The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-08-08

stopped, searched clump OF sweet
briar, went on to an old well. and
stopped there The well has been dry
many a year. and was choked up with
stones and rubbish. Some boards are
laid over it, and big stone or two. to
keep them In place.
Mr.. Dix, glancing across at Phoebe
Dole's back door. went down on his
knees. rolled the stones away. then re-
moved the boards. and peered down the
well. He stretched far over the brink
and reached down. He made many ef-
forts; then he got up and came to me.
and asked me to get for him an umbrel-
la with a crooked handle or something
that he could hook into clothing.
brought my own umbrella. the sill
yer handle of which formed an exact
hook He went back to the well, knelt
again, thrust in the umbrella and drew
up, easily enough. what he had been
| fishing for. Then he came bringing 1t
| to me.
Don't faint" he satd. and took hold
of my arm. l gasped Then saw what
he had-my fathers klue overalls. all
stained and splotched with blood!
Hooked at them. then at him.
Don't faint" he said again. Were
on the right track. This is where the
button came from; see?" He pointed
to one of the straps of the overalls. and
the button was gone. Some white
thread chung to It, Another black metal
button was sewed on roughly with the
| same whole thread that had found on
the button in my box of clues.
What does it mean?" l gasped out.
My brain reeled.
You shall know soon." he said. He
looked at his watch. Then he laid down
the ghastly bundle he carried. ut has
puzzled you to know how the murderer
went in and out, and yet kept the doors
locked. has 1t not?" he said.
Yes"
well, I am going out now. Hook
that door after me-"
He went out, still carrying my UNI
brella. ! hooked the door, Presently I
saw the lid of the cats door lifted and
his hand and arm thrust through He
curved his arm up TOWARD the hook, but
1t came short by If foot. Then he
withdrew his arm, ana thrust in my sill
yer handled umbrella. He reached the
door-hook easily enohgh with that.
Then he hooked 1t again. That was
| not so easy--he had to work a long
time. Finally he accomplished it, un-
hooked the door again. and came in.
THAT was how?" I said
mo. 1t was not" he returned, mo
human being. fresh from such a deed.
could have used such patience as that to
| fasten the door after him. Please hang
your arm down by your side
I obeyed. looked at nv arm then NJ
his own.
Have you tape measure?" he
asked.
' brought one out of my work-basket
lie measured his arm, then mine and
then the distance from the cat-door 10
the hook a..
| nave two tasks for you today and
tomorrow" he said. II shall come here
very little. Find all your fathers old
letters and read them. Find a man or
woman in this town whose arm is six
inches longer than yours. Now I must
go nome, or my boarding mistress will
get curious"
| he went through the house to the
front door, looked all ways to be sure
no eyes were upon him, made three
strides down the yard, and was pacing
soberly up the street with his cyclo-
paedia under his arm.
l made myself cup of coffee; then !
went about obeying the instructions. I
read old letters all the forenoOn;I found
packages In trunks In the garret-there
were quantities In fathers desk. I
have selected several to submit to Mr.,
Dix. One of them treats Of an old
episode In fathers youth, which must
have years since, ceased to interest him.
1t was concealed after his favorite lash
ion-tacked under the bottom of his
desk. 1t was written forty years ago,
by Maria Woods-two years before my
fathers marriage--and 1t was q re-
fusaf of an offer Of his hand. 1t was
written in the stilted fashion Of that
day; 1t might have been copied from a
complete letter writer"
| My father must have loved Maria
Woods as dearly as I love Henry to
keep that letter so carefully all these
years. / thought he cared for my
mother. He seemed as fond Of her as
other men of their wives although I
did use to wonder II Henry and would
ever get to be quite SO much accus-
toned to each other.
Maria Woods must have been as
beautiful as an angel when she was
girl Mother was not pretty-she was
stout, too. and awkward, and I sup
pose people would have called her
] rather slow and dull. But she was a
good woman and tried to do her duty.
Tuesday evening.-This evening was
my first opportunity to obey the sec
ond Of Mr.. Dix's orders. 1t seemed to
me the best way to, compare the aver
ageiength Of arms was to go to prayer
meeting. I could not go about the town
with my tape measure and demand OF
people that they should hold out their
arms. Nobody Knows how I dreaded
to go to that meeting. but went, and !
looked not at my neighbors' cold. al
tered faces, but at their arms.
I discovered what Mr.. Dix wished me
to, but the discovery can avail nothing,
and II is one ne could have made him
self. Phoebe Dole's arm Is fully seven
inches longer than mine. I never no
ticed II before, but she has an almost
abnormally long arm. But why should
Phoebe Dole have unlocked that door?
She made a prayer-a beautiful pray
er. It comforted even me little-she
spoke Of the tenderness Of God In all
the troubles of life. and how 1t never
failed us.
When we were all going out heard
severalpersons speak Of Mr.. Dix and his
Biblical Cyclopaetia. They decided that
he was theological student. book can
vassing to defray the expenses Of his
education.
Maria Woods was not at the meeting.
Several asked Phoebe how she was. and
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