Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1891-03-26
A WEIRD MYSTERY
Tracing a Dark Crime.
BY ALEXANDER ROBINSON, M. D.
CHAPTER XIV,


began to see things that had been
hidden behind a veil of mystery.
LeOnOre-his wifei
Something had come between them in
the past, and the old Doctor believed his
son TO be n guilty man.
Suppose she was guilty, would he ever
disclose the past?
I believed him a man of an iron will,
Ike his father before him. Truly had
he said torture could not force him to re-
veal what he had seen.
"This is d surprise to me, Mr.. Ketch-
am" l said, frankly.
"As much SO, perhaps, as the discovery
Of Thebdore's indemnity was 10 me.b
"LeOnOre is his wife, and he was
making an effort to see her when-he
looked upon a sight that sent him away
again without accomplishing his err
rand
~So it seems"
~Honestly now, Mr.. Ketcham, since
you are not willing TO believe that TheO-
dOre saw his father Killed, what do you
suppose he did gaze upOn?R
ale saw his wife enter the old Doctors
room, and her face must have told him
that she was crazy for the time. Unable
TO bear the cruel sight he hastened away,
came back 10 look again ana then fed.
~When you told him how his father,
instead of committing suicide. as the
COToner's jury decided, and the after
noon papers printed, had really been
murdered, his mind leaped at once 10 the
dreadful truth, and he closed his lips
upon the story.
"That Is the most probable view we
can place upon the matter. looking upon
him IN a charitable manner. Whether
LeOnore is guilty or not, her husband
believes now that she slew his father in
fit of insane frenzy, and believing that
he is the one who holds the secret, has
resolved to die before he will reveal it. "
"That straightens the kinks out of the
line up to a certain place, Mr.. Ketcham. :"
"Where is that, Doctor"
-Ihe possible presence of \ second
party upon that treilis of vines on that
night"
Mr. ketCham was measuring the dis
tance between crack in the ceiling and
a corner of the room. He did not even
deign TO cast me 4 glance.
~khl Doctor, you have something to
say upon that Subject?n he drawled.
AYES, sir. In the first place, Theodore
denies having passed more than once
each way between the walls and the
house"
There were two trails
81 know it; and yet they diverged in
places"
~You examined the marks?"
al did II
@And thought they had been made by
the same person."
"At the time l never questioned il, and
yet I can now see that clear examina-
tiOn might have revealed some differ
ence.n
"What next, DoctOr?"
Theodore also sWears he never owned
or carried a tool Of the kind described,
and which You affirm is an ingeRious
device Of 4 burglar OF cracksman."
Mr. ketcham reached out his hand
and took the article in question from a
small drawer near him. Not until then
did he withdraw his eyes from the cell
ing
@This is an ingenious device used by
burglars almost exclusively, although,
perhaps, there might be few that
would fall into other hands.
~Well, he declines the honor Of owner
ship"
Ifancied I could see the detectives
face light mp, as though 1 had given him |
a valuable clew.
~That may be all stuff and nonsense,
Doctor. Mind, 1 merely suggest that
idea, and do not affirm IL as my belief |
We do not know Theodore yet He may
disappOint Us aud turn out diabolical |
-V3lfailEn
Was this an attempt to turn me off !
upon another tack9
1 half believed it, and yet at the same |
time didsnot give myself away, simply |
making up my mind that more would be /
heard from this quarter in the future.
The ease was a remarkable one.
Mr.. Eetcham, a reflective of great ex- |
perience, had sOlemnly declared it TO be /
the most mysterious and complicated of |
his life.
If this were the case, then I could not /
expect TO solve it without great labor.
What made 1t more difficult was the |
fact that there were so many trails lead i
ing away from the scene of the crime, /
and any of these, ut different times, /
seemed to be the right track.
doctor, I told you Of one discovery 1 i
had made. Now, there is another that |
may interest you.
~When I went down that morning to
see Ursula; found her examining the |
pantry window, which had been opened
by deft hand in the night"
b / heard his words with feeling OF both |
establishment and satisfaction
1t Seemed to be n link in the chain
leading TO the third party.
~Then a burglar entered the house
through the pantry Window"
THAT seemed to be the indication. /
What was singular about it was that not
a-thing had been stolen"
z ~The deucel that is singular
:. perhaps Theodore entered the house |
this way when he came either the first |
or second time.s -
SThat' is possible, of course"
Did Mr.. Keteham believe this?
1t was hard TO tell, for his face was /
ike that of q sphinx, aud beyond the !
ken OF an ordinary reader.
: He wore q mask, fguratively speaking, |
beyond which il was impossible TO spy.
What If there had been another party |
In the house on this night-whO was he?
II burglar, what a fool not to have
carriedsof the plumber while he had the
chance and-ROt go away empty-handed- Il
Z made-u my mind to investigate this
matter before would be satisfied
Perhaps this person who had been
lurking in the neighborhoodF and who 4
had 7ehtered the house after all, il 4
seemed from the pantry window, might i
not have been q burglar after ALL
Who thenf 49,
Nv mind was clear IS bell. All that