The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1893-09-15
dows were open IN that day." she asked.

dows were open on that day?" she asked.
Eyes, miss; Mr.. Stanton always used
to ave lis winders open"
"Well, just open them as they would
be If he were here"
The woman did as she was bid. Edith
then placed a piece of paper ON the table
where Gilbert said he had laid the con-
f~ession, the door leading into the bed
room and the entrance door having first
been opened. Therewas a considerable
draft, and the paper trembled on the Ia
BILE.
Perhaps there was more air on that
day." said Edith. 81 will substitute a
lighter piece of paper"
This she did and almost Immediately
it was caught by a current, and it floated
across the room. AS it fell on the floor
they were both startled to see a little
kitten spring from the open doorway
and pounce upon the paper, rolling over
and over with it in her teeth.
"That explains it allw exclaimed Edith,
catching up the little animal in her
arms. "Oh, Kitty! Oh, Kitty? How
little you know the terrible mischief you
have done!"
Her eyes were full Of tears, and she
was pale and trembling with apprehen-
sion. The kitten must have carried off
the confession in this way to play with,
and its recovery was hopeless.
"Lor, MISS" suddenly broke in Mrs.
Morton, 'now l remember! When the
gent shot ITSELF, ! was working in the
'ouse opposite, and came back to see
what was the matter. That little kitten
belongs to the party in the next set, and
when l come up to the landing she was
APPLYING just like hat with a bit O. pa
per, whichshe runs away with and leaves
on the stairs"
eyes," said Edith, in breathless eager
ness.
"Well, paper about the stairs looks SO
untidy, miss, SO l picked it up and"-
What did you do with it,"
II threw it in the pail with the other
rubbish"
For the second time the contents of the
pail were emptied by the laundress and
carefully examined. 1t was absolutely
certain that the paper was not there.
care you positive that you put the pa
per in the pail?' asked Edith.
"Fd take my 'davy on it, miss. And
it was just such a scrap of writing as
you say"
Edith sent the laundress home. shut
herself in the solitary chambers and be-
gan the hunt afresh.
1t was late in the evening when she
ceased her fruitless search.
Next morning she returned to her
hopeless task. Mrs. Morton she had re-
lieved from further attendance, and was
walking up and down the chambers in
thought when there came a knock at the
door. 1t was the laundress herself.
81 know where that bit O paper is,
miss! Remembers that, when the police
was here that morning, I steps into the
bedroom to hear what they has to say
One of EN- says to me, impudentlike,
Well, what do you want, old lady?' and
I says I wanted the bedroom candle
stick"
eyes," interrupted Edith, ''but where
is the paperr"
Pm just coming to that, miss. stays
a bit in the kitchen-just to see if 1 might
be any use, you understands-and while
I was waiting, I puts a new candle in
the candlestick. Them mines is rather
small for the candlestick, So I takes a bit
O paper out O. the pail to make it fit.
Come into the bedroom, miss-why, it's
gonel"
"Good heavens!" cried Edith. "Do
you mean to say that the paper round
that candle was the missing document
That's my belief, miss. Where is it
gomez"
II was here late last night, and l
burned the candle very low-and the
paper took firel"
"And you burned it, miss!"
"Only slightly, I remember. I blew
it out, threw the paper away, and put in
a new candle that I removed from the
piano. What did I do with the paper?
Oh, I remember, I threw it under the
CRATE. You'll find it there. Thank
heaven, we have found it at last! Gill
bert is saved!"
"There is nothing here, miss" said the
woman on her knees. "The CRATE is
quite emptyr'
It was true, and the shock was a ter
rible one to Edith. She tainted in the
old laundress' arms. Mrs. Morton, how
ever, o o restored her to consciousness.
"You can take my word for it," she
said, ''that papers bewitched."
81 don't care whether it is bewitched
OF not" said Edith. Il mean to find it.
Fetch me that magnifying glass from
the table in the next ROOM"
Edith removed the fender and care
fully examined the dust that Mrs. Nor
toms not overscrupulous cleanliness had
allowed to accumulate.
81 thought as much" she said. "Mice!
They have been attracted by the candle
grease and have dragged the paper to
their hole. Every moment now is valu-
able, or it will be all destroyed"
They searched round about everywhere.
but no mouse hole could be found. Edith
then directed the woman to mix a quanti-
ty of whiting which she nlaced in a 1arpa