Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1916-02-24
CHAPTER XvI1-(continued.)

In jail" she whispered, and now
there was no color in her face.
Forgive me, Miss Vaughan l said,
hastily. That was brutal. l forgot
you didn't know"
Tell mel" she painted. Tell me-!
l can stand it! oh, o foolish man,
didn't you see-I was trying to nerve
myself was trying to find Out.
l caught the hands that We're bruis-
ing themselves against each other and
held them fast.
Miss Vaughan l said, listen to me
and believe that l am telling you the
whole truth. The c%oroner's jury re-
turned a verdict that Swain was guilty
of your fathers death. AZ the result
of that verdict, he has been taken to
the Tombs. But the last words he aid
to me before the officers tool him
away We're that he was innocent, and
that he had 10 fear
Surely she aSSented eagerly, "he
should have no fear. But to think of
him in prison-it tears my heart"
Don't think of it that way!" | pro-
tested. "He is bearing it bravely-
when l saw him last he was smil-
ing"
But the stain-the disgrace"
There will be zone; he shall be
freed without stain-I will see to that"
But l cannot understand" she said,
how the officers of the law could lun
der so"
"All of the evidence against him." 1
said, was purely cir~cumstantial, ex-
cept in one particular. He was in the
grounds at the time the murder was
committed: your father had quarreled
with him, and it was possible that he
had followed You and your father to
the house, perhaps not knowing clear
ly what he was doing, and that another
quarrel had occurred. But that amount
ed to nothing. Young men like Swain,
even when half unconscious. don't muir
der old men by strangling them with a
piece of curtain cord. To suppose that
Swain did so would be absurd, but for
one thing-no. for two things"
What are they" she demanded.
zone is that the handkerchief thai
you had tied about his wrist was found
beside your fathers chair-but it was
not upon that the jury made its ind
ing"
'what was it, them"
1T was this: Swain swore positive
ly that at nc time during the evening
had he touched your father"
Yes, yes, n that was true. He
could not have touched him"
And yet" l went on slowly, prints
of SWANS blood stained fingers We're
found on you fathers robe
But she gasped, pulling her hands
away from me and w%ringing them to-
gether, how could that be" That is
impossible!
Il should hin so. too" agreed. IF
l had not seen the prints with my own
eyes"
You are sule they were his-you
are sure?"
Il am afraid there can be no doubt
of it," and l told her how Sylvester
a prove it.
She listened motionless. mutc. scare
ly breathing, searching my face with
distended eyes. Then, suddenly, her
face changed, she rose from her char.
flew across the room. opened a book
case and pulled out a bulky volume
bound in vellum. She turned the pages
glance. Suddenly she stopped. and
stared at a page her face livid.
What is it?" l asked, and FASTENED
to her.
1T is the book of finger prints she
gasped. "A great many-oh, a great
many-my father collected and stud
led them for years. He believed do
not know what he believed"
She paused. struggling for breath.
We'll" 1 said; what hen"
Mr.. SWANS was among Them she
went N in the merest whisper. They
were here-page 230-see, there is an
index-'Swain, F., page 230.''
She pointed at the entry with a shak-
ing finger.
We'll" I said again, striving to un-
derStand, Wnat OF IT.!
Look" she whispered, holding the
book toward ne, that page is no long
er there! 1t has been torn QUIT"
Then, with a convulsive shudder, she
closed the book, thrust it back into its
place, and ran noiselessly to the door
leading to the hall. She swept back
the curtain and looked out.
"Oh, is it you, Annie?" she said, and
/ saw the Irish maid standing just out
side. Il was about to call you. Please
tell Henry to bring those tables and
chairs in from the lawn"
Yes, ma'am." said the girl. and
turned away.
Miss Vaughan stood looking after her
for q moment, then dropped the cur
tain and turned back again into the
room. 1 saw that she had mastered
her emotion, but her face was still
dead white.
AS for me, my brain was whirling
What if SWANS finger prints were
missing from the book? What con-
nection could hat ave with the blood
stains on the robe? What was the
meaning of Miss ~Vaughan's emotion:
Who was it she had expected to fine
listening at the door? l could only
stare at her, and she smiled slightly
as she saw my look.
But wha is it you suspect?'
stammered. 81 don't see :"
Neither do l." she broke in. But
l am Trying 10 See-l am Trying 10 see!
and she run her hands together.
The disappearance of the prints
seems plain enough to me-" sale Hin
man, coming forward.
"Mr. Vaughan no doubt tore them Out
himself. when he tool his violent dis
like to Swain. The act would be char
acteristic of a certain form of mania
Nobody else would hav any motive
for destroying them; in fact. no one
else would dare mutilate a book he
priced so highly"
Miss Vaughan seemed to breathe
more freely, but her intent inward
look did not relax.
least that is an explanation
l agreed.
TT is the true explanation sait
Human. confidently. Can you sug.
gest any other. Miss Vaughan"
NO" she said slowly; mo-" an6
walked once or twice up and down the
room. Then she seemed to put the
subject away from her. "At any rate
it is of no Importance. I wish to speal
to you about my fathers funeral, DR.
Hinman," she went on. in another o
1T is to be tomorrow"
"Yes-at II o'clock. 1 have made