The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1908-05-28
xL.-continued.

The. words brought the duchess to
her knees by my chair. She tore open
my doublet. through which the blood
was oozing fast. I made M doubt that
I was a dead man, for l had never been
wounded In this way before, and the
blood scared me. ] remember my pre-
vailinE idea was a kind OF stunned pity
for myself. Perhaps later hope so
4 should have come to think OF Pc
tronilia and my uncle and other peo-
pie. But before this stage was reached
the duchess treasured me. Courage,
lad" she cried heartily. ut Is all
right, Dick. The villain struck him on
has Just ripped up a scrap OF skin. II
has blooded him for the spring, that Is
all. A bit OF plaster"
And a drink OF strong waters" sug-
gested the Dutchman soberly; his
thoughts were always to the point when
they came.
Eyes, that, too" quoth my lady. "and
he will be all right"
/ thought so myself when ] had
emptied the cup they offered me.
had been a good deal shaken by the
events of. the day. The sight OF blood
had further upset me. / really think
At possible I might have died of this
slight hurt and my imagination If /
had beer left to- myself. But the
duchess assurance and the draft of
schnapps, which seemed to send new
blood through my veins. made me feel
ashamed of myself. If h duchess
would have let me. l would at once have
gone to search the premises. AS 1t
was, she made me sit still while she
ran to and fro for hot water and plas-
ter, n the men searched the lower
rooms and secured the door afresh.
And Sc you could see nothing or
him rH.. nllr host 1QiIRH Nhnn he and
Master BERTHE returned, weapons in
hand. "Nothing Of his figure or face?'
Nothing, W. that he was short" ]
answered, Shorter than / am, at any
rate, and l fancy a good deal"
"a good deal shorter h you are?'
my lady said uneasily. THAT Is no
clew. In this country nine people oIt
mo-" / said. HE is about the same
height. 1t was not Clarence"
Then who could 1t be-" she NUT
tered, rising and then with a quick
shoulder sitting down again. Heaven
help us, we seem to be in the midst of
foes! What could be the motive? And
why should the villain have selected
you2 Why pick you out?"
Thereupon a strange thing happened.
Three pairs OF English eyes met and
signaled a common message eye to
eye. No word passed, but the message
was Van Tree!" When we had glanced
at n another, we looked all OF us at
bur host-looked somewhat guilty. He
was deep in thought, his eyes on the
stove. but he seemed to feel u gaze
upon him. and he looked up abruptly.
Master Van Tree"-he said and
stopped.
eYou know him wellg" the duchess
said. appealing to him softly. We felt
q kind of sorrow for him and some deli
cacy. too, about accusing one of his
co~untrymen of a thing so cowardly.
rDo Won think it is possible" she con-
dnued. with an effort, possible that
he can have done this, Master Lind
strom?' als.
II have known him from a boy" the
merchant said, looking UP, a hand on
either knee. and speaking with a sim
plicity almost majestic. land never
knew him do a mean thing. madam. /
Know no more than that" And he
looked round on us.
That Is a good deal. Still he went
on in n fit of jealousy when Master
Carey brought Dymphna home. We
must remember that"
Eyes. l would he knew the rights OF
that matter" said the Dutchman
heartily. . z
"And he has been hanging about the
place all day" my lady persisted.
Yes" Master LindStron rejoined pa
tiently. 'yet I do not think he did this"
Then who did," she said, somewhat
nettled.
That was the question. had my
opinion, as | saw Master BERTHE and
the duchess had. did not doubt Il
was Van Tree, yet a thought struck me.
1T might be weIl." / suggested, that
someone should ask Mistress Anne
whether the door was open when she
left he room. She passed out Just In
front of me-"
"But she does not go by the door"
my lady objected.
mo; she would turn at once n go
up stairs" 1 agreed. But she could
see the door from the foot OF the stairs
-if she looked that way. ] mean"
The C assented and went gu
of the room to put the question. We
three, left together, sat staring at the
dull fame of the lamp and were foI
n most part silent, Master BERTHE only
reInarKing that 1t was after midnight
The suspicion he and l entertained OF
Van Trees guilt seemed to raise a bar
rier between us and our host. MY
wound. slight as IL was, smarted and
burned, and my head ached. After
midnight, was 1t? What a day it had
beeni
When the duchess came back, as she
did In a few minutes. both Anne and
Dymphna came with her. The girls
had risen hastily and were shiverine
with cold and alarm. Their eyes were
bright. their manner was excited. They
were full of sympathy and horror and
wonder, as was natural, of nervous
fear for themselves. too. But my lady
cut shert their ordinations.
"Anne said she did not notice the
door" h said.
No" the girl answered, tremblins
visibly, as she spoke. II went VI
straight to bed. But who could it be
Did you see nothing of him as HI
outline?' W.
No. i murn1ured.
did he not say q word?" she con.
tinued, with strange insistence. IVA.
he tall or short?' Her dark eyes
dwelling on mine, seemed to probe M
thoughts, as though they challenged
me to keep anything "a from her
'sWas 1t the la you hurt this morn,
ing?' she suggested.
NO." I answered, reluctantly. 'Thii
man was short"
Short. was he? Was it Master Val
Tree, them"
We, who felt also certain that it wa
Van Tree, started nevertheless at hear
~ A.. n - ANak FnfA monde HnfAr,