The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1908-12-04
1.-THE Shadow Between"
- 1t
SILAS K. K


him a very needful preliminary, and
he was very gratifed to find that it
had excited no remark or question,
The longer it went without contradic'
ton the stronger would be the pre-
sumption in the eyes of everybody that
the report was true.
He argued to himself that in claim,
ing his brothers estate he would have
to assume that his niece was dead,
and that it would be her business to
prove that she was alive; failing to
do that, the property would become
his by default.
Mr.. Evans strongly objected to this
preliminary proceeding, and in a care
fully worded letter told him so. Lord
Richard resented the letter, and yet
he feared the man. He knew that Ev-
ans was playing entirely for his own
hand, and that he would sacrifice ev-
cry friend he had in the world to gain
his own ends.
Lord Richards chief anxiety now
was to get the silver box with its con
tents into his own hands. He would
never feel quite safe until the evil
dence of his niece's identity had been
DESTROYED. If the Nebraska had
f%oundered in deep water, he would not
have worried himself five minutes over
the matter, but the Beetles were so
close to the shore that any day the
coveted article might be cast up b.
the waves.
He heard from Evans at least once
a week, and every fortnight he sent
him a five POUND note, according to
agreement. He b~egrudged those notes
exceedingly. He sometimes feared
that Evans did rot care how long he
remained at St. Chloe SO long as he
got his wages regularly. Every now
and then he sOt news of this article
and that being washed ashore, and oc-
casionally Evans Sent him a cutting
from the local press confirming the
news he had sent by letter; but the
coveted Cowhide trunk still remained
in the embrace OF the great sea.
He hoped that Evans was playing
rhis cards cautiously. From what he
could gather by his letters, Marion
West was taking nc interest in her
submerged property, and, to all ap-
pearances, had given it up as hope
lessly lost. She had never been seen
in st. Chloe since she went away, and
nobody seemed to know what had be
come of her. That being SO, Evans
task would be comparatively easy in
case the coveted trunk should by any
chance drift ashore. That Evans
himself knew where Marion West was
Lord Richardson had little doubt. He
assumed-though incorrectly in the
present case-that Evans was too as.
tute a man to let her GO for long out
Of his sight.
So the weeks slipped away and
grew into months, and then came the
newspaper paragraph which filled Lord
Richard with the keenest anxiety.
There was little doubt left in his mind
that Evans was the guilty party, but
the reporters hastily written lines in.
dicated no motive for the deed.
Why should Evans stab the curate
out on a lonely moor four or five miles
away from st. Chloe? What were they
doing there? What possible ground
of quarrel could exist between the two
men?
Lord Richard stared hard at the fire,
and furrowed his forehead into end.
less wrinkles in trying to find an an
swer to these perplexing questions.
That there was a reason for every.
thing he knew. Also he was quite
sure that transforming and con.
scienceless as he was-would not 60
to the length of stabbing a man un.
less he was driven into a very tight
corner.
What had happened to them?
Lord Richard got out Of his easy
chair and proceeded to the cloak room,
where he donned his overcoat and hat,
and made his way by the shortest cuts
to his home.
Evans might turn up It any mo
ment. He might even now be at his
house waiting for him. Lord Richard
walked much faster than was custom
airy with him, and arrived hot and
painting, to discover that no one had
called during his absence.
The rest of the day he spent main
~ in scanning the columns Of the vari-
Gus editions Of the evening papers, but
nothing of importance was added to
what had already appeared. The
problem remained unsolved, and Lord
Richard spent an anxious and a rest.
less night in brain-racking but fruit
less speculaticns.
The next mornings papers, how
ever, threw a considerable amount OF
light on the matter, though Lord
Richards mental tension remained
unrelieved. The local reporters had
evidently pursued their Investigations
with great diligence. They had inter
viewed Mrs. Dyer and Mrs. Tamblyn,
the respective landladies Of Nevins
and Grayton. They had made an ex-
ho,,cfiya cooroh nf paprv porfh and