no one near to tell the story. But
if, in the silence of that lonely evening, his hand had dealt the
fatal blow, where was the instrument with which the deed was
committed? If he had rifled the dead man's pockets and had taken from
him his greedily hoarded wealth, where was it now secured, or what
disposition had he made of it?

From the time that he had fallen fainting upon the floor of the
farm-house kitchen, until the present, he was not known to have been
alone.

Tearful in his grief for the death of his master, his voice had been
the first that suggested the necessity for going in search of him. He
was seen to go to the place where he usually kept his pistol, and
prepare himself for defense in accompanying Samuel Waring.

He had stood sorrowfully beside that prostrate form as the hand of
the neighbor had been laid upon the stilled and silent heart, and
life had been pronounced extinct. He had journeyed with Sammy Waring
to the village to give the alarm and to notify the coroner, and on
his return his arms had assisted in carrying the unconscious burden
to the house. Could a murderer, fresh from his bloody work, have done
this?

From that evening officers had been in charge of the premises.
Bucholz, nervous, and physically worn out, had retired with Sammy
Waring, and had not left the house during the evening. If he had
committed this deed he must have the money, but the house was
thoroughly searched, and no trace of this money was discovered.

His bearing upon the inquest had been such that scarcely any one
present was disposed to believe in his guilty participation in the
foul crime, or that he had any knowledge of the circumstances, save
such as he had previously related.

Where then was this large sum of money which had so mysteriously
disappeared?

A stack of straw that stood beside the barn--the barn had been
thoroughly searched before--was purchased by an enterprising and
ambitious officer in charge of Bucholz, and although he did not own a
horse, he had the stack removed, the ground surrounding it diligently
searched, in the vague hope that something would be discovered hidden
beneath it.

But thus far, speculation, search and inquiry had availed nothing,
and as the crowd gathered at the station, and the sealed casket that
contained the body of the murdered man was placed upon the train to
begin its journey to the far distant home which he had left but a
short time before, many thought that with i