The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1894-02-17

/ was actually the cause of his wife'l
death. instead of disease which no man
could cure; and that persuasion of his,
crazy though it was. had an effect on
| my own imagination. And now he is
dead on her account les enough to
make man curse his profession. God
knows. did my best for her.
You're run down and morbid, doc.
tor said !. Go home and get good
sleep. and think no more about it He'd
have killed himself just the same,
whether you had ever seen the case OF
not He was of the suicidal tempera-
ment-I always thought So
Did you, indeed? said he; and it
seemed to relieve him For all that,
he said, science is an awful response
bility. A great deal of medicine is no
more than guess work. We can never
be quite sure that we haven't made a
fatal mistake. If I thought you would
take my advice. would tell you to give
| 1t up, and break stones on the road for
q living, If you could do nothing else
''But meanwhile had been doing a
good deal of thinking. and some invest
| igating, without saying anything to
anybody. BY degrees was led to GER
tam conclusions; and at last l thought
could not do better than go and con-
suit Bacarac about them, even at the
risk of renewing his morbid state Of
mind. So turned mp at his Office one
evening, and he received me as If he
was glad to see me. I wish You would
come oftener,' he said.
Before long the talk got round to
the Talbots. I have made some queer
discoveries about that, doctor. said l.
Discoveries? How's that?' SAID he.
looking round at me.
"'Why, doubt If Talbot killed him.
self, after ALL
He Strengthened up in his chair as
If an electric spark had been run
through him. He looked at me as If
he'd look through me. That's q seri-
Gus thing to say he said at last
"T know it, and that's why I've come
to ask your advice before going fur
ther. For if anything is to be done
about this thing, doctor, we ought to
do it together
HE had seemed agitated at first, but
now he became quiet as q stone.
Well, what is it you think you have
got hold Off said he, leaning back in
his chair and crossing his feet on the
hearth rug IT'S i'll work digging up
the past
Its ill work digging up corpses of
any kind, doctor. OF course, it's done
in our profession every day, but
it's risky work. Whether the motive is
good or bad from our point of view. the
outsiders don't like it.
But poor Talbot's motive was GER
tainly excusable, though
II interrupted him: Another idea
of mine is.s I said, that it was not Tai
bot who disinterred her.
"'Reallyl You have q complete new
theory. thenT said he, with smile.
81 don't say it's complete, doctor;
but If you and 1 put our heads together
we may make 1t So I'll just explain
where ! am. and then wen see. For
one thing, she was buried in white |
dress. with lace edging round the |
throat; you remember thatY
II can't say do; but what of itT
"'What we found in Talbot's sitting
room was her naked body. with only |
some black cambria round it He had /
had the white dress put on her for the
why should he have taken it |
,ff after digging her up? And, after
saking it of, why should he wrap her
n coarse, black cambria? What was
,is object in bringing her home at all?
)ne can understand his killing himself
N her grave. or even digging her mp
md dying on her corpse; but he must
lave got vehicle to take her home
With, with the risk of exposing himself,
md with no compromising advantage.
Then, having got her home. why didn't
le put her on the bed, or on sofa, at
east instead OF on the floor? She
vas tossed down any way, as if she
we're bundle of carpet
"'All these things. my dear SIR said
sacarac, are strange enough from
ne point of view, but easily ex-
licable on another. There Is no doubt
a my mind that Talbot was actually
Insane; and what an insane man may
may not do is past conjecturing.'
"'That explanation occurred to me,
octor; but it won't cover some of the
Their facts. For instance, though the
treet door was locked, the key was
OF on the inside; and it has never
cen found at all. Why should ,
. have taken it out after lock-
lg the door, and why should he /
ave been at the pains to hide it? ALI
ian SO insane as he would never have |
hought OF that Then, again, he ,
lust have brought the body
lther in a wagon or in q wheel {
arrow; If the first, what be- /,
anne OF the team after he got the body | /
ONE, for he had none of his own; and !
wheelbarrow, what became of s
lat? Besides, he could never have /
heeled that body, in its white dress,
trough the streets of the town, in I'll 81
heelbarrow. Surprising him to have /
rat wrapped it in the black caInbric. {
~