Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1874-08-08
" And this man who" I began.

will tell you; he was fair. young, hand
somely dressed; he asked Mr.. Bassford
at the depot if he knew of anyone who
could accommodate him. Mr.. Bass
ford brought him home. My only
empty room was the one in which the
other two strangers died. I could not
bear to put him there; but Mr.. Bass
ford laughed at me. We had supper
afterward. He talked long time to
Gabrielle. It was late when he re-
tired-late for quite household. Han
nah had made his fire. She came and
told us that she had done so. He said
good night.
"After he had gone we found that he
had left his watch on the table. He wore
it with bunch of seals, and he had been
setting it by the clock, and showing it
to us as something very handsome. I
knocked at the door to restore it to him.
He had not left us but fifteen minutes
before; but he must have been asleep
already, for he made no answer. So I
kept it for the night, and wore it down
to breakfast in the morning. Coming
down 1 met man in the hall. He in
quired for Mr.. Glenn. That was the
newcomers name. I sent Hannah to
wake him. She could not do so, and
grew alarmed. She had key that
would open the door and l used it.
The next thing I knew we were all in
the room, and the windows were all
wide open, and the doctor had been
sent for; and the young man who had
called was screaming that his brother
had been choked to death; and then
there was the inquest, and they ar
rested me. The brother said the first
thing he noticed was that wore Mr..
Glenn's watch and seals. I had for
gotten it in my terror
$50 Hannah had key to the room ?"
1 said.
Yes; at least it was key that
would open it. 1t was the key to Mr..
Bassford's door. She knocked the 9TH
er out with nail and put that in"
"The people who were there on that
night were your boarders when the 9TH
er men were found dead ?" asked.
"Oh, yes."
"And Hannah was there also?''
"All my married life Hannah has
lived with me-"
"Your daughter oversees your house
hold in your absence 2"
eyes, poor child, with Hannah's
help"
l thought little while.
Madame" said, "there is some
strange mystery in this affair.". I do
not despair of proving to all the world
your entire innocence. Meanwhile be
as calm as possible, aud endcavor to re-
member everything connected with the
sudden deaths that have occurred in
your house. The incident that seems
of the least Importance may really be of
the most immense value"
So l left and went home. Strange
enough, on the way l met the doctor
who had been called in. He was dull,
heavy sort of person, considerably Civ
en- to beer-drinking, and my opinion of
his ability was not very great. How
ever, questioned him on the subject,
and he replied:
"Well, you see, 1 don't say the old
woman murdered him. If she did,
should say it was by sitting on him, or
him with the holsters. I
suppose the cause of his death was as
phyxia. Well, then, what is asphyxia?
Why, too little breath too keep one liv-
ing. He died because he was short of
breath. I wash my hands of that mat
ter. Only there's the watch; that looks
dark"
I had learned nothing from the doc
tor. The Coroner lived near ME. His
jury had been twelve of the most ig-
norant men in town.
This is all he told me:
He was smothered, that man was:
so were the other two. Men don't
themselves. We made it in
Providence 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 mystery. I must enter the house;
I must see the people there; I must
penetrate to the room in which these
men had died so suddenly, und + must
not be known IN my real character.
That Madame Matteau was innocent I
fully believed, but that some one be-
meath her roof was guilty I had no
doubt. 1t might be the librarian, Mr..
Bassford, whose key fitted the dead
mans door. 1t was possible-but no,
I would not harbor a mad superstition.
There could be no supernatural power
beneath which human beings dropped
and died. Death as it came to us was
enough. What had been said
to me by woman, who would have
been a Spiritualist had she lived to-
day, was mere absurdity.
II believe there is some horrible un-
seen thing in the room," she had said,
/" some awful, shapeless spirit, that
when it is locked in with its victim MUIR
ders him. Let others believe what they
will, I believe that"
The words haunted me hnt 7 lauohed