The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1915-12-30

oANd pNlSSu II ONSI Tx p0oys l. e ~
coroner picked up the robe and held it
out at arms length.
VIVA kind Of a freak dress is this,
anyway" he asked.
Its a robe" said Godfrey. Mr..
vaughan was a mystic"
"A what?"
"A mystic-a believer in Hinduism
or some other Oriental religion"
Did he dress this way all the time?"
Il believe so. 1t is probably the
dress of his order"
Goldberger rolled the robe up care
could see from his expression that he
mad ceased to wonder why Vaughan
had come to a strange and violent
end. Surely anything might happen t.
a mystic! Then he placed the blood
stained handkerchief In another envel-
pocket and brought out half a dozen
cigars.
Now" he said, Tets sit down and
rest awhile. Simmonds tells me 1t was
you who called him. Mr.. Godfrey. How
did you happen to discover the crime?'
but I could feel the alert mind behind
it. I knew that Godfrey felt It, too,
from the way in which he told the
story, for he told it carefully, and yet
with an air of keeping nothing back.
OF the mysterious light he said moth
ing, but, starting with my finding Of
the letter and summoning Swain to
receive it. told Of the arrangements
for the rendezvous, dwelling upon it
Llightly,> as a love affair which could
have no connection with the tragedy.
He passed on to his own arrival from
the city, to SWANS return from the
rendezvous, and finally to the screams
covery we had made when we burst
INTO the house.
81 summoned DR.. Human imme-
diately," he added, for Miss Vaughan
seemed to be in a serious condition:
then | called Simmonds, and suggested
that he stop for you, Mr.. Coroner, for
l knew that the case would interest
you. DR.. Hinman arrived perhaps
half an hour. ahead of you, and had
Miss Vaughan put to bed at once And
l guess o know the rest" he con-
cluded.
We had all listened i~ntently. I was
pretty sure that Simmonds would make
no differences which Godfrey wished
to avoid; but l feared the more pene-
trating mind of the coroner. His first
question proved that l was right to
do so.
Where is his man swain?" he
asked.
H was suffering from the shock"
said Godfrey" n Lester and DIR.
Human ook him over to my place
and put him to bed. That's where they
We're when o got here"
He seemed to be suffering from a
slight concussion," Human ex-
one side of his head, as though some
one had struck him, and the pupils of
his eyes were unsymmetrical. He had
also a cut on the wrist" he added,
after an instant's hesitation.
All" commented Goldberger, with
7 n e1n,oon D.. ~ -CNDlFr~,, - EIJ-l =. -,
bleeding?"
He cut himself when crossing the
wall" Godfrey explained; "a mere
scratch, but l believe it did bleed a
good deal"
"Ah!' said Goldberger again; and
then he turned to the doctor. did I
understand you to say that he went
to sleep?"
II certainly did. 1 gave him a good
strong opiate to make sure of it."
DO you think he'll sleep till morn
ing?"
Hell sleep nine or 10 hours. at
least"
Then that's all right" said Gold
berger, and settled back in his chair
again. But didn't anybody live in
this house except that old man and
his daughter? Aren't there any
servants?"
There must be some somewhere
about" answered Godfrey, to whom the
question was addressed; but Lester
and l looked through the lower floor
and part of the upper one and didn't
find any. There's a bell there by the
door, but nobody answered when ]
rang. We didn't have time to go all
over the house. We did find one thing
though" he added, as if by an after
thought.
"What was that?'
There's an adept in one of the
rooms upstairs"
Goldberger sat up and stared at him
"An adept?" he repeated. What's
that?"
An expert in mysticism. 1 Judge
that Vaughan was his pupil"
DO you mean he's a Hindu? 2" asked
the coroner, as though that would ex-
; plain everything.
But Godfrey was having his revenge
Il don't know whether he's 81 Hindu
or not" he said, airily. II didn get a
very good look at him."
!, What was he doing?" Goldbergel
demanded.
He vas just sitting there
Again Goldberger stared at him, this
time suspiciously.
But, good heavens, mani" he cried
That was three or four hours ago!
; You don't suppose he's sitting ther,
, yeti"
:, Yes" said Godfrey, drily, IT thinl
! he is"
Goldberger's face flushed, and b.
sprang to his feet impatiently.
Show me the room" he commanded
! Glad to-" said Godfrey laconically
I and led the way out into the hall.
: h whole crowd tailed along aftel
him. As / rose to follow, 1 saw tha
. the outside world was turning gre,
. with the approaching dawn.
The nurse, hearing our footsteps OF
the stairs. looked out in alarm, an
f held up a warning finger. Godfre,
) paused for a word with her.
$ How is she?" he asked.
Sleeping quietly" said the nurse
but please don't make any more nois,
than o can help"
w won't" Godfrey promised, ant
l crossed the hall to the door leadin,
into the little entry. Then he paused
and looked around at Goldberger
: Better go slow here" he cautioned
I Tie adept has a pet cobra"
"A shaker"
"Fhe deadliest snake in the world.
: Go!dberger drew back a little. a
did all the others.