Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1916-02-23

be a thing TO look forward to and
dream about"
But Godfrey shook his head.
i've felt like that" he said; 'but
they're not to be had for money. And
now about SWAIN"
Lets postpone it a little longer" ]
begged. Il don't want my mind dis.
tracted."
Godfrey laughed, but fell silent; and
for the ext half hour, no sound wss
heard.
Now" l said. at last, I'm ready &c
listen, so fire ahead whenever you
want to-"
II haven't much to tell" he began:
nothing new about the case. But 1
stopped at the Tombs, before | started
back, to make sure that Swain had
everything he wanted. They'd given
him an upper cell. and sent over to the
Marathon and got him his things, and
l arranged to have his meals sent in
to him from Moquin's."
II ought to have thought of that" 7
said, contritely. Pm much obliged to
you, Godfrey. Did you see him?"
Only for a minute. He seemed
falriy cheerful. He'd had them bring
some OF his law books to him, and re-
marked that he'd have plenty of time
TO study. l like the way he's taking it.
He gave me a message for you"
What was it?"
THAT you are not to forget your
promise" j smoked on for a few mo-
ments in silence.
Il promised him I'd get Miss
Vaughan ava from that house." 1
SAID at last. II had Mrs. Royce write
her Il note, inviting her to stay with
her. l CAV it to her this afternoon"
"What did she say"
She didn't say anything, but l
could see the idea didn't impress her.
And l had thought all along that she
would jump at it,"
Godfrey gave a little grunt. whether
OF surprise or satisfaction L could not
tell.
Why didn't you put her ON the
stand today. Lester?" he asked. Afraid
OF upsetting herr"
II wouldn't have stopped for that, if
her evidence would have helped Swain.
But it would only have put him deeper
in the hole"
I'm what way?"
well. in the first place, she says
that as h and her father returned to
the mouse, n heard footsteps behind
1nem n thought it was Swain fol-
lowing them. becaus that would be a
natural thing for him to do; and, i'm
the second place, she saw tina blood
stained handkerchief on the floor be-
side her fathers chair when she came
INTO the room n found him dead"
so" said Godfrey slowly, lit
couldn't have been dropped there by
Swain when when he stopped to pick
her up"
No; besides. we know perfectly we'll
that 1T wasn't about his wrist when he
came back over the WALL. Goldberger
knows 1T, too, and We'll be asked about
1t, ext time"
1T might have been pushed up his
slevee-we weren't absolutely certain.
But this new evidence settles it,"
assented miserably and Godfrey
smoked on thoughtfully. But my cigar
had lost some Of it's flavor.
How did Miss Vaughan come to find
the body?' he asked at last, and 1 told
him the story as she had told it to me.
then he leaned forward and laid his
hand on my knee.
NOW, Lester" he said, lets review
this thing. 1t can't be as dark as it
seems-there's light somewhere. Here
is the case, barred of all ~inessentials:
Swain crosses the wall about IL O'Clock.
cutting his wrist as he does so; Miss
after a time, finds that his wrist is
bleeding and ties her handkerchief
about it; they agree to have her
father examined for lunacy, ar
range a meeting for the next
night, n are about to separate, when
ANA oSAASA S1l III upon Il0nl. SaN-
agely berates Swain and takes his
daughter away. That must nave been
about II o'clock.
Swain according to his story, sits
there for 10 or Is minutes, finally sees
the cobra, or thinks he does, and makes
a dash for safety, striking his head
sharply against a tree. He tumbles
over the wall in a half dazed condition.
The handkerchief is no longer about
his wrist. That. you will remember,
was about 1920.
Almost at once we heard Miss
Vaughan's screams After that, Swain
isn't out of our sight for more than a
minute-too short a time, anyway, for
anything to have happened we don't
know about.
Meanwhile, Miss Vaughan has re-
turned with her father to the house,
hearing steps behind her and taking
it for granted that it is Swain, follow
ing them at a distance. She goes to
her room, stays there Is minutes or
so, and comes downstairs again to find
her father dead.
You were right in saying that her fa-
ther must nave been strangled imme-
diately after she left him. otherwise
he would still have been twitching in
such a way that she must nave no.
ticed it. No doubt he dropped into the
chair exhausted by his fit of rage; the
murderer entered through the garden
door. stopped to cut off the end of the
curtain cord n a a moose of it
that would nav taken at least a min
ute-and then strangled his victim.
Then he heard her coming down the
stairs. and escaped through the gar
den door again just as she entered at
the other She saw the curtain still
shaking. Their she tainted.
'Now. what are the clNeS tO the MIR.