The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1909-08-24
CHAPTER XIII.
Dorothy,s Horror.
Gervais started back.

Gervais started back.
"A man dead! Stabbed to death in
my grounds! Groves, you must be
dreamingl"
Enid had crouched back against the
door; her heart stood positively still
for one instant, then began throbbing
SO violently and heavily as to make
her feel quite faint. She pulled the
door to quietly, but the buzz of con-
versation and laughter from inside
sounded horrible while this other
grim subject held sway outside.
"Dreamin', my lord, / wish was.
No, it's no dreamin'; the mans stone
dead. Must ha' been killed hours
ago, and"
BE careful, Groves" Gervais said,
sternly; make no rash remarks of
that sort. 1t will be for the coroner
to determine whether he was killed or
not. What have you done with the
body2"
II left 'un down there, my lord. /
thought it best. couldn't "a moved
'un by myself, and l didn't like to
touch him till I'd told you. my lord. !"
Enid went up to her own room
first.
With trembling hand she unlocked
her box and drew out the handker-
chief in which she had wrapped the
dagger; she shuddered as she gazed
at 1t again; then going hastily into
her studio, she flung the handker-
chief, as Dorothy had done, into the
fire, and taking some oil and sand
paper that lay with her painting para
phernalia, she rubbed with feverish
haste at the steel t. remove the spots
of rust. The action relieved her over
charged heart; the fact of doing moth
ing had accentuated her misery.
To her unspeakable delight the
rust removed easily, and the blade
looked as it had done when it left
Roger Leicester's hands; the slight
discolorment on the ivory did not
trouble her, for it was very small
and quite unnoticeable.
This done, she threw off the cloak
nervously, and picking up some large,
fat sketch books and portfolio, she
hid the dagger in the latter, and went
swiftly from the room.
Outside she met Maria, her maid,
and forced herself to say some easy,
pleasant words as she passed
Her first visit was to Dorothy's
boudoir; no one was in the dainty
apartment, and closing the door, Enid
went across to the writing table
and deposited the Indian dagger in
the place it usually held AS she was
turning away one of the housemaids
came into the room.
II beg your pardon, MISS" she
apologized. Ends heart beat fast.
"There is no OCCASION" Eliza" she
said, with smile that faded imme-
diately; then she bent over her port
folio. II am trespassing here, but
the fact is, ! borrowed Lady Derri-
mans Indian dagger yesterday to copy
in one of my pictures, and-and l
forgot to put 1t back last night"
"Ah! I did miss it, miss, when l
was dustin this morning, cos / knew
I'd seen 1t yesterday, only my lady
often takes it out to cut her books
and papers, So knew it was all right.
Many thanks, miss.
II must know the worst--the very
worst at once" Enid said, desperate
ly, to herself; "and then, tiff my
fears should be true, at all hazards
must keep the truth from him."
She knocked at Dorothy's bedroom
door as she resolved on this, and in
answer to her cousins voice went in.
"Ah, Enid! is that you? I thought
it was Lady Lowe. Virginie said she
was coming up. am better this
morning, thank Heaven Another
hour of that pain and I don't know
what l should have done"
Dorothy was lying in bed. sur
rounded by letters and papers; she
looked supremacy beautiful with her
golden hair lying loose on the lace
edged pillow, and a small wrapper
Of her favorite blue twisted about
her in graceful folds.
Enid walked toward the fire and
then turned round.