Little Falls transcript., 1886-07-02

..Well.r said my sister, rising, don't
you think I ought to wake him up.
mother p''
es, 4 answered my mother.
My sister went into the next room.
"Father." she said, wake up; it is
growing late. = .s 81. 81.
There was no answer. The next
moment q piercing shrek rang through
the house. - ... .<.:$sze5..
My God! He is dead!''''
Horror stricken, we rushed into the
room. The safe had been robbed and
my father shot through tho heart while
he sat notthirty feet away from us, and
we had not heard sound. At the
post-mortem examination they found
in his body a curious missile more than
an inch long and shaped partly like q
bullet and partly like a dart. The
point was sharp and three sharp faces
Experts said the missile had been pro-
jected by some force other than powder,
else my mother and sister would have
heard the report, and they talked very
learnedly about the application of COM
pressed air and even limited at cleo
tricity. But what manner of weapon
the murderer used none could say.
l had mechanically taken the dart
and put it into my pocket, I always
carried it there in the vague hope that
someday it might help me to .unrayel
the mystery Of my fathers death.
which had slain my mother and had
rested upon my soul ike a great pail. I
had that dart in my pocket even then.
And there I was following mysteri-
GUS black cat out Of the suburbs of the
city in the gloomy night and down a
country road, moved by some impulse
which could not explain, and which,
strangely enough, did not want ex-
planned. The cat turned into a mar
row lane leading to a piece of dense
woods. 1 could hear the bell in the ca
thedral tower striking the hour of mid
night. l was cold-almost numb-al-
though the night was hardly chilly. I
wanted to 60 back, yet went on. My
eyes vainly strove to penetrate the
black arches of the forest. The whisp-
ering of the night wind in the trees
was full of hidden meanings. Cold per-
spiration trickled down my forehead.
My teeth chartered. My knees knock
ed together. Yet I went on.
At the edge of the wood the cat
paused. I could not see her body, but
her eyes glowed in the darkness with a
wierd light. She began to new and
the sound echoed dismally among the
trees, dying away in smothered sobs in
the darkness. Icould tell by the agita-
ton of the dead leaves at my feet that
the cat was scratching, as if hunting
for something. Presently she utter
ed a long, piercing cry that seemed to
make the very trees tremble and then
she was silent and motionless. Tremb-
ling violently. I struck match and
stopped over her. She had her foot on
something half covered by leaves. It
looked like dead branch. Ipicked it
up. 1t was a gun-not like any / had
ever seen before, but still like gun.
looked at it blankly.r Mechanically
drew from my pocket the curious missile
which always carried and dropped it
into the barrel. It fit perfectly. The
horror that rushed over me when
knew that I held in my hands the
weapon which had slain my father was
too great to be borne. The skies reeled
above me-. saw a hundred pairs of
glowing eyes. 1 tottered, groaned. and
fell senseless upon the earth.
Two years passed away. had not
yet solved the mystery. My sister was
about to be married, and l was prepar-
$$',~ to 90 to the wedding. She had
"a living with relatives in Cincinnati.
! where she was completing her musical
studies. There she had met. a young
man whom I had never seen, but who,
all my relatives assured me, was worthy
to become my sisters husband. He
had been in Cincinnati only two years,
but had in that time made himself a
favorite in the best society of the city.
He had plenty of money, which he said
he had made in the West, where had a
large cattle ranch. I saw no reason
why ( should object to my sister, S
choice.
had invited Mortimer Melville to 90
with me. Mortimer was my most init
mate friend, although Ihad known him
less than two years. | had the good
fortune to find his pocketbook, which
he lost, and took it to the business adj
dress written on a card inside From
that trivial incident our friendship grew
up. We never visited each other S
rooms, because we used to prefer to sit
together in the smoking room of the
modest club to which we belonged.
Having invited him to 60 to the we'd
ding with me, was waiting for him in
my room, where he was to call for me
on his way to the station.
"Come in" I said, hearing knock
! at the door. E :" .-
Good morning, old fellow" he said.
entering, Its little early yet, but I
confess l was little curious to have a
peep at your rooms before starting.
Pretty comfortable place you have here,
Bob. - -..,'
Eyes, it is. Make yourself at home,
Mort, while I coax the total depravity
out of this necktie.' n y .:,.
Mortimer strolled around the room
looking ut the pictures. Suddenly he
.'te"red an exclamation Of surprise. I
/ turned and saw him pointing at the
black cat, which was lying asleep on the
hearth rug. .:E4s
where did you get that catp'' he
asked. f u s. % .s... $zs H. Z = II
''She followed me home one night, =
She's mine, = he exclaimed. Il lost
her Two years ago, before / knew you. =
Then he walked to the other side Of
the room, and called, Here Witch,
Witch. z The cat ran to him and
purred around his feet.
You see,'' he said, s.she answers to
her name. But how on earth did you
get her?' .fs s5 b A%
looked at my watch. We had an
hour to spare. I sat down and told
him the whole story. AS / went on
noticed that i look Of deep trouble set
tied upon his features w hen I had
CON lr,1loxl - "a.