The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1912-08-22
ways guarded in his speech when h

L Hna!iS Iell the Clup soon alteT
but l did not again see Mr.. Philip d
Mountford alive"
The deceased suggested that yo'
should come with him then and there t
see Lord Radcliffe at Grosveno
square; he hailed a taxicab and yoi
entered 1t with him." insisted the coro
ner with sudden, slow emphasis.
II last saw MIR. Philip de Monitor,
alive in the lobby of the Veterans
club" reiterated Luke calmly. 5000
after 9 o'clock.
He overlook you in the street out
side the club?"
1t is not true"
And hailed a cab?"
He may have done SO, but not in m,
company"
You entered the cab with him, ans
he told the driver to follow along Pic.
cadilly.'
H may nave done So once NOR,
reiterated Luke In the same calm ant
even voice, but not in my company
You parted from him in the lobby
of the club?"
II have told you So"
And o never saw him again after
that?'
Never"
You were not with him when he
came out of the club?"
No
-then he hailed a taxicab?"
go
The answers had come clear, sharp
and distinct, quick ripostes of the foils
against the violent attack. Now the
adversary drew breath. The pause was
dramatic in its effect, far reaching in
Its significance. The coroner with eyes
steadily fixed on the witness made a
quick movement with his hand. He
drew away the long narrow strip OF
green oalZe In front of him, revealing
i snakewood stick with ferrule stained
and furnished.
rs his Your sticko" he asked curt
ly,
1t Is my stick" replied Luke.
he a not 1iinched, yet there were
many scores of pairs of eyes fixed upon
nun, When that green baize covering
was removed. But not one OF those
Who gazed so steadily upon him could
boast that he or she had seen the
slightest tremor of the lids or the
merest culver of the mouth. The voice
perfectly clear, the cheeks.
though pale. had assumed no grayish
hue.
Very well. That will do" said the
coroner quietly.
What more was there to say? The
dagger stick, stained and rusty. told
the most graphic tale there was to
tell. Yet Luke de M%ountford stepped
quietly away from the table looking
neither ~self-conscious nor dazed. He
went back to his seat, beside Mr.. Dob
SON.. and leaning toward him answered
some whispered questions which the
solcltor was putting to him. He fold
ed his arms before him and after
awhile allowed his head to fall forward
a little. closing his eyes as he did SO.
He seemed a little tired. but otherwise
unperturbed, even though the hall por-
ter now was recalled and was busy
Identifying the stick which lay across
corOner's table with the one which
he himself had handed to Mr.. de
visitor at 9 o'clock the
night before last.
And the police too added its share
this work that was going on Of en-
meshing a criminal. There was the
who had found the tick in
side the ratings of Green park and had
1T straight away to his chiefs
Scotland yard before the stains on
1t had been further disturbed; and
there was finally DR.. Blair, the district
medical officer, also recalled, who ex-
amined the dagger which fitted into
snakewood stick.
He had been shown it yesterday 1t
and found how accurately 1t
lifted the wound in the murdered mans
throat. To this he swore now in open
court, for the coup de theater, the pro-
duction Of the dagger stick, had been
kept back until now, in order that 1t
should work it fullest and most dra-
matte effect.
Colonel Harris. sitting near his
daughter, would have given worlds to
what she thought. He himself
lid not know what to think. His sim
pie, unsophisticated mind was in a
maze. The question of Luke's possible
guilt had suddenly doomed up before
aifr dissipating the former blind i'm
on,te OF ~partisanship and loyalty. Mr..
Dobson too looked puzzled, the old
solicitor who had seen Luke
Ind his brothers and sister grow up,
who a few hours, nay minutes, ago
would have sworn to his clients limo
before the entire world. he too
now was face to face with a hideous
of doubt.
Not one other person in the room
either. believe me, who was not con-
of Luke's guilt. Louisa knew
we'll enough as her aching eyes
over the sea of faces, meet
ing hollow compassion, morbid curl
osity, at best a certain sympathetic
every one here, the officials, the
Jury. the police, he public, believed
Luke struck his cousin In the
dark; she knew that Mr.. Dobson had
begun to doubt; and that her father
had begun to fear.
xAIlu SIles Will all Iue IGVOur OF I'M
love, prayed in her heart
h might understand. She prayed
love to open the eyes of her mind,
it was her a which did not
which yearned to under
Her heart cared nothing, cared for
nothing except for the man she loved
and the bitter. bitter sorrow which he
endured alone. shut away from all,
even from her.
There was general stir in the court
room. the coroner had risen, also the
jury. The journalists were holding
agitated parlance with the boy messen-
Louisa-like n who had re-
a sharp blow on the head won
what all this stir meant.
Was it all over? Had Luke ire
trfevably lost himself in that secret
orchard of his, into which he was OBJ
determined that even she
should not enter?
Then she found out that the stir only
meant the luncheon hour. All these
people were going to eat and to
chatter. Heavens above! how they
would chatteri
Her father said something about get
ting a cab and trying to find a decent
hotel in which to have luncheon. But
she scarcely heard. She had just seen
Luke disappearing through the crowd
In company with Mr.. Dobson. and he
had lot even glanced back to look at