Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-05-03

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since you didn't see the growth cf
beard on the dead face yoursAlf?
by the cut on the cheek. You Sc,
the sheriff had failed to forSee that
telltAle beard. So, when In Difference
to Mr.. Bain's protest against burial
without formal view Of tho body, they
opened up the casket and saw the
obvious change in the face, there was
for tho oficials to do but
their carelessness. They had
tho body taken to the house, and did
the best they could. That cut on the
cheek was a razor cut. Having realized
that much, had to deal thenceforth
with the mystery Of dead man mas
querading a. a woman, and being
abetted in the deception by the ohhcers
Of tho law"
"Astraea a mani" broke in Preston
Jax, his chin in q spasm. "No wonder
she-he put up such a night. Who
was her"
my son, wilfrid Blair" said Ajax.
ander Blair.
sedgwick took swift involuntary
step toward Marjorie. but Kent was be'
fore him, setting hrm hand on his
shoulder. MI,
mot now, Frank" he said. Then,
turning to the girl-widow, "Ybu see,
Mrs. Blair" he said very gently, IT
isn't 30 bad as you feared. There waa
no other woman In the case, no dis
grace, no shame. You need feel moth.
Ing but pity for an unhappy wrecked
mind, for which death was the happiest
refuge"
Marjorie Blair sat very still and
white. Let me think" she whispered
Let me think"
"But the mans voice." exclaimed
Jax. "The voice Of the an on the
cliff"
'wilfrid Blairs," said Kent. an the
final moment he came to himself. AZ
last he resumed his voice. Up to then
he hal been, in voice, manner, thought
purpose. unconsciously playing part.
"Astraea!" SAID Sedgwick and JAZZ
in breath.
eyes. It was one Of those strange
and complete assumptions Of person.
tlity which puzzle the alientists. VII
fr,d Blair's diseased mind has fasten.
ed upon the strange history Of his an
cestress, and brooded on 1t until Il be
came convinced that her spirit was
reincarnated in himself. UndoubtAd.
ly his striking illness to the Dol .r1it
Of Camilla Grosvenor powerfully aided
the obsession. There were her letters,
in the library, to give color to his nm
conscious imitation. Az Is common IN
this form OF dementia, he was secre-
tive. But there can be no doubt that
from the time when he recognized In
Preston Jax's advertisement, the call
of Astraea's kindred soul, Hermann
Won Miltz, his one overwhelming desire
was to reenact the drama Of the last
century, in his own assumed personAli-
ty. Jax has told us how cleverly and
secretly the plan for the double suicide
was matured This obsession must
have been OF long standing"
eve thought it melancholia," said
Alexander Blair. "As you say, he had
been very secretive. Very silent too.
| We kept Gansett Jim with him % =
sort Of body-guard."
Marjorie Blair got to her feet. She
was ghost-white; but her voice and
eyes were steady, as she faced Kent.
II must understand this all. she
said. "Wilfrid's body is whefe?"
'Tn Annalaka churchyard" ID
"Then who-whst Is buried In his
grave at Hedgerow House?'
Nothing" said Alexander Blair.
"a mock funeral!"
IN. dear" said tho mamie seemed
to have grown suddenly old under the
unspoken arraingment-"I could not
tell you what thought the truth. I
thought then that Wilfrid had encoun.
tered Mr.. Sedgwick, and that-that
there had been fight In which he Vas
killed. Rather than face the scandal
|of q murder trial, q scandal in which
the family name would have been
dragged through the mire Of the pub
lie prints again, chose the part OF
deceit. I'd have bribed q hundred Of
fices of the law rather than have had
you dragged to the witness-stand, and
have been compelled to give testimony
myself. There has been enough OF
public shame In my life." !.
But you made me believe that Mr..
Sedxwick killed Wilfrid!" she accused.
II believed it myself" he retorted.
"But what basis had you for suspect.
ing me Of the chime?" cried Sedgwick.
turning to Marjorie Blair. You didn't
know of his visit to me in women's
clothes. You knew nothing Of the
quarrel, 1t seems, until just now. For
what possible reason, in your belief,
should have killed him?"
She flushed to her temples. Il
thought" she murmured. that he
might have known Of our acquAint-
ance, and have misconstrued: that he
might have gone to find you. and at-
tackled you, and that you killed him.
! In self-defense, I mean 4.
Thank you for that last, at least
said Sedgwick rather bitterly. Then.
as he saw her vince, Forgive mol"
he added in low tone. but. TO Be
suspected by you. even though You
were misled-'' He stopped, catching
Kents frowning glance.
"Who discovered that tho burial was
false one?" she asked, after Q pau1e.
professor Kent" said Blair. He
and Mr.. Sedgwick exhumed the comm
THAT was the night" her eyes
questioned Sedgwick.
THAT found you at Hedgerow
Hous,. Yes" he said gently.
"And that my father.in-law charged
you with being my husbands muir