Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1912-08-08
CHAPTER XIV.
A HERD OF cAcKL1NG GEESE.

Louisa Harris entered the Victoria
coroner's court accompanied by her
returning from the mortuary at the
back of the building whittier they had
gone. in order to look upon the dead
Already the small room was
ity. Louisa and Colonel Harris had
some difficulty in making their way
through the groups of idlers who filled
every corner of the gangway.
The air was hot and heavy with the
smell of the dust OF ages which had
this dull and drabby room. 1t mingled
with irritating unpieasantness with
the scent Of opoponax or heliotrope
that emanated from lace handkerchicfs.
and with the pungent odors Of smelling
salts ostentatiously held to delicate
noses.
Louisa, matter-of-fact. commonplace
Louisa looked around at these unac-
customed surroundings with the same
air OF mi-fndifferent interest with
which she would have viewed a second
rate local music hall, had she unac-
countably drifted ino one through cur
iosity or desire.
She saw a dull. drabby paper on the
wall. and dull. drabby hangings to the
single window. which was set very
once whitewished was now covered
with uneven coatings OF CRIME.
In the center Of the room, a long
table Uttered at one end with papers
tied up in bundles of varying bulk.
with pieces Of pink tape. also a blot
n white note in the uni
form harmony of drabby brown; and
In among this litter hat encountered
the table a long piece Of green baize
which Louisa supposed would be re-
vealed in due course.
On each side of the table were half
q dozen chairs OF early Victorian de-
sign upholstered in leather that had
once beer green. TIC these chairs a
q each taking his seat in solemn
silence; men in overcoats and with
velvet ollar somewhat worn at the
back of the neck-it seemed to Louisa
as II they were dressed in some kind
OF unifrom SO alike did their clothes
appear. She looked at their faces as
they filed in-haggard faces, %rubicund,
jolly faces, faces which mirrored sus-
picion, faces which revealed obstinacy,
the whole Of middle class England per-
wearing overcoats with shabby velvet
collars. Who were to decide today how
and when Philip de M0untford, heir
presumptive to the Earl OF Radcliffe,
had been done to death.
Louisa and her father were able at
sSSS W tS0SAA SA0 AO1O-kAOIlS VI I1lC
crowd. where chairs had been reserved
for them Immediately facing the table,
at h farther end Of which the coro-
ner sat. Louisa recognized Mr.. Humph-
reys. n Of Mr.. Dobson's clerks. who
did his best to make her and Colonel
Harris comfortable. Farther on sat
Mr.. Davies, who had been Philip de
Mountford's solicitor when he had first
desired an interview with Lord Rad
clyffe.. Louisa knew him by sight
Luke had on n occasion pointed him
out to her.
Luke and Mr.. Dobson were even now
making their way to the same group
of seats. They had-like the Jury and
the coroner-been in the mortuary to
have a last look at the murdered man.
older than he had done yesterday. She
saw him standing for a moment right
against the dull, drabby background of
h court room wall: and 1T seemed
az II something OF the drabbiness had
descended upon his soul. Youth
appeared to be looking out onto a
dreary world through windows OBJ
scured by CRIME.
There was q look not SO much of
detection as of absolute hopelessness
in the face. No fear, or anxiety-only
a remuneration. But this was only for
one moment: the next he had caught
sight Of her, and the look of plank
detection in his eyes suddenly gave
place to one of acute and intolerable
pain. The face which usually was 30
calm and placid in it's impassive mask
Of high-bred indifference was almost
distorted by an expression Of agony
which obviously had been quite beyond
control.
The whole thing was OF course .
mere flash. less than q quarter Of q
second perhaps In duration, and already
Luke was just as he had had always
been: a correct, well-born English gen.
tleman. perfect in manner perfect in
attitude and bearing. under whatever
circumstances Fate might choose to
place him.