The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1893-03-01
BY ALEXANDER ROBINSON. NJ. D.
CHAPTER xxrl.-fContinued).

adroitly at first, so as not to alarm him.
Colonel, you left that house without
making O. haul-was it on account OF the
old mans death?"
THAT was it, Joslyn."
1.-THE papers say he committed sui
eide"
"But the coroner's jury viewed the
corpse, and their verdict was the same. "
'Fools" he muttered.
I was gradually getting deeper and
deeper into the stream, but l 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.
s'Come, Colonel, you excite my curios-
ity. If the old Doctor did not commit
suicide, what was the manner OF his
deathp"
My pointed question must have startled
him little. He looked at me keenly o
moment, as though debating point In
his befogged mind.
NY curiosity was natural enough, how
ever, and he did not seem to suspect.
81 tell You, Joslyn, that man never
committed suicide. he was murdered "
1.-THE deuce you say, Colonel!"
"It's the truth. know it."
~Come, come, you didn't have hand
In such thing, Coloncl?"
he shuddcred all over.
"Of course not, Joslyn. ] amt in thnt
line, YOU know, though sometimes man
will be driven by circumstances into
committing . crime his soul naturally
revolts from"
sYet you say the Doctor was murder
ed3"
~Yes."
.Did You, then, see the crime commit
ted?" -. g.:
y did not"
swell, Colonel, you bewilder me. II
ysu didn't kill the old Doctor yourself,
and even failed to see him killed, how
the deuce do you know be was murder
ed?"
That wss o shot straight home.
II he answered it my end was achieved,
and / could finish my work.
Here fortune took whirl. Colonel
Cain became reserved. I saw his lips
close firmly, and my hopes took fall,
for knew in my mind what that meant
II don't care to talk any further on
that subject, Joslyn."
SWhy not? You have interested me.
sOblige mo by letting it drop. 1t has a
very painful memory connected with 1t
that l wish to Danish"
I rather thought SO myself; at the
{ onfv Int
this to the Colonel.
aSee here, you don't realize what you
are doing, Colonel. You say you were in
that house the night DR.. Seabury died
that you know he was murdered, and
that there are painful recollections con-
nected with tho case which prevent you
from speaking further. Now, all this
leads me to believe, as it would any one
else, that you had hand in that affair. !"
Hc turned on me savagcly.
Il tell you, man. bad nothing to do
with Tiny hands have not the blood OF
this old Doctor upon them"
@You swear this, Colonel?"
II do"
1Then why do you object to telling
me what you saw on that night?"
aWhy the deuce do you want to
kpow?"
sMy curiosity has been aroused, as ]
said before"
II believe there is another reason"
Name it.
aJoslyn, yon are more than you pre-.
tend. I have suspected it once or twice,
but your actions allaycd my fears. Now
know by your perSistency in pursuing
hnf
Joslyn, an amateur burglar"
There was no denying it that the mai
had struck near home.
did not care now. The matter hac
gone so far that it was Of little import
snce whether he learned my identity o.
not.
III could but get the truth out Of him
I would cast him aside like an old glove
or q squeezed lemon, such was my eager
ness TO push forward
Colonel. what do You mean? Speaf
cut"
"You arc detective"
"Well?"
aAnd you have been hunting out tn
truth of this mans death"
Colonel, 1 admit all you say"
SWho are you, then?"
"Iave you heard OF Ahuer Ketcham?
Hc wiped his forehead with his hand
but at the sarnc time laughed barshly.
81 reckon havo. It's been sly gam
you set for nue., Ketcham. suppose thos
there police officers IN tho house / wen
to crack, and the chase over the roofs
was part of tho affair, to make u
friands2"
81 assure you hsd nothing to do will
them, except as you SOW. / was lying il
wait in that house, watching for you II
come, when l meant to make your &C
quaintance and warn pou that men were
ready to nab you there, when, bless m.
soul, if the three policemen didn't enter
From their low conversation gath
cred that the man had betrayed you. Th'
rest is already known"
sit hurts me to know I've been hood
winked in this way. What good Is 1t go
ing to do you, Mr.. Ketcham?"
81 shall carry out my plan."
"What Is that?"
"To learn what you know"
He laughed in sneering way.
~You forget certain old adage. On,