Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-08-22

going 10 Dcu ana put out the lgnt at once, but the rest of the night was pass ed in walleful state. Truly I had a bad attack of detective fever.
 For the next few days I kept very quiet, as I was unwilling to rouse the suspicious of Felix. At length my aunts, who entertained no suspicion of my de- signs, informed me that he had gone to London with Mrs. and Miss Bellin. The coast now being clear, yentured out and began to work out my carefully laid plans
 In tn. first place, went to Bob Fun dy to hire horse It was my intention to ride out to the Fen inn and thorough ly examine the rooms, as I fancied Fe- lix might have hidden the corpse in the house. From Fundy gained . piece of unexpected information.
 "want to ride to the Fen inn, sir," said he, scratching his head. Why, whatever's come over that old ruin9 Every one seems to be going there
 "what do you mean, Fundy?''
 First Mir. Briarficld and now you, Y" said Fundy. "Blest if I can understand it, though, to be sure, he rode there at night, and you go ill the daytime
 Did Mir Briarfield go to the Fen inn at night:'' l asked, seeing was on the eve of learning something impor- tant. I had not forgotten Merrick's s theory.
 That he did, sir. He rode there two nights over a week ago"
 "Curious," said l, with assumed care lessnesS. Ut is not an attractive place I dare say he only rode little way out of the town"
 No sir" said Fundy decisively. "He went to the Fen inn. He told me so himself, as I noticed his horse was done up. Look here," added Fundy, opening his daybook. See, on the 10th of June he had horse and on the 1lth. Both at night and did not return till midnight"
 I mounted my horse and rode away, thinking deeply. If Felix had gone to the Fen inn on the 10th, then felt sure that he had actually murdered his brother. Hitherto believed that Strent was the guilty party, but now, thanks to the evidence of Fundy, saw that Felix had committed the crime He had also ridden to the inn on the Ilth in order to conceal the body. Merrick' s theory was thus proved to be correct. Link by link l was putting the chain together. 1 had proved that Francis had not arrived in England till the 9th of June and so made certain of the identity of Felix. had discovered that Felix was at the inn on the fatal night, and also that he had concealed the body. Now I wished to discover how the mur- der was committed.
 The Fen inn was quite deserted and as evil looking as ever. In spite of my searching, I discovered no signs of the dead body of my friend. The clothes, which had seen folded on the chair be- side the bed, were also gone, and there was not the slightest thing left to excite suspicion.
 He must have hidden the body ill the marshes" thought after n vain search. "Ill see if he has left n trail. '' Struck by the feasibility of this idea, I went out at the front door and exam incd the ground. It was moist and mud | dy owing to the inccssant porcolatior of marshy water. The path leading from MarshminStcr was marked confusedly with horses hoofs, SO it was quite use less to look for trail in that direction. | Looking from tho door of the inn, tho path trcnded to the right, but on tho left, where there was no path. noticed hoof marks; also that the lush grass wa troddcn down.
 Hero is the trail" said l, mounting | my horse. ''Hc took the body to tn, left
 Following tho trail carefully. and i was plainly disccrnible owing to tn, dampncss of the ground, I rode straigh