Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1903-01-25
CHATTER Nr

FORMS a BEWILDERINc ENYc,,..
Found drowned. was the verdict snf
the twelve respectable villagers who
formed the coroner's Jury to INQUIRE int
the uaslc death OF young Mrs Courte-
nay. 1t was the only conc,;,sion 49,. !,
could be arrived at in the circun,s,,n No
there being nc marks OF violence and
no evidence to show how the unfortnnata
lsdy got into the Meme y
Amber Jevons. who had seen =, t,r;er
account OF the affair in the papers ~.
rived hurriesly in time 10 attend tho IN
guest. therefore 1t was not until the
inquiry was over that we were era i,ies = :
chat His appearance had Changed du-
ring the weeks of his absence: his faco
seemed thinner and wore a worried.
anxious expression.
We'll. Ralph. old fellow. this turns on,
to be q curious business doesn't it,. he
exclaimed. when. after leaving the nuh-
lie room OF the Golden Ball. wherein the
inquiry nae been held. we had strolled or
through the long. struggling village Of
homely cottages with matched roofs, and
out upon the white, level highroad.
Yes. admitted It's more than
curious. Frankly, j have distinct sns-
pcion that Mary was murdered
That's exactly my Own opinion" he
exclaimed quickly. There's been foul
play somewhere. OF that I'm certain,
that II is the outcome Of the tragedy ut
Kew" -
That both husband and wife should
be murdered only few months after one
another points to motives of revenge.
You'll remember how nervous old Courte.
nay was He went in constant fear of
his life, il was said. That fact proves
conciusiTelS that he was aware Of some
secret enemy
Yes. Now that you speak of it. re-
collect II quite WELL remarked. add
Ing: But where. in the name of for
iure. have you been keeping yourself
during all these weeks of silence?''
I've been travelling he responded
rather vaguely. I've been going about a
And keeping watch on Ethelwynn du-
ring part of the time laughed.
She told you. eh?" he exclaimed. rath-
er apprehensfvely. Il didn't know that
she ever recognized me. But women are
always much sharper than men Still.
I'm sorry that she recognized me-
There's no harm corresponding
you've made some discovery regarding
the seven secrets that compose the mys-
terry" / said.
Seven secrets!", he repeated thought
tnlly. and then was silent a few moments
is though counting to himself the va
;lous points that required calculation.
Yes" he said at last. you're right.
Ralph. there are seven Of them-seven
Of the most extra ordinary secrets that
have ever been presented to mortal being
IS part Of one and the same mystery
lie did not, of course. enumerate them
IN his mind, as had DONE for he was
not aware of all the facts. The seven Sc
crets as they presented themselves to
me were: First the identity of the secret
assassin Of Henry Courtenay; second. the
secret manner in which that extra ordinary
wound had been caused: third. the secret
Of Ethelwynn. held by Sir Bernard;
fourth. the secret motive of Ethelwynn
in remaining under the roof of the man
who had discarded her in favor of her
sister. fifth the secret of Courtenay's
temperance after burial; sixth. the
secret Of the dastardly. attempt on my
life by those rufians Of Lisson Grove:
and seventh. the secret of Mary. Courte-
rays death. Each and every one of the
problems was inscrutable. Others, Of
which was unaware. had probably oc-
Cured to my friend. To him, just as to
me, the secrets were seven.
Now, be frank with me, Amber"
said. after long pause. You've gained
knowledge of some Of them. haven't
your
BY his manner saw that he was in
possession Of information of no ordinary
character.
He paused. and slowly twisted his small
dark mustache at last admitting:
Yes, Ralph. I have
What have you discovered?''t I cried
in fierce eagerness Tell me the result
of your inquiries regarding Ethelwynn.
1t is her connection with the affair which
occupies my chief thoughts.
For the present, my dear fellow, we
must leave her entirely out of it, my
friend said. quietly. ITO tell you the
truth. after announcing my intention to
give up the affair as mystery impene-
trabie set to work and slowly, formed
theory. Then drew up deliberate
plan of campaign. which / carried out
in it's entirety
And the result?''
Its result" he laughed. We'll, when
I'd spent several anxious weeks in maxi
Ing the most careful inquiries found, to
my chagrin. that was upon an entirely
wrong scent. and that the person fsus-
pected of being The assassin at Kew was
Innocent. There was no help for it but
to begin ali over again. and did so.
My Inquiries then led me In an entirely
opposite direction followed my new
snd somewhat startling theory and found
TO my satisfaction that i had at length
struck the right trail. Through a whole
fortnight worked on, night and day,
often snatching few hours OF sleep in
iGiiWdy Carriages, ana SOILclliuGS WALTZ
Ing through the whole night-for when
pne pursues inquiries alone 1t is FREE
fuently Imperative TO keep watchful
sigtl. To Bath. to Hereford, to Edin-
burgh to Birmingham. to Newcastle,
and also to several places far distant in
tie south of England. / travelled in a
rapid succession. until at last found a
clue but one SO extraordinary that at !
hrst ] could not give it credence. Ten
Gays have passed. and even now Ire
sGse to believe that such a thing could
Sc. m absolutely bewildered by 1T
hen you believe that you've at lasl |
gained the key TO the mystery" said.
eagerly drinking in his words. |
II seems as though I have Yet my
information is so very vague ard shad-
owy that can really form no decisive
opinion. II is this mysterious death OF
Mrs. Courtenay that has utterly upset
al my theories. Tell me plainly. Ralph
what causes you to suspect foul play.,|
This is not a time for prevar.catioa. We
must be open ind straightforward to
each other. Toll me the absolute truth
Should tell him frankly OF the ar1az-
ing iscovery i had made? ] feared to
do SO. lest he should laugh me to scorn.
The actual existence of Courtenay seem
ed too incredible. And yet as he was
working to- eaive tie problem. ius. as
] was there Stoned every reason My
we should be ma o., aware of each others