The star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1908-1909, 1908-07-17
CHAPTER |.
a~NIurder."

arms, the first faint streak OF early
dawn became visible in the east. One
of them, a lank. plaln-featured young
man of ungainly aspect, but penetrating
eye, called attention of the others to it.
Look" said he. There is the day.
light This has been a gay night for
Sutherlandtown."
TOO gay" muttered another, start
! ing aside as the slight figure Of a young
man coming from the house behind
them rushed hastily by. why, who's
that ?"
As they one and all had recognized
the person thus alluded to. no one an
swered till he had dashed out of the
gate and disappeared in the woods on
the other side of the road. Then they
all spoke at once.
ITS MI. Frederick"
HE seems in a desperate hurry"
He trod on my toes"
did you heal the words he was
muttering as he went by?"
AS only the last question was calcu-
lated to rouse an interest, 1t alone re-
ceived attention.
mo; what were they? I heard him
saw something, but l did not catch the
words"
He wasn't talking to you or me.
either, but l have ears that hear
an eyewink. He said, Thank God, this
terrible night Is over!' Think of that!
After such a dance and such a spread,
he calls this night terrible and thanks
God that 1t is over. l thought he was
one to enjoy this kind of thing more
than most folks"
so did l."
"And so did l."
The five musicians exchanged looks,
then huddled In a group at the gate.
HE has quarreled with his sweet
heart" suggested one.
I'm not surprised at that" declared
another. IT never thought 1t would he
a match"
"Shame If 1t were!' muttered the
ungainly youth who had spoken first.
AS the subject of this m was
the son of the gentleman whose house
they were just leaving they necessarily
spoke low, but their tones were rife
with curiosity and 1t was evident that
the topic deeply interested them. One
of the five who had not previously
spoken now put In a word.
al saw him when he first led out
Miss Page to dance. and | saw him
again when he stood up opposite her
in the last quadrille, and ] tell you.
boys, there was a mighty deal of diff
ference In the way III looked at her
the last time from what he did the
first. You wouldn't ave thought him
the same man. Reckless young fell
lows like him are not to be caught by
dimples only. They want cash.
cor family, at least, and she hasn't
either. But what a pretty girl she is!
Some fellow as rich as he and as well
connected would be satisfied with her
good looks alone"
Good looks!' High scorn was OBJ
servable in this exclamation, which was
made by the young man who / have
before characterized as ungainly. Il
refuse to acknowledge that she has any
good looks. on the contrary, | consider
her plain"
ooh. OH" burst in protest from more
than one mouth. And why does she
have every fellow In the room dangling
after her, them asked the player on
the yellow nageolet.
but she hasn't a regular feature
what difference does that make
when 1t isn't her features you notice,
but herself"
II don't like her"
A laugh followed this.
THAT won't trouble her. Sweetwater.
Sutherland does, if o don't. and
that's much more to the point. And
he'll marry her yet. He can't help 1t.
Why, she'd witch the devil Into lead
ing her to the altar If she took a no.
ion to have him for her bridegroom
"There would be consistency In
that" muttered the fellow just ad-
dressed. but Mr.. Frederick
Hush, There's some one on the
doorstep. Why. it's she!"
They all glanced back. The grace
full figure of a young girl dressed In
white was to be seen leaning toward
them from the open doorway. Behind
her shone n blaze of llght-the candles
not having been yet eXtinguished In the
hall-and against this brilliant back
ground her slight form, with all Its be-
witching outlines, stood out in plain
relief. There was an anxious bend to
it, however. which none Of them had
ever observed In IT before.
"Nho was that?" she began In a
high, almost strident voice, totally out
of keeping with the curves or
her strange. sweet face. But the ques-
ton remained as We'll dS
unanswered, for at that moment her
attention, as well as that of the men
lingering at the gate, was attracted
by the sound of h%urrying feet and con-
fused cries coming up the hill.
Murder, murder!" was the word
painted out by more than one harsh
voice, n in another instant a dozen
men and boys came rushing into sight
in a state of such excitement that the
five musicians recoiled from the gate,
and one of them went so far as to start
back toward the house. AS he did so
he noticed a curious thing. The young
woman whom they had all perceived
standing in the door a moment before
had vanished, yet she was known to
profess the keenest curiosity of any
one in town.
Murder, murder" A terrible and
unprecedented cry in this old, God
fearing town. Then came In hoarse
explanation from the jostling group
as they stopped at the gate: Mrs.
Webb has been killed! Stabbed with
a knife! Tell Mr.. sutherland"
Mrs. Webb,"
As the musicians heard this lame, so
honored and so universally beloved,
they to a man uttered a cry. Mrs.
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