St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1895-08-09
Copyright, 1895, by Irving BachelerJ
CHAPTER N.-THE EVIDENCE
POI MIS- no ONE

CHAPTER N.-THE EVIDENCE
POINTS TO ONE.
Monday night The detective came az
| | expected ! was up us soon Us it was
! light and he came across the dcwy fields
with his encyclopaedia under his arm. lie
had stolen out of Phoebe Dole's back
door.
He had me bring my fathers pistol;
then he babe me come with him out into
the backyard. "Now, fire it," he said,
thrusting the pistol into my hands AS
! have sad before, the charge was still
in the barrel.
81 shall arouse the neighborhood, l
said.
"I'rc it, he ordered,
! tricd | pulled the trigger as hard az
/ could.
81 can't do it," said
"And you are reasonably strong
woman, too, aren't youE"
said | had been considered so. Oh.
much have heard about the strength of
my poor woman's arms, and their ability
to strike that murdcrouS weapon home.
Mr. Dix took the pistol himself. and
drew Il little at the trigger 81 could do
it," he said, "but | won't 1t would
arouse the ncighborhood"
'Ihis is more evidence against me-" |
said dcsparngly ''I'he murderer had
tried to fire the pistol and failed
ut is more evidence against the muir
derer, said Mr.. Dix
We went into the house, where he eX-
amined my box of clues long and care
fully, Looking at the ring, he asked
uhnt lnr thnpn ;,, IL, Il
lage, and | said there was not. told
him that my father oftcner went on bust
ness to Acton ten miles away, than else
where
lie examined very carefully the button
which had found in the closet, and then
asked to see my fathers wardrobe That
was soon done. Beside the suit in which
father was laid away, there was one
other complete one in the closet in his
room. Beside that, there were in this
closet two overcoats, an old black frock
coat, pair of pepper-gnd-salt trousers,
and two black vests Mr.. Dix examined
all the buttons; not one was missing.
There was still another old suit in the
closet off the kitchen. This was exam
ined, and no button found wanting.
"What did your father do for work the
day before he died?" he asked then.
reflected and said that he had unpacked
some stores which had come down FROM
Vermont, and done some work out in the
garden.
What did he wearW
i think he wore the pepperand salt
trousers and the black vest He wore no
coat while at work"
Mr.. Dix went quickly back to fathers
room and his closet, following. He took
out the gray trousers and the black vest
and examined them closely.
what did he wear to protect theseY
he asked.
"Why he wore overalls!" | said at
once. As | spoke | remembered seeing
father go around the path to the ward
with those blue overalls drawn M high
under his arms.
"Where are they?"
weren't they in the kitchen closetY
NO"
We looked again, however, in the kitch-
en- closet; we searched the shed thorough
ly. The cat came in through her little
door, as we stood there, and brushed
around our feet Mr.. Dix stopped and
door, beside which her little entrance was
arranged unlocked it, and stepped out
| was following him, but he motioned me
back.
"None of my boarding mistress win
dows command us" he said, but she
might come to her back door"
watched him. He passed slowly along
the little winding footpath which skirted
the rear of our house and extended faint
ly through the grassy field to the rear of
Phoebe Dole's. lie stopped searched
clump of sweetbrar, went on to an old
well, and stopped there. The well has
been dry many II year, and was choked
up with stones and rubbish. Some boards
are laid over it, and n big stone or two
to keep them in place
Mr. Dix, glancing across ut Phoebe
Dolc's back door, went down on his
knees, rolled the stones away, then re-
moved the boards, and pecred down the
well. He stretched far over the brink
and reached down. He made many cf
forts; then he got mp and same to me.
and asked me to get for him an umbrel-
Ia with crooked handle or something
that he could hook into clothing.
brought my own umbrella, the silver
handle of which formed an exact hook.
He went back to the well, knelt again,
thrust in the umbrella and drew up. cas-
lily enough, what he had been fishing for.
Then he came bringing it to me-.
Don't faint" he said, and took hold
Of my arm, gaspcd when saw what