is precisely what l want
the world to believe. l. want you sus-.
pected Of this. crime, but only for a
time"
"But why, sir, why?" -
$50 that the person who really did
it may be thrown off his guard;so that
I will have time to work: out to the
end all of, the facts connected with the
crime that l now know so little about;
so. that l may have time to guard
against the revelation of things that I
am sure Burr Pendleton desired never
+ to be known; so that I may be enabled
4 to fulfill what T. know would be his
wish were he still :alives to direct us