For below him, with white face turned upward as if laughing, was the dead body of Peter Kaden.
CHAPTER XII
MISS STEWART RECEIVES A CALLER
COINCIDENT with the finding of Peter Kaden's body in the well, certain things became public with regard to others. But to complete this part of it. After finding the body Jean Baptiste hurried into Dallas and gave the alarm. Excitement ran high for a time, and as it was Sunday, in a few hours the spot around the well was crowded. From over all the reservation the people came, and the consensus of opinion was that it was suicide.... Perhaps Jean Baptiste was the only one who had his doubts. If it was suicide, then he was positive it was a precipitated suicide.
Until the coroner arrived there was no disposition made of the remains, and when he did, the decision of suicide was sustained.
Since the man Baptiste had started to see was brought to the spot by the excitement, the business in hand was settled thereupon, and that evening, he went to call on the Stewarts with a view to hiring Bill.
He found Agnes alone, but was invited to enter. From her expression, he could see that he was expected, and while he waited for her father who had gone across the road, they fell into amiable conversation.
"Springtime is knocking at our door," he ventured.
"And I am glad to see it, and suppose you are also," she answered.