The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-06-20

ment of keys in his lock one morning
when wished to leave a note for
him. On reflection 1t seemed best to
hide my discovery from him, so ! left
the note close to the door as II 1t had
been pushed under As matter Of
fact, there was not space enough, and
that was the reason why 1 had tried
the keys.
was sitting in my room one evening
when fancied that heard Dane with
out. ! turned my light low. and eau
tiously opened the door. Looking down
the corridor. l saw shadowy figure
C use to the wall. Its back was toward
me. as If the man had been leaving the
| corridor and had paused. He turned
sudde My and ran stealthily toward
me. AS he came quite close / saw that
1t was Dane. He saw me, too. at the
same moment; and, with quick but
noiseless movement. he pushed open
my deer and darted in. heard step
in the hall. Evidently Dane had had
the rare fortune to meet one of the
dodgers in that wing of Chrysalis.
l closed the door. Dane had sunk
into a chair.
"A close call, thatw he whispered; !;
ana he passed his hand over his moist
forehead.
rse was a bundle on the floor be-
side him. / pointed to it. He shook
his head.
wait a few minutes" he said, "and
I'll take it away. It's nothing of any
consequence"
it was in my heart to plead for his
a 7 1nI
course. / spoke of general topics. We
talked for some minutes with a con-
straint so obvious that 1t would have
been absurd. but for the evident dead
ly mystery behind 1T all. Suddenly he
broke off in the middle of sentence,
took up the bundle from the floor and
left my ROOM after moments eau
tious scrutiny Of the corridor.
heard him open his own door. lit
tie later he came out. l was listening
for that l spied upon him; he had left
the bundle in his room.
/ waited ten minutes but he did not
return. Then I used my key upon his
lock. while my heart accused me OF
mean and despicable act.
He had hidden the bundle, and l was
put to much trouble to find it. At last
| hit upon the secret There was a
great stove in his room, but the spring
day had been too warm for fire.
Opening the door of the stove 1 saw
what appeared to be mass of fuel
ready for lighting. Two or three sticks
of kindling protruded from the coal 1t
deceived me the first time, but after
further search tried again. And un-
der the coal. where the kndling should
have been. found the bundle.
l opened it upon his table. 1t con-
tained only anovercoat of inferior cloth
and poor workmanship. Certainly 1t
had never belonged to Dane. There
were indications that a much older
man had worn it, and that it had seen
hard service.
So much l noted with a glance. And
then l saw something that struck a
blow upon my heart. The lining of the
garment was stained with great streaks
and blotches of blood.
There was not drop upon the out
side Of 1t; nor was there any cut or bull
let hole through it, My hasty thought
was that 1t had been used to cover the
body of some one who had died by
violence-doubtless by murder.
| dared not look long at it for fear
that Dane would return. l wrapped it
in the paper in which l had found 1t,
and returned it to the hiding place
which Dane had prepared. I was
tempted to put lighter fuel under it and
apply the match, but l dared not.
Fire. they say, will not burn such
things. Some prying fellow, in the
name of the law, will always find a
button in the ashes and build galows
Of it.
TTa 1a Cnptiprad