The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1878-06-15

made show, if he was not actually in ear
nest, of wishing to refuse it. Whether she
was in bad temper at the time, or whether
she was hurt at his making such request,
Lytherly could not say, but she refused to
make the advance, and they parted worse
friends than they had been for some time.
All this the young fellow let out at the Bell
on the Saturday, as the refusal happened on
the Friday, a great part of it in my hearing,
for generally took my pipe and glass at the
Bell, and | saw that he was well on for tipsy.
He had indeed been drinking there some
hours, and would perhaps have stopped long
er but that the landlord persuaded him to go
home. He was hardly able to walk and, as |
did not wish him to get into any trouble,
which might mean also trouble to me, fol
lowed him to the door, determined | would
see him to his lodgings if necessary; but just
then his landlady's son happened to come by.
The poor chap, as | well remember had been
to the dentists to have tooth drawn, but his
face was so swollen that NJ. Clawes would not
attempt to draw it till daylight, and the poor
fellow was half distracted with pain. He
offered to see Lytherly home, and, as he lived
in the same house and slept in the same room,
of course he was the fttest party to do so;
and so off they went together, and in due
course of time | went home too.
Next day was Sunday, and a quiet day
enough it always was in Comestead Younger
men might have thought it dull, but it suited
did not object to the steady-going ways of the
little town; in fact | took to going to church,
and all sorts Of things. Well, the day passed
by without anything particular, and | was
really thinking of going to bed, although it
was only half-past nine, for felt sleepy and
tired, when | heard something run hqrriedly
up our front garden, and then followed very
loud double knock at the door. | lived,
should mention, at nice house in Church
street, which was a turning that led from the
High street into Orchard street, where, as
have said, Miss Parkway lived | was just
about to drink a glass of egghot, which is
thing | am very partial to when have cold,
and this was winter time; but | put the tum-
bier down to listen, for when such a hurried
step and knock came it was nearly always for
me; and, sure enough, in another half minute
the door was opened, and | heard voice ask
If the Superintendent was in; then, without
any tapping or waiting, my door was thrown
open, and saw a young woman whom | knew
as servant to Mrs. Amblss. The moment
saw her knew something serious was the
matter; long experience enabled me to decide
when anything really serious was coming.
"Now, Jane" | said, "what is it,"
SO Mr.. Robinson. ~ she exclaimed q for
get whether | have mentioned before that my
name is Robinson, but such is the fact),
"come round at once to missus', for we have
found poor Miss Parkway stone dead and muir
dered in her ROOM
such people, off she went into strong Mysteries.
couldn't stop with her; so | opened my door,
and equally as a matter of course, there
found the landlady and her servant listening.
" Go in and take care of that girl | said;
land one OF you bring her around to Orchard
street as soon as she can walk | didn't stop
to blow them up, and they were too glad to
escape to say a word; so off l went, and found
little cluster of people already gathered
around the gate of the house wanted Here
is the Superintendent! ~ | heard them say as
they made way for me. l hurried through,
but had no occasion to knock at the door, for
they were on the watch for me. Mr.. and Mrs.
Ambliss were in the passage, and neighbOr
from next door; all looked as pale and fur
ried as people do under the circumstances.
" This is most terrible affair, sir" saws
poor old Ambliss who was feeble, superan-
nuated bank clerk. ave have sent for YOU,
sir, and the doctor, as being the best we could
do, But perhaps you would like to go into
her room at once!
| said should as matter of course, and
they led me to her room. There was light
there, and they brought more up, so that
everything was plainly visible. The people
had not liked, or had been afraid to disturb
anything, so the room was in the same state
as when they had entered it. 1t appeared
they had not been surprised at Miss Parkway
not coming down in the morning, for this was
not uncommon with her; but when the after
noon and evening passed away and she did not
appear, and no answer was returned to their
rapplng at her door, they grew alarmed, and
at last forced an entrance, when they found
the furniture in confusion as though strug-
gle had taken place, and poor Miss Parkway
i'll her night dress lying on her face quite
deap. They had lifted her on the bed and
from the marks on her throat had Judged she
died by strangulation. As | could do no good
to her, | noticed as closely as | was able the
appearance of the room and especially looked
for any fragments of cloth torn from an as
sailants clothes, which often remains after
struggle; or a dropped weapon, or any I'M
usual marks. But could see nothing. There
was no difficulty in deciding how the assassin
had entered the apartment and how he had
left it, for the room was on the ground floor,
and the lower sash of one of the windows was
thrown up, although the blind was drawn
fully down. The furniture was knocked over
and upset; the washstand, which was large
and somewhat peculiar one, of a clumsy and
old-fashioned description, had been over
thrown, and had fallen into the fireplace,
where it lay resting on the bars in a very curl
GUS manner; while the jug had fallen into the
CRATE, deluging the fireplace with water but
extraordinary to relate, without being broken:
not broken to pieces, at any rate although
badly cracked A great deal of noise had
probably been made, and cries for help proba-
bly, uttered but Ambliss and his wife were
both deaf and they and the servant all slept
at the top of the big house in the front, while
poor Miss Parkway slept at the bottom at the
back, and in a room which was built out from
the house itself.
/ had time to hear and notice all this before
the doctor came, and his attendance was, of
course, mere matter of form. No one could
help or harm the poor woman now; so, with
the information / had gained, | went to the
house of the nearest magistrate, very active
gentleman and solicitor. fought to have men,
TONED that the drawers in which Miss Parkway
kept her money and jewelry were forced open,
and every valuable extracted, the only trace of
them being a few links of a slight chain of a
very unusual pattern, which, with a curious
stone the lady generally wore around her
neck This chain had evidently been broken
by the violence used, and part of it scattered
about; the stone was gone.
Information was of course, sent to Miss
Pathways relative who came sometimes to
visit her And the result of all the inquiries
made was to make things look so very sus-
picious against young Lytherly, and so
much stress was laid upon his quarrel with
Miss Parkway upon her refusal to lend him
money-whch seemed known to everybody
that was obliged tC apprehend him l
didn't want to hurt his feelings, so | went
myself with fly, although his lodgings
were not half mile from the Town Hall, so
as to spare him from walking in custody
through the streets. | found him at home,
looking very miserable, and when he saw me
he said: Il have been expecting you all the
morning, Mr. Robinson. | am very glad you
have Gomez
"Well, Pm sorry" answered. "But YOU
may as well remember that the least said is
i