Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-06-01


ness, and 1 was not sorry that the wind ha'
moderated some of its force. But the air hat
grown very cold, and ventured the predic
] tion that we should have frost be ore tht
morning.
"And the poor creature is lying out un
protectedr' groaned the emotional Bnntle
"Hurry up, doctor, the thought is night
marel'
''It does not feel pain, my friend; tn,
| journey has been ended; pain is only witt
the living"
"And perhaps those that live are waiting
for it. What is that hideous soundf" ht
asked in a trembling voice.
can owll'
1t sounded dismally enough through the
night; dismally, weirdly, and with blood
chilling suddenness. For moment it sent
| even my heart bounding to my throat
1.-THE distance seems thousands of miles,
doctor. Are we nearly there?"
"Yonder are the blackberry bushes, and
| it is living on the other side in the high
grass, staring sightless at the moon, my
| friendp'
We approached the spot, and, to nv sur
prise and horror, the body had disappeared!
"Where is it, doctor?"
In his eagerness, Bantle, in answer to nv
pointing finger. had knelt down. He
| jumped up almost Immediately with shrill
cry of disgust and terror. His right hand
and right trousers knee were stained with
clotted blood.
ing q CHASTITY hue to the CHASTITY stain, with
which was hideously palIid from forehead
to chin, as if viewed in sodium tame.
"Where is it?" he gasped, turning away
his head from his extended hand
ut has been carried off by the criminal or
criminals. They have had abundance of
time to do that. See, the grass is bent down
and crushed here. They have probably
dragged the body through it. Look, it runs
downward toward the wharf The tide is
high and the waves are angry; hear them
tearing at the land. A body tossed in there
will be carried seaward by the morning."
Describe the body to mel" he said ab-
ruptly, as one out of his wits.
"Let us walk toward the wharf while I
am gratifying your curiosity, and keep all
your senses alert to discover some evidence
of the crime"
''It is not curiosity, and don't know
what it isl'
Despite the solemnity of the occasion, his
foolishness amused me; it was another
demonstration of my thesis that in human
nature extremes not only touch but overlap.
Shakespeare makes his fools speak wisdom;
had he made his wise men speak like fools,
he would have anticipated civilization by
over two centuries. You think l am severe
on myself? Try your teeth on the kernel
before you judge this fruit Of philosophical
Judgment
described the traits of the murdered
woman, and Bantle listened with bated
breath. Without egotism, 1 may be allowed
to say that when it pleases me, possess the
gift of eloquence, and / covertly smiled at
the effect OF my words. When ceased speak
ing Bantle still remained under the spell of
the picture had presented to his mental
vision! ''The victim was handsome" I
said, breaking short silence.
You describe welli'' he answered, ner-
vously mopping his face with his handker-
chief But see, we have reached the wharf
The night is cherries enough from this e1-
posed point"
The spray from the angry ocean was
dashed up into our faces, and the wind,
which had diminished inland, blew here
with the wild furious shrieking of an angry
demon. The tide was going out: but it
had been unusually high, and even now at
every ocean-pulse it came up through the
chinks in the wharf flooring. We stood for !
moment on the shore edge of the wharf,
staring seaward.
"It is long distance to drag dead body,
doctor, said Bantle, evidently with less
intention of starting q conversation than
with the desire to break a silence that op-
pressed him.
Il am not detective, my friend, and I
have no theory to defend. The one thing I
am certain of is that young woman was
murdered, and that the BODY has disap-
peared. If it has not been thrown in the
water, it will be found"
rs it not probable that she was alive, and
has crept away?"
with a dagger thrust in her heart?
Miracles may have happened, but never a
miracle like that. The girl was stone dead,
and her lite blood is still on your handw
He shivered, stopped down and dabbled
his hand on the wet wharf, then rubbed it
vigorously with h.s handkerchief
Take care of your hat, and let us walk to
the end Of the wharf, from which the BODY
was thrown, il it was thrown anywhere"
We cautiously continued our Journey in
the face of terrible wind that seemed to
tear about from all points of the compass at |
the same time. Now we seemed to be |
pushed back by strong hand; now urged |
onward In spite of resistance; now hissed at |
from one side, now howled atfrom the other. |
with the salt spray in our eyes and on our |
lips. Near the upper end of the wharf is |
The fenced IN, rooted square reserved for
baggage. The huge gate facing us was
barred and locked; in its present condition
I could not be entered. Beside it. and to
he right, was narrow path leading
inward to the end oft wharf To the left
here was 10 passage way, the baggage
n that direction, the only open space being
illed head high with coal dust.
We took then the passageway TO the
light, and while in shelter of the structure
described we enjoyed brief cessation from
he attacks OF the elements, but once out on
he head of the wharf the battle began with
enewed vigor and with danger threatening
is at every step. We kept close to the
upper side of the structure, clinging to the
,ars of the gate, which was locked and
,arred like its companion on the side oppo-
lite. I never before had so excellent and
PRACTICAL an illustration of the insigni6cance
# the little atom called man as on this occa-
ion. And let me say that have been in
'attles, have climbed mountains and been
N the ocean in storms, but 1 never before
cit nv insigniicance. 1t was humiliating
nd exhilarating at the same time; thrice I
Tas on the point of losing my spectacles,
nd when Bantle attempted to blow his
rozen nose the handkerchief was whirled
ut of his hand, and was hurled q meteor
trough space. The spray on my glasses
untitled me to play the part of
een-sighted eagle; SO held resolutely to
be gate and allowed Bantle to creep about
4 search OF evidence. And he was in luck,
20. On one of the projecting nails of the
-harf flooring, to the right, few feet from 7
ne of the huge beams that rose on every
de he found the fragments of a shoe, kid
hoe belonging to woman, and, on my
leory, torn from the foot of the dead woman