The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1894-08-15
A PIECE OF CLOTH.

w the way, my name IL JdCk I1lnuSOn,
at your service--I had a case on my
hands that bafded me. wanted to get
on, for I was at that time engaged to
Kitty Pease, and she had said that
though che was very fond of me she did
not mean to marry me until I had
enough to marry on, which I should
have as soon as 1 had found out the
party who committed certain murder.
Mrs. Jeffries, a rich, misery sort OF
old lady, had been found dead in her
bed, murdered by some one. No one
knew who it was.
Everybody was under suspicion-a
manservant who had been dismissed
weeks before; q dissipated nephew, who
had quarreled with her; peddler; a
man who had mended the roof. But it
seemed likely that no one would be &C
tually proved guilty. To be sure, the
nephew would come in for her property,
being her only relative, but though he
had been to the door that evening he
had been seen to go away again, and no
doors were found unlocked, and the
servant had to call for help before the
bedroom door could be broken in.
The only clew l had was a bit of
black cloth clutched tight in the dead
woman's hand-a fine bit of old black
broa,lcloth torn in quite singular
shape We hid the fact that this had
been found from the newspaper men,
and I was looking for the coat it had
been pulled out of. That would be my
chance,
The dismissed servant was a waiter,
but bribed myself into chance of
seeing his black coat off duty, and it
had not been torn OF patched. l hunted
up the nephew's boarding house and got
into his room under pretense of having
been sent from the telegraph Office to
see the wires. but his clothes were all
of thick, coarse cloth. talked these
things all over to Kitty, and she set her
wits to work to help me. She asked me
to let her go to the old lady's home and
show her the room she slept in, and she
went out on the roof, as I had done
many time, and went along first in
one direction and then in another, look
ing at all the scuttle doors, until /
thought she would go off into the street,
but she stopped at the last of the row
and beckoned me. l hurried up.
Close to the scuttle door lay little
black button.
''This belongs to the garment the bit
Of cloth came FROM" she said. 'There
are blacks and blacks This is button
that matches that black. Not blue
black, nor brownish black, nor foxy
black, but black that is almost invisi-
BILE green. Do you know No 1902"
''It's very respectable first class
boarding house, said I.
"Will they take ladies?' she asked.
eff they are well introduced. "
81 shall go there to board"
Next day got card from her-she
hadn't been in the habit Of having
cards-with that address on it. call
ed. She came down to see me in her
best black silk, with her bonnet and
mantilla on.
There was an old lady in the room.
She introduced me to her and then said
she was ready took the hint. We
went out together.
"Of course you know why I came
here" she said. "I'm spending all my
salary and wearing my best clothes,
but I've found something out already.
Mrs. Jeffries' nephew calls here some
times. He calls on young widow, who
has the upper front room. He has been
engaged to her for some time.
L., o,,l - Il.
''He was here the night of the MUIR
der"
'sWell!" I said. "Has she let him
out upon the roof"
81 wish you wouldn't ask me any
questions, said Kitty. 81 shall know
before long. When I send for you, come
at once. Will you let me have that bit
of oloth?"
''It's more precious than diamonds. "
I said.
Her answer was:
"Yes, know it,. She put it into her
pocketbook. st have changed my
room," she remarked. 81 am next to
her. There is O locked door between us.
That is all. And ! have made peep
hole"
you are born detective, but as
this widow is respectable you can't
watch young Jeffries that way"
Yesterday" she said without an
swering me, "Jeffries called. Isaw him
coming up the street and hid behind
screen in the parlor. 1 should have pre-
tended to be asleep in chair there had
/ been seen, but no one found me out
She came to him, and he talked like an
innocent man.
The poor old woman has done me
another injury by getting herself muir
dered, he said. I believe I'm suspected,
because I shall profit by her DEATH
Why, what do they take me for? won
der who killed her? They say nothing
was gone.
Whoever it was, you ought to be
thankful that the grabbed creature is
dead, she said. Some common burglar,
Of course. She'd scream and shrek if
she,saw one ut her jewel case and ge
herself killed.
We'll, poor old woman, I'd have
been his death if had been near, JEFF
fries said. She wasn't half bad She
never made will and left things away
fro& me, as she might, after told her
I'd never cringe to her for her favor.
Hang it, wish wasn't her heir! Peo-