Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1894-08-10
A PIECE OF CLOTH.


hands that uaffled me. l wanted to get
on, for | was at that time engaged to
Kitty Peasc, and she had said that
though she was very fond of me she did
mot mean to marry me until l had
enough to marry on, which l should
have as soon as ! had found out the
party who committed a certain murder.
Mrs. Jcfiries, 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
1nanservant who had been dismissed
weeks before; dissipated nephew who
had Quarrelod with her; poddler; a
man who had mended the roof But it
seemed likely that no one would be ac-
finally 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 40
doors were found unlocked, and the
servant had to call for help before the
bedroom door could be broken in
The only clcw l had was a bit of
black cloth clutched tight in the dead
~oman'S hand-a fine bit of old black
brOadcloth torn in quite a singular
shape We hid the fact that this had
been found from the newspaper men,
and ] was looking for the coat it had
been pulled out of. That would be my
chance
The dismissed servant was a waiter,
bnt Z bribed myself into a chance of
seeing his black coat off duty, and it
had not bocn torn or patched. | hunted
mp the nephcNv's boarding house and got
into his room under pretense of having
been sent from the telegraph Office to
see 1he wires but his clothes were all
of thick, coarse cloth. l talked these
things all over to Kitty, and she set her
WIZ 70 work to help me. She asked me
to les her go to the old lady's home and
show her the room she slept in, and she
went out on the roof, as | had done
many time, and went along first in
one direction and then in another, look
ing ut all the scuttle doors, until
but she stopped at the last of the row
and bcckoncd me l hurried up.
Close 10 the scuttle door lay little
black button
This belongs to the garment the bit
of cloth cane from, she said There
are blacks and blacks This is a button
thai matches that black Not a blue
black, nor brownish black, nor a foxy
BLACK but q black that is almost invisi-
BILE green. Do you know No. 1902"
cts a WHY resp ctable first class
boarding house, said |.
CIVIL tlay take LADIES'" she asked.
elf they are well introduced -
"I shall - thcre to loard.
Next duy J got card from hcr-she
hadn't beeu il the halit of having
cards-wirb mat address on it. call
I'd. she game down to see me in her
best black ak, with her bonnet and
mantjlla on.
There WAS an old lady in TIL room.
She introduced me to her and tAcn said
she was ready. | took the hint. We
went out together.
"Of course you know why / came
here She said. "I'm spending all my
salary and wearing my best clothes,
but I've found something out already.
Mrs Jeffrie.' 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. "
She paused "A long time and then said
'IHe was here the night of the muir
der"
"Wellr' said. "Has she let him
out upon the roof"
81 wish you wouldn't ask me any
questions, " said Kitty. Il shall know
before long. When l send for you, come
at onoe. Will you let me have that bit
of cloth?'
''It's more precious than diamonds, 1"
I said.
Her answer was:
Eyes, know it, " She put it into her
pocketbooI II have changed my
room, A" she remarked. 81 am next to
Nor. There is a locked door between us.
That is all. And l have made peep
hole "
"You are born detective, but as
this widow is respectable you can't
tEatch young Jeifries that way"
yesterday, she said without an
tTcring me, "JeffEies called. saw him
coming mp the street and hid behind a
Screen 81 the parlor. | should have pre-
tended 10 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. 4 believe IN suspected,
because l 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 il