Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1894-08-17
A PIECE OF CLOTH.

BY the way, my name is Jack Hindson,
at your service-I had case Oh my
hands that baffled me. I wanted to get
on, for I was at that time engaged TO
Kitty Pease, ard she had said that
though she 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 I had found out the
party who committed a certain murder
Mrs. Jeffries, rich, misery sort Of
old lady, had been found dead i'll her
bed, murdered by some one. No one
knew who it was.
Everybody was under SUSPICION
manservant who had been dismissed
weeks before; a dissipated nephew, who
had quarreled with her; peddler;
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
1tlu UCCA BULL w 81 away o6@AAA3 eSiANh AAo
doors were found unlocked, and the
servant had to call for help before the
bedroom door could be broken in.
The only clew I had was bit Of
black cloth clutched tight in the dead
Woman's hand-a fine bit of old blacl
broadcloth 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 waiter,
but I bribed myself into chance OF
seeing his black coat off duty, and it
had not been torn or patched. I hunted
up the nephew's boarding house and goi
into his room under pretense Of having
been sent from the telegraph office te
see the wires, but his clothes were all
of thick, coarse cloth. [ talked these
things all over to Kitty, and she set hel
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 don,
many time, and went along first il
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. I 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 a buttor
that matches that black. Not blut
black, nor a brownish black, nor foxy
black, but black that is almost invisi.
BILE green. Do you know No. 100?''
"It's a very respectable first clas
boarding house, % said I.
''Will they take ladies?" she asked.
eff they are well introduced. %
ST 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. I call:
ed. She came down to see me in hei
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 1 cams
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 a young widow, wht
has the upper front room. He has been
engaged to her for some time. -
She paused long time and then said:
''He was here the night of the muir.
der"
"Wellv' I said. elias she let him
out upon the roof"
'I,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 cloth?'
"It's more precious than diamonds, u
I said.
Her answer was:
"Yes, know it. " She put it into hel
pocketbook. IT have changed my
room,'' she remarked. 81 am next tc
her. There is locked door between us.
That is all. And I have made peep
hole"
"You are a 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 a
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 al
innocent man.
So The poor old woman has done me
another injury by getting herself MUIR
dered, he said. 'Ibelieve L IN suspected,
because I shall profit by her death
Why, what do they take me for? Iwon.
der who killed her? They say nothing
was gone
Whoever it was, you ought to be
thankful that the grabbed creature il
dead, she said. Some common burglar,
of course. She'd scream and shrek if
she saw one at her jewel case and get
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 a will and left things away
from me, as she might, after I told her
I'd never cringe to her for her favor
Hang it, wish wasn't her heir, PEG,
pie will suspect me secretly perhaps. ]
can prove ! wasn't inside the house
that night, but you know how the pa.
pers talked. Poor IStzner, the roofer,
came to me and cried over what thes
said about him. Kill Aunt Jessy! Why,
good Lord!'-
"'You used to call her Aunt Jeze
bel, said the widow. Mrs. Null is he,
name.
Yes I'm sorry did, but she had
temper, said Mr.. Jefries. I've a
mind not to take the money,
50 Then shan't take you, said Mrs,
Null. Such an idiot! I should be
ashamed of you.
"See here!" Kitty handed me an adj
dress on a piece of paper. 1t was Mrs.
Preston Null, at a certain number
Chestnut street. Tt is her mother-in
law. Can you send our Mrs Mull-Eli
"a Mull-a telegram saying. Come a
800 10 4l,;c o1Gt,acsp' she asked