Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1923-06-30
CHARLES J. BUTTON
r--vrzbt Ia22 By Dodd, Mead & Co.. las.
CHAPTER K
Sudden Death.

so away the only sound to be heard
as Tie dashing Of the rain against
-. windows and the flashing of the
.-sas outside. Everyone was too star
ss4 and frightened to move. I felt
psr+Iey's hand on my arm, his fingers
siokfrg deep into my 1esh. Then the
.rsll was broken, and men asked each
,,,her in excited whispers what had
happened.
Tie cry had seemed to come from
,sa front of the room. It had been
me Of horror. dread and surprise. as
3ttbe person uttering it had met with
come unexpected and awful expert
.pea Tt had been a mans voice, and
wondered whose it could have been.
acome on. Pelt."
BARLEY pushed back his chair and
half dragged me to my feet. We start
- 10 grope our way between the
chairs toward the place from which
me ery had come. The room was stin
IN darkness and our progress was very
Slow. Then the lights began to flicker
yerv Iimly, and suddenly flashed on
again in all their power.
At first glance, there seemed to be
nothing wrong then noticed that
Klne was bending over his desk, his
face dead white, his eyes fixed on
something on the floor in front of
him and fear showing in every fea
ture. | realized suddenly that the
cbaulTeurs chair was empty, and that
Roche was on his knees before some
object Miss Potter, who had also
seen staring at the floor, tainted and
fell Hdewise into the arms of her
niece. Then / saw what was the mat
ter: the chauffeur was lying on the
floor. with his face white, and his
eyes closed.
BARLEY dropped to his knees beside
Roche and gave one searching look
at the man, then Strengthened up with
queer expression on his face. He
pointed silently to the chauffeur On
bis brown coat. slowly darkening and
widening, was q splotch Of blood, and
from lis breast prOtruded the hilt of
& knife
For a moment my head swan. Only
short time before the lights had
gone ous the chauffeur had had self
confident sheer on his face; now he
was lying on the floor, white and STILL
knife In his breast. Another murder
had taken place in Sykes house, and
this time in a room crowded with
people
The district attorney and Doctor
Webster had by now reached our side
and the doctor knelt down by the
chauffeur With a glance at the ex-
cited crowd pushing it's way toward
us, Barley suggested to Roche that
pc clear the room of all but the fam
lily, It was not until he had called
some Of his men to his aid that he
vas able to make the excited spec
tators obey his orders and withdraw.
Doctor King was assisting Ruth to
restore her aunt TO consciousness. AS
for Barley myself and Black, who
had come forward, we had eyes for
nothing but the silent figure Of the
Chauffeur.
Doctor Webster opened his coat
and examined the wound. Then. when
he bad turned back his eyellds and
felt his pulse he slowly shook his
head and said TO Barley: He can't
live more than five minutes. The
knife reached his heart"
"WH he recover consciousness be-
fore he dles?7 BARLEY asked.
u can't say. He might, for a mo-
inert"
Even as he spoke the chauffeur
opened his eyes, eyes that still re
tanned their look of horror and dazed
surprise Weakly his glance Travelled
over the faces bending over him; he
tred TO raise one hand, but the effort
vas too much for him and his eyes
tloSed again. When he opened them
6 second time, he seemed to recog-
ME BARLEY and gave him such an
appealing look that he bent closer. His
ewes rad begun to glaze and his face
70 take on a waxen hue. Though his
ms moved feebly, no words came
ron them. Then, with a final effort,
ae gathered up what little strength
ae had left and, in a voice so low
" could hardly distinguish the words,
ne stanmered forth, "The-robbery-
st8Hery. Those mpu-{nnocent ask
boy."
HIS voice died away ard his eye
ms sank; then he opened them again
ala sasped, 'The-boy-he knows"
say Bartley's face tighten, but
= al3 not speak. Brlffeur lay SO still
a'a' we thought he had ceased to
Breathe but as the doctor started TO
ss he made a sudden effort to sit
u and hartley put his arm under
.'. With eyes flashing, he cried in
..-1 voice, SUPERINTENDENT
H'S arm rose from his side and
:. traIghr in front Of him. his
eases almost touching Doctor Web
"ao gazed down at him, puzzled.
The chaufeur's voice
lips ceased TO move: and.
even sigh, his head fell