The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1909-01-15
Through a
WOn1an'S Heart.
BY Sidney Warwick.
By Sidney Warwick.
Hume had fallen when the shot struck

10 my mind 1t is cOnclusively clear
that after he was shot some one drag
ged him to the drift where he was
found to cancel the crime"
The sensation caused in the village
was intense. The news seemed to
have spread like wildfire. A little
crowd of village people had gathered
outside the great gates of the hall
grounds, exchanging speculations in
eager, excited voices. as they stared
curiously down the drive; there was
nothing to be seen except the house
with the drawn blinds, yet the mere
knowledge that behind one of those
darkened windows the dead man was
lying seemed to stimulate the morbid
fascination that the fact of murder
exercises over some minds. The
crowd grew like SNOWFALL.
Repeatedly to newcomers the story
was recounted afresh.
1T was Jim the carrier as found
hin.-saw hand sticking up out of a
drift of snow, Jim did. He said it
made him feel fair creepy all over
that almost before he knew what he
was doing he turned to see whether
there weren't something or some one
as the dead squire was trying to point
out to him-the way the murderer
had gone, maybe!" said one village
gossip with a horribly morbid relish.
But has ia heerd what they've
found in t'dead squire's other hand?"
broke in another eagerly. 1T were
gripping playing card-three weeks
under t'snow that cards been clutch
ed in his hand, for it's three weeks
since Esquire were last seen. l won
der now if that card had aught to do
wi t'squire's death? Close by these
gates, as you might say, all the while,
as we've passed score o. times. and
none on us dreamed of what, was ly-y
ing under t'snow!"
AYE, and who knows whether the
chap as fired that shot isn't walking
among us, laughing and joking and
talking just like one of us, for all that
he has blood on his hands?"
And then a babel of eager specula-
ton as TO who could have committed
the crime.
But it was the strange incident of
the playing card that excited the
most comment among the villagers,
to whom such a sensation as this was
an event in the monotony of their
lives. 1t fastened on their imagina-
tions-a playing card clutched in the
dead mans hand. An ace of hearts.
1t was the superintendent of police
from Fellsgarth who made curious
discovery about this card.
AS he took it up, limp and sudden
with the snow, something seemed to
strike him. He passed his fingers
over the back of the card and exam
ined it with sudden look of surprise.
did you notice anything curious
about that card, doctor?' he asked.
quietly. It had been DR.. Sprent who
removed the card from the stiffened
fingers.
DR.. Sprent shook his head. His pro
fession had made him more interested
in the dead man than the card at
which he had scarcely glanced.
Feel the back of it,"
The doctor passed his fingers over
it as the superintendent had done. On
the back, he noticed, were several ex-
crescences-tiny punctures, swollen
by the moisture of the snow into
warts.
That's been a marked card" said
the superintendent. you know, sharp
ers often mark the back of the cards
by pin pricks, in precisely the way
that this has been marked. It's a
regular trick of the snide fraternity
A marked card in the dead mans
hand! How had it come there? The
superintendent seemed to attach i'm
portance to it las though he thought
it might furnish a clue. He took Off
cial possession of the strip of linn
pasteboard.
AS DR.. Sprent was leaving he en-
countered the rector in the hall.
What a terrible affair! You've
heard the details of course, from Bon
holt Hume?" said the doctor, as HI
and Stephen Ruthen walked ava,
from the house. "It's plain case O
murder. l understand that the police
are searching all about the plac
where the poor chap was found, in tn
hope Of finding some clue. Mind you
the body was dragged some distanc
after the crime; I'm sure Of that
The murder seems to have been abse
lutely motiveless. Who could hav
done it? Surely no one in the vi
lage."
The doctor paused for breath. Til
rector seemed to have nothing to sa,
"Bonholt Hume is tremendously vi
set-only natural, of course" went o
DR.. Sprent, who was fond OF hearin
his own voice. Though, mind 20,
I was never disposed to swallow in
plicitly all have heard about til
almost fatherly affection of Bonho
towards Philip. Or, IL so, doubt
! Philip returned it particularly dee
, ly. I've heard him say-but that
| neither here nor there. Bonholt's