The Richmond palladium. (Richmond, Ind.) 1906-1907, 1907-01-09
CHAPTER I.
"sfURDER,'

guests had all departed, and
L only the musicians remained
AS they filed out through the ample
doorway. with their instruments under
their arms, the first faint streak Of
early dawn became visible in the east.
One of them, a lank. plain featured
young man of ungainly aspect, but
penetrating eye, called the attention of
the others to it.
Look said he. There is the day
light, This has been gay night for
Sutherlandtown."
TOO gay" muttered another. start
ing aside as the slight figure of a young
man coming from the house behind
them rushed hastily by. why, who's
that?"
AS they one and all had recognized
the person thus alluded to, no one an
swered till he had dashed out of the
gate and disappeared in the woods on
the other side of the road. Then they
all spoke at once.
Its Mr.. Frederick
''He seems in a desperate hurry"
''He trod on my toes"
"Did you hear the words he was
muttering as he went byf"
As only the last question was calcu-
lated to rouse an interest. 1t alone re-
ceived attention.
"No; what were they? 1 heard him
saw something, but l did not catch the
words"
"He wasn't talking to you or me,
either but have ears that can hear an
eye wink. He said. Thank God. this
terrible night is OVER Think of that,
After such a dance and such a spread.
he calls this night terrible and thanks
God that it Is over. I thought he was
one to enjoy this kind of thing more
than most folks"
80 did T.
"And so did L.
The five musicians exchanged looks,
then huddled in group at the gate
HE has quarreled with his sweet
heart" suggested one.
I'm not surprised at that" declared
another II never thought it would be
a match"
shame il it were.'' muttered the
ungainly youth who had spoken first.
AS the subject of this comment was
the son of the gentleman whose house
they were just leaving they necessarily
spoke low. but their tones were rife
with curiosity and it was evident that
the topic deeply interested them One
of the five who had not previously
spoken now put in a word.
II saw him when he first led ont
Miss Page 10 dance, and | saw him
again when he stood up opposite her
In the last Quadrille. and | tell you.
boys. there was a mighty deal of diff
ference in the way he looked at her
the last time from what he did the
first. You wouldn't have thought him
the same man. Reckless young fell
lows like him are not to be caught by
dimples only. They want cash.
"Or family. at least. and she hasn't
either. But what a pretty girl she is!
Some fellow as rich as he and as well
connected would be satisfied with her
good looks alone"
Good looks High scorn was OBJ
servable I'm this exclamation. which
was made by the young man who /
have before characterized as ungainly.
Il refuse to acknowledge that she has
any good looks. On the contrary, !
consider her plain
s"Oh, oh.' burst in protest from more
than one mouth. And why does she
have every fellow in the room dangling
after her. then?" asked the player on
the yellow fiageolet.
But she hasn't a regular feature"
what difference does that make
when it isn't her features you notice, |
but herself"
IL don't like her"
A laugh followed this.
THAT won't trouble her. Sweetwater. |
Sutherland does, If you don't. and |
that's much more to the point. And |
he'll marry her yet He can't help 1t. |
Why, she'd witch the devil into lead |
Ing her TO the altar IL she took a no
ton To have him for her bridegroom"
There would be consistency in |
that. muttered the fellow just adj
dressed. But. Mr.. Frederick
Hush. There's some one on the
doorstep. Why. it's she,'
They all glanced back. The grace /
ful figure OF a young girl dressed in /
white was TO be seen leaning toward 1
them from the open doorway. Behind 4
her shone n blaze of light-the candles 4
not having been yet extinguished in the i
hall-and against this brilliant back
ground her slight form. with all its be-
witching outlines. stood out In plain 4
relief. There was an anxious bend
to II. however. which none of them had I
ever observed in it before.
.Who was that?" she began in a
high. almost strident voice, totally out
OF keeping with the sensuous curves of
her strange. sweet face. But the ques-
ton remained incomplete. as well as
unanswered. for at that moment her
attention. as well as that of the men
lingering at the gate. was attracted
by the sound of burrying feet and con-
fused cries coming up the hill.
Murder. murder" was the word
painted out by more than one harsh
voice and in another instant n dozen
men and boys came rushing into sight
In a state OF such excitement that the
I'VE musicians recoiled from the gate.
and one of them went so far as to start
back toward the house. As he did so
he noticed n curious thing. The young
woman whom they had all perceived
standing in the door a moment before
had vanished, yet she was known TO
DrofeSS the kpeueSt curiosity IF INV