The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1875-09-03


and had drawn her chair close to the fire.
She shook violently from head to foot and
her face was deadly pale as she turned it
toward me and held ou. her hand.
30, thank Heaven, you have come - she
said 81 know you can save me. Is it not
horrible? How could kill man? Why
should L? Why do people come to my
house to die? To die horribly, with black
faces and starting eyes, as if some one had
choked them? Ugh and he was pretty
young man the night before. Oh, good
heaven, how horrible p'
l sat down beside her. 1 took her hand.
"Madame Matteau,'' I said, ''be calm
collect yourself. As your lawyer, 1 must
know all. Tell me, from first to last, what
If you-''
| I paused her black eyes had flashed
upon me. / could not ask her if she had
any confession to make l saw that she
had not. Unless she was the best actress
that ever lived, Madame Matteau was in
nocent of any crime.
eff you have any suspicious" I added,
''teE them to me-"
| "There is no one to suspect" sobbed the
poor woman.
| "In the house were Gabrielle, my daugh-
ter, whom you have seen /; old Hannah, the
cook Mr. and Mrs. Beauchamp, friends
Of my poor husband in his boyhoo6-the
best, kindest people Mr.. Gray, very old
man, too feeble TO leave the house poor,
defOrmed Mrs. Norman, and the librarian,
Mr.. Bassford. None of these would mur-
der mouse. See how kind they are they
remain in my house ; they send me word
thai they have no doubt of me. o, how
could anybody ?''
! "And this man who I began.
eyes" said Madame Matteau, 81 will
tell you; he was fair, young, handsomely
dressed he asked Mr.. Bassford at the
| depot if he knew anyone who could accom-
modate him. Mr.. Bassford brought him
home. My only empty room was the one
in which those other two strangers died.
l could not bear to put him there, but Mr..
| Bassford laughed at me. We had supper
afterward. He talked long time to Ca
| brielle. 1t was late when he Ietired-Iate
for quiet household. Hannah had made
his file. She came and told us she had
done SO. He said good night.
"Aftcr he had gone we found that he
had left his watch on the table. He wore
| it only with a bunch of seals, and be had
been setting it by the clock and showing
it to us as something very handsome. l
| knocked at his door to restore it to him.
He had not left us fifteen minutes before
| but he must have been asleep already, for
he made no answer. So l kept it for the
morning. AS came down l met gentle
man in the hall. He inquired for Mr.. Glen.
| That was the newcomers name. l sent
Hannah to wake him. She could not do
| so, and grew alarmed. She had key that
| would open the door, and used it. The
next thing 1 knew we were all in the room
aud the windows were 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 an inquest, and they ar
rested me. The brother said the first
| thing he noticed was that l wore Mr..
Glen's watch and seals. had forgotten 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 other out with a
stick and put that in.'
"The people who were there on that
night were your boarders when the other
men were found dead ?'' l asked.
ooh, yes"
"And Hannah was there also?''
"All my married life Hannah has lived
with me.''
''Your daughter oversees your house.
hold in your absence ?'
Eyes, poor child, with Hannah's help"
| l thought little while.
madame" 1 said, ''there is some
strange mystery in this affair. 1 do not
despair of proving to all the world your
entire innocence. Meanwhile, be as calm
as possible, and endeavor to remember
everything connected with the sudden
deaths that have occurred in your house.
The incident that seems to be the least i'm
portant may really be of immense value" ="
So l left and went home. Strange
enough, on the way met the doctor who
had been called in. He was dull, heavy
sort of person, considerably given to beer
drinking, and my opinion of his ability
was not very great. However, Iquestioned
him on the subject, and he replied
"Well, you see, don't say the old wo-
man murdered him. If she did, should
say it was by sitting on him, or smothering
him with the holsters. suppose the cause
of his death was asphyxia. Well, then,
what is asphyxia? Why, too little breath
| L. ;od ho