Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1904-03-03
CHAPTER KILL.
al CIT His Throatl"

She glanced hastily through as she
was about TO shut il.
Good %heavens!" she calculated.
"Clive-come herei'
He was still sitting by the low
lounge, and bending over II with tears,
which did his manhood no dishonor.
falling like rain on the calm face of
the dead.
But he dashed to the door at that
loud. terrified cry. One glance was
enough. He looked back at Laurie.
Don't come out. darling. 1t is no
sight for you!"
A moment more he was staring at
perhaps the strangest spectacle the
old hall had ever framed.
In the center OF a dense. excited
crowd of police, detectives and towns
people. struggled a man, tall, 1.-THE.
agile. He wore no hat. His clothes
had been torn by brambles to ragged
strips. He was covered with snow.
But the face-ah. the face that leered
out from under the masses of tangled,
matted hair! A thin, sallow face, well
formed as to features. but malicious,
distorted-horrible To see in its vacant
idiocy, it's british rage.
"Ah. Sir Clive!" Mr.. Lynn shouted,
at sight of the advancing figure. "Wel-
come home, sir! Just in time! We've
captured him, you see! My men
found him in SANKEY'S grove. several
miles away. All an idea of Miss Len
nox. She put us on the track. Hold
him. boys-quick!" as the prisoner
fought desperately for release.
Keep of. l say-keep OFT" shrieked
the mailman. flinging his great arms
wildly about him. Keep of, or III
treat you as l treate dhim!"
Get oil the bracelets, boys!" Lynn
roared above the Stumult-
I'VE can't. Old Nick's in him. He's
got the strength of twenty men!"
AYE, aye!" yelled the maniac, ex-
ultantly. HE vas nothing against me.
He fought hard. too"
"Who?" some one shouted.
GNGf bOuuQ III Tic NAH GDDCu W 81
lence as the hoarse voice dropped to
a chuckling whisper,
I'm tell you!"
The suggestion Of auditors seemed
TO fascinate him. He grew quite calm.
and bent eagerly forward in graphic
recital.
"You Q there was a fire, but it was
all closed up in iron. and I wasn't to
touch It. But I did, though. 1 got a
stick, and worked and worked till /
opened II. And l took the fire out
and threw 1t all around. And every
dow. and I could see across to another
window; the blinds were drawn. and
there wa o light. and he was writ
ing!"
A ~repressed murmur ran through
the breathless listeners.
It seemed to the maniac a sign of
approval. His lack-luster eyes glis-
tened.
"Then the ground began to shake. 1
ran-ran through a hole In the wall
into g room. And the tower fell; but
there was no one In the room. ran
again into the hall. / looked In every
room for the man. At last l found
him; he was writing. He jumped up
when he saw me-.
Course YOU he said. what do you
want?'
my fingers were itching to get 1T
kfxu-tA It'll him told htn, Oh
clutched him. We went round the
room--oh, I don't know how many
times. He pulled something out of his
belt.
"'Curse yon!' he said. III give you
q lose Of cold steeli'
~But 1t was SO pretty-the dagger
I wanted to see 1t. I grabbed it from
him. L" with q howl Of triumph--"I
| cut his throat!"
There was dead silence as he I'm
ished. Then every voice outclamored
In horrined comment.
after that?" questioned an eager
| voice In the rabble-''after THAR"
He put his hands confusedly TO his
head. and looked around in leerIng
| vacuity.
II don't remember!" he answered.
Gives ringing voice rolled out In
sharp command:
"Ofncers. clear the halli Attend to
ycur duty! This unfortunate creature
must NO longer be exposed to such
henrtless curiosity
II wish I conld and IT," jabbered
ne lunatic. "Oh. l wish I could find
nis
sWhatf~ asked Mr.. Lynn.
sThe dagger-it was 90 prettyl"
glazing from the floor to the ceiling In
painful scrutiny. Il took II with me.
but I must have lost It."
In~voluntarily Mr.. Stack looked
nervously about him.
What had he done with that daggerf
III l could only ind It, the idiot
said. II would kiln some OF you. iust
to show you how I killed hini"
Mr.. Bowers. about ten feet distant
staggered hack In vigorous protest.
mo. thank you! You are really
very kind. but no. thank youl"
All this time Mr.. Stack was striving
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