The sun. (Jacksonville, Fla.) 1905-1908, 1906-02-17
T He G. Z II R. q s D Y
nv CheVal1er William lie Queux


it possible that Leithcourt, that calm,
well-groomed, MISUNDERSTANDING man
held any knowledge Of the CHASTITY TRUTH
No. His manner as he stood in the hall
chatting gayly with me was surely not
that of man with guilty secret. /
became firmly convinced that although
the tragedy affected him very closely,
and that it had occurred at the spot
which he had each day visited for some
mysterious purpose, yet up to the pres
ent he was in ignorance of what had
transpired.
But who was the woman? Was she
young or old?
A thousand times I regretted bitterly
that had no matches with me 80 that
| might examine her features.
One sudden thought that struck me
as / sat there at table caused me to lay
down my fork and pause in breathless
bewilderment. Was the victim the
sweet-faced young girl whose photograph
had been 80 ruthlessly cast from it's
frame and destroyedH The theory was
weird one, but was it the truth?
lOnged for the coming of the dawn
when the Rannoch keepers would most
certainly discover her. Then at least
l should know the truth, for l might 90
and see the body out of curiosity with
out arousing any suspicion.
tried to play my usual game of
billiards with my uncle, but my hand
was 80 unsteady that the old gentleman
began to chaff me.
cts the gun, l suppose" remarked.
"I've been carrying it all day, and am
tired out. walked all the way home
from CrOssburn."
"The Carmichaels are very thick with
the Leithcourts, hear" my uncle re.
marked. "Strange they didn't ask Leith.
court to their shoot"
"They did, but he'd got another en-
gagement-Over at Kenmure Castle,
think"
, retired to my room that night full
of fevered apprehension. Had / acted
rightly in not returning to that lonely
spot on the brow of the hill? Had
done as man should do in keeping thu
/ tragic secret to myselfy
, opened my window and gazed away
across the dark Nithsdale, where, in tn,
{ distant gloom, the black line of woot
| doomed up against the stormy sky. TIL
s stars were no longer shining, and tn
e rainclouds had gathered. / stood witt
n my face turned to the dark indistinc
{ spot that held the secret, lost in won
e derment.
= At last | closed the window and turne
in, but no sleep came to my eyes, 8
c full was my mind of the startling event
/ of those past few months and of tina
k gruesome discovery had made.
n Had the fugitive actually recognize
o meY Probably my voice when had Gale
g, out had betrayed me. Hour after hou
It l lay puzzling, trying to arrive at som
e, solution of that intricate problem whic
a. now presented itself. Muriel could tie
me what wished to know. OF that
ID was certain. Yet she dared not speal
IN Some inexpressible terror held he
it dumb-she was affianced to the ma
4 Martin Woodroffe.
I'd Again l rose, lit the gas, and tried
rs read novel, But l could not concel
IN trate my thoughts, which were eve
ne wandering to that strange mystery
the wood. At six I shaved, descende
o. and went out with the dogs for a shol
We walk; but on returning heard of not
he ing unusual, and was compelled to r
s- main inactive until near midday.
l was crossing the stable-yard where
~ had gone to order the carriage for N
l aunt, when an English groom, sudden
e. emerging from the harness roOm, touch,
We his cap saying
e. slave you card, sir, of the awful a
l fair up yonoeri"
RS "Of whati" asked quickly.
&C. well, sir, there seems to have be,
at a murder last night up in Ranno'
l Wood" said the man quickly. "Hol
en-, the gardener, has just come ba,
be from that village and says that N