Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1914-05-09

strfkingly beautiful, despite the in
tense pallor that overspread her face
Her dark, questioning, dreading eyes
looked up into his with an expression
he was never to forget It combined
dread, horror, doubt and a smoldering
anger that seemed to overcast all
other emotions that lay revealed to
him.
This is a-what is commonly called
road house'?" she asked DULY, her
eyes narrowing suddenly as If in pain.
1T is an inn during the winter, Mrs
Wrandall. and a road house in the
summer, If that makes it plain to you.
1 will say. however, that Burton has
always kept well within the law.
This is the first = er real bit of
| trouble he's had, and 1 won't say it's
his fault. Keep quiet, Burton No one
is accusing you of anything wrong.
Don't whine about it,
But my place is ruined" groaned
the doleful one. Its got a black eye
now. Not that blame you, madam,
| but you can see how"
He quailed before the steady look
| in her eyes, and turned away num-
| bling.
There is a fire in the reception
room, madam" said the coroner; land
the proprietor's wife to look out for
you if you should require anything.
VIII you go in there and compose
yourself before going upstairs? Or.
if you would prefer waiting until
morning. 1 shall not insist on the
| er-ordeal tonight
81 prefer going up there tonight, %
said she steadily.
| The men looked at each other. and
| the sheriff spoke. Mr.. Drake is quite
confident the-the man is your hus-
band. It's an ugly affair, Mrs. Wran-
dali. We had no means of Identifying
him until Drake came in this evening,
out Of curiosity you might say. For
your sake, 1 hope he is mistaken"
Would you mind telling me some
| am quite calm. 1 am prepared for any
| thing. You need not hesitate"
"As you wish, madam. You will go
| into the reception room. If you please.
Burton, is Mrs. Wrandall's room quite
| ready for her?"
81 shall not stay here tonight" in
terposed Mrs. Wrandall. You need
not keep the room for me-"
But, my dear Mrs. Wrandall-"
ct shall wait in the railway station
until morning if necessary. But not
| here"
The coroner led the way to the cosy
| little room off the Office. She followed
with the sheriff. The men looked worn
| and haggard in the bright light that
met them, as if they had not known
sleep or rest for many hours.
1.-The assistant district attorney was
here until eleven, but went home to
get little rest. It's been hard case
| for all of us-a nasty one," explained
the sheriff, as he placed a chair in
front of the fire for her. She sank into
| it Imply.
go on. please" she murmured, and
shook her head at the nervous little
woman who hustled up and inquired if
she could do anything to make her
more comfortable.
The sheriff cleared his throat. well,
it happened last night. All day long
| we've been trying to find out who he
is. and ever since eight o'clock this
morning we've been searching for the
woman who came here with him She
has disappeared as completely as If
swallowed by the earth. Not a sign
of clew-not shred. There's moth
ing to show when she left the inn or
| by what means. All we know is that
| the door to that room up there was
standing half open when Burton
passed by it at seven o'clock this
morning is to say. yesterday
morning, for this is now Wednesday
1t is quite clear, from this, that she
neglected to close the door tightly
| when she came out, probably through
haste or fear, and the draft in the hall
| blew 1t wider open during the night.
Burton says the inn was closed for
the night at half-past ten. He went
1 to bed. She must have slipped out
after everyone was sound asleep.
| There were no other guests on that
| floor. Burton and his wife sleep on
| this floor, and the servants are at the
| top of the house and in wing. No
one heard a sound We have not the
remotest idea when the thing hap
pened, or when she left the place. Dr.
| Sheet says the man had been dead six
or eight hours when he first saw him,
and that was very soon after Burton's
discovery. Burton, on finding the door
open. naturally suspected that his
guests had skipped out during the
night to avoid paying the bill, and lost
no time in entering the room.
He found the man lying on the bed.
| spraw1ed out, face upward and as
dead as a mack should say, quite
dead. He was partly dressed. His
coat and vest hung over the back of
chair A small service carving
knife. belonging to the inn, had been