The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1908-05-28
CHAPTER x1.-continued.

z was q dead man, for 1 lac never been
wounded In this way before, and the
fafood scared mo. ] remember my pre-
vaiiing idea was a Kind of stunned pity
Cor myself, Perhaps later-1 hope So
z should rave come to think of Pc
Eroni!ia and my uncle and other peo-
gle But before this stage was reached
Ghe duches treasured me-. Courage.
zasft" she cried heartily. ut Is all
right, Dick. The villain struck him on
che breast bone. an inch too low, and
ass just ripped up a scrap of skin. 1t
s9as bIooded him for the spring, that is
all A bit of plaster
And a drink of strong waters sug-
crested the Dutchman soberly; his
thoughts were always to the point when
ghey came.
Yes, that, too" auoth my lady. and
Ge will be all right"
I bought so myself when I had
senlptied the cup they offered me. I
erad been n gcod deal shaker by the
vents of the day. The sight OF blood
had further upset me-. ! really think
esligh, hurt and my imagination if L
Trad been left to myself. But the
duchess assurance and the draft of
sgcsrnapps, which seemed TO send new
s5rood through my veins. made me feel
ashamed of myself. If the duchess
would lave let me, I would al once nave
gone to &earch the premises. AS it
ETas, she made me sit still while she
tan TO and fro for hot water and plas-
Ger. and the men searched the lower
esooras and secured the door afresh.
And so you could see nothing of
fslfurg" our host asked when he and
@aster Bertie returned, weapons in
aland- Nothing of his figure or face?"
Nothing, save that he was short" I
answered, Shorter thar | am, at any
rate, and I fancy q good deal"
"a good deal, shorter thar you are?"
m lady said uneasily. That is no
s-few- In this country nine people out
H5e 10 are that. Clarence. now is not
No. ! said. He Is about the same
height. IT was not Clarence"
Then who could 1T be?" she nut
shsred, rising and then with a quick
sstaNddcr sitting down again. Heaven
Nsip Us, We seem to be in the midst of
Toes! What could be the motiver And
why should the villain have selected
Tou? Why pick you out?"
T~Ehereupon a strange thing happened.
Ylfree pairs of English eyes met and
sfgrated a common message eye to
eye No word passed. but the message
ssvsg Van Tree!" When we had glanced
'sat siT,e another, we looked all of us at
aSur host--aoosled somewhat guilty. He
WAS deep in thought, his eyes on the
stov<, put ne seemed to feel our gaze
e1yTsa him. and he looked up abruptly.
~Master Van Tree"-he said and
stopped.
You know him well?'' the duchess
Sssaid, appealing to him softly. We felt
q KIND of sorrow for him and some deli
"cacy. too, about accusing one of his
rsountTy1nen Of a thing 50 cowardly.
Nso you think It is possible" she con
sxinued with an effort, possible that
me- can have done this. Master Lind
Rtrom?"
II nave known him from a boy" the
merchant said. looking up, a hand on
etther knee. ard speaking with a sim
Asacity almost majestic, and never
Ikrfsss him do a mean thing, madam. I
MAr1w no more than that And he
hooked round on MS.
THAT is a good deal Still he went
tron in a fit of jealousy when Master
Carey brought Dymphna home. We
stznnst remember that"
Yes, / would he knew the rights of
that matter" said tho Dutchman
heartily.
and he has been hanging about the
szpiace all day my lady persisted.
Yes" Master Lindstrom rejoined pa
xaaer1a1y, yet 1 do not think he did this.
Then who did," she said. somewhat
xnettled.
That was the question. had my
esDnaaadga, as / saw Master BERTHE and
ssssse duchess had. I did not doubt II
saras Van Tree. yet a thought struck me
-1r might be WE'LL" I suggested, that
sasOIiieone should ask Mistress Anne
Sawffeah her the door was open when she
Meft the She passed out just in
y XVII vi LIE. 4&NH-a
But she does not go by the door
Any lady objected.
Mo, she would turn at once and &c
n1p stairs" / agreed. 1But she could
Zee the door from the foot of the stairs
if she looked that way. I mean,
The duchess assented and went out
eOf tho room to put the question. we
*hres, left together, sat staring at The
dull farie of h lamp n We're 70,
h yaost part silent. Master Bertie only
81 Anrr 80 -TsSV - Nc 50 - IVA - -. 80
The suspicion he n entertained o.
Wan Trees guilt seemed to raise a bar.
Eter between us and our host. Nix
wound, slight as 1t was, s1narted an
burned, n my head ached. Afte,
midnight. was it? What a day it ha
been!
When the duchess came back, as sh,
old In q few minutes. boil Anne ant
Dymphna came with her. The girl
HAD risen hastily and were shtverin,
with cold and alarm. Their eyes wer
RrIghs. their amer was excited. The.
were full Of sympathy and horror an,
wonder, as was natural, OF neryou
fear for themselves, too. But my iad,
cut short their EXPLANATIONS. 5,s
said she did not notice til
Opr, she said.
NO the girl answered, tremblin
wtafhly, as h spoke. II went u
straight to bed, But who could 1t be
struck you? MOI a feature? Not a
outline r.
No. murmured.
a1sd he not saya word?'. she cor
MINED. With strange insistence. .Wa
he taxi or short? !" Her dark eye
dwelling on milne. seemed no probe NJ
thOnghts, as though they challenge
me to keep anything back from ne
WAS It the man you hurt this norI
Ing h suggested.
answered.. reluctantly. 9Th
dHfan was short"
Short WA III? Was II Master vi
as ErSex then? ~
ri, who felt also certain that it W
AM Ixee started nevertheless at hea
the charge put into words befo
s 1lynlphna. I wondered. and I&think t
sSSsefners did. too at Mistress Ann,
0karohness. Even my lady. so blunt a
by nature. had shrunk fre
NytItg V question the Dutch girl abo
s - WI looked at Dy.nphT
ss FsQnderiuE how she would take III.
We had forgotten that she could i
a%s Ilderstafid English. but this did I
asaa Aerve her. for without q paisa Misfrf