The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1914-09-04

teer to fetch the conn back to M,
house?'
Ten times six offered their services
The box was carried out swiftly. fol
lowed by the variable hum Of excited
conjecture. Quickly the room emptieC
itself except for ) few stragglers.
Sedgwick. who had followed the i'm
promptu rortege with his vision. was
brought up sharply by the glare of 8
pair of eyes outside the nearest win
dow. The eyes were fixed ON his own
Their expression vas distinctly ma
levolent. Without looking round
Sedgwick said in q low voice:
Kent"
No answer came.
Kent" said the artist a little louder
'HuhY' responded a mufiied and alb.
stracted voice behind him.
"See here for a moment"
There a neither sound nor move.
ment from the scientist.
IAN Indian looking chap outside the
window is trying to hypnotic me or
something of the sort"
This information. deemed by its Civ
er to be Of no small interest. elected
not the faintest response. Somewhat
piqued. the artist turned. to behold
his friend stretched on a bench. with
face to the ceiling. eyes closed and
heels or the raised end. His lips NOV
ed family in Il whistle. Sedgwick
shook the whistler mistakenly.
"Eh? WHAT" cried Kent, wrench
ing his shoulder free. 60 away!
Cant you see Iim busy?"
"I1l give you something to think
about. Look at this face Of a cigar
store Indian at the window. No! It's
gOne!"
"Gansett Jim. probably" opined
Kent. Just where his interest in this
case m in | haven't yet found out.
He favored me with his regard out
side. And he had some dealings with
the sheriff on the beach. But | don't
want to talk about him now nor about
anything else"
Acting on this hint. Sedgwick let his
companion severely alone until a bus
tie from without warned him that the
crowd was returning. Being aroused.
Kent accOsted one Of the villagers who
had just entered.
Body coming back" he asked.
Yep. On it's way nOw."
what occurred in the house where
they took it,"
Search me: Everybody was shut
out by the sheriff and the doc. They
had that body to themselves nigh twen
ty minutes"
At this III the sheriff entered
the hall. followed by DR.. Breed. who
escorted the coffin to its supporting
sawhorses. The meager physician was
visibly at the flag end Of his self con
troll. Even the burly sheriff looked
like a sick man as he lifted aside the
roftin lid and spoke.
There was reasons. neighbors." said
he. why the corpse wasn't suitable to
be looked ut. Nobody had seen it since
last night. We've fixed it up as good
as we could. and you'll now please
pass by as quick as possible"
In the line that formed Kent got a
place behind Elder bennett. who had
decided to take another look for good
measure. as he said. The look was q
productive one. No sooner had it fall,
Ell ON the face of the dead than Den
nett jabbed an indicatOry finger in that
direction and addressed the sheriff:
Hey. Len: What's this?"
whats what?" growIed Schlager.
Why. there's Il cut on the lady's
right cheek. 1t wasn't there when |
seen the corpse last night"
"Ah. what's the matter with your
eyes," demanded the sheriff savagely.
You want o hog the Iimelight. that's
your trouble!"
This was evidently a shrewd lash at
a recognized weakness. and the elder
moved on amid jeering comments.
But Sedgwick. whose eyes had been
fixed upon Kent. saw a curious expires.
sion flicker and fade across the long
jawed face. 1t was exactly the ex-
preston Of a dog that pricks up its
ears. The next moment a litter ran
through the crowd as a pumpkin in q
rear seat called out:
1.-The dudes eyes amt mates!"
Chester Kent. already conspicuous
in his spOtless white 1annels, had
made himself dOubly so by drawing
out a monocle and deftly fixing it In
his right eye. He leaned owe the
body to look into the face. and his
head jerked back the merest trifle.
Bending lower, he scrutinized the un-
manacled wrist. When he passed on
his lips were pursed in the manner of
n who whistles noiselessly.
He resumed his seat beside Sedg-
wick. CHANGING to look down at the
monocle. Sedgwick started and stared.
kent's knuckle. as seen through the
glass. stood forth. monstrOus and dis
torted. every line of the bronzed skin
showing like 4 furrow.
The mon0cle "A a powerful mag
nifying lens.
The sheriff's heavy voice rose. ANY
n here present recognize or identify
the deceased?" he drOned. and. with