Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1889-02-15
All, the money,
Where had ne obtained it, Gambl'ng.

| Ills uiSHl ulsSipdtlOu.
yes-what pains he had taken with his
dress She remembered having remarked
TO hi n how smart he looked.
What had he worn upon the previous
night? The old gray suit. How well
she remembered the pattern OF It! She
had never seen IL since, bye-the-bye.
i hat was strange Perhaps he had given
Ii away.
II wonder what he did do with it," she
said. half aloud. Then. rising from her
chair, she mechanically walked across the
room 10 the wardrobe which she opened.
Some mysterious in uence which she
was owerless To resist controlled her
action, and impelled her TO prosecute a
search.
No: 1t was not there. Then she oYened
one drawer after another, searching care
fully, but she could not find the things
she wanted. She looked around the room
and for the first time she DO iced, upon
the top of the wardrobe, an old Gladstone
bag.
Standing NJ on a chair, she managed to
lift Ii down. 1t was covered with dust.
and there was something inside, but the
bag was locked.
She looked TO see IL there were any KEYS
upon the dressing-table, but there were
none. Fetching some lunches of her own
from the next room, she tried one after
another, and at last found one to lit
She opened the bag, and there lay the
gray suit which George had worn upon
that fearful night, There was strong
smell OF mouldiness alout it, as If 1t had
been put away damp.
Taking the clothes out she examined
them. Upon both the coat and waistcoat
were large dark-brown marks. An excla-
nation OF horror escaped her. The bath.
! The noise OF he running water again fell
upon her ear. She felt something hard In
the breast.pocket: utting in her hand,
she took it out. 1t was a fiat leather case,
and upon Il. in gilt, were the letters -.
5. They were Captain SturGis's initials!
With a low moan MRS. Atwood fell back
insensible in her chair.
How long she remained so she could not
tell, but when she recovered herself it
was beginning to get light lier husban
had not return q.
Hastily bathing her face i'm some cold
water, she tried TO think what she had
best do.
The fire was i'll alight so she put on
few Goals and then noiselessly des end
ing the stairs, went down t. the basement.
The servants she knew would not lie stir
ring or at lea I two hours. After some
search she found the cupboard where the
wood was kept. and, having filed the lap
of her dress with bundles she regained
her husbands room and locked the door
Then with pair OF scissors she cut up
the clothes, which were lying on the
loor, into small pieces. and proceeded to
burn them one by one, throwing on st cks
and Goals occasionally to keep up the
blaze.
To prevent the smell being noticed in
the house she had opened the window
wide, an blocked up the keyhole and the
chinks of the door. At last after an
hours work she paused. Not vestige
Of the clothes OF pocket-bo1k rema ned.
She breathed more freely, and, having
replaced the bag upon the wardrobe
proceeded to dress herself i'm the outdoor
garments she had worn the previous night.
Now t. see John Delaney" she
thought, and to wish him last good-by.'
1t was quite light, so there was no occa-
sion To take + Ii abeth with her this time.
She would 60 alone. The sound of wheels
rafting along the street made her start
Was It her husband
She looked out of the window. No 1t
was only the cab which she had ordered
to come la k and fetch her. She left the
house, and very shortly was once more at
the little house in Cam Ell Town.
The same W man received her. She
had be n up all night attending on the
sick man. He was sinking fast, she said,
and the doctor WHO had been called in.
and who had only just left, had declared
that there was no hope for him he could
not last many hours.
Blanche Atwood entered the sick Soom
Would he be sufficiently conscious, she
wond red, to understand what she wished
to impart to him? She prayed silently
that he might be so.
He was still lying on the truckle-bed.
breathing laboriously, with his eyes closed,
but presently he opened them and smiled
at her.
~ es, Jack dear" she said; Il have
come back. low do you feel now! Better?p
He shook his head feeby.
mo bet er, he whispered ~ have no
wish to be better now | heard you come
in. was in sort of happy trance, but
l could hear and feel that it was YOU"
Dear Jack she sa tenderly. Jack,
can you understand all | say? 1 wish to
tell you something.
''Yes, / can understandable wei"
''Listen then. 1 know all-al about
that which we spo;e Of few hours since
about the murder of Captain Sturgis.
Do you hear what | say"
"Yes, yes am listening.
81 know all now" she went on; al
know thai You are innocent | know,
alas know who was the murderer"
You know the murderer"
GAY, to my so row, but too well. IL
was my husband, George Atwood. who
killed him and al owed you to he thought
guilty in h s st adj. After | left you.
Jack, / thought over every circumstance
that occurred on the night OF the murder,
and, upon reaching home. | found the
actual proofs or his guilt. Oh Jack, you
are so n going TO be free; bit what Is to
become Of me and my children What
shall dO?' she walled. "Oh, IIea en-,
what shall do"
John Delaneys thoughts ran back to
the old ST. Johns Wood days George
Atwood had done the deed Why FOR
the money. But how hal he effected an
entrance into the rooms? Then he re-
called how they nal stood one night upon
the staircase at Capia Sturgls's cham
bers, and wondere how they should open
the door which he had carelessly slammed