The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1933-12-07
CHAPTER I
Death in the Study

bridesmaid on the left-Cardigan did
not know her name then-glanced
backward, hesltantly. The procession
slowed its solemn march.
A stir of uneaslness was somehow
transmitted to the crowded pews.
There was vague bustling through
out the church, polite. muffled. yet
there, like the restless whispering of
leaves, even audible against the ma
1estic organ tones of Lohengrin's WED
ding March,"
Peter Cardigan sensed 1t from his
pew deep In the nave of the church
and smiled at the fancy he thought
had betrayed him. What could be
wrong7 His novelist's mind pictured
the many services conjured from the
corners Of the world by Carmody
wealth to insure the perfection of de-
tail which had been the heritage of
Carmody brides since New York was
young.
1t had seemed strange to Cardigan
for Jim Franklin to be marrying Am
brose Carmody's daughter. But them
Jim had been a stranger to him for
seventeen years. When Peter Cardi
gan knew him, Jim Franklin had been
young attorney. Just out OF law
school, laying the first foundation Of
his career In the hard experience of
the police courts. Peter. without
realizing 1t, had been laying some foun
dalton stones of his own In those days.
for that was when he was police
reporter and before he had become
famous as writer Of best-selling mys-
teries, as well as for the occasional
solving OF one In real life.
That was seventeen years ago Now
Jim Franklin was marrying Doris
Carmody. II there was anything to
these newspaper stories, he would be
the next governor of New York. too.
Ridiculous to think that anything
could be wrongl And yet, the process
sion was scarcely moving now.
Doctor zAbernathy, rector of st.
Matthews, stood by the choir steps
and wondered. Everything had gone
off we'll at the rehearsal. What had
happened nowf Where was the bride
groom?
The rector was troubled about the
quarrel he had witnessed In the sacris-
ty. too. What an odd setting for a
qnarrell The sacrIsty OF a church,
Just before wedding. Too, he Ind
tried to question the strange woman
who had quarreled with the bride
groom. For d moment his suspicious
had been aroused. But pshaw. Frank
lin was all right Nothing like that
could happen to Doris Carm0dy. The
generosity OF her ancestors had made
this fashionable old church possible.
No. there could be nothing wrong.
Things like that didn't happen to pee-
DIE like the Carmodys. The suspicion
with which the good doctor had mo-
mentarily regarded that scene had
f1ickered brightly. for moment. and
as quickly died. But not died. either.
The distrust with which he had re-
garded that quarrel was recalled very
wildly now What should he have
done? Notified the brides father7 He
had thought Of that--and yet--What
could he have said7 The circumstance
of quarrel was not sufficient to ques-
ytion the propriety~of wedding, at
least where there was no question OF
morals involved No. the rector re-
fiected. there was nothing he could
have done.
Calls ShIpley was worried What
had happened to Jim Franklin? Where
was Nick Royce? Calls was the first
bridesmaid on the left. At the re-
hearsal, the bridegroom and the best
man had entered at the first notes OF
the organ, and waited at the choir
steps for the procession that moved
slowly down the aisle. Why hadn't
she thought to see II he were there
before she started7 She had been q
third Of the way down, before she
realized he was missing. Several sec
onds slipped past, and still he did not
come. Calls glanced back hurriedly
The rest OF the procession was falter'
Ing, too, marking time. almost.
Why didn't he come?
She suddenly realized she was
afraid. Where was Rylie Carmody
What had Web Spears meant? Some
thing terrible had happened She
knew 1t
II she only could have found Ry
Outside, on Carmody avenue, pc
liceman pushed back the curiou.
throng that waited to glimpse thu
bride. A Carmody And Jim Frank
lin. He'll be the next governor. too.
you'll have to keep moving Miss
said the officer. The pretty woman
In blue struggled through the iostlint
crowd
Doris Carmody was thinking of Web
ster Spears-"Web," whom she hat
known all her life. whom she nigh
even now have been marrying, |
things had turned out only littl
differently Why had Web wakes
out of the church. without remaining L
see the wedding? What had he salt