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

WHICH TELLS OF AN UNEX-
PECTED TURN OF EVENTS
1t seems that coroner and jury had
not spent quite so much time over
luncheon as the more or less interested
spectators. h the crowd began to
file back again into the seats, the COR
oner had already examined and dis
missed one witness and was question:
ing another.
The past and present servant of the
Grosvenor square household would all
have to pass before the coroner during
The course of this long afternoon. 1t
was only ? o'clock INC already the gas
had to be lighted-two incandescent
burners just above the ]coroner's table
hard, uncompromising lights. that
threw a sickly green tinge On every
face and cast deep black shadows un-
der every eye.
1t was this light. no doubt, that made
Luke's a seem positively CHASTITY to
Louisa; 1t o almost like a DEATH
mask, so deep and c~avernous did the
eyes appear and so hollow the cheeks.
He was sitting In his usual attitude,
with arms folded, between Mr.. Dobson
and one OF the women in seedy black
whose presence here had puzzled ev-
eryone.
Old arker. ex-butler to Lord Rad
clyffe, was giving evidence. He had a
tale to tell, how Mr.. de Mountford
went on awful" when he-the inno-
cent, well drilled servant-had thought
it his duty to introduce Mr.. Philip in
to his l~ordship's presence.
Just think Of it, your honor" he
claimed, his lordship's rightful heir"
Then he d with calm effrontery:t
Mr.. Luke e give me the sack then
II there! He was that wild!"
just a paltry, silly, meaningless re-
Venge. me death mask on Luke's face
relaxed for a moment when he looked
on the fat creature standing before the
jury. vainly trying to look pompous and
s~elf-righteous, and only succeeding in
being a liar.
The evidence would have been of lit
tie worth. but for the confederation
from other of the Grosvenor
square household. The present two
man and wife-wastrels and drunkards,
counted for nothing; they had only en-
tered Lord Radclyffe's service recently
when all visitors had ceased from call
ing at the inhospitable house, and they
had seen little or nothing of Luke; but
the others-those whom Philips arbi-
trary temper had driven out of the
house-they had many a tale to tell
OF the dead mans arrogance, his m
treatment Of his younger
kinsman, and the bitter words that Of
ten flew between the cousins when
doors closed n eavesdroppers were
behind the keyholes.
These witnesses-an ex-housekeeper,
a footman, a maid-were trying their
best, poor things, to do the right thing
by Mr.. Luke" little guessing how iii
they succeeded. They had been
dragged into this much against their
will. AS a class they hated the police
and its doings, wen though the cook
might occasionally show a preference
for the local guardian of peace and or
der. AS for the 1afoat{ra a., -1,;-
clothes, the mar who wore a peaked
cap instead Of the familiar helmet, him
they hated and feared, especially since
he seemed to mean mischief for Mr.,
Luke.
They gave their evidence unwilling
~; every admission had to be dragged
out of them, once they realized that
revelations of past quarrels be-
tween the gentlemen" would not be
to the detriment Of the dead, only per-
haps to the undoing of the living.
The hours wore on heavily. The at
mosphere now s~urcharged with the
heat from the gas brackets had become
lntolerably oppressive. Opoponax and
hel1otrope waxed faint to the
Through the badly fitting
indow frame something OF the out
fog had penetrated into the room.
1t hung about in the air, round the gas
burned yellow and dim through it.
and obscured the far of the
place, throwing a veil over the ~
mutes in uniform overcoats with
threadbare velvet collars, over the Gag
er and perspiring journalists whose
pens had scraped the paper
for 80 long.
Hot, tired and oppressed humanity
its warm breath felt in the close.
i'll ventilated rooms. Smelling salts would
not dispel the ~unpleasantly mingling
doors Of damp clothes and muddy boots
which rose from the plebian crowd N
the rear.