The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1911-07-27

about the whole morning-nobody I
didn't know" n
confess I was rather disappointed;
l nao hoped that my shot would tell.
ana you heard no unusual noise-no
scream, nor anything of that sort?"
NO, sir; though I was so busy and
worried / dare say I wouldn't have
heard a caEnon-shot."
When did o learn that something
was wrong?'
II heard Mrs. Lawrence asking if
anyone had seen her daughter. Then
she sent some of the s%ervants to look
for her."
What time was that?"
ABOUT 10 minutes after I had spoken
to her"
"Yes-what them"
Wen, l didn't pay much attention at
hrst; but when the bridesmaids came
they raised UGH a hullabaloo that I
couldn't help but take notice."
What did Mrs. Lawrence do?'
why she tried to quiet them-I
must say she was the coolest one in
the house-except one"
"Who was that?"
Miss Lawrence's maid. She lust
sat there on the stairs and glowered
and sTiTi1ied and cilewed iier nails and
never said a word. She gave me the
creeps. I could swear she knew all
about 1t and was glad Of 1T"
l repressed a chuckle of satisfa ction.
Here was better luck than 1 had ex-
pected.
How was Miss Lawrence dressed
when you saw her?" I asked.
All in rastly white, l Judged 1t was
her wedding dress"
And you say she seemed quite as
usual?"
yes, cir; only, of course, excited. as
any woman would be-though calm,
TOO, and with a sort Of deep glow In
hnf> nNrn SNhn, 49, -
can't describe it, sir; but. I remember
thinking that the man who was to get
her was a mighty lucky fellow. Did
you know her. sir?"
No" I said; 1--WE never seen her"
All" he added, closing h~isseyes for
an instant, IF you'd seen her then.
you'd never forget it. I never will. I
never saw another woman to touch
her. and he turned away to his work,
with the vision he had conjured up
evidently still before him.
As l started along the hall I saw
through the open front door a mail
carrier coming up the walk. I fastened
to meet him-this was another fortu-
nate chance.
How many deliveries do YOU make a
day out here?" I asked, as he came up
the steps with a bundle Of letters in
his hand-I could guess the belated
congratulations which were among
them!
Only two-morning and afternoon"
he answered.
What time in the morning."
about Q o'clock. usually
1T was about that time thi morn
ing?"
Eyes, sir: maybe 10 minutes after
nine"
who took the mail?,
II put 1t in the box here In the yesti-
bule. as I always do he said, and
suited the action to the word.
L watched him as he walked away.
So it had not been a letter which had
caused Miss Lawrence's sudden panic.
That reduced the possibilities to two.
Either she had received a visitor or a
telegram. I must endeavor to
A voice at my elbow aroused me.
Mrs. Lawrence wishes to see you,
sir it said.
turned. to find standing beside me
the woman who had brought the note
to Mrs. Lawrence IN the library-the
woman whose attitude of malignant
triumph had so startled me. I blessed
the chance which made it possible for
me to question her alone.
Very we'll" I said. Are you Mrs,
Lawrence's maid?"
No, sir; I'm Miss Marcia's maid"
All" I said, n permitted my
self to look at her more closely. She
was q woman apparently somewhat
over 80. h had very black hair and
eyes, and her face, while not actually
repellent, had in it a certain fierce
ness and hardness far from attractive.
A fiery and emotional nature was evil
dent In every line of ia sinister ma
ture, too, 1t seemed to me-and I re-
membered her as I had seen her stand
Ing in the library door, exulting in an
others misery. I pictured her as the
decorator had described her, sitting on
the stair, grtnning n biting her nails
IN a kind of Internal triumph. Why
shsuld Miss Lawrence have chosen
SUCH a woman to attend her? AS 1
looked at her. I saw the folly Of at
tempting to win her confdence-the
whip was the only weapon that could
touch her-and it must be welded
mercilessly.
Mrs. Lawrence wishes to see YOU"
she said again, and I fancied there was
defiance in the eyes she turned ,,non
me for the merest instant.
TN a moment. Was it you who found
the note your mistress left for Mr..
Curtiss? 2"
Yes, SIR" and she glanced at me
again. this time with a quick sus-
TT was on her dressing-table, I be-
lever"
Yes, sir"
How did you happen to find it?"
II just happened to see it.. sir,
1T was lying in plain sight?"
Not concealed IN n way-nothins
lying over it7"
She hesitated an instant, and shot
me another quick glance before she
answered.
Il believe not. sir" she said at last.
of course it wouldn't be concealed"
1 said. reassuringly. Miss Lawrence
probably left it where she thought it
would be NOSE quickly seen, don't you
think SOP"
Yes. sir; ! suppose So"
And her dressing-table was a very
conspicuous placer"
Yes sir; very conspicuous"
In that case" I said slowly. 1T
seems most peculiar that the letter
wasn't discovered at once"
h flushed holly under my gaze and
opened her lips to reply, but thought
better of it n started hastily up the
stair. I followed her in silence; but I
had much to think about. What con-
nection had she with Miss L~awrence's
disappearance? What connection could
she have? Miss Lawrence would
scarcely makes c%onfidante of her maid,
more especially Of such a maid as this.
At the Stairhead I held her hack for q