Passaic City record., 1891-10-03

have left the cash had robbery alone been
the motive of the crime.
The manager again lnterposed:
sWho is the poor gentleman?" ne went
On addressing himself first to the porters
and servants who stood near.
To them, as had already ascertalned4
he was only No. 49," ,...,,
aOne of you run to the pipe and wnlsNs
down TO Ine Dureau Tor MS h@no, -
the manager. But perhaps Sum y
Won gentlemen knew him?' now speaA'
inc To the whole roomful- dozen OF us
at least. w ,oLod
There was dead silence. We looked
at each other blanklv and ,nterroRatlvelY'
bilt no one had, or would acknowledge,
any acquaintance with the deceased.
Then the servant returned to say thai
tba dead man was entered in the books as
Josenh Cooch. He had arrived on the
day previous alone; apparently he had In no
friends or belongings in the hotel. Inc
corpse was that of a stalwart, seemingly
athletic man, in the prime of lie, WIN IN y
dark, very dark, handsome face. ine
clothes were of ordinary cut and appear.
ance, but with something that suggested
the seafaring man.
His portmanteau-I see he had
small oneS-his papers, and his things
generally, must be taken care OF, saia.
aSome one will, no doubt, turn up to
claim them.
~Of course, of course" said the man.
ager; tine poI1ce VIII see 70 that. A most
unfortunate affair" he repeated, recur.
ring to his first and chief trouble, 1to
happen now, just at our very busiest time.
1 only trust it will not empty the hotel. :
He was paid percentage on the busi-
ness done, and was thus intimately con-
cerned in the return of the season.
! "No one will much like to remain, be.
gan one of the visitors.
Don't say that, Mr.. Sarsfeld. You
must not desert us at such moment as
this"
Il meant remain on this floor Oul
room is close here, and my wife will be
terribly put out when she hears what has
happened. The screams frightened hel
dreadfully. Both she and her sister are
! inclined to be rather nervous, you know.
Il will change your room at once, Mr.
Sarsfeld, if you wish, " said the manager
eagerly.
Il think, perhaps, it would be just as
we'll not to tell the ladies the whole TRUTH
at 1east, not just as yet" said a new
| speaker, an intimate friend, as l knew, OF
! the Sarsfelds. l had seen him continu.
ally with them.
You are right, Fawcett. quite right,
replied Mr.. Sarsield, gratefully; they
must not know"
! was locking at him as he spoke, and
fancied I saw his face darken and grow
+ somewhat somber. 1t was a face habit
ually grave, almost stern. with rather
I sad, pale eyes, preoccupied and thought
full in expression. His thin lips were
/ drawn down at the ends, and the lines on
his forehead indicated that he must have
+ known anxiety-great trouble, perhaps
in his time. man already past the
middle age, with his hair turning to sill
yer, but still upright in carriage and Of
vigorous frame.
! His friend whom he addressed as Faw-
cett was man still in the prime of life,
I but looking probably much younger than
his real age. He was slightly-built and
had we'll preserved figure, good-1ook-
ing face, with which time had dealt
lightly, and the fair auburn hair that sell
dom turns gray until late in life. With
his smiling lips and elaborately polite
manner, he seemed anxious to please all,
ladies especially, al d with this idea, no
doubt, paid scrupulous attention to his
! personal appearance, from the perfectly
lifting boots to the large points of his
carefully waxed mustachios.
Upon me, must confess, the impress
sion he had made had been far from ia
vorable. I did not like the look in his
eyes, which, indeed, prejudiced me the
more against him, besides they were of
different colors-one hazel brown, the
other violet-blue. I thought their ex-
preston false and the man altogether un-
pleasing. But then was half Jealous of
the fellow. He was far too we'll estab-
lished in he good graces of the young
lady in the blue peignoir whom I have
already mentioned, with the frank con-
fession that 1 admired her, although I
scarcely knew her.
1t was of the young lady, Miss Clara
Bertram, and her sister, Mrs. Sarsfeld,
that they were speaking.
Perhaps 1 ought to go and reassure
them, continued Mr.. Sarsfeld.
Shall go with you? AS far as the
door, I mean. l could escort them down
stairs away from all this. suggested Cap
tain Fawcett.
mo, no; had better go alone. My
wife might suspect something" And
saying this Mr.. Sarsfeld pushed his way
out.
I was near the entrance to No SO my
self, and / saw that as he reached the
passage he was barely in time to prevent
the ladies from joining the rest of us in
the death chamber.
They were at the door. One, Mrs. Sars-
field, dressed for the morning; a fine.
handsome woman, with deep, dark eyes
and grand figure. The other, my
beauty, still In her blue peignoir, but she
had hastily twisted up the rich coils of
her lustrous hair into a great loose knot,
from which hung black lace mantilla
down to her shoulders.
You here, Anna?" he cried, in voice
in which there was more of vexation than
surprise, -and your sister? This is no
place for you,
I'VE came to see for ourselves There
was so much excitement; the screams, the
noise in the passage" began Mrs.
Sarsfeld.
"What has happened?" interrupted her
sister, with almost wild eagerness. Her
magnificent eyes we're still dilated, no
doubt With nervous hvsterical fear. =.
gentleman has been touno ueao IN
his ROOM" said Mr.. Sars6eld, with as
much nonchalance as it was possible to
employ in conveying the painful fact.
"DeadI In which room?1 asked Clara,
nuickly