Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1891-12-10
.Nor !, either, child; it IS terrible

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dilemma to be in"
well, at any rate Kate hazarded,
''she win be able to tell us who he was
and where we can find his folks"
$50 she will, dear; had not thought
of that, but it is a long time between
pow and Tuesday," Mrs. Evesham as
scented with some assumption of cheer
fulness.
At this moment, the discussion was
interrupted by servant who announced
visitor No, he did not give his name
nor card, but the girl felt sure he was a
gentleman.
Il will see no one-but stay. perhaps
[ had better" Mrs. Evesham said,
brushing away her tears and proceed
ing to the reception-room, where she
found herself face to face with a singu-
Iarly handsome middle-aged man, whose
fine intellectual countenance was in
keeping with his well-cut clothes and
distinguished bearing. She noticed
that he carried large, square, silver
mounted leather case in his hand, but it
never entered into her head to associate
his visit with business motive.
''Be seated, sir" she said, graciously.
"You must pardon my intrusion,
madam. But"
He paused so long without explaining
himself that Mrs. Evesham was little
startled.
"You were saying, sir?" she queried.
'I-er--yes, madam, the object of my
xs-s4 l. -. Lax. Tn,
fact my friend, the coroner, has put me
in rather an awkward dilemma"
''Oh, the coroner!" Mrs. Evesham said,
considerably relieved. pray command
me in any way
''You see, madam, in the case of a
person dying among strangers, it is con-
ducive to the interests of justice and
material to the satisfaction of the
friends of the deceased, that a photo
graph should be taken of the body. /
am an artist, and my friend, the cor
'oner, insists"
''0h, certainly" Mrs. Evesham inter
rupted. So her distinguished visitor
was after all only a photographer Why
on earth couldn't the man at once have
stated his business without so many
stammering apologies?
'You will perhaps at once permit me
to visit the room where the corpse is
lying?" he continued.
Eyes, but" Mrs. Evesham in turn
hesitated 81 could not offer you any
assistance; even my servants am sure
would dislike
mot for worlds" the stranger inter-
rupted eagerly. 81 require no aid in
my manipulations-in fact would rather
be free from interference. The whole
thing will not occupy me more than
half an hour
How could she refuse so natural a re-
quest? So she ordered the servant to
show him to the death-chamber, and re-
turned to her children.
Mrs. Evesham's sensitiveness would
not have been shocked had she accom-
panied her visitor into the somber pre-
cincts of number six, with its drawn
blinds and the undefnable shadow of
the presence of death.
The stranger, though he must in his
experience have been ac-
customed to such gruesome scenes, was,
however, evidently impressed with the
gloom, for after locking the door with
deliberate care he stepped noiselessly !
over the carpet and paused for mo-
ment at the foot Of the bed where 1t
was lying covered with a sheet. He
had apparently peculiar ideas about
taking the picture of a dead man, for,
instead Of arranging his camera and
posing his subject, he turned to the |
wardrobe, where hung the clothes the |
deceased had last worn, and nervously /
searched until he found a bunch of |
keys. With these he unlocked drawers, |
desks and bureaus, and piled every |
scrap of paper he could find upon
table. His search was hurried and eff /
fective. When the last likely receptacle
had been ransacked he opened his |