Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1916-03-02
CHAPTER KIN
THE YOGI C~ONQuERs.


The events of the day the followed
sunday shall pass owe as briefly as
be. 1t was for me a day of dis
appointment, eliminating in despair,
and, looking back at it, l remember is
a grey day. windy, and with gusts
OF rain.
DR., Hinn1an stopped for US, and God
frey and ! accompanied him to the
service over the body of the murdered
man. We were the only outsiders
there, besides the undertaken and his
assistants, and they We're not admitted
to the ceremony, This was witnessed
only by Miss Vaughan, Mahbub and us
three. The servants were not there,
n neither We're Miss Vaughan's
nurses.
l have never seen a more impressive
figure than Silva made that morning.
HIS robes were dead black, and in
contrast to them and to his hair and
beard, his face locke white as marble.
But, after the first moments, the cere-
mony failed to interest me; for Silva
spoke a language which l supposed to
be Hlndustani, and there was a mo
notony about it and about his gestures
Which ended in getting on my nerves.
1t lasted half an hour, and the moment
1t was over, Miss Vaughan slipped
away, The yogi and Mahbub followed
AtNlt III tiC We liIitb SttDDtI io.-
ward for a a look at the body.
1T was robed all in white. The ua-
dertaker a managed to compose the
features, and the high stock concealed
the ugly marks upon the neck. So
there was nothing to tell of the name
OF his death, and there was a certain
majesty about him as he lay with
hands crossed n eyes closed.
We left the room in silence, and
Human signed to the undertaken that
h service was ended
Il am going with the body to the
cr~ematory," he said, and presently
drove away with the undertaken, ahead
of the hearse. Godfrey and | stood
gazing after 1t until it passed from
sight, then, in silence, We walked down
the drive to the entrance. The gard
ener was standing there, and regarded
as with eyes which seemed tp me dis
tinctly unfriendly. He made no sign
We're outside, he closed the gates and
locked them carefully, as though obey
ing precise instructions.
so" said Godfrey, in "a low tone, as
we went ON together, the lock has
been repaired. | wonder who ordered
that done"
Miss Vaughan, no doubt" / an
swered. She wouldn't want those
gates gaping open"
Perhaps not,' Godfrey assented
but would she a the barrier in
tact? Remember, Lester, it's as much
a barrier from one side as from the
other
We'll, she won't be inside it much
longer" l assured him. I'm going tc
get her out this afternoon"
The words were uttered with q con-
fidence / was far from feeling. and
rather expected Godfrey to challenge
1t. but he walked on without replying
| his head hpT)t in thn,,p%r+ and did mo-
again speak of Miss Vaughan or hel
affairs.
He drove into the city shortly after
lunch, and it was about the middle o.
the afternoon when / presented myself
again at the gates Of Elmhurst ant
rang the bell. ! waited five minutes
and rang again. Finally the gardener
came shuffling down the drive anc
asked me what ] wanted. | told hin
l had an appointment with his mist.
ress; but. instead of admitting me, h
took my card and shuffled away will
1 confess that l grew angry. .as
stood there Kicking my heels at TIL
roadside, for he was gone a long time
and all these precautions and delay!
were incomprehensible to me. But h
came back at last, unlocked the gait
without a word, and motioned me t.
enter. Then he locked it again, ant
led the way up h drive to the house
The house maid met us at the door o
the library, as though she had bee1
stationed there.
IT you will wait here, sir she said
Miss Vaughan will see you"
II hope she is Well" VentureC
thinking the girl might furnish IN
with some clue to all his mystery, blu
she was already at the door.
Quite well, sir" he said. and tn
next instant had disappeared.
Another 10 minutes elapsed, an,
then, just as ] was thinking %seriousl,
of putting on my hat and leaving tn
house, ] heard a step coming dow
the stair. A moment later Mis-
Vaughan stood on the threshold.
l had taken IT for granted that, re
lieved of her fathers presence, sh
would return to the clothing Of ever.
day: but she still wore the flown
white Semi-Greciau garb in which
had first seen her. / could not blu
admit that it added grace and beaut
to her figure, as well as a certain i'm
p~ressiveness impossible to petticoats
and yet l felt a sense Of disappoint
ment. For her retention of the cos
tune could only mean that her father
influence was still dominant,
You wished to see me-" she asked
and again J. was surprised. for ] la
supposed h would apologize for tn
delay to which ] had been subjected. In
stead, she spoke almost as to a strange
Il had an appointment for this al
ternoon," ] reminded her Striving t
keep my ~vexation from my voice.
oh, yes" and she caIne a few step
into the room, but her face lost none Q
its GOODNESS. Il nae forgotten. 1t
not to speak Of business"
NO" I said; lit is to speak of you
going to friends Of Mr.. Swain and III
for a time, at least"
You will thank your friends for me,
she answered calmly: but I have de
cided to remain here"
'But-but," j stanmered. take
abaek at the ~finality OF her tone, ID
you think it wise?"
"Yes-a4r wiser than going to peopl
II do not NOW n who do o kno7
me-
u And SAFE" ] persisted: do you thin
1T safp?'