The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1912-08-22

Ing along the Boulevard Waterloo IN {
November rain. runs into a tragedy,
A man is found murdered IN q taxi.
cab: his companion who had left the cat
some time before and told the chauffeur
to drive to q certain address. has disap'
peared and is unknown.
The scene shifts to London. Luke dc
Mountford. Louisa's affianced. the nephew
and heir Of the eccentric and wealthy
direct heir. the unknown son of another
brother. has notified Lord Radcliffe OF his
ciaIins. The old man. p~asstonately tona
papers and that the claimant is an I'M
poster.
Suddenly the alleged Phillip de Mount
ford appears In London. After a short in
terView with Lord Radcliffe his claims
nre recognized and he IS Installed as heir.
Without explanation Luke is practically
disowned. Philip seems 10 exert. unliinlt-
ed influence over Lord Radcliffe whlch
| puzzles his friends and deties tnNesNsa-
ton. Lord Radcliffe will explain 10 ~
one.
A year has passed since the tragedy In
Brussels. Suddenly II is repeated IN eN-
cry detail In London, The victim is fnlss
lip de Mountford, Every circumstance anu
u very apparent motive points to the us
placed nephew, Luke. as the murderer; IN
vain. Louisa, in her olind faith, tried 10
prove Luke innocent Every investieatioh
brightens the chains OF evidence. AZ the
coroner's inquest the startling develop
ment that the murdered man is not Phi!Ap
de Mountford but a common ~scoundEel Gs-
bounced by his father and mother, VINO
identified The body as their son, only com
plicates the situation. 1t does not IN the
least upset the appalling proofs OF Lukes
guilt. A warrant Is issued for MIS- arrest
but because OF his station in life the police
secretly warn him TO leave the country
before the warrant is served; This he pre-
pares to do. Louisa sees him and asks
him pointedly for the truth. Ae con-
fesses his guilt
Here the heart of a woman discerns his
lie and the rea! truth that he is protecting
someone else, Immediately she asks her-
seit-who? and 4ntuitively reasons that
Luke'S love for his uncle must be bound
up viii the solution. In the meantime the
unice has been stricken and no one per-
mitted to see him. She demands that she
be allowed to talk 10 him. Her request Is
denied but she insists, finally the physi-
clan grants permission. Lord Radcliffe
recognizes no one and does not understand
what IS said to him. Alone with him for
a moment She rehearses the story to him.,
although he Is apparently unconscious.
AT the mention of Luke's name and the
fact that he is accused of the murder
Lord Radcliffe shows signs of Indulgence.
When a man happens TO be out in
mid-wlnter With a stout stick in his
hand, AMI he comes across a layer of
ice or the top of a pool or a trough of
p 1890 81
Is at once a prey to the silly desire to
break that layer of ice. The desire is
irresistible, and the point OF the stick
at once goes to work on the smooth
surface, chipping it if not actually sue
ceeuing in breaking it.
The same desire exists in a far
stronger degree when the ice is a moral
one-one that covers the real nature of
another man; he cold impaSSivenesS
that hides the secret orchard to which
no n but the owner has access. Then
there is an irresistible longing to break
that cold barrier, to look within, and to
probe that hidden soul, If not within
It's innermost depths. at any rate be-
low the icebound surface; to chip it, to
mark 1t and break it's invincible crust.
Some such feeling undoubtedly
stirred at the back of the coroner's
mind. The h~idebound, red-tape-ridden
official was more moved than he would
have cared to admit, by a sense of irri-
tation at the placidity of this witness,
who was even now almost on his trial.
he had paused in his ques-
tionings, afraid lest that sense of irri-
tation should carry him beyond the
limits of his own powers.
And now he resumed more quietly,
with his voice less trenchant and his
own manner outwardly more indiffer-
When" he asked, did you last see
the deceased?'
in the lobby of the Veterans club"
Luke, the night before last"
You nae called there to see him
Yes"
For what purpose?"
ITO discuss certain family matters"
You preferred to discuss these fam
ly matters at a club rather than in
cousins own homer"
Eyes"
Why" +
For private reasons of my own"
1T would help this inquiry If you
would state those private reaeons."
They have no bearing upon the
You refuse to state them?" insisted
he coroner. /
II do"
The o was silent for a mo-
nent; 1t almost seemed as If he meant l.
9 press the point at first, then thought
lie merely said:
Very well.,,'
Then he resumed:
Now, Mr.. de Mountford, on the
light in question, o say you went to
ee the deceased at the Veterans club.
Iou Were, / understand. shown into
he smoking room?"
Yes" was the simple answer.
Your cousin was in the room?"
yes"
.Alone?"
Alone"
And how long did you interview
With him last?"
about an hour or less, perhaps"
Was 1t of an amicable character"
This question was identical to the one
put to Luke on the actual night
II the crime, by the detective charged
o elucidate its mysteries. And Luke's
eply was identical to his former one:
"Of an Indifferent character" he re-
,lied.
There was no quarrel between you
md the deceased gentleman? ~
Our interview was Of a private ma
rejoined Luke with unalterable
aim.
"But other witnesses" retorted the
sharply, .'heard angry voices
from the smoking room"
THAT no doubt is for those other
witnesses to say"
You deny hen that you quarreled
with the deceased or the night when
he was murdered? 2"
Il deny nothing. I am not on my
trial, I presume."
Again q pause. The coroner closed
his eyes and stroked his heavy chin.
he mad not yet succeeded in chipping
ene smooth surface of the ice.
What prarisa hour then dfd Won |