The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1912-08-01
CHAPTER xxII-(continued.)

say Coulllucu Luke 4AiSlly,
that Philip was killed by the thrust
or a sharp dagger or stiletto, right
through the neck. Well, where is that
g Have they found it? Or
traced 1T to its owner?"
Then as Colonel Harris was still ST.
lent he reiterated once more:
did Sir Thomas tell you if they had
found the weapon?"
And Colonel Harris noddedsand muir
INJURED:
YES"
Actually found the weapon?" insist
yes"
"Where?"
"Behiadw the r%ailings-in Green Park
close to Hyde Park corner"
Was 1t a stiletto? Or a dagger? Or
1T was a stick with a dagger fitting
into it. A snakewood stick. 1t was
covered with mud and-other stains"
There was silence in the room now
for the Of a few brief seconds.
A silence solemn and full Of meaning.
All through this rapid succession Of
questions and between Colo
mel Harris and Luke, Louisa had kept
her eyes fixed upon the younger mans
face n sunlight indifference at pos
s1ble danger alternating with impati-
ence at the singular obstinacy of his &C
cusers. Throughout this time the face
DIN h1iSW 81 VIGIL, lIllrTOrGQ IQat perfect
calm which she understood and ad-
mlred, since 1t was the reflex of a
calm, untroubled soul.
But now there came a change in the
face; or rather not In the face but in
the soul behind it. The change came
at Colonel Harris's last words; a
change SO subtle, SO undetermined, that
h was quite sure her father had not
perceived it. But movement there was
none; one mere, almost inperceptible
culver Of the eyelids-nothing more.
The mouth beneath the slight fair
moustache had not trembled, the brow
remained smooth, the breath came and
went as evenly as before.
But the change was there, neverthe-
less! The gray tint just round the eyes,
the stony look in the pupils themselves
a tiny speck Of moisture round the
wing Of each nostril. Colonel Harris
a not looked at Luke whilst he spoke
of the stick. He was staring straight
in front of him, hardly conscious of the
silence which a cast a strange and
mystic spell on these three people
standing here in the banal atmosphere
of a London hotel.
1t was Luke who broke the silence.
He said quite quitely asking the ques-
tons as If it related to a most trivial,
most Indifferent matter:
Did Sir Thomas show you the
stick?"
liz COlOllGl UOuQSQ III dcQuleSCGnCG.
TT was my stick, I suppose?
The query vas SO sudden, so unex-
pected that Colonel Harris instructive
ly uttered an exclamation of amaze.
ment.
Luke! BY God, man! Are you
mad?"
Louisa said nothing. She was trying
to understand the un-understandable.
Luke almost smiled at the other mans
bewilderment.
mo, SIR" he said, mot mad I think.
I only want to know how I stand"
How you stand, MANI" calculated
Colonel Harris with uncontrolled We.
hemence. Great Heavens, don't you
realize that here Is some damned con
spiracy as mysterious as it is damn
able, and that you will have to look this
seriously in the face, If you don't wish
to find yourself in the dock before the
next four and twenty hours?"
Il am" replied Luke simply, Cooking
the matter squarely in the face, sir, but
don't quite see how I can avoid stand
Ing in the dock as you say, before the
next four and twenty hours. You see
had quarrelled with Philip, and my
stick-which contained a dagger-was
found in the park, covered with mud,
as you say, n other stains"
But hang 1t all, man. you did not
murder your cousin"
his was not a query but an asser-
tloH. SOloueI E1dTTlS loyalty had no
wavered, but he could not contrive to
keep the note of anxiety out Of his
voice; nor did he reiterats the asser-
ton when Luke made no answer to it.
Once more the latter passed his hand
yer the back Of his head. You know
that gesture. It is so English! and al
ways denotes a certain measure Of per.
turbation. Then he said with seeming
ir~relevance:
IT suppose I had better go now"
His eyes sought Louisa's. trying to
read what she thought and felt. Imag-
Inc the awful moment! For he loved
her as you know, with that intensity
of passion Of which a nature like his
almost cramped by perpetual self-con-
tainment-is alone capable. Then to
have to stand before her wondering
what h next second would reveal,
hardly daring to exchange fear for GER
t;.ude, because of what that GERTRUDE
might be.
He sought her eyes and had no diff
Guilty in finding them. They had never
wandered away from his face. To him
the ardent neutrality-suspicious. eyes OF
hers had never seemed SO exquisitely
luminous. He read her soul then and
! there 40 he would n book A soul full