Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-05-16

looking thing from his pocket, ana wnen
we find the man who has the match 10 this
we find the murderer
noeket nj the time. within one yard of its
mate: but | remained cool and self-possess-
al and was sure they did not suspect me.
How could they suspect mer
When they were leaving promised them
nv aid and told them they could have free
use of nv house and premises during the
time. In my demoniacal confidence
wanted these fools, who thought they
face With the murderer and yet know no
more about it than If he was thousand
miles away. | knew i was safe, for how
could they ever think did it, and II they
did what proof had they?
The lawyer gladly accepted my offer, as
he said 1t would aid them materially to be
with me. ! did not know how he meant
this remark. but his open and pleasant
manner treasured me and felt safe.
THE LAWYER SMILED, TOO.
Then day after day they came, as they
said to work up the case" Work 1t up,
indeed II made me laugh long and
deeply to- myself to hear them talk. But
sometimes the lawyer, too, smiled when he
looked at me-and when be did 1t troubled
me for n long time.
At the end of week he said they must
now begin rigid search for the opal. NV
wife may have dropped 1t. and they would
be compelled to seaach the premises and
everything in the house until it was found.
KNEW now that | must get rid of the
jewel in some way, and 1t was not easy 20
decide how. No matter where ! should
hide it. if threw it TO the bottom of the
well. | felt that that lawyer would find it.
could no longer keep il in safety on my
person, for did not like his look at times
and he might insist that / should be
searched. The more | pondered the mat
ter the more impossib IL seemed to escape
their vigilance. II went away from home
/ did not know but that | would be fol-
lowed and watched.
What seemed before but trivial matter
now grew to be a question of life and
death-what 20 do with the opal. Long.
long into the night paced the floor and
thought of q thousand plans, but dismissed
them ALL But the devil again came to the
rescue of his own. and at last | laughed
| aloud in triumph. | had conceived bold
and effective plan and | chuckled 10 think
how | would thwart them.
There was a large gray cat inmy room at
| the time, and as / looked upon her lying
| by the hearth suddenly determined that
| she should hide my guilt-for as cats never
| talk | knew the secret would be kept. As
| the only absolutely safe plan | resolved to
| make "A small incision in the cats skin, put
| the opal in, and then sew up the hide. The
| long. heavy fur would cover and conceal
| the place completely, and never would any
| human being suspect what | had done.
On the instant | caught up the animal
| from her snoozing, and in few minutes
nv opal was securely hid where no sharpest
eve or LAWYERS brain could ever trace 1t.
| And pussy slept az contentedly as she did
| before.
Oh! how laughed till the tears came
| into my eyes at my ingenuity.
HE SMILED AGAIN.
The next day when they came showed
| them over the house and helped them look
| for the missing Jewel. Of course they
| found nothing. Then / told them that to
make the investigation complete | desired
! them to search me. When | SAID this the
! LAWYER smiled-that old. meaning smile.
/ didn't like it. 1t made me mad. and be-
sides-it worried me. i felt that | was
suspected. But rs / still insisted the. She
riff made n complete examination OF my
| clothes and expressed himself as satlsned.
SO did the lawyer.
We all sat down after this and began
! talking of the case. The Sheriff and
! deputy both said that it looked as if they
would have t. give il up, as they had found
no clue whatever. The lawyer SAID no.
thing. And now, thought, | would have
nv revenge. told him it was wild idea
he had conceiyed-this murder theory.
| That knew from the first that there was
nothing in it, and that he would now have
TO admit his failure.
He SAID nothing, but only smiled.
! | was continuing in warmer strain
when suddenly, before | had noticed ITS
presence, the large gray cat jumped up
! into the lawyers lap and began rubbing It.
self up and down against his hand.
was almost paralyzed for fear he would
discover the witness OF my guilt. Even
now the cat was rubbing the very, place
where the opal was concealed. Did he feel
itY Did he suspect what 1t was! | could
not tell from his face.
told him to let me drive the cat out, but
he said no, that it didn't worry him and he
was fond of cats.
! / began to grow nervous and could see
that they all three noticed II.
Resides he continued, cats have
been known to tell mysterious things, and
perhaps this one has tale to relate
Nv heart grew sick. But still, how could
he know ? He was only talking at random.
told him that the cat sometimes had tt-
| and was considered dangerous, and TO let
| me take it away.
But he said that he was not at all afraid
of it and preferred to have II in his lap.
Then went into rage and tried TO take
il from him, but he held ii firmly.
Then | grew wild and cursed and swore
and rayed and stamped the floor and
! shrieked in my fear; but the lawyer only
smiled-that old, old smile.
DETEcrEp.
I sat down exhausted. He said nothing
but with the cat still in his hand he looked
at me and smiled again. So did the Sheriff
and his deputy.
They suspected, they saw-my God, they
! knew!
The lawyer handed the cat to the officer
and pointed to the place where | had hid
the opal.
/ could stand it no longer, but leapinp
from the chair / shrieked in agony; You
plotting devils. killed herr"
And then it was all over. | did not feel
the slightest fear. Calmly and delibe
rately | related the whole story Of the
crime and told them TO do their worst
They locked my hands hard together with
iron gives, and that night | slept in prison
The next month / was sentenced 10 hare
labor for life. from which | escaped yeal
ago. Since then | nave been, as | am To-
night. fugitive and a wanderer on tbs
face of the earth.
About the time the nervous, wild-eyeC
man concluded. the whistle blew for my
station, and as | told him good-by there
was something in his eye that made mt
believe what he had said.
HE'LL BE WITH US.