The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1905-07-19
CirCumStantial Evidence
By LIEUT.. nURRAY.


lrlendS from earliest childhood, and
schoolmates together up to the age of
fourteen, in Bristol, England. Their
fathers were merchants, and the fami-
lies were very well off as regards this
worlds goods. The two young men,
having secured as good common school
education as was possible, both enter
ed the counting rooms of their respec-
tive parents, and were still boon COM
panions until they chanced to make
the acquaintance of Miss Mary Mari,
and about the same age as the young
friends.
Still for some months after their in
PRODUCTION to Miss Mari, there was no
unpleasantness between them, but by
and by the simple acquaintance SEEM
ed to ripen into one of intimacy be-
tween the three, and all at once it
flashed upon both Harry and Frank
that they were both in love with Miss
Mari, and as both could not marry
her, a source of rivalry was inevitable.
Yet so well founded was their long
and consistent friendship that there
was no exhibition of feeling upon the
subject between them, and to all out
ward appearances they were still the
best of friends when together. But
when absent from each other spirit
of antagonism very naturally suggest
cd itself, until by degrees it did not
fail to be manifest in public.
The young lady had not shown any
preference between them, and II she
had a choice she thus far kept it quite
70 herself. She treated them so nearly
alike, and regarded both with such un-
disguised good will and friendship,
that the most acute observer could de-
tect no partiality.
Frank Osgood and Harry Cummings
each imagined himself the favored one,
and put just such interpretations upon
her words and smiles as he pleased.
Thus matters remained for consid-
cradle time without having progressed
to such a stage as would warrant eth
or in seeking to formally make known
his pretensions, or to ask of Miss Marr
her own avowal Of affection.
But in the meantime the slight
change in the feelings Of Harry and
Frank toward each other grew to be
something quite serious, and they mu-
tually wondered how they could ever
have been good friends in times past.
They no longer spoke to each other.
II they met they would turn their faces
away without the least recognition,
and this Damon and Pythias appeared
as though they only lacked the means
and opportunity in order to destroy
each other Their friends and ac-
ouaintances observed the change, and
soon learning of the intimacy OF the
young men at the house of Miss Mari,
they were not long in drawing the very
natural deduction that jealousy was
at the bottom of this discord between
the two long-tried young friends. Or
course, there was nothing which other
parties could do in the premises, how
ever much this state of affairs might
be regretted.
Miss Mari was a very sweet and ac-
complished girl of eighteen, and no
one wondered that the gentlemen found
30 much pleasure in her society. She
saw how bitter feeling she had been
the cause of creating between Harry
and Frank, and, in her very delicate
and sensitive nature, she deeply re-
GREETED it, and said to herself:
when | come to let them know
which of them prefer, then the bitter
hate which now exists between them
will all be transferred to the heart Of
one"
This was very true.
The bitterness between the former
friends seemed to increase daily, until
finally meeting by themselves, they
deliberately proposed to each other to
seek some quiet spot and to settle
their pretensions to the hand OF Miss
Mari with pistols.
This was but few years since,
when resort to the duel in England
was scarcely heard of. But so much in
earnest were these rivals that they
agreed to this plan, selected the spot
for the purpose, and made, very Sc
cretly the necessary arrangements.
When, by some mistake all was discov-
cred, they were brought before the To-
cal court and put under heavy bonds
70 respect the laws and to behave
themselves properly. This ended the
proposed duel, though they had been
quite in earnest.
The families of Osgood and Cum
mings lived in outlying cottage houses
in the suburbs of Bristol, and not far
separated from each other, all the 9TH
er 'memberC of these families being on
the best of terms.
One morning the neighborhod be-
came very much excited over the fact
that Frank Osgood was missing. The
window Of his room was open and
very near the ground, by which means
certain tracks indicated that he had
left his fathers house. He had taken
nothing away with him except the
clothes he usually wore, so far as could
be discovered, and after whole days
search for him the matter of his sud-