The Kendrick gazette. [volume] (Kendrick, Idaho) 1892-1968, 1915-03-19


Sheriff Schlager half rose from his
chair. "Ain't you told 'em, Professor
kent?"
Kent shook his head.
"Nor you, Mr.. Blair?'
mo"
'Then don't see why we can't keep
it among ourselves" said the sheriff
There is no reason why it should
ever be known outside of this room,"
said Kent, and at the words Alexan-
der Blair exhaled pent up breath of
relief. "But it is due to one person
here that she should know everything.
Follow me through page Of unwrit-
ten local history. The beginning of
this story goes back some seventy five
years, when there lived not far from
Hogg's Haven in a house which has
since been destroyed an older sister
of Captain Hogg, who married into the
Grosvenor family. She was, from the
evidence Of the Grosvenor family his
torian, who, by the way, has withheld
all this from his pages, woman of the
most extraordinary charm and mag
netism. Not beautiful in the strict
sense Of the word, she had gift be-
yond beauty, and she led men in
chains. Her husband appears to have
been weakling who counted for
nothing in her life after the birth Of
her children. Seeking distraction, she
flung herself into mysticism and be-
came the priestess Of cult of star
wOrshipers, which included many OF
the more cultivated people of this re-
gion. Among them was a young Ger
man mystic and philosopher who had
fed to this country to escape punish
ment for political offenses. Hermann
Won Miltz was his name"
"That's why she called me Her
manu." broke in Preston in an awed
half whisper.
Don't jump to wild conclusions"
said Kent smilingly. "Some Of their
correspondence is still extant She
signed herself Astraea in handwriting
similar to the signature of that note of
yours, Jax. There seems to have been
no guilt between them as the law
judges guilt. The bond was a mystic
one. But it was none the less fatal.
1t eliminated in tragedy of which
the details are lost. Perhaps it was
an elopement that they planned; per-
haps a double suicide. with the idea
that their souls would be united in
death. There are hints of that in the
old letters in the historians possession
and in the library at Hedgerow house.
This much is known: The couple en-
parked together in small boat. Won
Miltz was never again heard of. Ca
milla Grosvenor's body came ashore in
Lonesome Cove. She was the Cove's
earliest recorded victim. The sketch
which that mischief monger, Elder
bennett, left at your door. Sedgwick.
supposing it to be likeness of the
unfortunate creature he had seen on
the road to your house, is a Charles
Elliott sketch for the portrait of Ca
milla Grosvenor."
"My Godr' Jax burst out. ''was it a
ghost l met up with that night Cd
Hawkill heights?"
"As near as you are ever likely to
encounter, probably" answered Kent.
"Now, I'm going to make long jump
down to the present. First, then, I
want you to follow with me the course
of figure that leaves Hedgerow
house on the late afternoon Of July 8.
By chance, the figure Is not seen, ex-
cept at distance by Gansett Jim, who
suspected nothing then. Otherwise it
would have been stopped, as it wears
Mrs. Blair's necklace and rings"
Dressing the part Of Astraea,"
guessed Lawyer Balm.
Precisely. Our jeweled figure, in a
dress that is an old one Of Mrs. Blair's
and with package in hand, makes its
way across country to the coast"
ITO join me-" said Preston Jax.
ITO join you. Chance brings the
wayfarer face to face with that gen.
tleman of the peekaboo mind, Elder
bennett. They talk. The stranger
asks-quite by chance, though the ell
der assumed 1t was otherwise-about
the home of Francis Sedgwick. At
the entrance to Sedgwick's place the
pair met. There was curious en-
counter, ending in Sedgwick's demand
ing an explanation of the rose topazes,
which he knew to be Mrs. Blair's."
How did he know thatr demanded
Alexander Blair.
Because l had worn them when 1
sat to him for my picture" said Mar
jorie Blair quietly.
THE stranger" continued Kent, IRE
fused to give Sedgwick any explana-
ton, and when he threatened to fol-
low stunned him with a rock and es-