The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1893-02-01

positive, as he was not the man to do
anything haphazard)?
Did he want to keep me away from
the warm trail, because l might bother
him?
II that trail led to Leonore I was glad
to be kept away, for could not have a
willing hand in dragging her before the
curious public as a criminal.
On the other hand, did Abner ketcham
believe there was a slight possibility OF
the truth being other than 1t now seemed,
and that he wished me to be working
this up while he was busy elsewhere?
This might be so.
I hoped it was the truth.
Well, had seen Theodore, and learned
all there was to discover about him. yet
Mr.. Ketcham did not seem to believe him
in any way the guilty party.
All! q thought flashed across my brain.
Theodore was Leonore's husband,
banished from his fathers home. What
if, after all, he proved to be the man
who had entered the house by the pantry
window--could it be possible that he
would seek her room and secure the
knife, afterward wiping it upon one OF
her dainty handkerchiefs, and secreting
the same in her room, where search
would reveal it?
For what should he do this-to cast
suspicion upon her?
Perish the thought. I had seen enough
Of the man to believe him incapable OF
this.
Why, he had even declared that he
would suffer any torture rather than tell
what he had seen when he looked in at
the window.
This might be cunning trick, but I
could not bring myself to believe it.
I turned to Mr.. Ketcham again.
"Since you wish it, sir, will continue
my investigations outside, leaving this
inside mystery to you. 1t Is more con-
genial to You than it would ever be
to me-"
He smiled peculiarly, but made nc
comment on my words.
sSee here, Doctor, when you examined
this blade before, you missed something.
That little speck up near the haft Is
dried blood. have examined 1t through
q microscope"
sThen it seems settled that DR.. Sea-
bury was killed by this blade?"
II shall have that settled In a few
hours. I am to bring to celebrated
chemist this blood-stained handkerchief
and that portion Of the old Doctors
where you found the little
round, red mark, just over the wound.
"The chemist will be able to tell me
whether the blood Of the same person
marks both.
aYou know science is making great
strides, and they say that minute ex-
animation shows that it is about as i'm
possible to find a strict resemblance in
the blood Of two persons as it is in their
faces. The presence of bacteria, or some
such minute animalcule, determines the
question"
II understand that, sir. You can
readily ascertain your point In my
opinion it will prove that the blood is the
same. What I want to know is: did
Leonore do this deed, or was 1t done by
some one else who entered the house
like q burglar, and to hide his crime took
this knife, replacing 1T again, and even
using q handkerchief belonging to the
girl to wipe of, the few drops Of blood
remaining on the blade"
"Doctor, you have the case in nut
shell. That is exactly how it stands
now."
aWell, sir. what do you wish me to
do2"
-sNothing against your will"
"Mr. Ketcham, you must not under.
stand the case in that way. am eager
to work in any direction save one"
@And that I have not asked you to
work upon, Doctor"
u know Il"
There is one thing which as yet has
not been followed up"
"The burglar?"
eyes; the man who entered at the pam
try window, Who was he-what did he
come for-what did he do and see, and
why did he leave without stealing q
thing, when the whole house was spread
open before?
"These are pertinent questions which
may have decided bearing on the case.
I ask you to take them up, feeling sure
that If you carry the idea out as you did
the other trail leading to Theodore, 1t
will only be question OF short time
before the truth in that quarter Is
known"
His words were uttered in calm,
earnest tone, and he took my hand as II
to assure as that he did not mean to
flatter.
That settled it with me. I would do
much .or Mr.. Ketcham. He was a map
to win ones earnest admiration and de-
votion.
1 was ANXIOUS to get of.
aHold on minute, Doctor" he said,
as l was about bidding him
good day, @perhaps can help you little
In this matter"
jumped at this offer.
"You will oblige me very much, sir, by
doing such thing" replied.
"Sit down again. Now, I have exam.
ined the work at the pantry window, and
I should say it was done by an expert.
"Perhaps you may not know that these
irst-class cracksmen have each pe-
culiar way Of running things, but 1t Is
fact.
"More than once I have been able to
tell at glance whose hand had done
certain job just from the manner In
which the fellow had gone to work to
overcome certain difficulties in his way.
aMy first thought, then, was to look
for some such private mark that would
betray tho fellows identity.
Certain things gave me what was
to believe was clue, and felt
almost ready to swear that the man who
had entered the pantry window was no
other than an expert cracksman known
to the fraternity under the name OF