Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1912-10-24

up stairs.
Several minutes elapsed. No one
spoke. Mr.. Warren, who had always
been deeply attached to Luke de
Mountford, was longing to ask ques-
ttons, which, however, he was too shy
knock at the door and one of the
nurses came in to say that Lord Rad
clyffe would be pleased to see Sir
Thomas Ryder upstairs.
Louisa rose at the same time as her
uncle, but the latter detained her with
a gesture full OF kind sympathy.
Not just yet. my dear" he said.
"But," she asked a%nxiously, II shall
be allowed to see him. shan't 1?'
II think So" lie replied e%vasively.
But even ii YOU do not see him, o
added insistently, seeing the deeply
troubled look that had crept into her
face at his words. II am going to
do tonigl: what 1 often hav to do
in the course OF my work. 1 am going
to borrow YOUR soul and your mind
and allow them to sneak through my
lips. When l so upstairs. l shall only
outwardly be the police officer search
ing for proofs Of a crime; inwardly /
shall be Il noble hearted oma try
ing to discover proofs of her fiancee's
innocence, That win be right, dear,
won't it?'
She nodded acquiescence. trying to
appear content. Then she pleaded once
again, dry eyed and broken voiced:
"You will try and get permission for
me to see Lord Radcliffe. won't you?"
IT give you my word," he said SOL
emily.
Then he went upstairs.
Mr.. Warren, quiet and sympathetic.
persuaded Louisa to sit down again
by the hearth. He took her mum and
fur stole from her, and threw a log
on the fire. The flames spurted OF,
giving a cheerful cackle. But Louisa
saw no pictures in this fire, her mind
was upstairs in Lord Radclyffe's room.
wondering what vas happening.
Mr.. Warren spoke of h murdered
man. Ie had not been present at
the inquest, and the news that the
tyrant who had ruled over Lord Rad
clyffe for so long was nothing but an
impostor came as q fearful shock 20
him.
There was the pitifulness Of the
whole thing. The utter purposelessness
of a hideous crime. So many lives
wrecked. such awful calamity, such p
paling humiliation. such ignominy,
and all just for nothing. A very little
trouble. almost superficial inquiry.
would have evealed the imposture,
and saved all that sorrow, all the dire
humiliation and prevented the crime
| Tor Wllcf the law OF men DEGREES ina
there shall be no pardon.
The man who lay i'll upstairs-and he
who was lying in the public mortuary,
surrounded by all the pomp and luxury
which he had filched by his lies-alone
could tell the secret of the extraordi-
nary success of the imposture. Lord
Radcliffe had accepted the bricklayer's
son almost as his own, with that same
obstinate reserve with which he had
at first Aouted the very thought Of the
mans ~pretentions. Who could tell
what persuasion was used, what ar
guments, what threats?
And the mar was an impostOr after
all! And he had been murdered, when
n word perhaps would have effaced
him from the world as completely and
less majestically h had been done
by death.
Mr.. Warren talked OF it all. and
| Louisa listened with half an ear even
whilst every sense of hearing in her was
concentrated on the floor above. in q
vain endeavor to get a faint inkling of
what went on in Lord Racldffe's room.
She had heard her uncle's step on the
landing, the few hurried sentences ex-
changed with the doctor before enter
ing the sick chamber. the opening and
shutting of a door. Then again the
lighter footsteps OF the nurse. who had
evidently been sent out of the room,
when Sir Thomas went In. Louisa
heard the faint hum Of their voices as
they descended the stairs, even a sup
pressed giggle now and then: they were
happy, no doubt, at the few moments
OF respite from constant watching,
which had apparently been accorded
them.
They ran quickly down the last flight
of stairs and across the hall toward the
servants quarters. Their chattering
was heard family echoing through the
baize doors. Then nothing more.
Less than a quarter OF an our went
by. and again h heard the opening
and shutting of a door, and mems foot
steps on the landing.
Louisa could not believe either her
eyes. which were gazing OH the clock.
or her ears, which heard now quite dis
tinctly the voice OF Sir Thomas de-l
scending the stairs. n Doctor New
ington's more pompous tones in reply.
1.-THE interview" remarked Mr.. War
rem. did not last very long"
But already h had risen from her
chair, desperately anxious, wondering
what the meaning could be of the
shortness of the interview. She was
not kept long in suspense. for q moment
or two later Sir Thomas Ryder came
In. followed by Doctor N~ewington. One
glance at her Gncle'S fac told her the
whole disappointing truth. even before
he spoke.
1T was useless. my DEAR" he said.
and Doctor Newington was quite
right. Lord Radcliffe. I am very sorry
IDENTITY. unable to understand what Is
said, and certainly quite incapable OF
making any effort to reply"
Il was afraid So" added Doctor New
ington in his usual conventional tones.
{ h patient, you see. is hardly con-
sctous. His mind is dormant. He just
knows me and his nurses. but he did
not recognize Sir Thomas"
Louisa a nothing: the blank, hope
less disa appointment following on the