Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1912-06-14

GU mean he VIII nOt,' she reSponS-
ed somberly. Il wish | could make
him speak.
Her face looked haggard and worn.
Soon afterward she bade her hostess
good night, shook hands with me, and
left the room. | had just risen on
the following morning, when to my sur
prise my servant ushered in Charles
Holdsworth.
Halifax" he cried excitedly, Alma
C%olthurst is dead, murdered. She vas
found in her drawing room early his
morning, stabbed to the heart. The
police suspect Lidderdale."
Good heavens" exclaimed, there
must be a mistake. Lidderdale is in
capable of such q crime"
We'll, the servants story is as
follows" said Holdworth. Alma
returned home between II and
- last night. She found a card
from Lidderdale lying on the hand
table, with a line in pencil that he
would call to see her about midnight.
She told the servant that he was to
be admitted, and went up to her draw
ing room to wait for him. He arrived
and was shown upstairs. About half
past twelve Lidderdale left the house.
At Alma's request her maid had al
ready gone to bed. When Lidderdale
went away, the butler extinguished the
lights in the rest of the house, but did
not return to the drawing room, as
Alma never liked to be disturbed, n
as a rule put out the lights there her
self. On entering the early this
morning, he found his mistress stretch
ed on the floor, quite dead. A doctor
was summoned, and declared that she
was stabbed through the heart, and
had beer dead for many hours"
How terrible" l cried. Holds
worth, l almost begin to believe in
c~hiromancy. Haridas would not tell
her future last night, and said she had
none. Yet | cannot believe Lidderdale
guilty"
But think of the circumStantial evil
dence. He will, of course, be arrest
ed on suspicion. Let us go to the Met
rOpole, and find out what has hap
pened."
On our arrival at the hotel, the
ager informed us that no gentleman
of that name was staying there. The
police have already been inqulrlng Tor
him." he said, pointedly.
But here is his visiting card" ex-
postulated Holdsworth. He left it
at my house yesterday, with the name
of your hotel scrubbed in the cor
ner."
Probably the name Of the hotel was
used as a blind" remarked the man
ager.
This did not satisfy me. l knew
that I would recognize Lidderdale If
l should see him, and when Holds
worth left I remained behind in the
entrance hall, watching the guests as
they passed in and out. But no n
In the least degree resembling the
man l sought put in an appearance,
and soon after noon l went away. The
case looked black again the missing
man. The writing in the corner of the
visiting card left at Boldsworth's house
was easily identified with some Of Lid
derdale's letters which l possessed; a
similar card had been found at Mrs.
C%olthurst's, with writing also in Lid
derdale's hand. On the night Of the
21st a mar answering to his descrip-
ton had called on Mrs. Colthurst, n
in the morning she was found stabbed
to the heart.
A week passed, and still the police
had obtained no trace of the supposed
murderer. But returning home N
evening, | was almost stunned when
my servant informed me that Lidder-
dale was waiting to see me in my lab
oratory. | rushed to the room, and
Harry Lidderdale, looking much the
same as when l last saw him, came for
ward to meet me.
How are you, Halifax" he said,
cheerily. 4 have not been two our
in New York, and naturally you are
the first person | wanted to see. Why,
what is the matter?" he queried, OBJ
serving the Mortified expression on my
face.
You have not been here two hours"
repeated. Impossible. Don't you
know what has happened? l am amazed
at seeing you. l thought-you will for
give me, but l must speak plainly
fancied you were hiding from the po-
lice
u hiding from the p%olice!" he ex-
claimed. Why what do you mean,
Halifax. Is this a joke?"
Not at ALL" l replied ~confused!y.
But why did you leave New York
as you did, and cut us all, and then
come back
"One question at a time, old man.
The fact is | was almost mad at that
time. When Alma Ramsay refused
me. on the score of my poverty, was
convinced, | resolved to leave the
country, cut all my connections, and
make for South Africa. There | was
Joined by a man named ColVille. He
and had been chums at college; he
also knew Alma, and the first thing
which drew US together was the men
ton of her name. He had a little
money, and we agreed to purchase a
share in a diamond mine. We did, in
fact | soon became rich. Colville took
fever and very nearly died. / nursed
him. and on his supposed deathbed he
made a confession. R-a also loved Al
ma. and in order to wiz her had gone
To see her and told her lies about me
hat | was secretly engaged to another
? girl and more-and the poor girl be,
: lieyed him. He had no knowledge at
the time hat pressure was being
: brought to bear upon her to wed Gen
: eral Colthurst. When he discovered