Omaha daily bee., 1905-09-10

NNNA eA tioNtiAnlllk between ElE NeOTke
Burnwell and your niece Mary. They have
now fed together"
My Mary? Imposslble!"
1T is unfortunately, more than possible:
1t Is certain Neither you nor your son
knew the true character Of this man when
you admitted him into your family circle.
He Is one Of the most dangerous men in
England-a ruined gambler, an absolutely
desperate william, a man without heart or
conscience. Your niece knew nothing Of
such men, When he berathed his vows to
her as he had done to hundred before
her. she battered herself that she had
touched his heart. The devil knows best
what he said, but at least she became his
tool and was in the habit of seeing him
nearly every evening"
Il cannot, 1 will not believe it," cried the
banker with an ashen face.
II will tell you then, what occurred at
your house last night Your niece. when
you had. as she thought gone to your
room, slipped down and talked to her lover
through the window that leads into the
stable lane His footmarks had pressed
right through the snow so long had he
stood there. She told him Of the coronet.
His wicked lust for gold kndled at the
news, and he bent her to his will l have
no doubt that she loved you, but there are
women in whom the love of lover ex-
tinguishes all other loves, and think that
she must have been one. She had hardly
listened to his instructions when she saw
you coming downstairs, on which she closed
the window rapidly, and told you about one
Of the servants escapade with her wooden
legged lover, which was all perfectly true.
your boy. Arthur, went TO bed after his
interview with you, but he slept badly on
- Oh, a14N1a
debts. In the middle Of the night he heard
a soft tread pass his door, so he rose and,
looking out, was surprised to see his cousin
walking very stealthily along the passage,
until she disappeared into your dressing
room. Petrified with establishment the lad
slipped some clothes and waited there
in the dark TO see what would come of this
strange affair. Presently she emerged from
the room again. and in the light of the
passage lamp your son saw that she car
ried the precious coronct in her hands. She
passed down the stairs, and he, thrilling
with horror. ran along and slipped behind
the curtain near your door, whence he could
see what passed in the hall beneath. He
saw her stealthily open the window, hand
out the cOronet to some one in the gloom,
and then closing it once more hurry back
tosher room, passing quite close to where
he stood hid behind the curtain.
LAS long as she was on the scene he
could not take any action without horrible
exposure of the woman whom he loved
But the instant that she was gone he
realized how crushing a misfortune this
would be for you, and how all-important 1t
was to set it right. He rushed down, just
as he was. in his bare feet, opened the
window, sprang out into the snow and ran
down the lane, where he could see a dark
well tried to get away, but Arthur caught
him, and there was a struggle between
them, your lad Juggling at one side of the
coronet and his opponent at the other. In
the scuffie your son struck Sir George and
cut him over the eye. Then something sud
denly snapped, and your son, finding that
he had the coronet in his hands, rushed
back closed the window, assembled to your
room, and had just observed that the
coronet had been twisted in the struggle
and was endeavoring to straighten it., when
you appeared upon the scene"
us it possible?" gasped the banker.
you then reused his anger by calling
him names at moment when he felt that
he had deserved your warmest thanks. He
could not explain the true state of affairs
without betraying one who certainly de-
served little enough consideration at his
hands. He took the more chivalrous view,
however, and preserved her secret"
And that was why she shrieked and
tainted when she saw the coronet." cried
Mr.. Holder. "Oh, my God what a blind
fool have BEEN And his asking to be
allowed to go out for five minutes! The
dear fellow wanted to see If the missing
piece We're at the scene, of the struggle.
How cruelty I have misjudged him"
when I arrived at the house." con-
tinued Holmes, Il at once went very care
fully round it to observe If there were
any traces in the snow which might help
me. l knew that none had fallen since the
evening before, and also that there had
been a strong frost to preserve impress
sions I passed along the tradesmen's
path, but found It ell tramped down
and indistinguishable. Just beyond it, how
ever, at the far side of the kitchen door,
woman had stood and talked with a
man whose round Impressions on one side
showed that he had wooden leg. l could
even tell that he had been disturbed, for
the woman had run back swiftly to the
door, as was shown by the deep toe and
light heel marks, while wooden leg had
waited a little, and then had gone away.
/ thought at the time that this might be
the maid and her sweetheart, of whom you
had already spoken to me, and inquiry
showed IL was so. L passed round the gar
den without seeing anything more than
random tracks, which l took TO be the
police; but when l got into the stable lane
very long and complex story was written
in the snow in front of me.
There was double line Of tracks of a
booted man. and a second double line which
saw with delight belonged to a man with
naked feet. was at once convinced from
what you told me that the latter was your
son. The first had walked both ways, but
the other had run swiftly, and, as his
tread was marked in places over the depres-
sion Of the boot, it was obvious that he
had passed after the other. followed
them up, and found that they led to the
hall window, where boots had worn all
the snow away while waiting. Then
walked 10 the other end, which was a
hundred yards or more down the lane /
saw where boots had faced round, where
the snow was cut up as though there had
been a struggle, ana, finally. where a few
drops Of blood had fallen. to show me
that l was not mistaken. Boots had then
run down the lane, and another little
smudge Of blood showed that II was he
who had been hurt. When he came 10 the
high road on the other end, l found that
the pavement had been cleared, so there
end 10 that