The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1907-03-28

the lease. Meanwhile. time hung rather
heavy on his hands.
Though I do not quarrel with that
ne added. sitting In my room one even
ing. 1T In necessary for me that
take life easily. I have n weakness OF
the heart. which has already given mo
MUCH trouble. Besides. I have your
companioashlp. which In most welcome.
and for which thank q I trust
Mces-Mccs-whai you call-Holaday
u again we'll
we haven't heard from her." I said.
she Ia still at her place In the
try"
"oh. she II doubtless well-in her I
take such an intercst-you Will par
don me II l weary you"
Weary me? hut you dont!"
Then l Will make bold TO ask you
have you made ary-what o call
theory OF the criine?"
NO" l answered. that "a. none be-
yond what was In the newsIapcrs-the
illegiiimate daughter theory. I sup
pose you saw IL. That seems To 1T the
case"
He nodded mcditatively. yet I like
TO Imagine hos Monsieur LcCoq would
approach u. Would ne believe IL was "A
murder simply because II so appeared
Has IL occurred 20 you that Mces Hol-
laday truly might have visited her
father "a that his death was not "A
murder at all. but an accident"
a accident" I repeated. How
could IL be an accident: How could n
man be stabbed accidentally In the
neckG Besides. even if IL were nm ac-
cidenL how would hat explain his
daughters rushing from the building
without trying TO save him. without
giving h alarm lf IL wasn't "a muir
der. why should the woman. whoever
she was, he frightened? How else can
you explain her nightg"
He wGs looking az me thoughtfully.
All that you say ~ YER true" he said.
III shows that you have given TO tho
case much thought. l believe that you
also have "A fondncss for crimes az
mystery and he smiled ut me. is II
not so. Mistair LcstcrT"
Il ave never suspected H." I laughed,
until this case came up. but the MI
crobc seems To have bitten me"
"Ah. ycs," he said doubtfully. not
quite understanding.
And I've rather fancied Mt times"
! admitted. that ! should like tn take
n hand at solving ~it-though. OF course.
| never shall. our connection with
the case Is ended"
He shot me n quick glance. then
lighted another clgaret.
Suppose It were assigned to you TO
set about IT."
I'D try to ind the mysterious wom-
an
But tho police. so I understand. at
tempted that and failed" he objected.
How could you succeed"
"Oh. | dare say ! shouldn't succeed"
/ laughed his mir striking me a little
more earnest thar the occasion de-
mnnded. II should probably fail. Just
rs the police did"
I'm France" he remarked. 1T IL not
In the least expected that men Of the
law should"
Nor Is IL here" I explained. only,
uf course. n lawyer can't help II. some
times: some cases demand more or less
detective work. and are yet too dell.
cate To be entrusted TO the police"
1T n also the fault of our police that
IL Is too o OF the newspapers. OF o
ing before the public-it Is n fault of
human nature. In IL notg"
You speak English 80 well. Mr.. Mar
tigny." ] said. that I have wondered
where you learned It,"
II was some years In E~ngland-the
business OF wine-and devoted myself
seriously TO the study of the language.
But I still find 10 sometimes very DIFF
fcult 20 understand you Americans
you speak SO much more rapidly than
the English. and 80 much less distinct
ly. You have n way OF running you
words together. OF dropping whole
syllables-"
Yes" I smiled. and that II the YER,
thing we complain OF In he French"
"Oh. our elisions arc governed by
we'll defined laws which "A one com.
prehends. while here
Every man In n law unto himself.
Remember. ~ In the land OF the free"
And the home OF the license. In 10
not?" he added. unconscious OF irony.
Yes. I decided. 1 was very fortunate
In gaining Martigny's acquaintance. OF
.snnrea nfiaF ha npana1 hia hlainaQn
he would Rave less time To devote &c
me. but. nevertheless. we would have
many pleasant evenings together. and I
looked forward To them with consider
able anticipation. lie was interesting
In MISUNDERSTANDING. with tina,
large tolerance and good humor. which
] have already mentioned. and which
Was n OF the most striking character.
istics os the man. And ~then-shall
Edmit It'll was lonely. too. sometimes.
as I suppose every bachelor must be:
and welcomed n companion.
II wns Monday, the fourteenth da,
OF April. and we had JUST opened the
Office. when n clerk hurried In with a
message for Mr.. Royce.
There's "A man out here who WANTS
TO zee you ut once. SIR" no said. "Ha
says his names Thompson. and that
he's Miss Frances Holidays butler"
ShI tAfNS ANtaA ~ wv ANSAN hA1 StAeAt
I'm his excitement: then he controlled
himself. and sank bac into IL again.
show him n" he said. and sat with
HIS eyes on the door. haggard I'm appear
ance. pitiful In eagerness. Not until
tina moment had I noticed how the
past week had aged him and worn him
down-his work. OF course. might &C.
count for part OF IL. but not for all. He
seemed almost III.
The door opened In n moment. and
\ ggay-haired man OF about sixty en-.
tered. He was fairly gasplng for breath
and plainly laboring under strong emo
ton.
We'll. Thompson" demanded Mr..
Royce. what's u trouble now
Trouble enough. sir" cried the 9th.
er. MY mistress has been made away
with. sir, She left town just ten days
ago for Belair. where we were all wait.
ing for her. and nobody has set eyes or
her since. STR"
a..