Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1906-04-26

and when Horton with his prisoner WIS
preparing to cross the threshoio' d "o ."
pale as death. broke from among NV.
ranks With eyes glazed with horror. s"'
gave one anguished glance at ifo''o" .
prisoner. mIrmurins' u.
"Leonard, Leonard, how coulh 20" ""N
done this ." She then tottered ror"a'" anu
fell in a deal faint at his feet.
I'll. cas-, as II stood for the prosecutio"
was ~n.rfect when Leonard Chadwick Wa"
formally committed for trial at the HoNs
ass,zes. Not a singh. link In the cha'h or
evidence was missing to brand him as 'hs
author of the crime.
witness had sworn on oath that AT
l1.5O to the minute on the morning oi May
n no rad sccn from the road the deceased
and accused together engaged In what
seemed to be a violent alteration Just IN
side the drive leading to Talhots farm.
Two other important witnesses deposed
to seeing from the same position AT anout
l2.l5 a PROSTATE body lying across tho
drive.
Climbing oyer the gate. they were
shocked TO find 1t was Farmer Talbot him
self bleeding profuseiy from a grnshot
wound in the back. Bending over ana on
deavoring to lend him every aid. they dis
tinctly heard him say. This Is the work
Of Leonard chadw!ck,' Before further as
sistancc could be procured life had DO
come extinct.
The medical evidence went TO show that
the fatal injury had been caused by a
partly spent Martini-Henry rifle bullet.
which had entered the center Of the back.
and finally lodged In tho upper regions OF
the chest. II was impossible FOR the wound
TO have been self-inflicted
There was no direct evidence whatever
in connection with the crime. 1t was pure
ly circumstantiai. No one actually saw 1t
4, ~ -, ~ xAt mr. thn o,tDhtacf doubt aY-
listed In any ones mind that Chadwick
was the murderer.
There was the quarrel for the motive.
the startling. incriminating admission OF
the dying man. the poignant fact that
Chadwick's WIS the only rife of that par
ocular MAKE able to be traced in Cherry
Linton.
ner on his arrival a. the range; all were
over whelming test. to his guilt. and
there could hardly be conceived a simpler
case to prove than this particular one the
crown had undertaken.
In spite Of all. Leonard protested he was
absolutely innocent. He pleaded mot
| guilty" and swore that although he had
left Talbot in a frenzy OF passton. he had
not raised a finger against him.
AT first Alice, numb with horror. az one
by one the startling array OF convincing
proofs were brought like spectres before
her. allowed herself to believe her lover
had been led away by passion. and COM
mitted the act In a moment OF madness.
bu, as the days Of the earlier investiga-
lions dragged alonS their weary length.
she watched the face Of her lover as he
stood upright in the dock. calm and fear
less, and she read the light OF truth in his
eyes when he said calmly:
Il swear before God and the whole
world. ] am Innocent
The day he was committed Tor trial she
left the court house. her eyes burning
with an unnatural brilliarce. She was
convinced that he was falsely accused,
and thercupon determined TO move heaven
ard earth Itself to prove it.
The fact that she was only a frail wo-
man did not deter her in the least, the
enormtty OF the difficult task had no ter
ror for her. She undertook to %unravcl. I'm
aided. a mystery that would have taxed
the powers of the keenest and most exper-
fenced detective.
AID down the route Leonard had traversed
OH the day Of the tragedy. examining
every inch OF tho ground, In the dim hope
of discovering a clew that would lead to
the real truth. But no success attended
her efforts.
On the morning of the third day an idea
suddenly occurred to her. and her heart
- L ~ "iSh q hVW Ouiin NOPE. "
day was Saturday. 1t was only a tiny
gllmmcr-a chance in a million of it eve,
.Hadins to a correct solution. but it be-
came indelibly imprinted In her mind and
she would see it through.
She accordingly made her way to the
place where her fathers body had been
found. and seating herself on a rustic
bench in "A little alcove abutting on the
carriage drive. took up her curious vigil.
Straight in front several fields stretched
for two miles. terminating at the richly
wooded estate of Sir Samuel Barnes. Ac.
cording to the evidence that had bee,
forthcoming. Leonard. it was suggested
must have fired tho shot from some posi-
ton in these fields and then walked acros.
to the left. and so regained the road tina
led directly to the gate where she met hin
on that fatal day. So that actually tn
firing point OF the new range was to thu
extreme left OF whore she was sitting, ant
the targets far distant to the right.
Straining her ears and laboring nde
strong mental excitement. she was at las
rewarded. She distinctly heard the soune
Of distant firing. Shooting had commenced
at Sir Samuel's. as was customary ever,
Saturday at noon.
Alice left her seat and swiftly ran aiont
the drive. fully conscious Of the fact tina
II her IDEA were correct she was running a
great danger. and perhaps her own lif.
WOulu pay VnS forfeit. NOW and then Shit
stopped and bent low over the ground
watching and waiting for a sign. Woul,
1t never come:
At last. just as she was beginning to de
spatr. something Missed quite close TO he,
and crashed into the bark of an oak tire.
by her side.
With A scream of triumph she flung hcr.
self on her hands and knees and closei,
examined a small hole that had been bored
In the tree. She Them jumped to her feet
and dar;ed to the other side of the drive
and with staring, anxious eyes watched
the open end of an earthenware .rr cation
pipe. long since disused.
She had not long to wait ere anothe,
metal missile emerged ard. recocheting of
the grave'ed path. also buried itself witt
a resounding crash In A tree opposite
This time the mark was breast high.
Here at last was the explanation of tn,
mystery. The dim hone that she had =,
m~iracuiomsiy conceived developed into a
substantial fact-the truth was out.
Once again did Cherry Linton have .
great gala day soon after .eonard's release
from durance. and on his occasion accom-
panied by the merry jansle Of village wed.
ding bells. which entirely owed their nros
ent sweet office to a woman's hero;sm
love and h~eavcn-sent intuition.
A Novel Oefenae