The Wagner post. (Wagner, Charles Mix County, S.D.) 1912-current, 1912-05-17
CHAPTER VIII.
AND THUS THE SHADOW
DESCENDED

DESCENDED.
From within the hum Of a mans
voice-speaking low and i~nsistently-
| still came softly through. Luke. with
the prodigality Of youth, would have
given 10 years Of his life for the gift
OF second sight. to know what went
on between those four walls beyond
the door where he himself stood ex-
pectant, undecided inc more thar va
guely anxious.
Luke!"
1t was quite natural that Louisa
should stand here beside him, having
come to him softly, noiselessly, like the
embodiment of moral strength and q
common sense which was almost q
virtue.
Uncle Rad" he saids quietly, "has
locked himself in with this man."
Who Is 1t, Luke?"
The man who calls himself Philip
de Mountford."
How do you known"
How does one he retorted, know
nAnd Parker let him IMP"
He gave Parker a ive-pound note.
Parker is only a grasping fool. He
concocted the story of MIR. Dobson
and the lease. He Is always listening
at key holes, and he knows that Mr..
Dobson often sends UP a clerk with
papers for Uncle RAIDS signature.
Those things are not very difficult tq
manage. II one man is determined and
the other corruptfble, it's done sooner
Of }aSfr;I-nsasasxe.
man, do o think? p" -A~~a0m-
God grant it," he replied %fervently.
Jim and Edie made a noisy Eruption
into the hall and Luke and Louisa
talked ostentatiously OF Indifferent
things-the weather, Lent and the new
est play, until the young people had
gathered up coats and hats n banged
the street door to behind them, TAX
ing their ~breeziness, their optimism,
away with them out into the spring
air, m leaving the shadows Of the
on-cOming tragedy to horegather In
every angle of the hazardous house In
Grosvenor square
And there were Luke de Mountford
and Louisa Harris left standing alone
very simple-souled young people. face
to a C for the first time in their un-
~eventful lives with the dark problem
OF a grim might be-" A locked door
between them and the decisions Of fate,
a world Of possibilities in the silence
which now weighed beyond that closed
door.
prepared for 1t, unframed for any such
eventually. Well bred and well
brought up, yet were they totally un-
educated in the great slessons of life.
1t was as IL a man absolutely untutored
in science We're suddenly to be con-
fronted with a mathematical problem,
the solution or nOn-sOlution of which
would mean life or death to him. The
problem lay in the silence beyond the
locked door-silence broker now and
again by the persistently gentle hum
! Of the mans voice-the strangers
but never by a word from Lord Rad
clyffe.
Uncle Rad" said Luke at last IN
deep puZzlement. has never raised his
voice once. I thought that there would
be a row-that he woul turn the man
out of the house. Dear old chap he
hasn't much patience as a rule"
What shall we do, Luke?' she
asked.
How do you mean?'
You can't go on standing like that
in the hall as If you were e~avesdrop-
ping. The servants will be coming
through presently"
You are right. Lou" he said, "as
usual. I'll go into the dining room.
I could hear there If anything sus-
You are not afraid. Luke?"
For Uncle Rad, o mean?"@
"Of course"
IT hardly know whether I am or
not. No." he said decisively after a
moments hesitation, Il am not afraid
of vio4enceIAhe FELLOW. whom we saw
in the park did not look that sort
He led Louisa back into the dining
room, where a couple of footmen were
clearing away the luncheon things. The
melancholy Parker placed cigar box
and matches on a side table and then
| retired-sllent and with a wealth of
reproach expressed in his round, beady
eyes.
Soon Luke and Louisa were alone.
He smoked and she sat In a deep arm
chair close to him saying nothing, for
both knew what went on In the 9TH
er's mind.
Continued Next Weekly
People who are too poor to take an