The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1909-01-15
CHAPTER vii.
The Last Homecoming.

Its dead master had been taken to
the hall-the big, old place standing
in its wide, wooded grounds on the
outskirts of Wildfell, that had shell
tered long generations of his name;
in the great, sombre dining room the
faces of dead-and-gone Humes looked
down from the broad gold frames on
the paneled walls on figure that
might have been carved out of mar
BILE, with features so calm and untrou-
bled that it was difficult to associate
them with a violent death. In the
darkened house the servants moved
with hushed tread and spoke in ,whis-
pers, as though afraid of disturbing
the dead mans last sleep.
The police had been telegraphed for
from Fellsgarth and DR.. Sprent sum-
moned, Immediately on the discovery
of the tragedy; the little group stood
talking in lowered voices in the room
where the dead man lay. Bonholt
Hume was not one of the group-the
new master, as he now was, of the
hall; the place was entailed, and he
was the last of the family.
No one had been surprised at Bon
holt uNp,o,, v,oorl,od vo1uofopoo IN on.
ter the chamber of death, or his re-
fusal when the tragic news came to
identify the dead man. His strong
affection for Philip was a matter of
common knowledge in the village; it
seemed not unnatural that he should
shrink from the ordeal of so painful
a sight, even If to DR.. Sprent his
dread to look upon the dead face of
one confessedly so dear to him was
somewhat inexplicable.
''The face is quite calm and peace
full, Mr.. Hume; there Is no sugges-
ton there of his violent end to shock
you. And although the poor fellow
must have been lying there three
weeks the snow has arrested the
processes of Nature marvelously,"
said DR.. Sprent, who had looked
upon the face Of deaths too
often for it to have any terrors. He
could not understand or sympathize
with the shrinking fear the poor hui
man clay could inspire-least of all
in any one to whom the dead had
been dear.
But Bonholt Hume drew back, white
and trembling, with horror in his face.
His nerve seemed to have utterly
gone.
mo, MOI" he cried. Il couldn't
bear it want my last recollection
of him to be as saw him last, gay
and so full of life-I couldn't bear to
see him as he is now"
And he had stopped DR.. Sprent when
the latter was describing the nature
of the wound that had caused Phil
ip's death, as though he could not en-
dure to hear the details. His manner
was almost hysterical.
81 knew tall along feared some
thing like this!" he broke out agi-
tatedly, addressing himself more to
the superintendent of police, who had
ridden over from Fellsgarth, than to
the doctor. His strange disappear
ance so soon after his encounter with
young Lathom-we know it was that
night he disappeared-it must have
been that night he met his end, my
poor Philip, who hadn't an enemy in
the world-except Jack Lathom! And
even if Philip did repeat to Lathom's
father rumors that are said to have
been mistaken, he was only doing
what he conceived to be his duty
nothing to warrant young Lathe ms
almost tigerish attack on him that
night. If only the constable who
separated them in the road had wait
ed, as he ought to have done, to have
prevented any possibility of Lathom
returning to finish his quarrel"
DR.. Sprent interrupted the excited
TRADE. He had been listening with {
deepening frown of Impotence before
he broke in:
Hume, you are talking unwarrant
ably" His eyes we're bent sharpl!
on the white-haired man. zone woult
think you wanted to fix the crime OF
young Lathom; you are neither judg'
nor jury, remember" 1t was not Otter
that the Doctors genial voice was 81
stern. 1.-The idea of the lad havin
had hand in this is preposterous
I! You imply an inference that is infa
nous and without any foundation
| at least, so far as anything is known
You ought to have more control owe
yourself"
With the curt rebuke he turned o
his heel. Without another word Boz
holt Hume walked unsteadily ava.
DR.. Sprent's eyes followed him wit
contracted brows. Such needs of RI
mors might do incalculable injury an
wrong to Lathom. He felt angry an
a little perplexed.
/ He told the police the result Of h
J examination Of the dead man. TT
, wound from the bullet that had bee