Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1908-10-28

where could listen, and, so, after fifteen
or twenty minutes had gone by, l went
back into my cabin and closed the door.
How long l had slept did not know
1t might have been, so far as could tell,
two minutes or two hours.
For heavens sake, Captain Bruce,
open the door," said a mans voice. 1t
was Sewer back again.
l jumped up and flung open the door,
muttering something not particularly COM
plimentary.
whats the matter now, Mr.. Sevierw
l inquired impatiently.
Murders the matter" he answered, in
a strange, cold voice. And in an instant
not only was 1 broad awake, but had
forgotten my petty vexation in far diff
ferent emotion.
what do you mean?" 1 sternly de-
manded.
81 mean that Arthur Trefusius has been
murdered. He's lying dead in our-in his
stateroom."
"Come inside, Mr.. SEWER" 1 said.
He did so. / closed the door and turn
ed on the electric light. 1t flashed white
upon him, and l saw with horror that
there was blood upon his hands.
Ny first thought was that had been a
blind fool not to regard what had pre-
viously happened more seriously--a mad
man to have left this young fellow, in
the heat of his anger, go down TO the
man whom he had just virtually threat
ened. But the mischief was done now,
and the only recourse remaining was to
be guilty of no further mistakes, no more
imprudences.
do you fully understand the terrible
DatuGe of the thing you have just said,
and the grave consequences this nights
work may have for your" 1 asked.
'I understand ALL" he answered quick
ly. 81 understand what is in your mind
at this instant, and heaven knows / can't
blame you for it. You think l killed
him.
eff he is dead" l returned, appear
ances certainly seem at present to be
against you"
"They will be SOTO the end perhaps"
he uttered desperately. Murder may
have been in my heart but now that see
what it's like, r'-he faltered for the first
time, and giving a groan, covered his pale
face with both blood-stained hands. "Your
evidence, and what you'll find below, will
be enough to convict me twice over. /
don't think I'd care, if it weren't for
Moyra. Heavens She'll believe it and
loathe me !"
l knew whom ne meant. The pretty
cousin, the young lady whose name was
down in the passenger list as Miss Moyra
Ransome, and she was supposed to have
been engaged to Trefusis.
l., ~,
followed, then stopped abruptly. 1 knew
his thought, and answered 1t. Il must
ask you to remain here" 1 said, with
the first officer, for whom 1 shall now
send, while 1 go below"
Within the space of three or four min
utes 1 had Hamilton with him, had given
a word or two of explanation and had my
self gone in search of Berkmyre, the
ships doctor.
Together we went to stateroom No. 80.
1t was Illuminated by electric light, but
the door was closed, and we opened it, our
movements very quiet, that none of the
passengers might be disturbed by a sud
den knowledge of the tragedy which had
happened in their midst.
Face downward in the lower berth Ire
fusis was lying. His coat and vest were
off, and his collar, but otherwise he was
fully dressed.
One might have entered the stateroom,
1 noticed, and not being prepared to find
anything wrong have merely supposed that
the young man had flung himself across
the berth and gone to sleep. His head
and shoulders were in the shadow of the
curtain, his feet trailing out upon the
floor, and only by pushing the drapery
aside was it easy to see the stain of blood
in the center of the back.
Berkmyre at once began his examina-
ton, while 1 stood by. The poor fellow
was quite dead, and must have been so
for nearly an hour. There could be no
question of suicide, as the blow had been
struck from behind, and with such sud-
den force as in all probability to fling him
forward into his present position. He
had doubtless been STOPPING toward the
berth at the time the stroke had been de-
livered with the blade of a large sharp
knife. No such weapon rewarded our
search, but a faint trail of blood was to
of its concealment became as evident as
it had been effectual.
Between the moment Of Trefusis' leav-
ing the deck and Sewers sudden depart
ure in the same direction, not more than
ten minutes could have elapsed Besides
all this, Sewer was known, in the heat
of his resentment, to have desired the
others death, while so far as knew, Ire
fusis was on the most friendly terms with