Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1891-03-05
A WEIRD MYSTERY
Tracing a Dark Crime.
BY ALEXANDER ROBINSON, III. D.
CHAPTER VIII.
Leonore was in dc lIbrary.


Leonore was in the library.
She stood before the window looking
out upon the dreary day.
1t had commenced to rain, and the
drip Of the water from the trees in the
garden made dismal picture, in keep
ing with the af1liction that had visited
this house.
As 1 entered she turned quickly, and
seemed somewhat relieved when she
found it was myself
doctor, are those people gomez" she
asked.
~Yes, Miss Leonore. That was the
Coroner and his iury-a very necessary
infiietlon in cases Of this kind.
ayes, I know. What was the verdict,
Doctor?"
She was wonderfully calm and self
possessed. / could not but notice this
fact.
~They decided that DR.. Seabury came
10 his death by poison, administered
with his own hand"
Watching her face closely could not
see that she experienced any emotion.
Her features were calm as the summer
sky.
@When can I look upon my poor old
friend?"
Her words relieved me from duty I
did not like.
~Now if you desire. Are you capable
of standing the shock?"
ado not fear for me; am stronger
than you imagine. VIII you go up with
me. DOctOr2D
Il have little writing to do connected
with the case So with your permission
! will remain here until you come down."
So saying, 1 seated myself at n desk
and began to examine the phial 1 had
taken from the dead mans hand, at the
same time drawing writing paper to me.
This phial was an odd little thing, made
OF crystal, to all appearances.
1t had been buried in the tombs OF the
pyramids for thousands of years, and no
doubt might have aroused a fever of in
terest in the breast of n man like Doctor
Schliemann-
Leonore had left the room.
1 realized what n shrewd trick this was
on the part Of the old detective, and dis
pleasing as the idea was to me, could
not forget that his aims were justice it.
self
The innocent would never suffer at the
hands OF Abner Ketcham, and if guilty
it was only the right thing that they
should be brought to the bar.
1 commenced my writing.
Some time passed by. So nervous had
! become that 1t was with difficulty that
I kept at my work.
At last 1 heard the rustic of skirts on
the stairs. When LeonOre entered the
library 1 was folding up what I had
written. around the ancient phial.
I looked up into her face. Unless my
eyes deceived me there We're traces of
tears there
There rushed upon me 4 mad desire to
console her-tO pour out burning words
of regret at her lonely situation, and to
offer my services in any manner accept
able; but wisely restrained myself.
She was yet under the ban of sus-
picion.
Much as believed firmly in her innO-
cence, it had not yet been clearly proven,
and there were some things that needed
the closest investigation
I now desired to see Mr.. ketcham-
To do so, must go upstairs again
In looking around for my hat, / found
that had left it in the chamber above,
and leaving LeOnore, 1 assembled.
found Mr.. Ketcham standing
thoughtfully by the window. He turned
as 1 entered the room, and although I
looked eagerly in his face, 1 was batfied.
~Close the door and sit down, Doctor. I"
His words, innocent in themselves,
= sent n chill through my heart. They
meant that he had discovered something
worth while repeating to me.
Being deeply interested in the case, I
could not do otherwise than listen,
eagerly.
@When Leonore entered the room, she
stood right there for minute with her
hands clasped, her eyes glued upon the
bed and that mOtiOnless figure.
~Then she seemed to break the spell
that bound her, and gliding forward fell
on her knees beside the dead.
doctor, have in my time looked up
on some strange sights, but never one
quite equal to that, where girl we be-
lieve guilty of murder bends over the
form OF her aged victim, and fondles his
hand"
could not restrain cry.
@She is innocent, sir. A guilty soul
would turn from such a sight in terror.
Why the dead must even arise to con-
denim her did she dare do that"
~Listenl"
l Gained myself under his magnetic
eye, and waited to hear more
The quiet assurance of his manner
gave me warning that in some way
Leonore had not improved her case by
the visit she had made to the death bed.
~She remained there, apparently con-
vulsed with grief, and yet uttering no
sound.
@Then saw her raise her head and
clasp her hands eOnvulsively, while she
gazed down upon the body.
~Words fell from her lips. They
reached my ears, and were treasured
every one as having decided bearing on
the Gaot-
@This was exactly what she said,
breathing the words in apparent deep
emotion:
~Afy poor, murdered guardy, to think
that it has come at last, that which you
have feared so long. Heaven forgive me
for being the cause of 10 ALL
~Then she gave way to a fit OF sob
bling. This lasted but a short time,
however, and Leonore became herself
again
@She bent over and kissed the cold lips
of the dead, then left the ROOM
could sit still no longer
ADo you mean TO say, sir, the girl who
could be guilty of such base crime
would act In that manner?"
@Waitl ! neither condemn nor acquit
until the returns are all in I simply
say that, according to the evidence, it
looks black for LeonOre-
@Remember, Doctor, the peculiar cir
cumstanees under which the girl com
mitted the crime, If she did do it.
@They would account for tho words
she spoke. and allow OF her actions She
seemed TO know that in time of mental
responsibility she had committed this
awful deed. and eeWailed the fact, Al