The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1892-12-28

light OF day.
II cannot answer that question fully
for on my visits here l saw no one save
an old woman servant named Ursula
and his aged man of all work, Peter, who
sleeps in the stable.
"Stay-once I did catch 1eetine
glimpse of lady's silken gown just van.
ishing through one door of the library al
I entered the other, but did not see hel
face"
~ believe the Doctor was bachelor.
"Report said 80, but we don't know
how true it was. The Doctor was one
of q few men in New York who could
keep their own secrets This lady, how
ever, may have been patient, or even a
distant relative"
II hear sounds out in the stable. Peter
is up and at work"
II will 90 out and inform him OF the
sad event that has taken place within
these walls last night"
"Leaving me here?"
"You can stay here, or 60 down to the
library. There is smoke coming from
the kitchen chimney, so the old woman
must be up, too. see they're early
risers here"
He passed out of the door.
was alone with the dead.
This in itself was not very terrible
thing, seeing that I was doctor, and
used to scenes of dissolution.
The consciousness OF the fearful mys-
terry surrounding DR.. Sesbury's taking
off served to make me feel uncomfortable
in the presence of that cold form.
busted myself in looking around,
wondering If I could not find some trace
Of the assassin that lad slipped even the
vjgilant eye Of Mr.. Ketcham.
While engaged in this laudable bit OF
entertainment I heard the sound OF wall
ing from the direction OF the kitchen,
and knew that Mr.. Ketcham had i'm
parted the sad news to old Ursula while
passing through.
went to the window and looked out.
The vines were torn rs he had said,
showing that some one had made use OF
them to enter the room.
A little experiment proved to me that
Mr.. Ketcham was right also In declaring
that the party who had ascended must
have been lighter than either OF US, as
the vines would not have borne up our
weight.
Then the thought struck me that per-
haps / might make some discovery by
going below.
Leaving the room, I made my way
down stairs, and finding the side door
passed out into the garden.
Here thexe were walks and rose bush
es, with many beds of rare flowers, and
hr nnnnQnfQn
with the library.
Evidently the Doctor or some one else
in the house had been passionately fond
of flowers.
/ walked about few minutes, and
then made my way to the foot OF the
vines that clambered up the side OF the
house.
The yielding soil might tell story.
found footprints.
They seemed to be those Of small
man, but of course that was not positive,
for if the assassin were woman she
might have been in disguise.
Ha! what was this? .
I picked up peculiar piece OF steel
that stood up in the earth, having evi-
IDENTIFY fallen from above.
To my unsophisticated eyes 1t was q
puzzle, but had an idea that 1t was
some species of burglars tool.
Undoubtedly Mr.. Ketcham could throw
ume light on this snhiect.
l placed it securely in my pocket ano
continued my investigations.
There was nothing more to find, and
amused myself by following the trail OF
the assassin through the garden to the
lo hol 1a1 M
in coming and going.
saw that it was the lowest point in
the wall, and judged that the assassin
had made previous observations In order
to 80 ably locate this.
Then I returned once more to the
house. =,
The hustle Of New York streets could
be plainly heard upon the morning air.
! managed to find the library, and,
entering, looked around.
1t was singularly pleasant place, and
the great cases of books, instead OF
being arranged in stiff rows, filed inches,
and gave the room the appearance q
Gothic cottage might have beside one OF
the angular buildings of the past.
/ sat down in o chair, and waited fol
the coming of my friend, the detective.
Presently I heard the door open, and
nv cars caught the rustic Of silken
skirts.
remembered what Mr.. Ketcham had
said about one Of his visits, and sprang
to my feet.
AS I turned to face the person who
entered, l felt the blood rushing 10 my
heart, while my hands clutched the top
of the chair in front Of ME, for gazed
upon the countenance OF Leonore, the
dusky beauty upon whom had fallen the
suspicion of this terrible crime.
CHAPTER v.
Leonore stood there looking upon me
with an expression of surprise marking
her beautiful countenance.
] was like one enchanted.
For the life of me, ! could not have
moved just then, even had the fate OF an
empire depended upon it,
The photograph, taken some years be-
fore, scarcely did her justice.
She was as beautiful as an houri, jus,
such a woman as 1 have often seen il
the harems of Constantinople, and ye1
for more intelligent-looking.
was too surprised just then to make
q deliberate note OF her charms. Latel
on they foated before my mind as
dream.
could only realize that her presence
cast subtle spell over me, which at hrs
/ did not even care to resist.
Then like lightning leaping from the
storm clouds came the awful though
that this wonderful girl stood before the
sight of Abner Ketcham criminal-tha'
her dainty hand 1t had been which drove
| the murderous Malay creese home to DR.