Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-12-10

ing some tragedy in the strange house.
old. he entered. cried Miss PlantaEe.
nets name. but had no answer. lie then
rentured on an exploration, and finally
made Il dreadful discovery-thc BODY
OF Sir Dieby hung half out OF q window
Invisible from the back of the house
where the grocer entered. The uu-
fortunate baronet had been shot in tho
breast and in the head. though no wca-
pom VAS TO be seen: and Miss I'lanta.
genet. the only other occupant of the
house, had disappeared The grocer at
once notified the police at Marine. n
search was made for the missing girl.
Late in the evening she was found at
weymouth, III Il state OF collapse. at a
small hotel near the railway station.
where she had arrived that morning.
She was arrested on suspicion OF muir
dcrins her eccentric uncle. whose heir
ess she was believed TO be: but her
Weakness and hysterical condition had
prevented her from making Il state
jncnt. a doctor had. however. been call
eel i'll. and announced that Miss Plan
taSenet would probably be well enough
next day to be taken back by train az
far as Marnc. where she would have
IL appear at tho coronci'S inquest.
shes 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 brutcs. We must go TO the in
quest ourselves as quick rs we can get
there. Only think: If hadn't bought
that paper we'd have been on TO tho
next place. This time I am the Ace OF
TrumpS."
You wouldn't hav. got TO Marine IL
IL hadn't been for me" replied ChriSto-
plicr: and Western had to admit that
this was true. 80 far it's Il tie" he
said. land the grand ties, is still to
come"
The people of the garage where
Christopher had bought his petrol
knew all about the murder" ,as they
pr~cnaturcly termed il. ami were en-
ehanted to point Out III, way 10 the
nm where the %coroncr's inquest was
at that momcn being held.
According to public opinion. Miss
IlantaEenet had had motive cnough
10 Kill her uncle. lie was a man OF
rindictiNc temper. an expert in the
art OF Irritating and torturinE those
dependent upon him. Some said thot
he was mad. and for the last year or
TWO he had been fcareI b. every one
forced TO ON" IN contact with him.
Ever since Il fall from Il horse in hunt
ms SIN or seven years ago he had
been peculiar. and had grown more so
every year.
MISS P~lantaronet: hut She had been
seen. anu was considered beautiful. As
Tor me servants. Mr.. and Ars. Honey.
thcE had never had Il coed word 10
say for the youn. girl since they left
ABBEY court I" live al Marne. The,
"eSCrfhcd hcr aS an ambitious. design
''1 creature. whore one idea hal been
TO get SIR Dirhy into ncr mower. I'm,
thci. thcN were projuuiccd. as sn, had
accused them OF pilfering. and n, WA.
Trough her That they had los, thor,
Hoit peIti' or 80 every ono supposed.
nor evidence would certainly co
against Miss I'~lanlagenct ut Tho IN.
quest. Mrs. Honey had told n rrinnd
last night. after the news came. ma,
;.h oid-iaSh'oncd pistol kept b. 81,
p'HpF ma" disappeared from IL. place.
soon after his niece came In .hrc..
'o'rt' probably the young lady Know
where II WIS. besides. II she wore 80,
guilty. why had she run away 70 W.
mouth. instead Of letting Tho notice
Know what had happened"
christopher Race ana Paul Western
rst'nc" 10 these scraps OF Information
ior me! wished to know sonrtIi,r
"pc"' me cas-" before going to ,n,
,t INQUEST. Tho more they
knew. the mor' clearly would 49,,
understand how 10 go To work h..
"a'c 10 each Other. Eut Gy. mimi.
VI Such gossip suficed, and the, thcy
were OF ia scarlet Runner. ro, I'M
i'cll I:uoy Ian. "
'"" Stoou before the door: tho
par was tironged. and men n,ctnJ
shoulder I" shoulder, talking in ,n,,,
caSer tones. blocked the din, mi. 49,.
'hfiSttnh'r and Western contriyod "a
~Siuec"c through as far rs a door kon,
~ a big policeman. They knew maj
;""''d 'hai closed door the coroncr.s
INQUEST Was in full swing.
We must he allowed TO mass" wo.,
crn said. imDerativeIy ~ '
ms would not have been Races w.v
hu, western had taken the iniriaiiyo
in.posSin!", sir replied the reprc.
sentative Of the law. Rooms cram.
iacd. There isn't spree for ON. nnrn
let alone two" "o'V'
.hui were important, Witnesses"
urged Christophcr
tEc bis man Gr!nncd. IF I'd Ie, T.,
eNe'! man Jrck-and every woman lii
Tor INC matter q that-who said ,h.v
mu's 'hporiani witnesses. should
g" calmly. "Th"y'vc got witnessce
chorHh ~ there. and too MANY nayha
TO- tina: l"og girl &c" '"'
lf YOU mean Miss ~'lan,accn.," s,d
Ne*'e'n quickly. Il intend 10 marry
As hc spoke he Looked dc1,r,,. -,
, hr'St"pher' vino. though audac!omv
ii.hs"ii. was aStonishcd a, mis- 49,, 49,"
ity. p" ~ d"dac-
The manner Of the ,o;t...
Oh very well. sir. If Won .ra
rs lIhniascnci's Intended husbanL
INA; ai,"rS tho case. You had hn,,nr
W ftr" ma. on q card. and ri send il
~ 'hcl' you and you friend will rrob.
amy be admitted" ''"
nus western had in an instant bc.
INC oil ihc pair. the person OF nara
Importance. Triumphart' he
''c" "''t - visiting card and scribbIrd
S"nnvtn!i'f upon il. The policeman
opened the door wide enough 10 nnss
'"i' 10 - o"lnradc. and n few minurcs
INC coroner's officer was ushcrinp
-. W Young men into the crow6cG
'pm''-f""m. They were led To 81 mn.
lion near the long table headed bv
&c coroner aud their pulses uuickcncI
iN me? saw the sirl. found again ana
more "'"utitml than on the night, when
had :us; her.
Hh" mad ".i;cd to make a statemcu;
'h"' 'hn'!eh advised by the coroner. IN
r''E :!icnr]. had persisted. Dlcadino
'hh' Slc had nothing to conceal she
=! "ini"% as christopher and West
-" TOOK 'heir places; and. seeing them.
80 "!.'' Il color spranG TO her white
&c Una. tt, En-nr - I,z..