The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1912-08-22
CHAPTER XVIII.
WHICH TELLS OF AN UNEX-
PECTED TURN OF EVENTS

WHICH 1Ei-LS OF AN LINEN
PECTED TURN OF EVENTS
It seems that coroner and jury had
not spent quite so much time over
spectators. When the crowd began to
file back again into the seats, the cor
oner had already examined and dis
missed one witness and was question:
ing another.
The past and present servants of the
GrosVenor square household would all
have to pass before the coroner during
the course OF this long afternoon. 1t
was only ? o'clock and already the gas
had to be lighted-two i~ncandescent
burners just above the coroner's table
hard, Incorporating lights. that
threw a sickly green tinge on every
face and cast deep black shadows IN
| der every eye.
1t was this light, no doubt, that made
Luke's face seem positively CHASTITY to
Louisa; it looked almost like a DEATH
mask, SO deep and cavernous did the
eyes appea and SO hollow the cheeks.
He was sitting in his usual attitude,
with arms folded, between Mr.. Dobson
and one OF the women in seedy black
whose presence here had puzzled ev-
eryone.
Old arker. ex-butler to Lord Rad
clyfGe, vas giving evidence. He had a
tale TO tell, how Mr.. de Mountford
went on awful" when he-the inno-
cept Well drilled servant-had thought
1t his duty to introduce Mr.. Philip in
to his lordship's presence.
Jus think of it, your honor" he ex-
claimed, his lordship's rightful heir"
Iben ne added with calm effrontery:+
Mr.. Luke e give me the sack then
and there! He was that wild!"
Just a paltry, silly, meaningless re-
venge. The death mask on Luke's face
relaxed for a moment when he looked
on the fat creature standing before the
jury, Vainly trying to look pompous and
s~elf-righteous, and only succeeding in
being a liar.
The evidence would nave been of lit
tie worth, but for the ~corroboration
from other servants of the Grosyenor
square household. The present two
man and Wife-wastrels and d~runkards,
counted for nothing; they had only en-
tered Lord Radclyffe's service recently
when all visitors had ceased from call
ing at the inhospitable house, and they
had seen little or nothing of Luke; but
the others-those whom Philips arbi-
trary temper had driven out of the
house-they had many a tale to tell
or the dead mans arrogance, his con-
temptuous treatment of his younger
kinsman. and the bitter words that Of
ten flew between the cousins when
doors closed and eavesdroppers were
behind the keyholes.
These witnesses-an ex-housekeeper,
q footman, a maid-were trying their
pest, poor things, to do the right thing
by Mr.. Luke" little guessing how i'll
they succeeded. They la been
dragged into this much against their
will As a class they hated the police
and its doings, even though the cook
might occasionally show a preference
for the local guardian of peace and or
der. AS for the detective in plain
clothes, the man who wore a peaked
cap instead Of the familiar helmet, him
they hated and feared, especially since
he seemed to mean mischief for MI.
Luke.
They gave their evidence unwilling
"; every admission had to be dragged
out OF them, once they realized that
the revelations Of past quarrels be-
tween the gentlemen" would not be
to h detriment Of the dead, only per-
haps to the undoing Of the living.
Inc hours wore on heavily. The at
now surrharged with the
heat from the gas brackets had become
tntolerably oppressive. Opoponax and
white heltotrope waxed faint to the
Through the badly fitting
window frame something OF the out-
ward fog had penetrated into the room.
1t hung about in the air, round the gas
that burned yellow and dim through 1t,
n obscured the far corners Of the
place, throwing a veil over the II
mutes In uniform overcoats with
~threadbare velvet collars, over the Gag
er and perspiring journalists whose
fountain pens had scraped the paper
necessarily for SO long.
Hot, tired and oppressed humanity
made Its warm breath felt in the close,
i'll ventilated rooms. Smelling salts would
not dtspel the unpleasantly mingling
doors of damp clothes and muddy boots
which rose from the plebian crowd in
the rear.