Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1906-11-26
The constable nodded grimly.

me crowd or guests exchanged muir
murs and chances of amaZement, and
in the midst Of the excitement Olivia
glided down the stairs and stood be-
side her father. She chung to his
arm, but did not remove her eyes
from the face of the accused.
The last person who was expected
to speak broke the silence. 1t was
Mr. BARLEY Bradstone. In moments
of great peril, sometimes, your thor
ough-paced coward is stung into
something that has, at any rate, the
appearance of courage.
With flushed face and forced laugh
he stepped forward.
What nonsense is this?" he said,
and he looked round with an air of i'm
patience. "Mr. Faradeane charged
with It's perfectly ridiculous! ="
and he laughed the forced laugh again.
''Of course Mr.. Faradeane can explain
this-this absurd mistake. Better do
it at once, and let the constable look
for the right man, Faradeane."
Faradeane just glanced at him; it
looked a mere casual glance, but Bart
ley Bradstone read it as one of warn
ing, and changed color slightly.
'Let-let us go into the library, .
faltered Lord Garfield.
But the poor squire shook his head
There is no need for that" he said.
confidently. %As-as MIR. IBraIdstone
says, Mr.. Faradeane can explain this
mistake at once, and in few words
and he looked at him with anxious ap
peal.
The constable waited a second
Everyone seemed to wait while the
clock licked full minute; then, rs
Faradeane remained silent. the con
stable, after glance round, said:
This is the case, squire: was at
the end of the lane when Browne ran
up and told me to come with him into
the understanding had happened
went. and found the body of a
young woman. She was quite dead
been shot Close beside her stood Mr.
Faradeane. 1 asked him what ne
knew about it. and he" He
paused a moment Well. squire, he
refused to say anything!"
Well" said the squire, sharply
That is not sufficient reason for
charging MI. Faradeane with-with--"
mo. squire" assented the man. re
specially. But while l was trying
to persuade him to answer my ques
tons and tell me what he knew. l saw
something lying on the ground. 1t
was this" and he took the revolver
from his pocket and handed it to the
squire.
He took it and looked at it. and then
at Faradeane. Every eye was fasten
ed on the tiny toy.
We'll? What has this to do with
Mr.. Faradeane?" demanded LORD
Garfield.
Yes, what has it to do" echoed
BARLEY Bradstone, Indignantly.
The constable glanced at him.
If the squire will please to look al
the pistol, he'll see why arrested the
gentleman" he said, stubbornly.
The squire held the revolver to tbs
light looked at it, and let it drop. Ii
fell upon. the tiled hall with an omin
Gus cIang, and Lord Garfield stoCpe,
and picked it up.
That revolver has got Mr.. Fara-
deane's name engraved on at" said
the constable. Il asked him to eX
plain he'll bear me out, sQuire-hoN
it came there, just close to the body,
and he wouldn't tell me. There
wasn't nothing for it but for me to dc
my duty, and l did it. 1 told Mr..
Faradeane he'd better come with me
to you and my lord, the magistrates.
and l advised him to clear the matter
up, squire. Perhaps he'll explain
what he was doing there, and how
Lis revolver happened to be lying be-
side the woman as was shot, my
lord."
Lord Garfield nodded.
You did quite rightly" he said.
Mr.. Faradeane will explain, of
course and he looked at him.
Every eye was fixed on him, every
ear strained for his response to this
appeal.
Slowly and distinctly came the ac-
cused mans reply.
Il have nothing to say"
Charged with a cruel murder, and
nothing to say! A half-articulate
groan burst from the squire's lips.
"Faradeane!" he made a movement
towards him. "You-you have moth
ing to say! No answer! Impossi-
ble!"
Faradeane's grave, sad eyes met
his anxious ones steadily.
What the constable says is true, y
he said slowly. 81 have nothing TO
add to it-nothing to explain"
Insensibly-but how significantly! -
the constable drew closer to him.
I, @o;J