Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1894-04-27

was drawn from ner Dy ucSlcto "iu
through the medium Of skillful Gue@-
tions. 50 that the cd woman suspects
nothing.
oLast night she saw Miss Lconore,
holding a candle, and clad in her blue
dressing-gown, enter the old lumhcr-room
that lies next to his chamber, and remain
there FOR st least ten minutes, wnen Hhe
once more appeared and went stralght 10
her own rOom.'
His words staggered me. Still ] was
not convinced. "Shc might have gone I'D !
to kiss him good night. He was evidently
q father to her.
Mr.. Ketcham smiled
"Ursula is ready TO swear that u was
few minutes after two O'Clock TINS morn
inc when this occurred. She bad hearo
clock strike the hour, and was just scI'
fling TO sleep again when she saw Ilc
light in the hall below, and passing OUT
looked down to see Leonore.
aDid she see her face, Mr.. Ketcham?'
aYes She described it as set and
strong. the eyes dull and stHlng-such
face. in fact Doctor as one might eA-
pect to see upon person VINO mas ooio
some awful deed"
oBut. Mr.. Ketcham, how can you eX,
nlain the fact that DR.. Seabury would
have heon a fool to have kept his deadly
enemy in the house with him all tncSe
years. D.o,.
81 do not attempt to explain 1t, DOCTOR
All the same, ! have Il theory, whlch
must be proven false before l leave thiS
trail and take up another"
81 am deeply interested, sir. Have
Won anv objection to telling me about
it?"
"Doctor. relving on your discretion
will tell YOU the theory that has come 10
me. r
%This young girl appears. lncapaole 0.
doing such a thing. but do not torgeC
that anDoaranccs are deccitful. Men oil
NV profession dare not put much taith
in them. We would be humbugged out
of our boots by the fair Delilahs, just as
was Samson in days OF old.
"Tbere is no apparent motive. Hence
| will manufacture one and TIT ~ 10 inc
case.
9You remember the words on the cack
Of the nhotograph-'L LeOnOre-the cause
of NV slccpcss nights and watchtul
days
9Straugc that he should write that OF
one who was under his rooi' ana; 10 an
outward appearances, as dear 10 MN o.
ever daughter could be-
81 fancy / have guessed the cause ono
is subject TO fits of insanity; IL ourIS
deep in her liquid eyes.
"During these states OF lunacy' Orlel
though they may be, it becomes her one
desire to take the life OF her benclactor.
You. a physician. need not be told tnat
insane persons arc generally more rabld
against those who love them than stran-
gcrS." eoJ
"Truc. true" | murmured, fascinated
bv the clever construction he was putting
upon the mystery.
"Sunposing this to tc the case, then,
we have the whole mystery solved Inc
old Doctor felt that some day bis love toi
her would cost him his life, and yet ne
would not tear loose the tendris OF love
that had twincd about his heart by sep
arating himself from her.
"Wbo she is or where he got hcr W.
do not know: that is the secret OF th'
: dead.
aHe prepared for the worst. and whel
in the early watch of the morning n
saw her before him he realized that III
hour had at last come. and swalloWe'
-, tho noison to save her from cOmmlttln
f., q crime. ~.
n, had TO confess it looked plausible.
: At the same time I did not believe tn
n old detective had much faith in 1t.
"Mr. Ketcham. you present yer
strong case. but if | can read you arlgh
O Won have not much faith in IT"
a 81 shall stick to it, Doctor, until 1t ha
d been proven false.
you forget one thing, sir"
d eWhat is that?"
eTell me what object could this gl
J. have had in entering that room by I"
n different means. You remember we al
Il positive the assassin climbed the vlnC
q and crawled through the open window
"Ab, Doctor. under the circumstance
70 I would say that the assassin had playe
\. clever trick, and had climbed thi
trellis of vines to ward of suspicion "
,- know that Leonorc did not do that, cul
ming though insane people may be- fc
IT. have been in the garden, Doctor"
\. "How do you know that?" ,,
D. "In three ways. ] saw you from u
stable. Then | found your tracks, an
W last of all. can discover traces OF II
"a loam of the garden on your shoes.
is There was no use trying to deceive tn
- ~on oven in fun. Nothing seemed
escape his eagle eve.
10 81 confess the soft impeachment' 81
was in the garden"
"You Investigated the ground al u
base of the vincs?"
ut II did"
IN "And found foot prints there?"
OF eyes"
"Now, in your judgment, Doctor, W
Ir. it a man or woman who made those
at I hesitated before replying.
eIf man, then he must have been
y. small stature, for they were not mu
larger than a boys feet"
of "Then you grant it as within the ran
th of possibility that they were caused by
woman?"
le- at is possible, and even probable"
"Having been there on the ground
DC fore me, want to ask, Doctor, whetf
YOU made any discovery"
irt started, having completely forgot'
'es the little instrument had picked up
This / now drew out of my pocket a
'or placed in his hand
Mr.. Ketcham seemed to attach INT
ST. Importance to it than ! had deemed p
ad sible. He examined it all over, ca
fully. &C.
'er aDoctor, where did you pick this u
ne he finally asked. -.
a "Among the roots of the vines. ltN
!, | nartly imbedded in the scft SOIL,
Gave evidence of having fallen flom Sc
leT boiUbt -