Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1916-02-17
CHAPTER xyI-tcontinued.)

MIN back n LED my father away TO-
ward the house"
Did MI. Swain touch your father?"
No: l was between them all the
time. I 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.
"Oh, no." she answered, quickly;
MIR. Swain would not nave harmed my
father, but father did not know what
he vas doing, and might ave 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, l 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 and she flushed a little, but
went on bravely. He believed that
Mr.. Swain wished to marry me-"
LAS, in fact, he did," l commented.
Yes; or at least he did before his
financial troubles anne. After that he
wished to give me up"
But you refused to be given up?'
YES" she said, and ooked at me
with eyes beautifully radia t. q re-
fused to be given up"
l felt hat I was rushing in where
angels would hesitate to enter, and
beat a hasty retreat.
WAS your father always opposed
to you marriage?" | asked.
No; he has wanted me TO wait I'M
til / 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 n Your
father reached the house?"
Father was very angry and de-
anded that I promise never to see
Mr.. Swain again. When | refused to
promise, he sent me to my o for
bidding me to leave it without his per-
mission. | came up at once, more than
ever convinced that father needed
medical attention. l was very nervous
and over wrought, and l sat down by
the window to control myself before
going to e And then, suddenly, |
remembered something the yogi had
told me-that father was not strong,
and that a fit Of anger might be very
serious. 1 knew the servants had gone
TO bed, and that he must be down
stairs alone. since | had heard no one
come up"
You lad heard no one in the hall
at all"" ! asked.
mo, 1 had heard no one. But l re-
member, as ! started down the stairs,
a curious feeling of dread seized me.
1t was so strong that ! stood for some
moments on the top step before could
muster courage to go down. At last
] did go down and-and found my
father"
She stopped, her hands over her eyes.
as though to shut way the remem-
branc Of that dreadful night.
Have you strength to tell me just
what happened, Miss Vaughan" |
asked gently.
She controlled herself with an eff
fort and took her hands from her
face.
Yes she said. 81 can tell you. 1
remember that l stood for a moment at
the door, looking about the room, for
at the first glance ! thought there
was no one there. I thought, for an
instant, that father had gone into the
grounds, for the curtain at the other
o was trembling a little. as though
some n had just passed"
"Ah,'' | said, and looked at Gold
berger.
1T might have Deer merely the
breeze. might it not?' he asked.
Il suppose so. The next instant l
saw my father huddled forward in his
chair. | was sure he had had a seiz-
ure of some sort; | ran to him and
raised his head. y
Il do not remember anything more"
she added, in a whisper.
For a moment we all sat silent. The
only portion of her evidence which
could in any "a help Swain was her
discovery Of the swaying curtain,
and even that, as Goldberger had
pointed out, might easily mean MOTH
ing.
Miss Vaughan" / said at last, chow
long a time elapsed from the moment
you left year ather in the library IN
til you found him?'
Il don't know. Perhaps Is minutes"
Was he quite dead when you found
him.
Yes, II think So"
Then" | said to Goldberger, "tlle
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 n unclasping.
DO o know who it was?" she
gasped. Have o found out who il
was?'
w suspect who it was" answered
Goldberger gravely.
Tell me-" she began,
Wait "a minute. Miss Vaughan" /
broke in. Tell me, first-did you hear
anyone following you across the gar
DEM"
Yes" she answered thoughtfully:
once or twice | fancied that someone
was following us. 1t seemed to me /
heard a step, but when | looked back
l saw no me-"
ii that fact make you uneasy"
No" she said, with a little smile. 81
thought it vas Mr.. Swain"
| saw Goldberger's sudden move
ment. l myself could not repress a lit
tie shudder.
you thought that would be the
natural thing for Mr.. Swain to do, did
you not"' the coroner inquired.
"Yes-I thought he might wish to see
me safe" Then she stopped, leaning
forward in her chair and staring first
at Goldberger and then at me. What
is it" h whispered. her hands
against her heart. "Oh. what is it?
You don't mean-you can't maan-oh,
tell me! It isn't Fred you suspect! 1t
can't be Fred!"
1t was DIR Hinman who laid q gentle
and Oliofinu hand ,por bo, ,h6,,lEor