Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1905-09-14
CHAP TER I.-(contlnued.l

= AAO hSAS 1AO 40 AolcAh6 lily
woman's lifeless form from thu
ground. He must carry 1t away from
the path! A short distance off, where
the trees were thicker. there was ;
disused shallow pit. Few people, i
any. went near it now. And close a
hand there was an accumulation O
dead leaves. 1t would be easy tt
throw them over the corpse, buryine
it deeply, far away from che sight o.
man.
Instantly he was vending his way
amongst the trees, his burden in his
arms. How sickeningly those arm:
ached not from the weight of hel
burden, but from the horror Of it
Sometimes the battered dress caught
on an outstretched branch, and some
times the shawl. Hindrances and i'm
pedfments were tauntingly numerous
1t seemed to him, in the agony of his
impotence as he struggled on, fighting
his way through the thick under
growth.
AT last" he murmured.
Yes, he was standing at the edge Of
the pit at last!( Swiftly his arms re
Taxed hold of their CHASTITY burden
and let it fall with dull thud to the
ground. the blue-white face looking
straight at him out of the darkness OF
the pit.
The next instant trembling hands
were working with nervous speed
throwing dead leaves over that blue
white face, yearning to cover 1t quite
to hide 1t out of sight. With reckless
speed they worked. those trembling
hands! Never ceasing, never stop
ping, always piling the leaves higher
and higher, they worked with light
aiS&ning-like rapidity. Now the blue
white face was hidden The silver
light from the moon no longer illum-
tned 1t. But the shabby, bloodstained
dress and shawl still remained ex.
posed, and quicker and quicker the
mans crime-stained hands moved, pill
Ing UP the dead leaves covering all,
burying all!
He himself needed nothing, noticed
nothing, In his mad excitement
Yes a snowstorm was now raging,
and around windblown, feathery flakes
v were piling themselves up into forms
Enthusiastically beautiful Already the
stream Of blood across the path had
disappeared under pail of exquisite
Wilderness.
Suddenly the silence Of the night
was broken. Startled and terrified,
Sir George instantly remained rigidly
motionless, listening more intently
than ne had ever listened before.
Hut 1t was only the church clock
] striking.
Three o'clock! gasped the wretch
ed man, land I told Hilda that
should be home by one at the latest.
What can she think OF my absence?
She ia always nervous about me if
I am late. And the servants must
have noted my absence and been won
dering what has detained me. He
glanced around, and that glance spoke
bf growing despair oh, it's showing
hard, he added. with surprise "But
snow Will hide that scarlet stream!
What shall I do, though? What shall
do? Go home I can't, in these blood.
lstained clothes! II On. a
Suddenly Interrupted was the cur.
rent Of his thoughts! Suddenly pene.
trated was the snow-laden air by
voices voices that were coming near.
er and nearer.
There were people III the wood!
They were searching for him!
Talking anxiously' and excitedly
about him.
Now he recognized Hilda's voice.
Quiyering from head to foot. ye.
STRUGGLING TO Keep as still as a statue,
the Wretched murderer pressed him
self closer and closer against the
ground,