Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1916-04-27
CHAPTER XVII tContinued.)

"Ah." he said, after a moment. "I
was sure of it. Here is the final link.
Have you a small hand mirror, Miss
V~aughan?"
She brought one from her toilet table
and handed it to him in evident as
constituent.
What do you see in the mirror"
ne asked, and held a page of the blot
ting book at an angle in front of it.
Miss Vaughan uttered an eXclama-
ton OF surprise, as she read the words
reflected there:
Mr.. Frederic Swain,
1910 Fifth Avenue,
New York City.
If not at this address,
please try the Calumet club.
Ia oaks from little acorns
grow" quoted Godfrey, tossing the
book back upon the desk. But for the
fact that o blotted the envelope, Miss
Vaughan, young Swain would lev
have been accused of murder"
Il do not understand she MUIR
INJURED.
Don't you see," he pointed out, 1.-The
one question which we ave been un-
able to answer up to this ONE has
been this: how did Silva know you
We're going to meet Swain? He had to
know it, n know it several hours be-
fore the meeting, in order to have those
finger prints ready. l concluded, at
| last, lldl There IIluSl De a DlOIIlnS DOCK
and there IT is"
Miss Vaughan stared at him.
You seem to be a very wonderful
mani" she said.
Godfrey laughed.
1T is my every day business to re-
construct mysteries" he said. Shall l
reconstruct this one?"
please do" she begged, and mo-
toned US to be seated.
GOdfreV'S face was glowing with the
sort of creative fire which, / imagine,
~lllu1nines the poets brow at the mo-
ment of inspiration.
Where did you first meet Silva?'
he asked.
in Paris"
What was he doing there?"
He was practicing mysticism. My
father went to consult him; he was
much impressed by him, n they be-
came very intimate"
And Silva, Of course, at once saw
the possibilities of exploiting an i'm
mensely rich old man, whose mind was
failing. SO he comes here as his in
structor in orientalism; he does some
very marvellous things, by continued
hypnosis. he gets your father complete
ly under his control, He secures a
promise of this estate and a great en-
downlent; he cause your father to
make a will in which these requests
are specially stated. Then he hest
tates, for during his residence in this
house, a new desire has been added to
the old ones. 1t had not often been his
fortune to be thrown in daily contact
with an innocent and beautiful girl, and
he ends by falling in love with you. He
knows of your lov for Swain. He has
caused Swain to be forbidden the
house; but he finds you still indiffer-
ent. At last, by means of his own en-
treaties and your fathers, he secures
,n,,. 1n,cnrt 10 hnonp,n mic licoir1n
He knows that, if ace you consent to
sit with him, he will, in the end, domi-
nate your will, also.
"But you ask for three days delay,
and this he grants. During every mo-
ment of those three days, he will keep
you under surveillance. Almost at
once, he guesses at your plan, for you
return to the house. you write a letter,
and, the moment you leave your room,
he enters it and sees the impression on
the blotter. He follows you into the
grounds, he sees O throw the letter
ever the wall, and suspects that you
are calling Swain to your aid. More
h a that. Lester" he added, turning
to me, "he saw you in the tree, and SO
kept up his midnight fireworks, on the
off chance that o might be watch
ing!"
agreed thoughtfully.
AS oAA~S tAoS Joo ~ uoh
ing you lovers aid" Godfrey continued
to Miss Vaughan, "a fiendish idea
springs into his mind. If Swain an
swers the call, if he enters the grounds
he will separate him from you once for
all by causing him to be found guilty
Of killing your father. He hastens back
to the house, tears the leaf from the
album of finger prints and prepares the
rubber gloves. That night, he follows
you when you leave the house; he over
hears your talk in the arbor; and he
finds that there is another reason than
that of jealousy why he must act at
once If you father is found to be
insane, the will drawn up only three
days before will be invalid. Silva will
lose everything-not only you, but the
fortune already within his grasp.
He hurries to the house and tells
your father of the rendezvous. Your
father rushes out and brings you back
after a bitter quarrel with Swain
which Silva has. of course, foreseen
You come up to your room; your father
filings himself into his chair again. II
is Silva who has followed you-who
that you might think it was Swain
And he carries in his hand the blood
soaked handkerchief which Swair
dropped when he fled from the arbor.
up to this point" Godfrey went on
more slowly, Everything is clear
every uSldl1 1ltS every OllleT ueldll per-
fectly. But, in the next step of the
tragedy, one detail. is uncertain-whose
hand was it drew the cord around your
fathers throat? I an inclined to hin
it was Mahbub's. If Silva had done the
deed, he would probably have chosen a
method less oriental; but Mahbub
even under hypnotic suggestion. would
kill only in the way to which he wa:
accustomeI-with a moose. Parde.
me-" he added, quickly, as she shrank
into her chair, 81 have forgotten
how repehent this must be to you
have spoken b%rutally."
please go on" she m%ur1nured. ut is
right that l should hear it. l can bear
It,"
There is not much more to tell
said Godfrey, gently. Whoever it was
that drew the cord, 1t was Silva who
moistened the glove from the blood
soaked handkerchief. made he marks
upon your fathers robe. and Their
dropped the handkerchief beside his
chair. Then he returned softly to his
room, closed the door. pat away the
glove, cleaned his hands, made sure
that Mahbub was in his closet, toof
his place upon the divan, and waited.