Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1879-12-05

poor, dear husband in his boyhood-
the best, kindest people; Mr.. Gray,
very old man, too feeble to leave the
house; poor, deformed Miss Norman,
and the librarian, Mr.. Bassford. None
OF these would murder mouse. See
how kind they are; they remain in my
house; they send me word that they
have no doubt of me. Oh, how can
anybody
"And this man who" I began.
eyes," said Madame Matteau. II
will tell you; he was fair, young, hand.
somely dressed; he asked Mr.. Bassford
at the depot if he knew of any one who
could accommodate him. Mr.. Bassford
brought him home. My only empty
room was the one in which those two
strangers died. l could not bear to
put him there; but Mr.. Bassford
laughed at me. We had supper after
ward. He talked long time to Ga
brielle. 1t was late when he retired
late for quiet household. Hannah
had made his fire. She came and told
us that she had done SO. He said good
night.
latter he had gone we found that he
had left his watch on the table. He
wore it only with bunch of seals, and
he had been setting it by the clock, and
showing it to us as something very
handsome. 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 next
morning. As came down | met a
gentleman in the hall. He inquired
for Mr.. Glenn. That was the new
Corners name. sent Hannah to wake
him. She could not do so, and grew
alarmed. She had key that would
open tho door, and used it. The next
thing knew we were all in the room
and the windows we're 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 arrested me. The
brother said the first thing he noticed
was that l wore Mr.. Glenn's watch
and seals. I had forgotten it in my
terror"
$50 Hannah had key to the room? p
I said.
Eyes; at least it was a key that. would
open it. It was the key to Mr.. Bass.
fords door. She knocked the other out
with stick and put that i'm
1.-The people who were there on that
night were your boarders when the
other men were found dead ?" I asked.
"Oh, yes y
AUNT Hannah was there also 2"
Cali my married life Hannah has
lived with me-"
g Your daughter oversees your house
hold in your absence?"
Eyes, poor child, with Hannah's
help"
Thought little while.
Madame" said, "there is some
strange mystery in this affair. 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 the least important may really be
Of the most immense value"
So I left and went home. Strange
enough, on the wayI met the doctor
who had been called in. He was
dull, heavy sort of person, considera-
bly, given to beer-drinking, and my
opinion of his ability was not very
great. However. I questioned him on
the subject, and he replied
"Well, you see, don't say the old
woman murdered him. If she did, I
should say it was by sitting on him, or
smothering him with the holsters. I
suppose the cause OF his death was
asphyxia. Well, then, what is asphyxia?
Why, too little breath to keep one liv-
ing. He died because he was short of
breath. wash my hands of that mat
ter. Only there's the watch: that looks
dark"
had learned nothing from the doc
tor. The Coroner lived near me. His
jury had been twelve of the most igno.
rant men in town.
This is all he told me:
He was smothered, that man was;
so were the other two. Men don't
smother themselves. We made it in.
scruptable Providence t'other time. We
make it murder this time. That there
watch, you know"
Thus, without any new light, I went
home and formed my plans. There was
but one way in which to penetrate the
mystery. 1 must enter the house; I
must see the people there; must pen
citrate to the room in which these men
had died so suddenly, and I 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 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 mad superstition. There eou d
be NO supernatural power beneath
which human beings dropped aud died.
Death as it came to us WAS Il, sterlcus
enough. What had been said To me by
woman who would have Leen Spir-
ltualist had she lived to-day, vas an
absurdity.
II belive that there is some horrible
unseen thing in the ROOM" sue had
said; some awful, shapeless spirit,
that when it is locked in with its victim
murders him, Let others heliava wbo.