The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1907-11-25

GO and fetch your master at
once" she said.
She turned abruptly as Lord Raw.
enspur came into the room. His
handsome, smiling face and prema-
turely iron gray hair afforded
strong contrast to the features of
his visitor He came forward with
extended hands.
This is an unexpected pleasure.
Maria" he said. But what is
wrong? Louis is all right. l sup
posed?"
Louis is dead" the woman said
in the same cold. strained voice.
He has been foully murdered.
could not say more if l spoke for
an hour. Louis is dead!"
The speaker repeated the last
| three words over and over again,
as if she were trying to realize the
dread significance o. her own mes
sage. Ravenspur stood there with
his hand to his head, shocked and
greved almost beyond the power
| of speech.
This is terrible" he murmured
at length MY dear Maria, l can
not find words to express my SYM
pathy. Could you tell me how it
happened? But perhaps l am ask
ing too much"
NO" Mrs. Delahay replied. still
speaking with the utmost calm
ness; Il am ready to answer any
question you like to put to me. |
am absolutely dazed and stunned.
| AS yet | can realize nothing. But
perhaps, before the reaction comes
| had better tell you everything.
| To think that | should lose him in
this way whilst | am still bride!
But | dare not pity myself as yet,
there is far too much stern work
to be done
won't you sit down." Raven.
spur murmured.
my dear friend. l couldn't. But
/ will try to tell you how it hap
pened. He came back to London
yesterday afternoon, as you know
and put up at the Grand hotel. You
see, | had never been in London
before, and so | know nothing at
all about it. If we had only gone
straight to our own house in F1tz-
john square this dreadful thing
but why do | think of that? You
know the house was not quite ready
for us, and that was the reason
we went to the Grand. After visit
ing a theater last night Louis an
nounced his intention of going as
far as our house. | understood him
to say that he required something
from his studio. There were no
caretakers on the premises, but
Louis had latchkey, so that was
all right | went to bed about II
O'Clock, thinking no evil, and not
in the least alarmed because Louis
had not come back. AS you know,
he had always been a terribly late
man. Still when I woke up this
morning about 6, and found that he
had not returned, | became gen
timely alarmed. | took cab as
far as Fitzjohn square, and went
into the house"
zone moment" Ravenspur in
terrupted Il don't quite under?
stand how you managed to get into
the premises
THAT was an easy matter,
though the front door was closed.
The latchkey was still in the lock
| only had to turn it to obtain adj
mission. | went straight to the
studio, and there on the floor, but
II really cannot say any more
Strung up as | am | could not de-
scribe it to you | suppose
cried out, and when | came back
to proper comprehension OF
things the place was full of police
For the last two hours | have been
with them answering all sorts OF
questions. Then something told me
to come to you, and here | am. And
whatever you do, please don't leave
me alone. | could not bear to be
, alone"
81 wish | could tell you how sor
; ry | am Lord Ravenspur muir
INJURED. This is a most eXtraOrdi
nary business altogether. You say
that Louis left you not later than
IL o'clock to go as far as Fitzjohr
square, and that, when he left the
, Grand hotel he had no other OBJ
, ject in his mind. You are quite
sure of this?"
/, Il am absolutely certain" Mrs
> Delahay replied.
well, that is a strange thing,
: Ravenspur went on. ut so happens
that | had an acciden to my owl
studio a day or two ago, and unit
yesterday the wOrkmen were in re
pairing the glass roof. i was en-
gagged upon small work which
was anxious to finish, and it Oc
Cured to me that | might just al
well make use of your husband!
studio, seeing that he was ava!
from home and did not require 1t
| obtained a duplicate key from thu
house agent, and all yesterday
was working on my picture there
After some friends who were din
ing with me last night left, walk
ed as far as Fitzjohn square, ant
till nearly a quarter past l THU
morning | was at work there.
might have gone on all night, onl,
the electric light failed suddenly
and | was left in darkness. Thel
came home and went to bed.
was half past l before | left you
house and there was no sign o