Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-05-04

avoided; my elonce would lead them to be.
 lieve that was asleep.
 Only the innocent could sleep in such cir-
 cumstances as those in which I found my
 self. This miserable piece of sophistry
 brought a smile of self-despisal to my lips,
 But this smile of contempt changed to one of
 pity. was innocent. I had thought of sin.
 but had committed none. True. had in
 my pocket the dead mans ring. but had
 not the remotest idea how 1t came there.
 Yet, were to produce 1t should be in dan- ger. for it was scarcely likely that my profess sions of ignorance would be believed. Put ing another man in my place, and receiving from him such e statement as 1t was only in
 my power to make, l should discredit 1t, as
 my statement would be discredited by others
 The ring had been seen on my uncle's fnges
 by MT. Mortlock on the previous night; and after MT. Mortlock's departure from my uncle's rooms, no other p9fson in my estab- lishment, with the exception of Samuel Fleet wood, could have had access to him. Then how came the ring in my possession2 The inspector had said. ''That ring discovered. we shall soon lay hands upon tho murderer The time to produce 1t, If 1t were produced at ell, was when those words were uttered, tho time was gone, and the opportunity lost. might say picked 1t up, but the passages as well as the rooms had been searched by the lynx eyes of the police officers. Had tho ring been lying anywhere about 1t could not have escaped them; and might not my false statement throw suspicion upon some inno- cent person? could throw the ring away iD the garden, or in a pond in my grounds wherein water-lilies grew; but my act might be observed, and the construction 1t would invite would undoubtedly be guilty one.
 During all the time was engaged in these considerations knew that was guilty of moral cowardice. Being innocent, whut had to fear7 And yet could notinstil into my self the courage to proclaim the truth, even though the absence and presumable flight o, Samuel Fleetwood pointed to him as the criminal.
 Again and again did the image of this man. whom had believed to be so faithful and up- right, present itself; again and again did Ind myself wandering into specuations as to whether he was ,eally the guilty person but l drove him, and all thought of him, for the present from my mind, which I desired should be wholly concentrated upon my own position in this tragic incident.
 had arrived at the conclusion that thcro was no course open to me but that of abso- lute secrecy with respect to the ring, when my eyes fell upon the piece of thin whip-cord, of which have already made mention, hang ing from beneath the pillow of the couch on which had slept.
 Tremblingly d. ,w 1t forth and examined 1t. There were marks on 1t which, in the light of what had occurred, proved the fell purpose to which 1t had been applied. It was just such a cord, and, indeed, it could hardly be doubted that 1t was the cord with which my uncle had been strangled.
 Then knew that was in deadly peril.
 What the detective had said with reference to 1t recurred to me word for word: 'sThird, the cord with which deceased was strangled. That's triae, you'n say. Not at all. Keep 1t about you, and it may be found. Burn 1t, and the act may excite attention. Throw 1t away, say in garden or street, and 1t may be picked up. Throw it into the water, and if will float. It must be Q strong piece of cord with which 1t was done. It must be thin piece. Oonclusion-whipcord." In tho silence seemed to hear the damning words. And the fatal cord itself was in my hands, and dared not rid myself of 1t.
 My mind was agitated by whirling thoughts. All kinds of horrifying possibilities presented themselves. What If the door were suddenly burst open by the officers of justice, and l was found with the ring and the cord in my possession? What If my wife were to call to me, urgently desiring to soc me2 Outside my bedroom window was 0 tree, from the branches of which a person could see into the room. What If MT. Mortlook, my enemy, were to climb this tree and peer ini I thrust the cord hastily into my pocket, aud looked this tree, and and peer in7 thrust the cord hastily into my pocket, and looked in fear at the window and :the door, and listened with the terror of man who was being hunted to death. All was still and silent. Thank God!
 I set myself at tho bar of conscience, and questioned myself as though were a dual being-a judge, and @ man accused of mur- der.
 "Are you guilty or not guiltya"
 IN llilty, as heaven Is my judaew
 "Ho> ame that ring in syour posssssIoni"
 "I do not know"
 "How came that cord to be concealed be- heath your pillow3"
 "I do not know"
 ''And yet you declare yourself to be inno- l cent2"
 "In the presence ot Eternal God, swear l that am innocent.
 "The man !who was murdered held your 1 future in his hands1"
 ''He did" .,
 "He threatened you with ruin,
 "He did"
 "Had he lived few hours that threat | would have been carried into into execution? | You and yours would have been thrust, beg yared, into the world2"
 ''It is true.
 "Last night you said to your wife that 1t 1 was monstrous such "a blow should be dealt l o you by feeble old man. You repeated. l Feeble and old He Is over seventy. If hs 1 should die tonightr"
 "I spoke those words. God forgive me ioe | heml"
 "Last night you gavc your wife an opiate, ] o insure that she should not wake while you l committed the crime you had determined | lpon. Do you deny ttat?"