Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1874-09-04

hoybood-the best, kindest people hl
Gray, very old man, too feeoie 10 le"S
the house: Door, deformed Miss Norman
and the librarian. Mr.. Bassford. None o
these would murder mouse, they SEM nv
' word that they have no doubt OF me. oh
how can anybody p
and this man who | began. =,
Yes said Madame Matteau. l VIII
tell YOU: he was fair, young, Handsomely
dressed he asked MI. Bassford at Iile oe
not to recommend him to clearinghouse
and he sent him home. Before retiring Ut
asked me to keep his watch for him.
The next morning his brother came
and sent his card to the newcomer
name. [ sent Hannah to wake hlfn.-
She could not do so, and grew alarm
ed. She had a key that would open the
door, and used it. The next thing klle"
we were all in the room and the windows
were wide open, and the doctor had peen
sent for: and the young man who had call
ed was screaming that his brother hao
been checked to death; and then there
was the inquest, and they arrested me-
The brother said the first thing he noticed
was that I wore Mr.. Glen's watch and
seals. I had forgotten it in my terror.
so Hannah had key to the room ? L
said
/ yes: at least it was a key that would
open it. 1t was the key to MI. Bass1ord's
door. She knocked the other out with a
| al, op5 ,,,,t hot in
The people who were there on that nlght
were YOUR boarders when the other men
| were found dead p l asked.
oh, yesl'
Aunt Hannah was there also?
sAll nv married life Hannah has lived
with me-
your daughter oversees your household
in your absence? p
yes, poor child, with Hannah's help
1 thought little while.
Madame [ said. there is strange mys-
tery in this affair." I do not despair of
proving to all the world your entire lnno-
cence. Meanwhile, be as calm as possible,
and endeavor to remember everything con-
nected with the sudden deaths that have
occurred in your house. The incident
that seems the least important may really
be of the most immense value
So I left and went home. Strangely
enough, on the way'I met the doctor who
had been called in. He was dull, heavy
sort of a person, considerably given to beer
drinking, and my opinion OF his ability
was not very great. However, [ question
ed him on the subject, and he replied:
Well, you see, don't say the old woman
murdered him. If, she did, [ should say
it was by sitting on him, OF smothering
him with the holsters. Isuppose the cause
of his death was asphyxla. Wen, then,
what is asphyxia? Why, too little breath
to keep one living. He died because he
was short of breath. l wash my hands on
that matter. Only there's the watch. that
looks dark
I had learned nothing from the doctor.
The coroner lived near me. His jury had
been twelve Of the most Ignorant men in
town.
This is all he told me:
He was smothered, that man was so
we're the other two. Men don't smother
themselves. Wemade it inscrutable Prov
idence t'other time. We make it murder
this time. That there watch, you know
Thus, without any new light, [ went
home and formed my plans. There was
but one way in which to penetrate the mys-
tery. must enter the house; must see
the people there; l must penetrate to the
rooms in which these men had died so sud
denly, and must not be known in my real
character. That Madame Matteau was
innocent I fully believed, but that some
one beneath her roof was guilty I made no
doubt. 1t might be the librarian, Mr..
Bassford, whose key fitted the dead mans
door. 1t was possible; but no, [ would
not harbor mad supposition. There
could be no supernatural power beneath
which human beings dropped and died.
Death as it came to us was all mystery
enough. What had been said to me by a
woman, who would have been spiritual
list had she lived to-day, was mere alb
surdity
Il believe that there is some horrible I'M
seen thing in the room,' she said, some
awful, shapeless spirit, that when it is
| locked in with it's victim murders him.
Let others believe what they will, 1 believe
that
The words haunted me, but laughed at
them, of course. Whatever it was, +
would try to know. L had plan.
|
room, myself. l came out strange man.
I wore white wig, a pair Of green Cog
giles, and an overcoat, the tails of which
reached to my heels. / had muffier about
my throat, and a little bunch on one of my
shoulders. l carried a thick cane, and
stopped great deal as l walked. In my
hand [ carried carpet-bag, and in my bo-
som pair of pistols well loaded
AS passed out into the street the early
moon was just rising she lit me on my
way to the door of Madame Matteau IS
house.
1t was opened for me, when I knocked,
by old Hannah. Her eyes were red and
swollen. Then [ told her I was strang-
er, and had received Madame Matteau's
address from gentleman in New York
and desired to stay under her roof all night.
She shook her head.
I don't think you can,' she said, This
lady is away from home. Besides, we are
in trouble here. l don't think Miss Ga
brielle would"
But here Miss Gabrielle herself appeared
L am an old man, miss I said, and az
you see quite infirm. I dread another
; step. I should take it is kindness if yo1
would accommodate me, and 1 will pay
any price you ask