The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1915-12-23

told me that someone had arrived, and
when 1 reached the door, saw that 1t
was the doctor and the nurse. The
former was just rising from a rapid
examination OF the quivering figure on
the couch.
he said. turning to Godfrey. Her
bed rooms upstairs, suppose.
Yes" said Godfrey; shall show
The doctor nodded and. lifting the
girl carefully in his arms. followed
Godfrey out into the HAN. The nurse
picked up a medicine case from the
floor and followed after.
/ had expected Swain to rush for
ward to the couch, to make a scene,
perhaps, and had kept my hand upon
his arm; but to my astonishment he
did not so much as glance In that di-
reotton. He stood patiently beside me,
with his eyes on the noor. and when
my restraining hand fell away. he
he had been sitting. and dropped into
1t, relaxing Imply as with fatigue.
Godfrey was back in q moment.
That doctor was the nearest one 1
could find" he said. He seems to be
all right. But II Miss Vaughan isn't
better in the morning, I'll get a spec
ialist out"
Il
there's something the matter with
Swain" and 1 motioned to where he
sat, flaccid and limp. apparently half
asleep. He Is suffering from shock,
or something OF that sort. It's some
thing more, anyway, than oYerwrought
nerves. He seems to be only half
conscious"
II noticed it." said Godfrey, with a
little nod. Wen have the doctor look
a n I'm xNThn IA a . -.
sank YEARLY into a chair. This has
been pretty strenuous night, Lester"
yes; and it isn't over yet. wonder
what the man with the snake is do
ing?"
"Still staring into the crystal, no
doubt. Do you want to go and seer"
No." said decided, II don't. God
frey" added, doesn't the absence Of
servants seem strange to your"
Very strange. But, 1 dare say,
Wen find them around somewhere
though they seem to be sound sleepers!
We didn't look through the whole
house. you know. I'm not going to-
either; I'm going to let the police do
that. They ought to be here pretty
soon. told Simmonds to bring two
or three men with him."
glanced at the huddled body of the
murdered man. With all the nights
excitements and surprises, we had
not even touched upon that mystery
Not a single gleame OF light had been
shed upon 1t, and yet IL was the CEN
ter about which all these other strange
occurrences revolved. Whose hand
was 1t had thrown that cord about the
throat and drawn it tight? What mo-
tive lay behind? Fearsome and COM
polling must the motive be to drive a
man to such O crime! Would Sim
monds be able to divine that motive
to build the case up bit by bit until
the murderer was found? Would
Godfrey?
1 turned my head to look at him
He was lying back in his chair, his
eyes closed, apparently lost in thought
and for long minutes there was no
movement in the room. ~.
At last the doctor returned, looking
more cheerful than when he had left
the room. He had given Miss
Vaughan an opiate and she was sleep
ing calmly; the nervous trembling
she walked she would be much better
The danger was that brain fever might
develop; she had evidently suffered q
very severe shock.
YES" said Godfrey, she discovered
her father strangled in the chair
yonder."
Il saw the body when came in"
lIlpGTIuEaDIJ.
80 it's her father, is it?"
Yes"
And strangled, you say?"
Godfrey answered with a gesture,
and the doctor walked over to the
body, glanced at the neck, then dis
engaged one of the tightly clenched
hands from the chair arm, raised it
and let 1t fall could not but envy
his admirable self control.
GGEJnHu long has he hAan daanop Cod
frey asked.
mot more than two or three hours"
the doctor answered. The muscles
are just beginning to stiffen. 1t looks
like murder" he added, and touched
the cord about the neck.
1T Is murder"
You've notified the police?"
They will be here soon."
I saw the doctor glance at Godfrey
and then at me, plainly puzzled as to
our footing in the house; but IL there
was a question in his mind, he kept
it from his lips and turned back again
to the huddled body.
ANY clew to the murderer" he
asked, at last.
I'VE have found none"
And then the doctor stopped sud
denly and picked up something from
the floor beside the chair.
perhaps this Is a clew," he said,
quietly, and held to the light an op1ect
which, as 1 sprang to my feet, saw
to be a blood stained handk erchief.
He spread 1t out under our eyes,
handling it gingerly, for 1t was still
damp, and we saw it was small hand
kerchief-a woman's handkerchief--of
delicate texture. 1t was fairly soaked
with blood. and yet in peculiar man
ner, for two of the corners were much
crumpled but quite unstained.
The doctor raised his eyes to God
frey's.
what do you make of it?' he asked.
"a clew, certainly" said Godfrey;
but scarcely to the murderer"
The doctor looked at 1t again for q
moment, and then nodded. I'D better
put it back where found 1t, guess,
he said, and dropped it beside the chair.
And then, suddenly, remembered
Swain. / turned to find him still
dropping forward in his chair, appar-
emily half asleep.
Doctor" I said, There Is someone
else here who Is suffering from
shock" and / motioned toward the
limp figure. "Or perhaps it's some
thing worse than that"
The doctor stepped quickly to the
chair and looked down at Its occupant.
Then he put his hand under SWANS
chin, raised his head and gazed In.
To Gvafn rQfllrnAn