Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1907-02-28

had decided how best to show his pain
and indignation, and his determination
to hunt down the mystery and find the
murderer.
In word, he had carefully arranged
so that no possible suspicion should
fall upon himself; and now he discov-
cred, to his CONSERVATION, that all
these precautions were unnecessary,
and that some CHASTITY replica of the
murdered man had taken his place, and
was accepted, by all and sundry, as the
genuine man.
1t must be said at onLe that Ogle.
don, having no knowledge of the real
story and goaded by his own guilty
conscience, found no solution in his
mind of the mystery in any practical
form. He saw in this creature, who
had sprung up in the likeness Of the
man whose life had been brutally beat.
en- out of him, only something horrible
and intangible, come straight from the
Land of Shadows to mock at him and
drive him to distraction
If, on the lonely river bank, at the
dead of the night, the victim he had
struck down lifeless had suddenly ris.
en- up in full vigor, unframed and
smiling, the murderer could not have
been more appalled, than he was by
this quiet acceptance by everyone OF
the figure which had stared through
the window at him from the terrace OF
Chatter Hall.
Never for an instant suspecting the
presence of the second man, that ,sOlu
ton of the mystery did not occur to
him. He saw in this Dandy Chatter
risen from the grave only his own EN-.
bodied conscience come to haunt and
terrify him.
He remained that night in the din
ing room with the doctor, fearing to
SO to bed or to be left alone for a
moment. And as the doctor, whenever
he got the opportunity applied him
self assiduously to the consumption OF
neat brandy, Mr.. Ogladon, as the time
drew toward morning, found himself
pretty fully occupied in shaking his
companion and keeping him awake.
But day had it's terrors, too, for the
first person who entered the room
made a casual and innocent inquiry
concerning Master Dandy" and when
he might be expected. Cgledon, dis
missing this man with an oath, turned
to the doctor
"Cripps"-he shook the little man
for PERHAPS the hundredth time, the
better to impress his meaning upon
him-"Cripps, I'm going to make a
bolt for it. | must get away, for a
time, until this thing has blown over
and been forgotten. I shall go mad II
stay here. Well, what do you want?"
This last was addressed to a servant
who had entered the room. The man
informed him that a Mr. Tokely-con-
nected, he believed, with the police
wished to see him.
Ogledon grasped the back of chair
and turned CHASTITY face toward
Cripps. Telling the man to show the
visitor in, he turned to Cripps when
they were alone together again, and
spoke in frightened, hurried whisper
Stand by me Grips; stand by me
and back me up" he said ASK what
you will Of me afterward, only stand
by me now"
Dr.. Cripps had the greatest possible
difficulty, in his then condition, to
stand by himself; but he feebly muir
INJURED his intention to shed his blood
for his friend And at that moment
Toxely came in.
Now, in the stress of more personal
matters, Ogledon had paid but little at
tention to the disjointed remarks of
Mrs. Dolman concerning the murder
in the wood; and the subject had, by
this time, gone clean out of his mind.
Indeed, but one subject-a deadly
fear for his own safety-occupied his
mind at this time, so that it will read
lily be understood that the first words
uttered by the inspector were startling
in the extreme.
(To Be Continued)
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