Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1912-10-10
CHAPTER xxxv1.
PEOPLE DON'T DO THAT SORT OF
THING.

THING.
Lady Ryder was out of town. She
was staying at a country house in the
Midlands. chaperoning her nices-
Louisas twin sisters-but Sir Thomas
Ryder was at home.
1t was for him that Louisa had asked
when the butler opened the door in
answer to her ring.
Sir Thomas is in the library, MISS"
said the man. .'WM you come into
the tn drawing room, and I'll tell Sir
Thomas you are here, miss?"
Mo- h said. don't nou me.
I'll go to the library"
Sir Thomas put down the paper
which he had been reading. when his
niece entered. He did not seem at all
astonished to see her. No doubt the ex-
ercise of his profession had taught him
to be surprised at anything in
life. He rose when he recognized who
it was, and carefully folded his eye
glasses n slipped them into their
case and into his waistcoat pocket.
Then he said:
My dear Louisa, this is quite unex
pected: Is your father with you?"
NO" she replied, II came alone.
May / sit down!"
genially and himself wheeled a capa-
cious arm chair round to the fire.
II am not disturbing you. Uncle
Ryder?"
mo, no. Take off your cloak, won't
you? l vas only looking at the eve
ming paper, preparatory to turning in
early
She glanced at the paper on the
table; h a page was uppermost that
bore the startling headline, in unusu-
ally large type: "The Murder in the
The chief of the criminal investigation
department studied the accounts in the
newspapers. the opinion of pressmen
and reporters. Everything interested
him.: he weighed everything in his
mind; no silly advice, no empty title
tattle was ever dismissed by him with
out Its due need Of consideration.
Uncle and niece now sat opposite
each other. facing the hearth. He
looked straight into the fire, knowing
that. h would not wish him to sec
the misery in her face.
VIII you have something, Lou?" he
asked kindly. IA cup of tea or some
thing"
ner and father has gone to the club.
l came to see o about Luke
"Yes?" he said.
AN along" she continued. lever
s Tac sea father At sne.s saw !. v you s y=ssterday.
ttonalfty kept me back" .
1T certainly is not usual" he be-
gan.
NO. she broke in quickly, ST know
It is 20 But this is an unusual case
far too serious for silly ideas of tact
or convention to creep in. The mar
whom l love best In all the world is
falsely accused Of a most abominable
crime. He WIS arrested-by your or
ders I suppose-about an hour ago.
He put up his hand in gentle depre.
cation.
stop a moment, my DEAR" ne said
quite kindly. but very decisively. 'It
you have n idea at the back Of your
head. that I, personally, have any in
huence at my command with regard
to Luke de Mountford's fate, then the
sooner you get that idea out OF YOU
head the better. II you came here to.
night with the notion that by plead.
ing with me you could save Luke from
the consequences Of his crime, then &c,
that notion U Of your head, my dear
ard save US both from . very pain.
full interview. Luke de Mountford was
not arrested. by my orders; I am only
an automat1n OF the Law, which takes
its wi course. without any persona
interference on my part. Officially. ]
-as an autosnAton-did Just ~ duty
and the law OF this country directs