The San Francisco call., 1907-02-03

one OF the private SntTduCSS TO tilS dI
What is this terrible story, Mr.. Du-
caine?' she exclaimed. rs there really
a shipwreck? l can see no signs of it."
mo shipwreck that / know of Lady
Angela" j answered. There is dead
man here--one only. ! have heard Of
nothing else
Her eyes followed my outstretched
hand, and she saw the body half on
the sands, half on the marsh. She shiv-
cred a little
Poor fellow she exclaimed. rs it
any one from the village Mr. Ducaine?"
1T is a stranger. Lady Angela" l
answered. I'VE think that his body
must have been washed in from the
sea-"
She measured the distance from high
water mark with glance. and shock
her head.
Too far away" she declared
There was a wild sea last night" 1
answered, "and such a tide as / have
never ssen here before
What are you doing with it?" she
asked, pointing with her whip.
John Hefford is bringing wagon"
I answered IT suppose he had better
take 1t to the police station
She wheeled her horse round.
II am glad that it is no worse" she
said There are reports going about
OF terrible shipwreck. ] trust that
you are feeling better, Mr.. Ducaine."
'T am quite recovered-thanks to
your kindness and Colopel Rays" I
answered.
She nodded.
You will hear from my father DUR
ing the day. she said. He is quite
anxious to come to your lecture. Good
morning"
Good morning. Lady Angela"
She galloped away. Miss Moyat
turned toward me eagerly.
why, Mr.. Ducaine,' she exclaimed,
II had no idea that you knew Lady
Angela"
Nor do t. / answered, shortly. Our
acquaintance is of the slightest"
What did she mean about the lee
ture?"
/ affected not to hear. John, the
WAGNER, had pulled up his team by the
side of the palings, and was touching
his hat respectfully.
Another job for the dead 'ouse, sir,
my missus tells me-
There is the body of a dead man
here, John" ! answered, washed up
by the tide I suppose. 1t isn't an un-
common occurrence here, is it?'
"Lor' bless you, no, SIR" the man
answered, stepping over the palings
az had three of them here in one month
last year. II you'll just give me a hand,
sir, We'll take him down to the police
station
Il set my teeth and advanced toward
the dead man. John Hefford proved at
once that he was superior to all such
trifies as nerves. He lifted the body
upon the sands.
My. he's had nasty smash on the
head" John remarked, looking down
at him with simple curiosity. quite
the gent, too. I should say. Will you
give me hand, sir, and we'll have him
in the wagong"
So l was forced to touch him after
all. Nevertheless I kept my eyes as far
as possible from the ghastly face with
the long hideous wound across 1t. I
saw now, however, in one swift unwill-
ing glance what manner Of man--this
was. He had thin features, a high
forehead, deep-set eyes, too close to-
gether. thin iron-gray mustachc.
Whatever his station in life may have
been, he was not of the laboring
classes, for his hands were soft and his
nails well cared for. We laid him in
the bottom OF the wagon, and covered
him over with couple of sacks. John
cracked the whip and strode along by
the side of the horses. Blanche Moyat
and l followed behind.
She was unusually silent, and once
or twice I caught her glancing curl
ously at me, as though she had some-
thing which 1t was in her mind to say.
but she needed encouragement. AS we
neared my cottage she asked me a.
question.
Why don't you want me to say that
i saw this man in the village last
night and that .he asked for you, Mr..
Ducaine? I can't understand what diff
ference It makes. lie may have spoken
TO others besides me, and then ii is
bound to be known. What harm can it
do you?"
Il cannot explain how I feel about
IT," l answered. II am not sure that
] know myself. Only you must see
that If il We're known that he set out
from the village last night to call upon
me people might say unpleasant
things"
She lowered her voice.
You mean-that they might suspect
you OF killing him.
Why not? Nobody knows much
about me here. and 1t would seem sus-
picious Il was / who found him. and
only a few hundred yards from nay
cottage. If 1t were known that he left