Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1905-11-02
CHAPTER *.

Guy Erskine pulled himself to sud
den standstill in answer to the words,
and looked incredulously at the speak
er, policeman.
How is this? What do you mean?"
| he asked. sharply.
Zone of the jurymen has been taken
| i'll, sir; and the coroner ordered me
to go out and stop the first man who
passed by to take his place"
what inquest is it?"
"One on the woman, Margaret Will
Jams, who was murdered in the wood -
Cannot you ask some one else?"
NO, sir; the coroner is in great
hurry. He has to hold another in
quest this afternoon at Dainton. on
this woman's father"
Argument was useless-worse than
/ useless. 1t was most unwise. In ST
lence Guy accompanied the policeman
into the room where the inquest was
being held, and took his place on the
jury as foreman.
Not person present failed to no.
tice the deadly pallor of his face and
his evident repugnance to fulfil the
part he was now called upon TO play.
A few minutes later and the first
witness, the doctor who performed the
postmortem, was giving evidence.
That evidence was brief and conclu-
sive. The deep incision in the arm,
just above the wrist, which had sew
cred the main artery, was the immedi-
ate cause of death; but under no Cir
cumstances could the woman have
lived more than a few weeks longer,
owing to the deep-seated disease of
the lungs. The next witness was Mrs.
Brown, whose volubility caused the
coroner to adopt a tiercely suppressing
demeanor and to lose his temper in the
end. Hicks was the witness next call
ed; then came man named John
Halus, native of Dainton, who had
CHANGED to be at Arlington when the
corpse was brought into the town and
had provided the police with informa-
ton of identity.
With riveted attention Guy listened
to the evidence, and as he listened he
rained unspoken anathemas on the
murderer's head. With difficulty his
asy lips kept back the name of the
man whom he had seen in the very act
of committing the Arlington murder,
when the near relationship of the vic
TINS of the two tragedies were men
Not ~irr1,+ Ia T.:
murderer to be screened? What right
had he, Guy Erskine, wilfully to let
him escape punishment?
And Hilda? The iniquity Of leaving
her to tread her life's path by the side
Of this double murderer!
But it was chiefly for her sake that
Ellingham had sinned-oh, hideous
complication of crimes! To retain her
as apparently his honored wife. to save
her from becoming social leper. he
had taken the lives of two fellow NOR
tails.
For Of a certainty he had shot old
Searle! Now, Guys thoughts were
rushing back to the night when, in
response to Sir Georges pressing in
vitationf, he and Reggie had dined at
Carlton Park. Well, did he. recollect
that, as they were leaving, the host
had made some speculative remarks
respecting old Searle's return home.
Those remarks must have been made
in order to throw him, Guy, off the
right scent.
Each instant he yearned more and
more to spring to his feet and de.
nounce the perpetrator Of the two muir
ders. But again his thoughts flew off
to Hilda. If he did so, it might kill
her-destroy her reason! Less tro,1-
lb had driven some women mad. What
mattered all else If he could only HELM
to screen her from trouble? To him
the whole machinery Of the universe
alone reyolyed for Hilda's sake.
r Forgetful Of his surroundings, for.
getful of the presence of others, CITY
leaned forward listening with heart.
sickening intenseness to every word OF
evidence. Each statement was burnt
into his memory to be diagnosed and
brooded over later. Tightly interlaced
We're his long, thin hands, and, pain.
fully strained was the expression OF
his white face as each moment the hor.
ror of the duplicity of his position was
forced more and more on his under
standing He, an honorable man, to
turn the seriousness Of his present DO.
sition into mere mockery! He glanced
round at his fellow jurymen respect
able, we'll meaning individuals, very
anxious to do their duty, but relying
on him 70 act guiding part.
Must he. knowing all that he did
having seen the actual murder com
mitted, pretend that he was satisfied
with the evidence Of today as PROVING
I that the murder was committed by
l some one unknown.
Yes for Hilda,s sake Again and
Iagain the answer, rose Ii, his nj ), zal.5
But how much longer would this in
quest last? For how much longe,
must he remain apparently complaee1,1
whilst consumed with a desire to de
nounce the murderer? Each instant
/ he was growing to detest himself more
I tg yearn for death, anything. to Sc
i cure escape from the surroundins
Il faYnpte }3Oma ~, ct,, = 80 ;,,ct ~