The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1916-02-17
CHAPTER xvI--(continued.)

WI. SWaln IN a most violent manner.
WI. swain attempted to take me away
from him, not knowing, at first, who
~ was had seized me; but I pushed
him back n led my father away to-
ward the house."
Did Mr.. Swain touch your father?"
No; l was between them all the
tiine. was determined that they
should not touch each other. I was
afraid, if they came together, that
something terrible would happen"
Goldberger glanced at me.
something terrible to your father"
he asked.
MI. Swain would not have harmed my
father, but father did not know what
ne was doing, and might have harmed
Mr.. Swain"
1t was my turn to look at Gold
berger.
After you left the arbor," I asked,
did you see Mr.. Swain AGAIN."
No, I did not see him again.
You went straight to the house?"
Yes; father was still very violent.
He had forbidden me to see Mr..
Swain or to write to him. He had
taken a violent dislike to him."
DO you know why?"
Yes" n h fushed a little, but
went on bravely. HE believed that
Mr.. Swain wished to marry me-"
AS, in fact. he did," I commented.
Eyes; or at least he did before his
financial troubles came. After that he
wished to give me up"
But o refused to be given up?"
Yes" h said, and looked at me
with yes beautifully radia t. 81 re-
fused to be given up"
l felt that l was rushing in where
angels would hesitate to enter, and
beat a hasty retreat.
was your father always opposed
to your ~marriage?" I asked
mo; he has wanted me to wait un-
til l was Of age; but he never alb
solutely forbade it until a few months
ago.. 1t was at the time he first tried
to persuade me to become a convert to
Hinduism"
what occurred after you and your
father reached the house?"
Father was very angry and de-
manded that 1 promise never to see
Mr.. Swain again. When I refused to
promise, he sent me to my room, for
bidding me to leave it without his per-
mission. | came up at once, more h
ever convinced hat father needed
medical attention. 1 was very nervous
and over wrought, n I sat down by
the window to control myself before
going to bed. And then, suddenly, l
remembered something the yogi had
told me-that father was not strong,
and that a fit of anger might be very
koSl Dlio l. NilS" SllS Y IL LON SollS
to bed, and that he must be down
stairs alone, since I had heard no one
come up"
"You a heard no one in the hall
at all?" l asked.
mo, I had heard no one. But I re-
member, as 1 started down the stairs,
a curious feeling of dread seized me.
1t was so strong that I stood for some
moments on the top step before / could
muster courage to go down. AT last
I did go down and--and found my
father
She stopped, her hands over her eyes,
as though to shut away the remem-
brance of that dreadful night.
"Have you strength to tell me Just
what happened, Miss Vaughan" 1
asked gently.
face.
YES" she said, 81 can tell you. I
remember that l stood for a at
the door, looking about the room, for
at the first glance | thought there
was no one there. l thought, for an
instant, that father had gone into the
grounds, for the curtain at the other
door was trembling a little, as though
some one had just passed"
"Ah,' 1 said, and looked at Gold
berger.
IT might have been merely the
breeze, Might IL. llols IN asked.
II suppose SO. The next instant I
saw my father huddled forward in his
chair. 1 was sure he IA had a seiz-
ure of some sort; | ran to him and
raised his head. =
Il do not remember anything more"
she added, in a whisper.
For a we all sat silent. The
only portion of her evidence which
could in any way help Swain was her
discovery Of the swaying curtain,
and even that, as Coldberger had
pointed out, might easily mean moth
ing.
Miss Vaughan" 1 said at last, 'how
long a time elapsed from the moment
YOU left your father in the library I'M
Til you found hin?"
q don't know. Perhaps Is minutes"
Was he quite dead when you found
him?'
Yes, Il think So"
Then" ! said to Goldberger, the
murder must have been committed very
soon after Miss Vaughan came up
stairs
Yes" agreed Goldberger, in a low
tone, "and by somebody who came in
from the grounds, since she met no one
in the hall and heard no one"
Miss Vaughan leaned toward him.,
her hands clasping and u~nclasping.
d you know who it was?" she
gasped. Have you found out who il
Was?"
I'VE suspect who it was answered
Goldberger gravely.
Tel me" h began,
"Wai a minute, Miss Vaughan /
broke in. Tell me, first-did you hear
anyone following you across the gar
den?'
Yes she answered thoughtfully:
"once or twice / fancied that someone
was following us. 1t seemed to me !
heard a step, but when I looked back