Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1904-03-03
CHAPTER XIII.
~ Cut His Throat"

the door; they will come IN here!
She glanced hastily through as she
was about to shut it.
Good sheavens!" she calculated.
Olive come here!"
He was still sitting by the low
lounge, and bending over it 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'll"
A moment more he was staring at
perhaps the strangest spectacle tho
old hall had ever framed.
In the center of dense. excited
crowd of police, detectives and towns
people, struggled man, tall, 1.-THE,
agile. He wore no hat. His clothes
had been torn by bra1nbles 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 it's vacant
idiocy, its british rage.
"Ah, Sir Clive!" Mr.. Lynn shouted,
at sight Of the advancing figure. well
come home, sir! Just in time! We've
captured him, you see! My men
found him in Stanley'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 off, say-keep off! shrieked
the mailman, flinging his great arms
wildly about him. Keep off, or I'll
treat you as treate dhim!'
Get on the bracelets, boys!" Lynn
roared above the tumult.
got the strength of twenty men!"
Aye, aye!!" yelled the maniac, ex-
ultantly. He was nothing against me.
He fought hard. too
.Who?" some one shouted.
Ever sound in the hall ebbed to ST
lenee as the hoarse voice dropped to
q chuckling whisper.
I'll tell you! :"
The suggestion of auditors seemed
to fasciBate him. He grew quite calm
and bent eagerly forward in graphic
recital
5ae 0Vnr thnro HIync a fro h11t II &c
all closed up in iron. and wasn't to
touch 1t. But i did, though. l got q
stick, and worked and worked till |
opened it. And / took the fire out
and threw it all around And every
place began to burn. ran to the vim
dow, and I could see across to another
window; the blinds were drawn. and
there was q light. and he was writ
ing!" rs
"A repressed murmur ran through
the GREATNESS listeners.
It seemed to the maniac a sign OF
approval. His lack-luster eyes glis.
tened.
Then the ground began toeshake.
ranran through a hole in the wall
into 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 found
him; he was writing. He jumped up
when he saw me.
Curse you he said, what do you
want??'
"My fingers were itching to get at
him--to kill him. i told him SO. r
clutched him. We went round the
ruomoh, don't know how many
times. He pulled something out of his
belt.
Curse you! he said. I'll give you
q dose OF cold steel!
But it was so pretty--the dagger
] wanted to see it. grabbed it from
him. |" with a howl Of triumph
cut his throat"
There was dead silence as he fin
ished' Then every voice outelalnored
In horrified comment.
After that 2" questioned an eager
voice III the .abble after that?.
He put his hands confused1y to his
head, and looked around in leering
vacuity.
Fl don't rememberi" he answered.
Gives ringing voice rolled out in
sharp command
.OfRcers. clear the hall! Attend to
your duty! This unfortunate creature
must no longer be exposed to such
keartless curiosity. 81
II wish I could find It! jabberai
ne lnnatic. ..Oh. wish i could find
III
What r asked Mr.. Lynn
The daggerit was 90 pretty.h'
glaring from the floor 70 the ceiling III
painful scrutiny 81 took 1t with me,
but I must have lost It |. Sgs
nvolnntarii NJ. Stack 4 looked
neryously about him. n
What had he done with that dagger?
s'If could only ind \, 8 the idiot
EsAid would kill some OF yon, Just
ltoE show you how I. killed him.
Bowers. about ten feet distant,
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