Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1874-07-25

II Nuii. ASifJ cOIb VI d pCtSOh, COuSiuC
y ably given to beer-drinking, and N
: opinion of his ability was not vel
n great. However, | questioned him 0
o the subject, and he replied:
: We'll, you see, | don't say the oil
r woman murdered him. If she did,
should say it was by sitting on him, G
: smothering him with the holsters.
e suppose the cause of his death wa
e asphyxia. Well, then, what is asphyx
4 la? Why, too little breath to kee
e one living. He died because he wa
3 short of breath. l wash my hands Q
! that matter Only there's the watch
/ that looks dark"
, | had learned nothing from the doc
tor. The Coroner lived near me. Hi
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
smother themselves. We made inscru
table Providence t'other time. W.
make it murder this time That thert
watch, you know"
Thus, without any new light, L wen
home and formed my plans. There
was but one which to penetrate the
mystery. L must enter the house; /
must see the people there; | must
penetrate to the room In which these
men had died so suddenly, and | must
not be known in my real character.
That Madame Matteau was innocent |
fully believed, but that some one be-
meath her roof was guilty L made no
doubt. 1t might be the librarian, MIR.
Bassford, whose key fitted the dead
mans door, 1t was possible-but no,
| would not harbora mad superstition.
There could be no supernatural power
beneath which human beings drooped
and died. Death as it came to us was
mystery enough. What had been said
to me by woman, who would have
been Spiritualist had she lived to-
day, was mere absurdity.
believe that there is some horri-
BILE unseen thing in the ROOM" she
had said, some awful, shapeless spirit,
that when it is locked in with its vic
tim murders him. Let others believe
what they will, | believe that"
The words haunted me, but / laugh
ed at them, of course. What it was,
| would try to know.
At dusk that day | went into my
bedroom myself. | came out strange
man. [ wore a white wig, a pair of
green goggles, and an overcoat, the
tail of which reached to my heels. L
had a muffier about my throat, and
little haunch on one of my shoulders.
| carried thick cane, and stopped a
great deal as L walked. In my hand |
carried carpet-bag, and in my bosom
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's house.
1t was opened for me, when
knocked, by old Hannah. Her eyes
were red and swollen. Then | told
her that | was a stranger, and had re-
ceived Madame Matteau's address
from a gentleman in New York, and
desired to stay under her roof all
night.
She shook her head. Il don't think
you can, she said. The lady is away
from home. Besides we are in trouble
here. I don't think Miss Gabrielle
would"
But here Miss Gabrielle herself ap-
peared.
Il am an old man, miss" "and, as
you see, quite infirm. | dread another
step. | should take it as a kindness
if you would accommodate me, and L
will pay any price you ask"
Miss Gabrielle looked at Hannah.
I'VE have only one room" she said,
and that"
| ended the question of my stay by
begging to be taken to it.
You will have supper, sir?' asked
the girl.
But declared that l had eaten, and
only wanted rest
Her rep Iy was:
Hannah, show the gentleman to
the blue room, and make fire."
was in the blue room, the scene of
the three sudden deaths or murders.
1t was small apartment, painted blue
1t had also blue window curtains, and
blue silk coverlet on the bed; neat
striped carpet, set of old mahogany
furniture, and a very handsome ever
and basin of costly China. 1t was at
the time almost a universal custom to
burn wood In this room, however,
was a small coal fire. | alluded to
this as Hannah came in with the scut-
tie.
Yes, sir" she said, "missus does
burn Goals Her son is clerk, or the
like, at the new mines at Mauch
Chunk, and he sends it cheap to her;
but it's nasty, dirty smelling thing.
and hate it. Now it's buat and lit;
twill warm up in fifteen minutes. 1t
takes longer than wood"
She went out of the door and came
back in minute with little tray on
which stood a pot and a cup and sau-
Ger, also a bowl and tiny pitcher, and
something in a napkin.
Miss sent bit and sip" said she.
Tea rests US old folks nightly. Good
night"
Good night" L said. Il expect l
shall sleep soon; / must be up very
early, though, for have bills to pay.
| have some hundreds of dollars with
me to pay out tomorrow and it's in
this bag"
She looked at me in a queer sort of
a way, and fingered beside me. At
last she spoke:
Look ye, sir; | think that old
folks of your age do wrong to lock
doors on themselves. You might be
i'll at night, and who'd get in to you?
Leave your door unlocked"
Was it this woman's practice to beg
travellers who stopped with the mis-
tress not to lock the door? Was there
some baneful potion in the cup she
had given me?
1t was an innoeent-lOoking cup
enough-an old fashioned affair, COW
cred with little gilt sprigs. The tea
was fragrant Hyson; but the suspic-
ion that had crept into my mind had
tainted it. | fancied strange color,
curious smell. | put it from me,
and would not have tasted it for
kingdom.
1 had not intended to sleep, and |
did not undress myself. | merely re-
moved my disguise, and sat down be-
side the table, with my pistols beside
me. That some attempt might be
shortly made to murder me | felt to be
possible. | thought of all the old
tales that had heard of trap-doors
and sliding panels, and secret entrances
to travellers rooms. | was not a cow
ard, but felt strangely nervous; and
singularly enough for man in my per-
feet health my hands were growing
cold. and my feet were humps of ice,