Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1891-04-23
WEIRD MYSTERY
Tracing a Dark Crime.
BY ALEXANDER ROBINSON, M. D.
CHAPTER xxm.-toOntlnuedD.

CHAPTER XXIn.-(COntinued).
1 ventured to turn TO the attack,
adroitly at first, so as not to alarm him.
Colonel, you left that house without
making q haul-Was il on account of the
old mans death?'
THAT was Il, JOslyn."
1.-THE papers say he committed sui
eide"
''They don't know"
'tBut the corOner's jury viewed the
corpse. and their verdict was the same"
''FOOlsl' he muttered-
1 was gradually getting deeper and
deeper into the stream, but did not
mean to make any halt.
Only persistent effort would carry the
day now. The time had come for this
man TO declare his innocence or else be
placed in q cell as the guilty assassin.
He would soon be given his choice when
I had cOrnered him
''COme, Colonel, you excite my curios-
ity. II the old Doctor did not commit
suicide. what was the manner Of his
death2'
My pointed question must have startled
him little. He looked Ut me keenly
moment, as though debating point in
his befogged mind.
My curiosity was natural enough, how
ever and BE did not seem to suspect.
II tell you, Joslyn, that man never
committed suicide He was murdered. "
The deuce you say, ColOnelr'
''It's the truth I know it.
'Come, come, you didn't have 4 hand
in such thing, Colonel2"
He shuddered all over.
@Of course not, JOslyn. l amt in that
line, you know, though sometimes q man
will be driven by circumstances into
committing = crime his soul naturally
revolts FROM
@Yet you say the Doctor was murder
edPs
%Yes.H
@Did you, then. see the crime commit
ted?p
Il did not"
~Well, Colonel, you bewilder me. If
you didn't kill the old Doctor yourself,
and even failed TO see him killed, how
the dsace do you know he-iaas murder
-ed9@
That was q shot straight home.
II he answered it my end was achieved,
and l could finish my work.
Here fortune took 4 whirL Colonel
Cain became reserved. I saw his lips
close firmly, and my hopes took a fall
for knew In my mind what that meant
Il don't care to talk any further on
that subject JOslyn."
GWhy not2 You have interested me.
@Oblige me by letting ii drop. 1t has a
very painful memory connected with it
that 1 wish 70 Danish"
rather thought so myself; at the
same time IL was not my intention TO say
this to the Colonel.
aSee here, you don't realize what you
are doing, Colonel You say you were in
that house the night DIR. SeaburY died
that you know he was murdered, and
that there are painful recOllectiOns con-
nected with the case which prevent you
from speaking further. Now, all this
leads me to believe, as IL would any one
else, that you had hand in that affair. 4"
He turned on me savagely.
81 tell you, man. l had nothing to do
with tiny hands have not the blood of
this old Doctor upon them"
"You swear this, COlonel?"
al do
~Then why do you object to telling
me what you saw. on that night?"
~Why the deuce do you want to
know"
~Afy curiosity has been aroused, as
said before"
~ believe there is another reason"
~Name it.
"Joslyn, you are more than you pre-
tend. have suspected it once or twice,
but your actions allayed my fears. Now,
/ know by your persistency in pursuing
this subject that you are more than Joe
JOslyn, an amateur burglar"
There was no denying it that the man
had struck near home.
did not care now. The matter had
gone so far that it was of little import
ance whether he learned my identity or
not.
III could but get the truth out of him,
would cast him aside like an old glove
or q squeezed lemon, such was my eager
ness to push forward.
Colonel, what do you mean2 Speak
out"
avon ara n detective
@Well?n
@And you have been hunting ont the
truth OF this mans death
Colonel, I admit all you say"
HWhO are you, then?"
aHave you heard OF Abner Ketcham?B
He wiped his forehead with his hand,
but at the same time laughed harshly.
IT reckon have It's been a sly game
you set for me, Ketcham- suppose those
there police officers in the house went
TO crack, and the chase over the roofs,
was part Of the affair, to make US
friends?s'
At assure you had nothing to do with
them, except as you saw I was lying in
wait in that house, watching for you TO
come. when 1 meant to make your ac-
quaintance and warn pou that men were
ready to nab you there, when, bless my
soul, if the three policemen didn't enter.
From their low conversation gath
cred Ln4L the man u1u betrayed YOU The
rest is already known"
ait hurts me TO know I've been hood
winked in this way. What good is 1t go
ing to do you, Mr.. Ketcham?"
II shall carry out my plan"
what is that?''
ITO learn what you know"
He laughed In q sneering way.
-You forget n certain old adage. Ono
man can lead horse to water, but forty
can't make him drink against his viii. Z"
~Then you refuse to tell me what de-
sire to know2S
81 do
@What is your reason for it?"
@Perhaps it's a mere within of mine.
Then again it may be that I'm mad at
the trick you've played on me, and de-
termined to pay you of in your own
CON-
Colonel, you think this is smart"
-Oh, no."
~It's poor rule that won't work both
ways"
aJust what thought
@We'n turn It around aud see how the
esse stands