Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1905-04-07
CHAPTER XVI.

Darrell, ACCUSED AS McCLoUD.
"Ah, the marshall" said Darrell, re-
lieved to find that the officer was one
of the first to be drawn to the scene.
II am glad you have come"
The marshal pushed farther into the
room, followed by his companion.
Whats been going on here?"
"Murgatroyd and were settling an
old score" answered Darrell, pulling
his disarranged clothing into shape,
"but / am glad to say that it did not
result seriously"
where is Murgatroyd now?"
The officer had peered about the
place and had even cast hasty glance
into the inner Office.
~ have him-safe,' Darrell smiled
grimly. ''Who is this gentleman" he
asked, turning to the thick-set man
with the leather case under his arm.
That's Doc Payton," replied the be-
wildered marshal.
mot the same gentleman who had
charge of the body of Sturgis?"
II am the coroner" spoke up Pay
ton, "and held the inquest"
Better and letter." said Darrell.
Naturally, gentlemen, you are curi-
Gus. You see me follow Murgatroyd
upstairs to this place and later you
hear sounds of scuffle and come ia
investigate. What you see merely iu-
creases your curiosity and suspicion.
l Want to talk with the two of you and
beg of you to set a couple Of those
chairs upright and be seated"
AS he finished, Darrell settled him.
self comfortably on one corner OF the
desk. The marshal was inclined to
parley on Murgatroyd's account.
II want to understand this thing"
he began, aggressively, and Darrell in
terrupted him with:
Precisely! The quickest way to un-
derstand it is by listening to what l
wish to say. If anything has gone
wrong, l am here to be held to ac-
count"
He's right about that, Merrick,"
said the doctor. righting one Of the
overturned chairs and seating himself
in 1t. "Let's hear him"
Merrick had an uncomfortable feel
ing that matters were strangely
wrong, somehow, and he picked up the
lamp and stepped apart to survey the
other room. He came back directly
and again set the lamp on the desk.
II don't like the looks of things"
he grumbled as he sat down, land we
seem to be leaving the whole matter
to you entire. But I reckon you can
fire away"
Darrell, fearing interruption from the
vault, plunged into the subject at once.
What was the verdict of the cor
oner's jury in the Sturgis case, doc
tor?" he asked.
at was found that Sturgis met his
Death by a bullet, 45-caliber, fred by
one Nathan Darrell, of San Francisco, -
returned the doctor.
"Were the proofs of barrels guilt
quite conclusive?"
"The jury found them so.'
"But you, in your own mind; were
you quite convinced?"
IT don't recognize your right to ask
such question. am the coroner and
have repeated to you the jury's YER
dict"
In spite Of this Darrell could see
plainly that DR.. PaNton had an honest
doubt
whats the use of splittin' hairs?"
said the marshal. "And what has the
murder of Sturgis got to do with your
row with Murgatroyd?"
Gust this, Mr.. Merrick," returned
Darrell, steadily; "Murgatroyd killed
Sturgis-"
what" exploded Merrick, starting
up.
The doctor was less amazed, al
though not little startled.
Darrell repeated his words.
Why" exclaimed the marshal,
"Sturgis and Murgatroyd was friends!"
"Murgatroyd would have NO motive
added the doctor.
"Murgatroyd and Darpel were not
friends" said Darrell.
That's no news" came from thu
marshal. "It don't bear on Murga.
troyd and Sturgis, anyhow"
Eyes, it does," persisted Darrell:
''Murgatroyd killed Sturgis in such 8
way that they would hang Darrell fol
il"
s'Preposterous!" declared DR.. Pay.
ton.
You're fool" averred the marshal
frankly. do you think Murgatroyt
would shoot friend down in colo
blood just for the sake of having Oar
rel hung?"
did you ever know Murgatroyd tt
make play that Wasn't cruel, craft!
and safe?" asked Darrell. Hes {
snake and would trail his Shiny length
over any friendship for the sake o
getting his fangs into an enemy
| throat"
BE reasonable, young man." sait
the doctor, impatientU, "be reason
able"
Talks cheap" supplemented tn
marshal. at would tal3e strong ptoeQ
to make me believe anything Ink
that"
Gentlemen" resumed Darrell, 9
happen to know that Nate Darrell cam
70 this town on the day the murt1e
was committed. He canie to Sand
Bar to settle his differences with Mur
gatroyd and, directly after he reache
the camp, made straight for this Office
"Murgatroyd was out in the hills an,
Darrell went into that private ofic
and wrote a line for him. Murgatroy'
had forgotten his revolver and left /