The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1903-02-12
CHAPTER xIv.-continued.

Whdt t1t idGc Will De.
Kate Pur3ell lit lamp and placed II
upon the table. and Henry Loud, the
detective. drew chair forward TO her
and when she was seated, he sat down
himself, thinking:
Yes. without doubt, these three men
are all In love with her. Jove! She
has one OF the loveliest faces-one OF
the most graceful figures, And there's
truth and sincerity In her, too, which
can't say Of one woman In a thou
sand"
He had resolved to be comparative
~ frank with Kate, and he hated 10
shock her, as he feared he must do.
He told himself that, II he could read
faces at all, he would soon know IL she
loved any of these men.
Il am on the detective police force,
and / came down to gather what In
formation l could regarding the MUIR
der OF Ralph Caryl"
This was not a very wise begin
ming, perhaps, but Loud could not help
saying that, so that she might give her
answers with the knowledge Of who he
was.
He scoffed Mt his own weakness in
doing so. but he did 1t, nevertheless,
tota for man or woman.
Kate paled a little as she heard his
words. but she held herself very calm.
She knew all of that scene at the rail-
road station, and when she heard of
Caryls death, (she was afraid that the
crime would be brought up against
vance Rothesay. She did not speak.
She waited to be questioned:
Mr ~ an 4. oes
"Yes."
And you knew carylY He was a
visitor here?"
yes"
You will pardon me. Miss Pr~cell. I
hope. said Loud, witt crnbarras nent.
"but | must ask you If either OF hese
men paid you any special atte7. on g''
Kate saw Immediately what was the
object of his questions. She was very
white. but her voice was steady as
she answered:
Mr.. Caryl did pay me some special
attention, but / never for a moment
viewed IL In any other light than as
done to pass away the time. He was
a man who was what is called a flirt;
he made love to every woman of de-
cent looks or youth, am sure And
he could put great appearance of
earnestness into his manner"
Il should say he might, If he was not
an idiot. when addressing you," was
the thought that passed through the
detectives mind. together with the de-
cision that Miss Purcell had not mad
fancy for Caryi.
And Mr.. Rothsay," he said
A faint flush rose over the girls
pale face-so faint and fieeting that
1t required sharp eyes to see 1t, and
then II might mean nothing.
Mr. Rothesay was on the eve of
marriage, and he was an honorable
man. Even IL he had not been, he
was Ill with fever all the time of
his stay here"
"And you took care of him?"
But very little. We had a nurse
from the village"
Loud sat In silence for some min.
utes. his eyes bent upon the floor. OF
one thing he was certain that Rome
say. for all his engagement and honor,
had loved this girl. and she had guess
ed at his feeling.
In that silence Kate was thinking of
the curse that had broken from Roth
Essays lips when he had learned that
Ralph Caryl was in the house.
She knew that the detective was try
ing to discover IL there had been a
rivalry between the two men concern
ing her, and all the time she knew
there was hatred between them before
she had ever known them knew it
and trembled. Not that she had one
suspicion of Rothesay's guilt, but she
feared that others might have.
"You see plainly that IL Rothesay
Wvu In fhe xytrf ~ re xr,I,a
the crime was committed that sus-
picion will attach to him, Miss Purcell,
for the two men are known to have
Quarreled and TO have disliked each
other. But without doubt, Rothesay
can prove that he was not near Bos-
ton"
The detectives eyes rested upon the
girl as he spoke. He saw that her
very lips grew white, and that they
appeared so stiff as to frame with
difficulty the words:
Without doubt ne can prove that"
"She fears for him--she loves him"
thought Loud, and he half envied
Rothesay.
"Then there win be no difficulty for
him, and the case will still remain
very dark. | will intrude upon you
only long enough now to ask where
Rothesay was going when he left
here"
"To Philadelphia. He was to be
married as soon as he was well
enough"
"You doubtless have his address?"
"Yes. My father was to see that his
horse was cared for properly and he
left the address"
AS she spoke. Kate rose, and going
TO a shelf took from 1t card and
handed II to Loud. He copied the
words on Il:
Vance Rothesay.
Girard House Phila."
"If you happened to know the ad.
dress OF the lady whom he was going
TO marry. IL would be OF great service
60 mo-" said the detective, as he
handed back the card.
1T is Miss Laura Lauriat. No. -
Locust street."
Thanks: I shall soon have the pleas
ure OF informing you that Mr.. Rothe~ !
say has proved an unimpeachable
dbl"
Mr.. Loud bowed low and left the |
house. hurrying through the darkness