The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1893-01-11

"Dr. SeaDuTy lS uedu!
He seemed stunned for minute.
"This is terrible. When did he die?"
sAbout two o'clock this morning."
at must have been very sudden"
Terribly So"
."Of what did he die?"
@The coroner's jury has agreed that he
came to his death by his own hand"
"Suicide?" a -:
Eyes" ...-
"The poor fellow must have lost his
mind. He was the last one in the world
to do such thing" ...
THAT may be so, Major. ! am doc
tor who was called to his bedside in the
hope of doing something, but the poison
was deadly and there was no hope.
wish to ask you what you know OF the
Doctor" .....
eve have been friends for, let me see,
possibly dozen years"
HWas there any mystery connected
with his past life?"
II have hoard such limited, but could
not say positively"
sDo you know his ward?"
3Leonore? Yes, I have met her. She
is charming girl"
thanked him mentally for that.
"What Is her laat name, Major?"
"Seabury, Of course"
sThen she was 81 adopted child?"
II always understood she was the
child of his cousin, by the same name.
sDid you know her mother or father?"
u did not" '-.- ..... ....
aDo you know anything about her?"
aNothing, except that, while Seabury
loved her fondly, have seen him look
over his shoulder at mention OF the name
Leonore, as though some sudden fear
had come upon him."
My heart went down to zero.
One more question.
aMajor, II I affirmed it. as fact would
you believe it, that Leonore has been
subject to occasional spells Of insanity,
during which, like most mad persons,
she sought to injure the one she loved
the best, and that it was this which
haunted DR.. Seabury day and night"
II would believe it possible" he re-,
piled, in the calmest Of tones.
I had no more to say in this regard.
@Major, if you go to the house to see
the body of your old friend, please do not
say word Of having met me, or what ]
have talked about" .i.'
~ promise you, Doctor"
Shaking hands with the soldier. lett
the hotel. -.-'.
My first attempt, instead Of bringing
CLEAN Of light, had added to the dark
ness.
II this kept on, would soon be COM
PEELED to grope my way.
All my energies were now to be devot-
ed to finding the party who had climbed
the vines on that night ..-#
had but one clew to his identity.
A portion Of his forefnger' was miss
Ing. T.. ..--....
Where should look for him?
The tool he had dropped seemed to in
dicate that he was q burglar, and could
be found in dens frequented by such.
!. Being possessed OF an adventurous
turn, had seen much OF the great city.
Still, I would have hesitated about en-
gaging in any such undertaking, had the
cause been on ordinary one.
All that influenced me was my deter
, mination to leave no stone unturned in
the endeavor to save Leonore from the
storm clouds gathering around her.
A feyerish desire to do something was
upon me.
Obeying my first impulse, sought
again the strange house of DR.. Seabury.
Standing beside the wall at the point
where the party had climbed the wall in
leaving the grounds, looked about me.
Possibly there was some clew here
which had escaped my first hasty search.
! examined the ground.
People had passed to and fro, and all
traces of the footprints left by the man
tracked had long since disappeared.
Here and there little knot of women
were to be seen talking together in low
tones, and casting mysterious glances at
the old house seen over the wall and
among the trees.
Already news of the suicide had gono
abroad.
a policeman stood at the gate
Another walked the grounds, already
nearly dry from the warm sun.
As clambered over the wall he came
toward me, motioning angrily with his
club, but I paid no attention to him.
When he came up I had merely 20
mention that I was working with Ma
Ketcham on this case, and he instantly
collapsed.
He had great respect for that name.
I found that the rain Of the early
morning had almost washed out the foot
prints left by the man.
1t was not to examine these I had
come back.
Was there nothing else?
Again climbed up as the man had
done, through the brambles that had
grown in the breach OF the half fallen
wall.
, One of the obtrusive twigs caught in
my pocket, and actually dislodged my
handkerchief.
| bent down to pick it up.
| All! there was one Of my letters also
that had been. deftly snatched out OF a
pocket by this self-same inquisitive
bramble bush.
| The deuce!
started as if shot, for, as picked the
envelope up, it felt cold and damp.
1t had come from my pocket, but had
lain there through the rain.
Quick as thought, turned 1t over to
look upon the address, This was Whaa
what greeted my eyes:
THEODORE PARKER,
"New York City,"
That was all.
Stay, there was the postmark up IN
the right-hand corner. That might be
very important clew to me.
could make it out distinctly.
~New York, June 6, p. m."
When l had read this, l could not help
smiling.
This very day was June 7th, and the
letter held had been mailed in the city
during the preceding afternoon.