The Charles Mix new era. (Wagner, Charles Mix County, S.D.) 1???-1911, 1910-10-28

ft[MN|| -
your patient. l wish merely to ask a
question"
won't you sit DOWN."
at will not be necessary. Doctor,
has any n come to you, either early
this morning or to-day, to have you
treat a bullet wound?"
Nothing SO startling has happened
to me-" he said. ga bullet wound!
Things must be lively at Sunnyside."
81 didn't say it was at Sunnyside.
But as it happens, it was. If any such
Ease m to you, will it be too much
trouble for you to let me know?"
Il shall be only too happy" he said.
81 understand you have had a fire up
there, too. A fire and shooting in n
night is rather lively for a quiet place
like that"
ut is as quiet as a boiler-shop,' l
replied, as l turned to go.
"And you are still going to stay"
Until l am burned out" l respond
Gu. AHu lucu, VI NY way uoWA Nv
steps, l turned around suddenly.
Doctor" l asked at a venture,
"have you ever heard of a child
named Lucien Wallace?"
Clever as he was, his face changed
and stiffened. He was on his guard
again in a moment.
"Lucien Wallace?" he repeated.
"No, l think not. There are plenty of
Wallaces around, but / don't know any
Lucien."
/ was as certain as possible that
he did. People do not lie readily to
me, and this man lied beyond a doubt.
But there was nothing to be gained
now; his d~efenses were up, and I left,
half irritated and wholly baffled.
Our reception vas entirely different
at DR.. Stewards. Taken into the
bosom of the family at once, Flinders
tied outside and nibbling the grass at
the roadside, Gertrude and l drank
some homemade elderberry wine and
told briefly of the fire. OF the more
serious part of the nights experience,
of course, we said nothing. But when
at last we had left the family on the
porch and the good doctor was unity
ing our steed, l asked him the same
question / had put to DR.. Walker.
Shot" he said. BLESS my soul,
no. Why, what have you been doing
up at the big house, Miss Innes?"
"Some one tried to enter the house
during the fire, and was shot and
slightly injured" / said hastily.
please don't mention it.; we wish to
make as little of it as possible"
There was one other possibility, and
we tried that. At Casanova station l
saw the station master, and asked him
if any trains left Casanova between
one o'clock and daylight. There was
none until 6 a.. m. The next question
required more diplomacy.
did you notice on the six o'clock
train any person-any man-who
limped a little?" I asked. please
try to remember; we are trying to
trace a man who was seen lettering
around Sunnyside last night before
the fire."
He was all attention in a moment.
II was up there myself at the fire."
he said volubly. I'm a member of
the volunteer company. First big fire
we've had since the summer house
burned over to the club golf links.
My wife was sayin' the other day,
Dave, you might as well "a saved the
money in that there helmet and shirt.
And here last night they came in
handy. Rang that bell SO hard
hadn't time scarcely to get 'em on"
"And-did you see a man who
Impede Gertrude put in, as he
stopped for breath.
mot at the train, MAN," he said.
mo such person got on here to-day.
But I'll tell you where I did see a
mar that limped. / didn't wait till the
company left; there's a fast freight
goes through at 4,45, and l had to
get down to the station. l seen there
wasn't much more to do anyhow at
the fire-we'd got the flames under con
trol"-Gertrude looked at me and
smiled-"so l started down the hill
There was folk here and there goin'
home, and along BY the path to the
| Country club l seen two men. One
was a short fellow. He was sitting on
a big rock, his back to me, and hs
had something white in his hand, az II
he was tying up his foot. After I'd
gone ON . piece looked back, and he
was hobbling on and-excuse me, miss
he was swearing something sicken-
ing"
(TO BE CoNTINUED)