Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-06-22

=
Australian"
What an ideal" cried Thomas,
amused "You seem anxious to give her
a monomania on the marriage question.
If married already to Fetridge what
earthly reason could induce her to mar
ry Stackhouse? 1t seems to me that you
have got a complication there not likely
to arise in any well-regulated family"
Perhaps But I've gone far enough
in this case to know that there is some
thing different behind 1t than anything
| ever met with in all my life before.
But to go on. OF course Stella is fright
ened to death by Marion's reference to
the grave, and refrained from telling
anybody where she had seen her, until
you got 1t out of her."
so you might know by the way
things have gone on. She was scared
enough that night, you may be sure, but
the next day when TIE news came OF the
murder you can imagine the effect.
| There seems to have been great scene
4 between the sisters. Stella came out
Mortified at Marion's calmness. Marion
would tell her absolutely nothing ex-
! cept such enigmatical sentences as
these: l am not responsible. The at
fair is out of my hands. Justice will
overtake the guilty. Let me alone. Ii you
betray me shall kill myself. You Ire
ly do not believe me capable for any
cause OF killing man who has taken
the place of my own father. l loved
Father North, as well as you did. l
could not have harmed IN if had hated
him'-all of which was scarcely calcu-
late y appease Stella's agony OF appre-
hension. 1t was not, however, till the
young girl discovered that her sister
was sleeping with her fathers pistol
under her pillow that she quite lost her
head, and believed that Marion was
really guilty."
What! The weapon that killed Paul
North?" asked the detective, almost
helpless with amazement
Presumably since she must have
brought it with her from the Marlboro
street house the night of the murder, and
one of its barrels had been recently dis
charged"
What a nerve that woman has!"
murmured the detective. And how in
the world did Stella make the discov-
ery?"
"I'll tell you, Lamm. 1t was in the
middle of the night on Saturday. The
body of the murdered man had been
brought home, and it lay in the hall be-
low stairs ready for the funeral. You
can imagine the effect on this young
girl, who is of an affectionate DISPOSE
been one merry smile. Everything goes
to show that she was the petted darling
of her father. Of course, however fond
and proud anybody might have been OF
Marion, she was scarcely the person to
!, be made a pet of. And with this awful
cloud of horror andssuspicion weighing
upon her, Stella could not sleep. The
ghost of the poisoned king of Denmark
was no more real to Hamlet than was
, the spirit of her father threatening with
awful finger the perpetrators of his
woeful murder, to this young girl. Hel
fears for Marion under the weight of the
night became absolutely appalling
!, Though not what is,called a religious
girl, Stella could no longer trust to any
earthly aid. She resolved to go and pray
by Marions bedside"
Natural enough in this 18-year-old
girl" commented the detective.
1T was the last effort. you understand
to obtain contrition from the woman
who had been impervious to the mos
piteous appeals, the most solemn
entreaties. The poor girl went ant
found her sisters door unlocked
She approached the bedside. 1t seems
: was light; her dreams perhaps troubled
for she sprang up suddenly with an aw
full Cry and grasped Stella by the Shout
ders. demanding in a tone that nearl,
frightened her sister out of her senses
What do you want? What do yol
WANT She shook her, so that Stella
made a frantic effort to get away Ii
the struggle the pillow was dragged from
the bed and something beneath it fel
with crash. Marion by this time awok.
to realization of her surroundings. Sh,
sprang out of bed with a ste that coult
not escape Stella's OBJ rvation, ant
: picked up the something which had fall
: len. What is it,? demands the startled
} Stella. Nothing replies Marion
8 What is the matter, dear?' Go bacl
to your bed and will come to you. Blu
a no. Affairs had reached climax nov
r where suspicion must either be allayet
. or confirmed. Marion was confused ant
: dismayed by the sudden Transformation
t in her sister, and before ecould regain
r control of herself the hand of the young
er girl came in contact with the colo
, steel. 1T is lAtber's pistol whlspere'
D Stella, in what state OF mind you ma
imagine. Don't deny it, Marion; yo1
a have been sleeping with it under you
q pillow. 1 won't deny it, said Marion
: considerably disturbed. But why will
r you insanely insist upon knowing thing
q which it would be better for your peac
a OF mind to remain ignorant Of?
nd oil -