The Elk Mountain pilot., 1924-07-17
CHAPTER v
A Message Received.

Three days after Archman's abrupt
departure with Nellie, Mrs. Archman
and Bess were sitting at the breakfast
table. The murder of Morbach had
created a sensation. Reporters in
droves had descended upon the Arch
man home and, failing to obtain inter
Views with any of the family, had built
towering fabrics of surmise on the un-
concealable fact that Mr.. Archman and
Nellie had left the country abruptly,
Immediately after coming from the
scene of the crime. The inquest fol-
lowed and the three Archmans, and
Akin as well, had been obliged to ap-
pear and testify. None of them could
give any information as to the murder
itself, but Mrs. Archman had been
compelled to admit that the sudden de-
parture of Mr.. Archman and Nellie
had been due to it. Her assertion that
she did not know the wherefores of
the situation, nor even the place for
which her daughter and husband had
set out, naturally added to the interest
Of the case. The coroner, urged on by
the newspapers, went beyond all rea-
sonable bounds in his questionings,
and drove Mrs. Archman to the verge
Of collapse.
He was much more merciful in his
examination of Miss Grant; that young
lady being an actress, the papers were
much less desirous of advertising her
Nothing as TO her relations to Harry
Archman came out. Henry Harrison,
who had played so important and yet,
10 all appearances, so casual a part in
the events of the evening, had disap-
peared utterly; perhaps-so said the
papers-merely to avoid annoyance
and perhaps for some more significant
reason. The pretended secretary had
also disappeared, leaving no trace.
Aside from these annoyances, each
OF the three Archmans had much to
worry them. Mrs. Archman had heard
nothing from Nellie and had received
only one brief note from her husband,
and that one, dated at New York,
merely declared that he had seen Cap
tam Bunker and had given him his or
uerS, and that he and Nellie were
ABOUT to leave town and he would
NOT write again, ito avoid giving in
formation of his movements to possible
spies.'
The intimation that he might be
watched and followed was naturally
"ot comforting, and Mrs. Archman was
very glad that the letter came after
sue conclusion of the inquest, so that
sue mad not been compelled to mention
II 10 the coroner. Moreover, she was
worrying over both Bess and Harry.
"ltl Nellie's departure the girls re-
marx about splendid Americans who
lnaue their way by their own efforts"
would naturally have ceased to trouble
t Unfortunately for her peace of
ni,hu however, Bess took 1t up and
eenoed 1t constantly, with the vague
'eh'ion of smoothing Nellies way In
tase OF necessity, until Mrs. Archman
Sesah TO believe that it was Bess and
aO' Neilie who had fallen in love with
a poor man.
men, too. she had sounded Harry
oDout MS inamorara, and had received
NJ replies that added to hef
"'ut"i' Her whole world was crashing
around her.
"eSs' too, had her troubles. Her
na"'''iSe TO Nellie to visit the El Rio
see Carr had seemed simple
"oush when she made 1t, but had so
T." o' turned out to be beyond her power
,op w Keep The rush of reporters and de-
te'uVes and the suspense of the inquest
T' "u taken up every available moment
Ven NV" when this was over Mrs. Arch
n," "i mad thrown up her hands in
70 ',Ne'nent ., when Ress proposed visit
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