Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1916-02-16
CHAPTER XVI-(Continued.)

from MIN not at nfSl, WEo
it was had seized me; but | pushed
him back and led my father away to-
ward the house,
Did Mr.. Swain touch our father"
NO; ! was between them all the
time. | was determined that they
should not touch each other. j was
afraid, if they came together. tina
something terrible would happen
Goldberger glanced at me.
"Somclhing terrible to your father"
he asked.
ooh, no." she answered, quickly;
Mr.. Swain would not have harmed my
father. but father did not know what
he was doing, andNmiSht have harmed
Mr.. Swain"
1t was my turn to look at Gold
berger.
after you left the arbor," / asked,
did you see Mr.. Swain again?"
"No, | did not see him again.
You Went straight to the house?"
Yes; father was still very violent.
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-"
AS, in fact, he did" ! commented.
yes, or at least he did before his
lIIldllCldI lTOuDleS came. After tldt ne
wished to give me up
But you refused to be given up?"
Yes she said, and looked at me
with eyes beautifully radia It. 81 re-
fused to be given up"
l felt that / was rushing in where
Lngels would hesitate to enter. and
peat q nasty retreat.
WAS your father always opposed
TO your marriage?" l asked.
mo he has wanted me to wait nm
ill i was of age; but he never alb
solutely forbade it until a few months
igo. 1t was at the time he first tried
20 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 | promise never to see
Mr.. Swain again. When l refused to
promise, he sent me to my room, for
bidding me to cave it without his per-
mission. | came up at once, more than
ever convinced that father needed
medical attention. 1 was very ervou
and over wrought, and 1 sat down by
the window to control myself before
going to bed. And then, suddenly, 1
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
w OCNty dllNl llcl IS u DG uOWIl.
stairs alone. since l had heard no one
come up"
you had heard no one in the hall
at ALP I asked.
mo, 1 had heard no one. But I re-
member, as l started down the stairs,
a curious feeling of dread seized me.
it was so strong that l stood for some
muster courage to so down.. AT last
/ did go down and-and found my
father"
h 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?" I
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 I stood for a at
the door, looking about the room, for
was no n there. I 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 n a just passed"
"Ah," 1 said, and looked at Gold
berger.
cit might have been merely the
breeze, might it not?" he asked.
II suppose so. The next instant I
say my father huddled forward in his
chair. I was sure he had had a seiz-
ure of some sort; l ran to him and
raised his head. o
II d. not remember anything more"
h added, in q whisper.
Tor a moment 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 Goldberger had
pointed out, might easily mean MOTH
ing.
"Miss Vaughan I said at last. chow
long a time elapsed from the moment
you left our father in the library UNI
til you found him?"
II don't know. Perhaps is minutes "
WAS he quite dead when you found
him?"
"Yes, IL think so"
"Then.'' l said to Goldberger, tho
murder Il 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 unclasping.
DO you know who it was?" sh,.
gasped. Have o found out who il
WASP"
we suspect who 1T was" answered
Goldborger gravely.
Tell me-" she began,
Wait q minute. Miss Vaughan"
broke u. Tel me. tlrst-did you hear
anyone following Q across the gar
den?"
"Yess" she answered thoughtfully:
.onco Or twice ! fancied that so,neone
was following US. 1t seemed to me /
hoard q step. but when / looked back
] saw no one"
did that fac make you