"It can't be possible," he exclaimed at last, "not dead!" "Yes, _dead_, I regret to say--he was shot through the head--and she died in the wood-house, of premature confinement, brought on by fright and exposure." "And the children ?" gasped Walters.
"They are safe, with some neighbours--it's heart-breaking to hear them weeping for their mother." Here a tear glistened in the eye of Mr.Balch, and ran down his cheek.

Brushing it off, he continued: "The coroner has just held an inquest, and they gave a most truthless verdict: nothing whatever is said of the cause of the murder, or of the murderers; they simply rendered a verdict--death caused by a wound from a pistol-shot, and hers--death from exposure.

There seemed the greatest anxiety on the part of the coroner to get the matter over as quickly as possible, and few or no witnesses were examined.

But I'm determined to sift the matter to the bottom; if the perpetrators of the murder can be discovered, I'll leave no means untried to find them." "Do you know any one who sat on the inquest ?" asked Walters.
"Yes, one," was the reply, "Slippery George, the lawyer; you are acquainted with him--George Stevens.

I find he resides next door." "Do you know," here interrupted Mr.Walters, "that I've my suspicions that that villain is at the bottom of these disturbances or at least has a large share in them.