The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser., 1910-10-28
CHAPTER XIII.
Dorothy's Horror.

| GerValS started back.
"A man dead, Stabbed to death in
my grounds! Groves, you must be
| dreaming!"
Enid had crouched back against the
door; her heart stood positively still
for one instant, then began throbbing
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, l wish 1 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
body?"
81 left 'un down there, my lord. I
thought it best. I couldn't "a moved
'un by myself, and 1 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 it 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
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 unnoticeab BILE.
This done, she threw off the cloak
nervously, and picking up some large,
fiat 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.
Il beg your pardon, MISS" she
apologized. Ends heart beat fast.
There is no OCCASION" Eliza" she
said, with a smile that faded imme-
diately; then she bent over her port
folio. 81 am trespassing here, but
the fact is, borrowed Lady Derri-
mans Indian daggeryesterday to copy
in one of my pictures, and-and I
forgot to put it back last night"
"Ah! l did miss it, miss, when 1
was dustin this morning, cos 1 knew
I'd seen it 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? l thought
it was Lady Lowe. Virginie said she
was coming up. l am better this
morning, thank Heaven! Another
hour of that pain and 1 don't know
what l should have done"
Dorothy was lying in bed, sur
rounded by letters and papers: she
looked supremely beautiful with her
golden hair lying loose on the lace
edged pillow, and small wrapper
of her favorite blue twisted about
her in graceful folds.
Enid walked toward the fire and
then turned round.
Dorothy" she said, slowly. ~
found something belonging to you
this morning."
Dorothy paled, and an expression
of uneasiness fitted over her face,
not so much at the words as at the
| tone.
How mysterious you are, Enid.
Well, and what did you find, eh?"
Enid drew deep breath.
THE small Indian dagger Captain
Leicester gave YOU"
Dorothy started violently.
"Where-where did you find it?"
she whispered, after a long, painful
| pause.
She had been racking her brain
to try and remember what she had
done with the dagger after that sud-
den blow.
Enid did not look at her; the sight
of that lovely, craven face distressed
her beyond words.
"In the woods, by the gate at the
entrance"
Dorothy drew short, sharp
breath
They have found the dead body of
man in the plantation, stabbed"
Dorothy stopped her: her two
hands grasped Ends arm: her face.
out of which fear had driven every
scrap of beauty for the moment,
looked wildly up into the other girls
! pure, wan, white one.
Dead" she whispered, hoarseIy
dead! Oh, good Heaven! No, No!
Enid, you are telling me some hor-
| rih1e ST Ory Dnad' can't hn1ioyp If
I won't believe it. Why, he spoke to
me after-after l had struck him; he
seemed quite strong again. Yes, yes!
Don't look at me like that, Enid.
| confess-it was l you saw last night
and l dropped the dagger there my
! self; but-but you don't know all