Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1910-05-19
-,---->C(l1S- -aRrmmdSs>o(Noo(es
CHAPTER XIV.

chief in the room?"
Because l overheard his apology t
my mother for having put her hand
kerchief to such use" replied Isabella
with suspicious promptitude.
"Humph Didn't the doctor think
strange that he should find it there
Rather peculiar, don't you think, see
ing that he must necessarily have beel
ignorant of your visit on that night
He was not ignorant of that! T.
account for the fever which seized me
my mother explained all that tool
place to DIR. Etwald. He quite under
stood that I had dropped the handker
chief"
Did he apologize for his use of it
before or after the explanation?" wa:
Jen's final question.
"After!" replied Isabella, with some
hesitation then abruptly left the Ma
jor's side to exchange a few words
with Dido. Jen looked after her with
glance full of doubt and suspicion
Notwithstanding her love for Maurice
and her expressed desire to avenge his
death by hunting down the assassin
she appeared to be anything but frank
in the matter In plain words, her
conduct suggested to Jen's mind an
idea that she knew more than she
cared to talk about; and that such
half hinted knowledge implicated her
mother. In which case-but here Dido
interrupted Jen's meditations.
my missy tell me you wish to hear
my Obi" she said, abruptly fixing her
eyes on the face of the visitor. why
you wish? You laugh at Obi"
Il don't particularly wish to learn
your Voodoo secrets" answered Jen,
carelessly. "All 1 desire to know is
why you manufactured that scent
with which you saturated a certain
handkerchief of your mistress"
Mothers handkerchief, Dido" ex-
planned Isabella, interrupting. THE one
you bound round my head"
"Oh, dat a Voodoo smell to drib away
de evil spirit" said Dido, solemnly ad-
dressing herself more particularly to
the Major MY witch mudder she
learn to make dat in her own land.
Too much of it kill-kill-kill!"
by means of it's odor?"
mo, dat only drib away bad debbils.
But you scratch de skin wild one leetle
bit of it, and you die die, die!"
"And the scratch is made by means
of the wand of sleep?"
"Yis. Dat So" said Dido, with pre-
tended surprise, turning on him sharp
ly. But you no b'lieve in Obi, massa.
What you know of de wand of sleep
de debble- -stick?"
Because had one, Dido"
The negress laughed with scornful
doubt.
''Ho, dat one big lie. Der amt no
debble- stick, but in the kings palace
at Kumassi."
you are wrong. had one, and it
was stolen by"
"Whq, cf course" interrupted Isabel
la, again. '"Dont you remember, Dido,
you were asked if you had taken it?'
"Ho, yes. Now do tink," said Dido.
"Ah, massa, you say I took de debble-
stick and made de new smell to fill
him. Zen dat 1 kill wild him massa,
who dubbed lii missy, and dat / made
spells in your house to steal de body.
Hey, dat no so?"
i
tonished to hear her put his suspicious
into such plain words. Mr.. Aylmer
was killed by means or this poison. 1t
was used again to render my servant
insensible while the body was stolen.
So l thought"
'T know, I know" broke in Dido,
impatiently. But dat not to do with
me. De poison in your debble-stick."
There was; but it was all dried up"
mo! Dat nossin. If you pour water
in dat stick de poison come alive. Well,
dat stick taken, but no take it. Dat
poo young massa killed wild it-I no
kill him. But de odder ting, sab. Dat
smell! l mex it for missy, dat ALL"
And having made this explanation,
Dido folded her arms, and waited in
scornful silence to hear what her ac-
cuser had to say. He considered the |
q absolute absurdity of her story, which |
on the face Of twas a manifest in
vention, and one which,. it would seem, |
was supported by the testimony of Isa-
bella.
you are satisfied now. 1 think" said |
this latter, seeing that the Major did |
not speak
We'll, yes. Miss Dallas" returned he,
with much deliberation. Il am salts
fed-for the time being"
Does Dido's explanation give you
any clue?"
1T gives me a clue in a direction for
which I should not have looked for it.
Thank you, Miss Dallas-and you, Di-
do. I shall now say good day"
when viii you return ?"
When I have followed to its end the
clue Of which we have been speaking"
replied Jen. and taking off his hat, he
walked swiftly away from the house
When he vanished round the curve
Of the drive. Isabella, with a very pale
face. turned towards Dido.
Il have told all the lies you wished
me to tell" she said, hurriedly. Il
have hidden from the sharp eyes of
Major Jen those things which you
wished hidden, and all at the cost Of
my honor and honesty"
She ran hastily into the house. as
though to escape further conversation
on a distasteful subject, while Dido,
with her eyes on the ground, remained
IN deep thought. The old negress knew
hat she was nlaced in a Derilous posi-