Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1907-04-04

ing. 1t is necessary for me that l
take life easily. l have a weakness OF
the heart. which has already given me
much trouble. Besides. | have your
companionship. which is most welcome.
and for which l hank you. / trust
MISUNDERSTANDING you call-Holladay
is again we'll"
we haven't heard from her" l said.
She is still ut her place in the cOOn-
try"
oh. she is doubtless well-in her 1
take such an interest-you will par
don me if l weary you"
Weary me? But you DON'T"
Then 1 will make bold to ask yor%.
have you made any-what you call.
theory OF the crime"?
NO" l answered.: that is. none be-
yond what was in the newspapers-the
Legitimate daughter theory. 1 sup
pose you saw 1t. That seems to fit the
CASE
He nodded meditatively. Yet like
to imagine how Monsieur Lecoq would
approach it. Would he believe 1t was a
murder simply because 1T so appeared?
laday truly might have visited her
father and that his death was not a
murder at all. but an accident""
An ACCIDENT" l repeated. How
could 1t be an accident? How could q
man be stabbed accidentally In the
neck: Besides. even if 1t werc an ac-
cident. how would that explain his
daughters rushing from the building
without trying to save him.. without
giving the alarm? If 1T wasn't IL MUIR
der, why should the whoever
She was. be frightened? How else can
you explain her flight"
He was looking at me thous.tfully.
AN that you say is YER true" he said.
1T shows that you have given to the
r0 60 much thnI0bt hpItavN HAT WI,
also have Il fondness for crimes OF
mystery" and he smiled at me. rs it
not so. Mistair LESTER"
Il have never suspected It." Laughed.
until this case came up. but the mi
crobe seems to have bitten me-"
All, yes" he said dOubtfully, not
quite understanding.
And I've rather fancied at times"
! admitted. that / should like to take
a'hand at solving Though, OF course.
l never shall. Our connection with
is ended"
He shot me a quick glance. then
lighted another cigaret.
suppose 1t were assigned to you to
solve It," he asked. how would you
set about it?"
I'd try to find the mysterious wom-
an"
But the police. SO 1 understand. at
tempted that and failed" he objected.
1tCW CCuiu you succeed.
oh. l dare say. l shouldn't succeed"
I laughed. his air striking me a little
more earnest than the occasion de-
manded. II should probably fail. just
as the police did"
"In France" he remarked. ut is not
in the least expected that men OF the
law should"
of course. a lawyer can't help 1t. some
times; some cases demand more or less
detective work, and are yet too deli
cate to be entrusted to the police"
1T is also the fault of our police tina
1t is too fond Of the newspapers, OF pos
ing before the public-it Is q fault of
m nature, is 1t not?"
You speak English so we'll, Mr.. Mar
tigny." I said. that 1 have wondered
where you learned It,"
Il was some years in England-the
business of wine-and devoted myself
seriously to the study Of tina language.
But l still find 1t sometimes very diff
flcult to understand you Americans
you speak so much more rapidly than
the English. and so much less distinct
~. You have a way Of running o
words together. Of dropping whole
sy!lables-"
YES" 1 smiled. land that Is the very
thing we complain Of in the French"
oh. our elisions are governed by
"SAA w AdWS IN S0CLk OlAS COIIl>
prehends. while here
Every man Is q law unto himself.
Remember, It is the land Of the free
And the home of the license. Is it
not?" he added. unconscious of irony.
Yes. I decided. I was very fortunate
in gaining M%artigny's acquaintance. OF
course, after he opened his business,
he would have less time to devote to
me: but, nevertheless, we would have
many pleasant evenings together. and I
looked forward to them with consider
able anticipation. He was interesting
In misunderstanding, with that
large tolerance and good humor, which
/ have already mentioned, and which
was n Of the most striking character
istics OF the a And then-shall 1
admit it'll was lonely. too. sometimes.
as I suppose every bachelor must be:
and i welcomed a companion.
1t was Monday. the fourteenth day
OF April. and we had just opened the
office. when n clerk hurried in with q
message for MIR. Royce.
There's a man out here who wants
to see you at once. sir, said. He
says his names Thompson, and that
he's Miss Frances Holidays butler"
Our Junior half started from his chair
IN his excitement: then he controlled
himself. and sank back into it again.
"Show him in." he said, and sat with
his eyes on the door. haygard in appear
ance. pitiful in eagerness. Not until
that moment had l noticed how the
past week had aged him and worn him
down-his work. of course. might &C.
count for part Of 1t. but not for all. He
seemed almost i'll.
The door opened in q moment. and
a g~ray-haired man Of about sixty en-
tered. He was fairly gasping for breath
n plainly laboring under strong emo
ton.
We'll. Thompson" demanded Mr..
Royce. whats the trouble now?
Trouble enough. sir!" cried the 9TH
er. my mistress has been made away
with. sir! She left town just ten days