Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1907-04-17
The Murder on the Beach.
CHAPTER I.

The Murder on the Beach.
We stood and looked at each other He,
tall and athletic-a handsome man with
q picturesque sort OF beauty and DASH
|, not SO well favored. perhaps. but, still.
not bad to look at and wearing my blush
physicians ana Surgeons Of the eS. day: ana
Three befeTe had ro@
certain famous medical college; today
you you, could read my 1 name upon gilde led
most fashionable thoroughfares in New
Orleans: Eugene Dorrance, M. D."
And And all la,a my 81 success all my popularity;
capacity. my own pluck. think ! was
pardonably proud Of my position.
with sweet Voice
a winning smile, and tender little ways
toward women, which were fascinating, in
for, him to wish for-this darling of the
gods.
e! Hs sna Hss sswp the with aSr
sOmshowa; az stood d. upon the beach.
the handsome face with its proud, dark
eyes, a SLOW bitter resentment stirred
within my breast against my favored rival
For he was my rival; that was forced
to acknowledge: Never. until we had met
here at Grand Isle, a fashionable Southern
home to m mace the 1 Bitter truth. that Esms
loved Paul Ernscliffe.
My Esme! So had dared to name her.
Iyeil, whom l had loved in secret and
silence for years. To win her ] would
have made made, every possible sacrifice; to win
Yet, since we had met at Grand Isle
she had been cold and distant to me.
ner toward me- She had been won't in the
old dead days to call me Eugene, but
now she addressed me formally as Doctor
And Paul Ernsclire was ever at her
side. to the exclusion of all others.
Paul shas was rc oond L Ss
ground my teeth together at the very
day Il only she Would 0 wait only sG shs
would love me, and have faith enough In
When / came to Grand Isle knew Esme
had gone, for; few, weeks In the late
season, the beautiful golden September
leave my fate in her hands. But so far
I had never found an opportunity to speak
s0ns with ser no m sass how
She had come to Grand Isle with her
pompous old father and her rse-proud
arabic companion. her cousin. Gertrude
Bentley. had striven in vain to obtain
few words alone with her But once
ment to ride with Mr.. Ernscliffe; and upon
the oStset Of the by the ap
pearance of Ernscliffe himself.
Connecting him In my, mind with the
breach between Esme and myself, ! grew
to almost hate the man.
The night before that upon which my
story opens l had overheard a portion OF
a private interview between Esme Lyell
and Paul Ernscliffe, In which he had asked
her to be his wife; had at once made
my escape from the unpleasant predica-
ment Of Involuntary eavsssdropping but St, my
sorrow and disappointment. and my bur-
den seemed greater than / could bear.
I stood In the dying sunset. looking into
of my heart a bitter sorrow ranked, for
loved her well. and she was lost to me.
It was lonely spot where Paul Ems
'. a long s low D stretch stretch Of surf-washed
beach, with not a human habitation or a
human creature in sight.
e w san ES
soon to fade away into the darkness be-
yond Overhead. flock of white sea-
ss else TO wa and silence heD
eyes. shall never forget those eyes, held
q strange. intent look as he gazed full
mt! aYo %s l love psme Lyeng he said.
Il do returned coldly. "what is she
"Everything!' he groaned. "Now. listen
to me. Eugene Dorrance. I command you
to give her rsnsIsh az hope "a
I'VE win leave that question for the
lady to decide" answered frigidly.
mol We will settle 1t nowhere" ne
His rifle stood resting against a scrub
oak near by; my own was I'm my hands:
/ was leaning heavily upon 1t. We had