Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1909-04-30

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{ Perils !
Y By MARY CECIL HAY :
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BY MARY CECIL HAY
CHAPTER yNIIf,-(Continued.)

| DOI uill W SIIf lOll now ut''iSt'i ii"'
been to the Lodge that night. and how.
when Andrew Brent came a few minutes
a%fterward. they had high words together
or at least Andrew had been very rude
to Mr.. Newley about her. Then Or
We're had called that very minute to see
Miriam, and he had been very angry with
Mr.. Newley too. and they had gone ont
together. Mr.. Newley was very quiet
he would not say one angry word-but
DIR. We're had gone out very angry. That
was at dusk on the night of the 18th
and as soon az they had left she was
frightened and ran to llohve for com
pany.
That was the girls story. and Lor-
raine. as she listened, knew by whom II
had been prompted-knew it could not
be contraiicted, because Of its deep sub
stratum of truth-and knew what Il faint
of foul suspicion it would leave in many
minds.
Again Brent was summoned to answer
this charge. and DR.. We're was requested
to refute it if it were not true. But
Athol said it was true. and he had even
been complaining of Mr.. Newley to Miss
Gavcston when they had met him lying
dead. He could hardly say even now
that he was sorry for those words. Under
the same circumstances he should utter
the same again.
Athoi said it was ii grave, honest in
%dignation. The only respect he showed
in speaking of the dead was that he
brought no charge against him, would not
even mention the uncailed-for and I'M
explained notice which, after the election,
he had received to leave the cottage where
his father had lived, and where he had,
after hard work and many struggles, sue
ceeded in establishing his practice. Not
a word of this did he charge against New
ley, not a word did he say of Newley's
enmity for him because of his friendship
with Rourke Trenham; he only uttered
this spontaneous frank admission Of his
feeling at the time he and Neyley part
ed. And the very frankness of the speech
disarmed it of all evil in the ears of most
who heard.
Yes, Andrew Brent said, when interro-
gated on what Rhoda had told of that
evening. yes, he and Mr.. Newley had had
what Rhoda called high words, and per-
haps she herself had rightly told why.
He always had hated Mr.. Newley no
one of Mr.. Trenham's servants could say
anything else. knowing all he'd done and
been since the late masters death at
Hohvc. He had felt angrier tina usual
against Mr.. Newley that night, but it
didn't matter to him where Mr.. Newley
chose to 60 after he left the Lodge. He,
Brent, had gone to church, at DR.. Fere's
request, and waited there until service
was over. On his way back to Winter
field, some half hour or more after that.
had seen his master lying senseless in
the drive, having evidently been thrown
from his horse. He had not thought of
Mr.. Newley then. He had thought of
nothing but his own master. But DR..
We're had sent him to the Lodge to direct
the physicians. He had not seen Mr..
Newley at all until he passed him on the
way to Wintcrfield. DIR. We're had been
walking backward and forward beside
Mr.. Trenham when he had joined him
ZACH time both at first. when he had been
sent back to the Lodge. and the second
time when he had brought the doctors.
All this Andrew said with a quietness
which was entirely new to him and Lor-
raine, glancing at him, unconsciously be-
trayed a little of the feeling which filed
her heart-closely akin to gratitude, il
it were not actually so.
The placid-uttered suggestions of Sir
Peter Vaughan breathed a faint suspi-
cjon, which was intangible and unassail-
able, yet none the more crushing for all
DR.. We're was Mr.. Trenham's friend,
he urged; and Mr.. Trenham had a strong
and powerful interest in the death of the
deceased. The last witness was Mr..
servant, a man who was
known to be devoted to his masters in
terests to a degree that was, to say the
least, remarkable in a person of no re-
tnement, and without any particular
claim upon his master. Both these wit
nesses (~strongly attached to a man who
was known to hate and despise the de-
.eased) had been heard wrangling with
him within the hour of his death, as one
might say. Did not circumstances look,
to say the least, extraordinary?
Sir Peter Vaughan sat modify in his
seat while the order was given to clear
the room before the verdict. The story
he had hoped to carry back to Horton
Newley's sister was not proceeding quite
SO smoothly as he wished; still the sus-
picion was at work, and was still to work.
The verdict was givenfat iast-"Accident-
al DEATH"
..It 10 over. 1t is all over, Athol! Let
us 70 - Lorraine said, her eyes burning
with excitement as she laid her hot, rest
less fingers on his arm. Accidental
DEATH they said, didn't they, Athol?
There was another verdict 1 feared. T.
You know it. Athol-Died by the Wis
itation Of God, If they had
e Hush, my dariing!' he whispered,
with infinite grief and tenderness. your
words will be heard. Come with me-"
Later on in the evening. when Athol
had ridden over from Winterfield for a
few minutes, in the effort both to set his
mind at rest, if possible, by seeing Lor-
rnine, and to tell of Rourke's continued
lethargy-poor Athol! how hard this was
to tell, each night and morning. after he
had administered the opiate. only his own
heart could know-Mr. Galveston said he
would return with him.
II should have gone before. but that
l have been so anxious about Lorraine"
he said. OBTAINING DIR. We're in the hall.
'',rell me exactly what you think OF her,
Athci"
Docs she talk of going to the Mar
ressays ~ inquired Athnl. his voice actn-
ally trembling in his anxiety.
Yes she has entreated me to let her
go, but ! am afraid
LET her co. said DR.. We're. with
.earnestness Il have wanted that, and l
expected 1t, as Mr.. Bartle is unable to
leave home. He will speak of it all, and
speak Of it as one who loves Rourke, and
afill loves her. and this feyerish. fictitious