Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1890-08-12
IN HIS SHIRT SLEEVES.

A lssautiful woman found dead In the
gray morning on the ouiskirts Of the
town. Two laborrrs guing % their work
In the woods hsd discovered the body.
and In their fright had thrown their
axss down and beat . hasty rrtrcat 20
the village. wherr. under grrat excite
ment. they reported the matter to the
authorities.
All Brounheld wAs excited Over the
terrible news. Never In the history Of
the town had such tragedy occurred.
The woman was well known In the CON-
munity ~ n young widow whoss hus-
hand hal lei q somewhat reckless life.
but who hal left her well provided for
at his death. which occurred after two
years of weiiei life.
As was most natural with the aided
attraction ~ snug fortune. the pretty
yyung widow was quite popular. and u
was rumorcl that she hsd half dozen
suitos.
But thi. l. In the nature of . digres-
-ion. have iniruiuc-d you % the wo-
mAn-,icai. and the principal object VI
this story IL a. unrayel Tor the reader the
mystery 10 her death
The mayor. hy, oouncilmcn. the town
marhal and PERHAPS hfiy citizens u
Bruunheli. after they hal heard the
stories 10 the two hbowrs. followed
them ,o the spot where the body lay.
II was fitting spo, for murder. The
sandy mad. arch~i 10y meeting trces
that shut the sunlight out. lei abruptly
a. q covcri bridge. which SPANIEL
bleak AMI sluggish stream. and Just fifty
yards from the water. in = clump ~
bushes 10y the rps.lside. the body lay.
Why did Oh. MURDERER leave Il
,hcr, was the question We involunia.
rily askci our-.lyy> ~ the white face
md staring eys- inc, our gare. Why did
h. not sck ,o conceal his crim. by
,hnwin; the body In ia. riyrri
Tho woman hal t-cn strangle,l: th.
PRINT ~ human fingers was visible on
her white ,hruai. The fingers II Oh.
right hand were clc..si tightly. until the
blue nail. s--incl a. pierce th. blooile--
Ialm. Evidently she hal not died with.
out n struggle.
"Lcokg' criel one - the men. point
ing a. the clc~ci hani. ani W. aw for
the first time tha; u held little tuft ~
oar-. black hair.
This may H. clew Ia the murderer"
.aii tho mayor Justice Duwn. yOu
viii bold the inquest, Hal W. not bet
ter remove the boiy nj once io Bruun'
hcliT'
The justice as~-nte,i. aud We formed
little funeral pr,sc-ssion and bore the
dad woman IA the town.
The two lalur,rs who hal discovered
thu iSiy were held a. Witness, but the
inquest deyeloi-si nothing. except tha,
the woman was fond ~ taking long
walk. In the afi.rnoDn. and that on Oh.
evening prrcs-ling her death .he had
l-rn ~sn leaving her hou~c 10y colorcd
woman, who testified that shc aw
man. who wore no cosi. join her in the
little town park anil enter into cOny.rsa-
ton with her. Here the wi,nc-- lo~,
igh, II them and thought nothing %
the incidsni sb. coull not d-~crih- the
man IN hi. shirt sleeves. for shc was not
near enough a. distinguish his features
She remembered. however. that he was
tall man. and s-cmci to have stick
~ walking cane In his hand.
Who could have committed the crimc'
Roblsry wa. not the object. for the W.
man. purs-. containing ssyvn dollars,
wa. found by her .ide. az rather little
saichel which .he carried SUSPENDED
from her neck.
Nv busine-s kept Inc In Brounheli
week after thi. event. but when lcft
they wcr, no nearr 90 solving the mys-
terry % the murler than they were when
tn boiy was found.
rmemb-r how. = month aft.rward.
a. lAy Ou my l-i In q distant town
thinking IL over. the testimony % that
color,i wuman a, the inquest rcurr-d
10 me AMI 1T me 81 thinking.
She hal spoken - y man with his
clat or who hal siOpi-sl the woman
ami engaged her In Conversation In the
park. Had they looked upon this a.
clew AMI followed u ~,
Wa. there man In that town who
habi,ually wen, In his .hirt ,lc-ys-' A
man who hal b~n familiar enough
with the woman ,o addrcSs her A. this
man didi
The more I thought % thi. the more IL
ap,.'alc,i Ia ine. could not ridicule Il
into silence. II SEEMED 10 take In my
mind the indefinite SHAPE ~ aclew 10 the
murder. until at Last felt conhden, that
I could clear up the mystery In which II
was shrVuded.
Iyackci my yalise and bough, ticket
Ia Brounheli. had yet -ome unhnish-
cd business there and - good eIcu.
for guing.
Arrived there. made inquiries con.
ocrning the murder. \ reward had bscn
ofersl for the murderer. but A. yet he
hal not brcn captured.
Ny rom was In the second story Of
the little hotel. II was hot night In
July. and although fatigucd by my jour.
ney could not sleep. II was perhaps
near ia o'clock. when the stiffness of
death seemed to reign In th. house. that
ar,,-e AMI resolved 10 seek the balcony
Tor q breath IL fresh air.
As walked out saw = man In his
shirt sleeves barr headed, sitting at the
far end. with his feet ON the railing.
lie gay. an involuntary start nj my
approach; /, -, ,.,,, .,,,.,,,,, ~. /.
sigh. ..out for brrath of fresh air. ehi
Il was - plagued hot In the house ]
thought III try IL out here myself"
lido not know that the mans manner
would have impressed me II j had not
s.cn him In his shirt sleeves, but putting
this and that together-the way he start
ell at my approach-his nervous. jerky
manner of Speaking, and then-his being
In his shirt slecves-but Jshaw' ! wore
no coat myself. Who could ON such q
burning July night
I do not know whether fate 90 Provi-
dence Jed me to this man. but 1 do know
that half hours conversation with him
made mo suspect that he knew some
thing about the murder of that poor
woman who~e body had seen on that
memorable morning by the roadside!
naturally Led the conversation To The
murder. He did not seem inclined 70
talk OF Il and soon changed the sub
ject.
But brought him back 10 Il by easy
stages until at Last, with . gesture OF