Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1916-12-18

anu Wllt-tldu lCIl L liz
gossip Of the countryside was that Sill
Digby's growing eccentricity had been
too much for them, but others said
that, having hoped that their masters
fortune might become theirs by his
will, jealousy of the beautiful niece
had finally compelled them to give no.
tice.
For several months the young girl
had acted as her uncle's housekeeper
without assistance. No servants were
engaged, no visitors received: no one
ever came to the house except two or
three privileged tradesmen from
Marine, the country town, ten miles
distant. The day before the publica-
ton of the report a Marine grocer had
called at Abbey Court with his cart,
as he was in the habit of doing twice
a week, to bring milk and other stores
which Miss Plantagenet used in her
housekeeping. His knocking re-
manned unanswered, and at last he
discovered that side-door was I'M
locked. Fearing some tragedy in the
strange household, he entered, cried
Miss Plantagenet's name, but had no
answer. He then ventured on an ex-
ploration, and finally made a dreadful
discovery; the body Of Sir Digby hung
half out of window invisible from the
back of the house where the grocer
entered. The unfortunate baronet had
been shot in the breast and in the
head, though no weapon was to be
seen, and Miss Plantagenet, the only
other occupant of the house, had dis
appeared. The grocer at once noti-
fled the police at Marine and search
was made for the missing girl. Late
in the evening she was found at Wey-
mouth, in a state of collapse, at a
small hotel near the railway station,
where she had arrived that morning.
She was arrested on suspicion of muir
Ierlng her eccentric uncle, whose heir
ess she was believed to be. but her
weakness and hysterical condition had
prevented her from making state
ment. A doctor had, however, been
called in and announced that Miss
Plantagenet would probably be well
enough next day to be taken back by
train as far as Marine. where she would
have to appear at the coroner's in
quest
She's here now" said Western. by
this time the inquest has probably be-
gun. Those men / saw must have
been policemen in charge of the poor
child-the brutes We must go to the
inquest ourselves, as quick as we can
get there. Only think; if l hadn't
bought that paper we'd. have been off
to the next place This time l am the
Ace Of Trumps."
you wouldn't have got to Marine
if 1t hadn't been for me-" replied
Christopher. and Western had to ad-
nit that this was true 80 far it's
a tie" he said, land the grand test is
still to come"
The people of the garage where
Christopher had bought his petrol
knew all about the murder" (as they
prematurely termed it) and were en-
chanted to point out the way to the
inn where the coroner's inquest was
at that moment being held
According to public opinion, Miss
Plantagenet had had motive enough
to kill her uncle. He was a man of
vindictive temper. an expert in the
art OF irritating and torturing those
dependent upon him. Some said that
he was mad and for the last year or
two he had been feared by everyone
forced to come in contact with him.
ing six or seven years ago he had been
PNSbhoAt e'AAu iiou SloWI lIiOl e So tf-
cry year. .
Little was known in Marine about
Miss Plantagenet, but she had been
seen and was considered beautiful.
AS for the servants, Mr.. and Mrs,
Honey, they had never had good
word to say for the young girl since
they left Abbey Court to live at Marine.
They described her as an ambitious,
designing creature. whose one idea had
been to get Sir DiSby into her power,
but, then. they were prejudiced, as she
had accused them of differing, and it
was through her that they had lost
their soft berth, or so everyone sup
posed. Their evidence would GER
tainly go against Miss Plantagenet at
the inquest. Mrs. Honey had told a
friend last night, after the news came,
that an old-fashionde pistol kept by
Sir Digby had disappeared from its
place soon after his niece came to Alb
hey Court, and probably the young
lady knew where it was. Besides, If
she were not guilty, why had she run
away to Weymouth, instead of letting
the police know what had happened
Christopher Race and Paul Western
listened to these scraps of informa-
ton, for they wished to know some
thing about the case before going to
the ceroner's inquest. The more they
knew. the more clearly would they I'M
derstand how to go to work. they said
to each other. But five minutes of
such gossip sufficed, and then they
were off in Scarlet Runner for the
Bell Buoy inn.
A crowd stood before the door; the
bar was thronged and men packed
shoulder to shoulder, talking in low,
eager tones, blocked the dim hall, but
and Western contrived to
squeeze through as far as door kept
by big policeman. They knew that
behind that closed door the coroner's
inquest was in full swing.
I'VE must be allowed to pass"
Western said imperatively.
This would not have been Races
way, but Western had taken the ini-
tiative.
Impossible, SIR replied the repre-
sentative of the law. Rooms
crammed. There isn't space for one
more, let alone two"
But we're important witnesses"
urged Christopher.
The big man grinned. IF Id let in
every man Jack-and every woman
JIM ioi thS niaItei 'HdtWho odiu
they were important witnesses, l
should have let in half the town." he
returned calmly. They've got wit
nesses enough in there and too many,
maybe, for that poor girl"
IF you mean Miss Plantagenet,"
said Western quickly, II intend to
marry her"
AS he spoke he looked defiantly at
who, though audacious
was astonished at this audac-
ity.
The manner of the policeman
"Oh. very well, sir, If you
are Miss Plantagenet's intended hus-
band that alters the ease. You had
better write that on card and I'll
send it in. Then you and your friend
will probably be admitted"