The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1894-08-29
A PIECE OF CLOTH.

when / was on the detective 1Orce--
by the way, my name Is Jack Hindson,
at your service-I had a case on my
hands that bafaed me. I wanted to get
on, for was at that time engaged t.
Kitty Pease, and she had said that
though she was very fond Of me she did
not mean to marry me until l had
enough to marry on, which 1 should
have as soon as I had found out the
party who committed certain murder.
Mrs. Jeffries, rich, miserly sort Of
old lady, had been found dead in her
bed, murdered by some one. No one
knew who 1t was. "...
Everybody was under suspicion-a
manservant who had been dismissed
weeks before; dissipated nephew, who
had quarreled with her; peddler;
man who had mended the roof. But it
seemed likely that no one would be ac-
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 bit OIL
black cloth clutched tight in the dead
woman's s hand-a fine bit Of old black
broadcloth torn in quite singular
shape. We hid the fact that this hat
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 waiter,
but / bribed myself into chance Of
seeing his black coat off duty, and II
had not been torn or 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 IN,
to let her go to tho old lady's home and
show her the room she slept in, and she
went out on the roof, as l had done
many time, and went along first il
one direction and then in another, look
ing at all the souttle doors, until
thought she would go off into the street,
but she stopped at the last of the row
and beckoned me. hurried up.
Close to the scuttle door lay littl,
black button.
"This belongs to the garment the bit
of cloth cams FROM" she said. "There
are blacks and blacks. This is buttor
that matches that black. Not blut
black, nor brownish black, nor foxy
black, but black that is almost invisi.
BILE green. Do You know No. 1902"
ITS very respectable first cla
boarding house, said l.
"Will they take ladies?" she asked
"If they are we'll introduced. "
81 shall go there to board. "
/ Next day got card from her-sL
hadn't been in the habit of having
cards-with that address OH it. call.
ed. She came down to see mo 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 tho hint We
went out together.
"Of course you know why cam
here" she said. 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, VIII,
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 mur.
der. ;"
"Wellr" l said. HAS she let him
out upon the rooff'
81 wish you wouldn't ask mo any
questions, said Kitty. II shall know
before long When send for you, come
at once. Will you let me have that Bit
of oloth?"
ITS more precious than diamonds, u
! said.