The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1915-12-23

A murmur Of voices from the library
me that someone had arrived, and
when l reached the door. / saw that it
was the doctor and the nurse. The
former was just rising from a rapid
examination of the quivering figure on
the couch.
I'VE must get her to bed at once"
he said, turning to Godfrey. Her
bed rooms upstairs, 1 suppose.
Yes" said Godfrey; shall i show
you the way?"
The doctor nodded and. lifting the
girl carefully in his arms, followed
Godfrey out into the hall. The nurse
picked up a medicine case from the
floor and followed after.
l a expected Swain to rush for
ward to the couch, to make a scene.
perhaps, and a kept my hand upon
his arm; but to my establishment he
did not so much as glance in hat di-
rection. He stood patiently beside me,
with his eyes on h floor. and when
my restraining hand fell away, he
walked slowly to the chair in which
he had been sitting. and dropped into
it, relaxing Imply as with fatigue.
Godfrey was back in a moment. A
That doctor was the nearest one I
could find" he said. He seems to be
all right. But if Miss Vaughan isn't
better in the morning, Tn get a spec
ialist out"
there's something the matter with
Swain" n ] 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 overwrought
nerves. He seems to be only half
conscious"
II noticed it," said Godfrey, with a
little nod. Wei have the doctor look
at him when he comes down." and he
sank YEARLY into a chair. This has
been a pretty strenuous night, Lester"
yes; and it isn't owe yet. I wonder
what the man with the snake is do
ing?"
Still staring into the crystal, no
doubt. Do O want to go and see q"
NO" 1 said decided, II don't. Cod
frey" l added. doesn't the absence of
servants seem strange to you?"
Very strange. But, 1 dare say,
We'll 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. i old Simmonds to bring two
or three men with him."
1 glanced at the huddled body of the
murdered man. With all the nights
eNcitementS and surprises, we had
not even touched upon that mystery.
Not a single gleame of light had been
shed upon it, and vet it was the cen
ter about which all these other strange
occurrences revolved. Whose hand
was it 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 a crime! Would Sim
monds be able to divine that motive,
to build h case up bit by bit until
the murderer was found? Would
Godfrey?
L 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 thar when he had left
the room. He a given Miss
Vaughan an opiate and she was sleep
ing calmly; h nervou trembling
had subsidized and he hoped thct when
she walked she would be much better.
The danger was that brain fever might
develops; she had evidently suffered a
very severe shock.
her father strangled in the chair
%yonder."
Il saw the body when 1 came in,"
the doctor remarked, imperturably.
S it's her father, is it?"
Yes"
AIlu StIdilSleC, 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 it fall. 1 could not but envy
his admirable self control.
How long has he beer dead?" Cod
frey asked.
Not 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 core about the neck.
1T is murder"
"You've notified the police"
They will be here SOON"
/ saw the doctor glance at Godfrey
and then at me, plainly puzzled as to
our footing in the house; but if 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 object
which, as | sprang to my feet, I saw
to be a blood-stained handk erchief.
He spread it out under our eyes,
~ ~ ~ was 'Nki2
damp, and we saw it was a small hand
kerchief-a woman's handkerchief-of
delicate texture. 1t was fairly soaked
with blood. and yet in a peculiar man
ner, for two of the corners We're 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 it again for a
moment, and then nodded. I'D better
put it back where i found it, guess"
he said, and dropped it beside The chair.
And then, suddenly. / remembered
Swain. l 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 l motioned toward the
limp figure. "Or perhaps it's some
thing worse than that"
The doctor stepped quickly to the