The Dakota chief. (Gann Valley, Buffalo County, S.D.) 18??-1913, 1907-05-30

anne, letting go the bell rope and CROSSING
to the window "Selina has had fit OF
some Sort"
Startled servant goes out to stables and
wakes up the grooms, one of whom is soon
on horseback riding for dear life to Dr.
Chinston. Clatter-clatter along In the
keen morning air; few wSrkmen on
their way to work gaze in surprise at this
furious rider. Luckily, the doctor lives in
st. Kilda, and being awakened out OF his
sleep. dresses himself quickly, and taking
the groom's horse, rides back to Mrs. VII
liers' house. He dismounts, enters the
house, then the bedroom. Kitty, pale
and wan, is seated in the chair; the win
dow curtains are drawn. and the cold
light of day pours into the room. while
Madame Midas Is kneeling beside tho
corpse, with all the servants around her.
DR.. Chinston lifts the arm; it falls Imply
down. The face Is CHASTITY white, the
eyes staring there is streak of foam on
the tightly clenched mouth. The doctor
puts his band on the heart-nct throo
he closes the staring eyes reverently and
turns to the knesling woman and the
frightened servants.
'She Is dead" he says briefly, and or
ders them to leave the room. When did
this occur, Mrs VilliersT he asked. when
the room had been cleared and only him
self Madame and Kitty remained.
II can't tell you,' replied Madame,
weeping; 'she was all right last night
when we went to bed, and she stayed all
night with me because l was nervous. !
slept soundly, when l was awakened by a
cry and saw Kitty standing beside the bed
and Selma in commissions; then she be-
came quite still and lay like that till you
came. What is the cause?'
"Apoplexy," replied the doctor, doubt
fully; lat least, Judging from the symp-
toms; but perhaps Miss Marchurst can
tell us when the attack came on"
He turned to Kitty, who was shiver-
ing in the chair and looked so pale that
Madame Midas went over 20 her to see
what was the matter. The girl, however,
shrank away with a cry as the elder wom-
ar approached, and rising to heS feet
moved unsteadily toward the doctor.
"You say She" pointing to the body,
died Of apoplexy?"
"Yes," he answered, curtly, "all tho
symptoms of apoplexy are there
"You are wrongw gasped Kitty, laying
her hand on his arm, 'it is poison"'
poison" :" echoed Madame and the doc
tor in surprise.
Listen" said Kitty, quickly, pulling
herself together by a great effort. II
came home from the ball between and
81 entered the room to so to my own,"
pointing to the other door. II did not
know Selma was with Madame"
"No," said Madame, quietly, "that is
true. I only asked her to stop at the last
moment"
II was going quietly to bed" resumed
kitty, hurriedly, 'in order not to waken
Madame, when l saw the portrait of NJ.
Vandeloup on the table; took 1t up to
look at it."
How could you see without a lightf'
asked DR.. Chinstsn sharply, looking at
her.
There was 4 night light burning," ne
piled Kitty. pointing to the fragments -
the hoor; land I could only guess 1t was
NJ. Vandeloup's portrait; but at all
events" she said, quickly, II sat down in
the chair over there and fell asleep"
You see, DOCTOR" she had been to
ball and was tired" interposed Madame
Midas ''but so on, Kitty, / want to
know why you say Selma was poisoned"
Il don't know how long was asleep"
said Kitty, but I was awakened by
noise at the window there" pointing to-
ward the window, rpcn which both her
listeners turned toward it, 'and looking,
| saw a hand coming out from behind the
curtain with a bottle in il; it held the
bottle over the glass on the table. and
after pouring the contents in, withdrew"
And why did you not cry out for as
sistance?" asked the doctor, quickly.
81 couldn't" she replied, II was so
afraid that l tainted. l recovered my
senses, Selma had drank the poison, and
when I got up on my feet and went to
the bed she was N convulsions; woke
Madame, and that's ALL"
A strange story" said Chinston, mus
ingly. whereas the glass?"
ut 10 broken, DOCTOR replied Madame
Midas: "in getting out of bed I knocked
the table down. and both the night lamp
and glass smashed"
NO one could have been concealed be-
hind Tie curNin OF the Window" said
the doctor TO Madame Midas.
NO." she replied, but the window vas
open all night; so if 1t is as Kitty says,
the man who gave the poison must have
put his hand through the open window"
DR.. Chinston went TO the window and
looked out; there were no. marks OF feet
on the flower bed, where it was so soft
that any one standing on it would have
left foot mark behind.
Strange" said the doctor, Its pc
culiar story" looking at Kitty keenly.
But true one" she replied boldly,
the color coming back TO her face Il say
she was poisoned"
by whomE" asked Madame Midas, the
memory Of her husband coming back 20
her.
II can't tell you," answered Kitty, "I
only saw the hand"
AZ all events" said CEinston, slowly,
''the poisoner did not know that your
nurse was with You, so the poison was