The Haslingden Gazette. — 1914-04-25 (Haslingden, Lancashire, England)

CHAPTER VI.  Mary did not answer; she staggered to her feet from beside Malestra's twitching. twisting body. A tumult of scared noises arose in the hall; news of the tragedy bad amend; Innocent's wild cries of terror had aiartned the house; a dozen figures of men and maids, exclaiming, questioning, ejaculating. poured into the library In a moment half-dressed, as he 'had hurried from his room, was among them, and Cynthia, pale and frightened, her brown hair streaming loose over her white wrapper. Another figure, following. pressed through them, and Mary ran and caught Martin Tregsrtha's arm. " What is it?" asked the doctor, lookitv, round. He was as breathless as though Is had been running. "I was driving past," he explained. hurriedly. "I had an early visit to pay. and a maid rushed out screaming that somebody was dead. It can't be true! What is it? Who is it? Mr. Braithwaite!" Possibly he had no need to wave the others back, to touch the heart, the head, the hand. the jewelled knife-hilt that glittered in the light of the lamp. Silently doing it, he silently e105..:1 the staring eyes, and stood erect again. "Stone dead—has been so six or seven hours. Stabbed to the heart, bled inwardly. and must have died instantly. "He looked at Julian. "You had better send into Tavistoek and notify the police. There is nothing else to he done." _  "But. good heavens, how awful!" cried Julian. lie looked away from the ghastly (inv, the collapsed figure. "He was—quite well last night. I suppose-- Do you think it's suicide?" "No," said the doctor. "Not?" cried Julian. Pale already, he looked horrified now. "Why—why—one of the maids was saying something about finding the window there open. He would often have it so on hot nights, I know. It was no last night—l noticed when I came in to say good. night to him that it was ajar. I spoke to him about it. and he told me to leave it so—that he would shut it himself. It was pretty early —about eleven o'clock; he was sitting in his chair then, and called it out to me. If some tramping scoundrel had been prowling about and chanced to see it open, I suppose it's on the cards—the light was switched on out here too, and the study door half open—if some such fellow was about, and noticed that the window stood ajar—" It was wide open this morning, Mr. Julian—wide. sir! It was seeing that, and the study door just ajar, that made me think the master must be there. I told Miss Pleete so, please. sir." The rosy maid. Susan Percher, white enough now, offering the interruption, came forward eagerly. The doctor looked at her. "Wide open, was it?" he asked. "Quite wide. sir." "And the study door was ajar?" "Just ajar, sir." "Were the lights switched on?"  "No. sir." "You could not see Mr. Braithwaite?"  "No, I couldn't, sir." The girl shuddered. " I shouldn't have got the cup of tea for him if I'd been able to Bee him. I should have took it in to him if Bliss Innooent hadn't vrauted to."  " Innocent? " cried the doctor, sharply. "She discovered it. then?" _ _  Julian had turned away. In obedience to decisive word or two from him the servants were slowly filing out of the library; following them, he could be heard in the hall giv• ing orders that the motor should go at ones to Tavistock to notify the police and bring them back. Had the frightful death of Jobs Braithwaite made his nephew master ol StAmeeliffe anti all that StoneclitTe meant? It ow he was stepping quickly into the place Cynthia had moved to the study door, peering tn; she seemed afraid to come nearer. Misfit:4 Fleete. drawn back a pace beyond the dead man's chair, had not moved hand or foot or spoken a word; she stood like a stone figure—rigid and grey as very death. Innocent discovered it, then?" the doctor asked again. "Yes." Mary answered, faintly, for he had looked at her. •• I was in the hall," she explained, "and she came out and—told me. I did not believe it; how could I believe it? And I scolded her. Then I ran in and saw. She touched hint, touched the knife, and got blood on her hand. That terrified her—you know her horror of it—and she rushed out screaming and met Mr. Malestra. He ran in, sad dropped in is fit as soon as he understood. It was like yesterday—l suppose the shock was too much for hint. You see?"  She shuddered as she indicated the secretary's prostrate figure—something of her first panie Inul passed, it seemed, but she was ti4l deadly white. The violence of Malestrs's fit its over, lie lay almost quiet, but quite insensible. With a word or two of understanding Tregartha lifted and carried him out into the library, laying him down upon is couch there. He would probably recover before long, he said. in reply to Mary's question an eh followed him, though he might lie BR he was for an hour or more. Julian, returning in time to hear it, looked down at the senseleivi  Seared. I suppose?" he said. "A fit, is it?" :Yes:. It will pass. You lutve sent for the  police?" '