Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1907-03-30

es--Mees--what you cal-Holladay
IS again Well"
we haven't heard from her" said.
she is still at her place in the coun-
try"
"Oh. she is doubtless well--in her
take such an interest-you will par
don me If | weary you"
Weary me? But you DON'T
Then l viii make bold TO ask you
have you made any-what you call
theory Of the crime?"
NO" l answered that Is none be-
yond what was I'm the newspapers
illegitimate daughter theory. / sup
pose you saw II. That seems to tit the
case"
He nodded meditatively. yet l like
20 imagine how Monsieur Lecoq would
approach It. Would he believe ii was
murder simply because II so appeared?
Has IT occurred to you that Mees Hol-
laday truly might have visited her
father and that his death was not
murder at all, but an accident?'
An accident ?" ! repeated. How
could II be an accident? How could a
man be stabbed accidentally In the
neCk2 Besides, even II Ii were an ac-
cident, how would that explain his
daughters rushing from the building
without trying TO save him, without
giving the alarm? II it wasn't muir
der, why should the woman, whoever
Sht was, De frightened! HOW else can
you explain her hight?'
He was looking at me thoughtfully.
"All that YOU say is YER true he said.
1T shows that you have given 70 the
case much thought / believe that you
also have a fondness for crimes Of
mystery and he smiled at me. rs 1t
not so, Mistair Lester?'
u have never suspected it, | laughed,
until this case came up, but the mi
Crobe seems 10 have bitten me"
"Ah, yes" he said doubtfully, not
quite understanding
And I've rather fancied at times
l admitted that ] should like 10 take
a hand at solving it-though, OF course,
/ never shall Our connection with
the case is ended"
He shot me a quick glance, then
lighted another cigaret
Suppose II 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 l understand. at
tempted that and failed" he objected.
How could you succeed?"
oh l dare say, / shouldn't succeed"
| laughed, his air striking me a little
more earnest than the occasion de-
manded II should probably fail, just
as the police did"
III t dllItr ne Ieiildl hCis II IL lbL
in the least expected that men of the
law should"
Nor is it here" l explained. "Only,
OF course, a lawyer can't help it, some
times; some cases demand more or less
detective work, and are yet too deli
cate 10 be entrusted TO the police"
1t is also the fault of our police that
IL is too fond Of the newspapers, of pos
ing before the public-it is a fault of
human nature is IL not %
You speak English so well, Mr., Mar
tigny" l said, that / have wondered
where you learned it."
Il was some years in England-the
business of wine-and devoted myself
seriously to the study Of the language.
But l still find 1t sometimes very diff
ticult to understand you Americans
you speak so much more rapidly than
the English, and so much less distinct
ly. You have q way of running your
words together, of dropping whole
syllables-"
Yes, l smiled, land that is the vary
thing we complain of in the French"
"Oh, our elislons are governed by
well defined laws which each one COM
prehends, while here"
Every man is a 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
y
in gaining Martigny'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
looked forward to them with consider
able anticipation. He was interesting
in himsclf-entertainin with that
large tolerance and good humor, which
I have already mentioned, and which
was one Of the most striking character
istics of the man. And then-shall I
sdmit it'll was lonely too, sometimes,
as l suppose every bachelor must be;
and welcomed a companion.
It was Monday the fourteenth day
OF April, and we had just opened the
office, when a clerk hurried In with
message for Mr.. Royce
There's a man out here who wants
to see you at once sir" he said. He
says his names Thompson, and that
he's Miss Frances Holladay's butler"
our junior half started from his chair
in his excitement; then he controlled
himself, and sank back into il again.
SHOW him in" he said and sat with
his eyes on the door, haggard in appear
ance, pitiful in eagerness. Not until
that moment had / noticed how the
past week had aged him and worn him
down-hls work, of course, might ac-
count for part of it, but not for all He
semed almost ill.,
The door opened in a moment, and
a gray-haired man of about sixty en-
tered. He was fairly gasping for breath
and plainly laboring under strong emo
tion.
Wei, Thompson, demanded Mr.
Royce, what's the trouble now?"
Trouble enough, sir" cried the 9th
er. MY mistress has been made away
with, sir She left town just ten days
ago for Belair, where we were all wait
ing for her and nobody has set eyes on
her since, sir"
Continued Next Week.