New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1918-07-12

wife-had left. The gossip Of the .coun-
tryside was that Sir 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 COM
PEELED them to give notice.
For several months the young girl
had acted as her uncle's hOusekeeper,
without assistance. No servants were
engaged, no visitors received. The day
before the publication of the report a
Marine grocer had called at Abbey
court with his cart to bring milk and
other stores. His knocking remained
unanswered, but at last he discovered
that a side door was unlocked. Fear
ing some tragedy In the strange house
hold, he entered, cried Miss Plantage-
nets nane but had no answer. He
then ventured IN an exploration, and
finally made a dreadful discovery; the
body Of Sir Digby hung half out of a
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
Pla%ntagenet, the only other occupant
of the house, had disappeared. The
grocer at once notified the police at
Marine, and search was made for the
missing girl. Late in the evening she
was found at Weymouth, in a state of
collapse, at a small hotel near the rail-
way station, where she had arrived
that morning. She was arrested on
suspicion of numbering her eccentric
uncle, whose heiress she was believed
to be; but her weakness and hysterical
condition had prevented her from
making any statement. A doctor had,
however, been called in, and announced
that Miss Plantagenet would probably
be we'll enough next day to be taken
back by train as far as Marne, where
she would have to appear at the coro-
ner's inquest.
"She's here now" said Western. "By
this time the inquest has probably be-
gun"
According to public opinion, Miss
~Plantagenet had had motive enough to
kill her uncle. He was a man of vim
dictive temper, al expert in the art of
irritating and t~orturing those depend
ent upon him.
Little was known in Marne about
Miss Plantagenet; but she had been
seen, and vas considered beautiful.
Some ladies said it was not natural to
be so handsome as that, and the girl
must be an adventures.
Christopher Race and Paul Western
listened to these scraps of information,
for they wished to know something
about the case before going to the coro-
ner's inquest. 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, but
Christopher and Western contrived to
squeeze through as far as a door kept
by a big policeman. They knew that 1
behind that closed door the coroner's
inquest was in full swing.
I'VE must be allowed to pass" West
ern said imperatively.
Impossible, sir" replied the repre-
sentative of the law. Rooms crummed.
There isn't space for one more, let |
alone two"
"But we're important witnesses"
urged Christopher.
The big man grinned. 'They've got
witnesses enough in there, and too
many, maybe, for that poor girl"
"If you mean Miss P~lantagenet,"
said Western quickly, II intend to
marry her."
The manner of the policeman
changed. ooh, very well, sir, If you
are Miss ~Plantagenet's intended hus-
band, that alters the case. You had
better write that on a card. and I'll
send it in. Then you and your friend
will probably be admitted"
Thus Western had in an instant be-
come, of the pair. the person Of para
mount Importance. Triumphant, he
drew out a visiting card and scrubbed
upon 1t. The policeman
opened the door wide enough to pass
this to q cOmrade, and a few minutes
later the cOrOner's officer was ushering
the two young men into the crowded
coffee room.
The girl was speaking as Chris
and Western took their places;
and, seeing them, so bright a color
sprang to her white face that the young
men knew they had been recognized.
The girl did not falter for an instant,
however, but went on %nervOusly, ex-
denying that she knew any
thing of the old-fashioned pistol kept
in her uncle's s~tudy-beyOnd hearing
from Honey that it had disappeared
its place. She did not take 1t;
she had been very unhappy in her
uncle's house; they had not had a
quarrel on the night of his death, but
there had been a distressing scene.
"He called me into his study" she
vent on, "and said cruel things; that
[ was careless of his interests, that l
was altogether a failure. II l hadn't
to leave him alone in his glomy
house I would have gone long ago.
Then he flew into one Of his RACES
RACES they were, mad RACES,
which always frightened me dread
fully, and made me believe that he
really was a %lunatic, as Honey and his
wife used to say. This al the worst
had seen. Often he had struck-nOw
ne threatened to kill me. He said
-ather than I should leave his house
md carry evil reports, he would shoot
I rushed ont of the room. scream.