Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1881-02-12


this sallow neighbor Of mine, in his deep
voice, laughing loudly. Nothing could
have been luckier than my witnessing
that little scene between my uncle and
our fat neighbor over the garden-wall. +"
In an ordinary moment should have
felt keenly the insult conveyed in his re-
mark, but my feelings were too highly
wrought for it to touch me then.
But Polly pressed my hand and MUIR
INJURED, "The horrid villain"
We listened painfully for several min
utes more. We heard Malden's wife
heave a deep sigh. She was human,
then. l had scarcely thought it.
{" | can't bear to think it is too dread
full" she said, her voice trembling for
the first time during the fearful CONVEX
sation.
Again her husband laughed loudly,
and said, in a theatrical tone, "What,
my Lady Macbeth trembling! 'Come,
we'll to sleep. We are yet but young
in deed'n
In a moment more we heard the door
of the apartment closed. We three sat
and looked at each -blanched and
speeches. with horror.
Ann was the first to recover her pres
ence of mind. "Shall l 60 an fetch
the perlease, sirP" she said, in a sub
dued voice.
"Oh, don't leave me, Ami" sobbed
my poor wife, yielding to her pent-up
emotions and clasping our servant round
the waist. This was the first time in her
life that she had been so undignifed
You 90, Joram, " she confined. Then
a sudden fear seized her. "But we
shall both be murdered while you are
gone" The poor soul wrung her hands
and began to laugh historically.
l felt that everything depended upon
my controlling my nervous system. Polly
was beginning to get silly, and Ann
might at any moment break down, too.
, l took out my pipe, and slowly filled and
{ lit it, in order both to steady myself and
= TO impress these women with my self
command.
"l'll telegraph to Chttick-that will
Q be best" l said, after pacing the room
: once or twice.
"You can't telegraph tonight, sir ;
: the orfice will be Shut" said the practi-
n cal Ann.
Mr.. Chittick was an Inspector in the
? detective force at Scotland Yards. After
r some internal debating | decided that it
= would be better to wait till the morning
i and then telegraph than to 60 off to the
/. police station that night. have often
' since wondered at my courage and calm
' ness. The wife and servant seemed to
!, catch something of my spirit. Wew
unanimous that to 60 to bed was impos-
J. sible, so Mrs. Frogg lay on the sofa, Ann
o in a sofa chair which we wheeled out of
e the next room, and sat up in my good
:, armchair, prepared to watch the night
/. through.
t Happily nothing TRANSFERRED during
? that tedious night to create further
|, alarm. In the morning when the post
d man called l got him to take tele-
g graphic message, which simply urged
my friend the inspector to come as early
o in the day as he possibly could, as |
). wanted to see him on business of very
It pressing and extraordinary character.
About noon he came. Not soul had
q stirred from the neighboring house, and
Il | had therefore the satisfaction of feeling
d that the delay would not Illustrate the
q ends of justice.
@ When we we're alone, / told the story
l. of Mr.. LEAFS eccentric conduct; his
disappearance after his nephew had
K seen him showing me the diamonds in
If the garden and finally the strange
o conversation we had overheard the
!. night before. At first my friend was
If merely politely attentive; but as | went
!. on he took out his note book and care
!. fully wrote down the words we had
# overheard. He asked for particulars,
II too, of the appearance of Maiden and
" his wife, and of the murdered man.
: "Do you know anything of the bust.
ness or profession of MaldenP" he then
!. asked.
could only admit that on this point
IT. | was entirely in the dark.
70 "But has not your maid learned
r, anything on this subject from youl
9 neighbours servantP" he inquired
,e "servants are always gOssiping, yor
" know"
70 "The woman next door is foreigner
10 "A German-l think"
q Inspector Chittick pursed up hi.
n. mouth and tapped his notebook will
ID his pencil.
w "That looks like a plan," he re
4 marked, after a moments meditation
"That fact is the strongest point in tn,
to case. 1t seems as though it wer,
ID designed that nothing should transpirt
mr. through the chatter of servants"
or "Yet surely the real point is the con
al fession of murder which we overheard? p
Nd l urged deferentially.
"That has to be proved" he replied
Il. ain the meanwhile, | must compliment
you on your shrewdness in sending TO
d. me in this quiet way. shall at ono
q telegraph for ons of our men to sta.
re- with you here, and for another to b
posted within convenient distance O
n. the house."
10 Day after day passed and nothin
tv transpired TO clear up this mystery. A
n, length, after an interval of nearly
Of fortnight, we had, for the first time,
%. communication from Inspector Chittic
a in the shape of telegram:
no have made an unexpected and startlin
No discovery IN re Maiden. will call this after
ne noon, and hope to do business. Maiden is {
of home, intends leaving home to-morro'
Il, morning with wife and German servant
~ did not show this message to Polly
en for l knew it would upset her. M
w nerves, too, were little unstrung, an
III 1 actually trembled when Ann ushere
IA Mr. Chittick into the front room. A
Se ter greeting me, he gravely took new