Evening star., 1895-07-27


then fell back. He did not cry out but
only uttered faint sound like sigh, but
rather Of contentment than pain"
Who was it that screamed?"
did you hear any one?"
Yes; was just passing the door,
Il think you must have heard the boy.
He was frightened, of course"
NO; 1t was some one else. Was it you?'
Perhaps 1 did. You see, ran to bis
side and lifted his hand It fell back life
less Then I think 1 cried out in terror. But
l had forgotten. This terrible affair has
nearly driven me out Of my senses For in
and by what right you question me-"
am detective, at present in charge
of the case" replied Preble Now about
that letter 1t isn't stamped, I perceive"
That's strange: I saw the stamp in his
hand. 1 remember that he took it out of a
letter on his desk"
You were watching him?'
Il was waiting until he finished with his
letter l had something to say to him.
And this was the letter which he took
the stamp from?' said Preble taking one
from the desk.
1t was addressed in a feminine hand, to
Holman Brand.
Yes" responded Harold.
DO you know its contents?'
Perhaps we would better read it."
why? What bearing can it have on the
case?"
Il will show you. If my theory is cor
rect Tes ssdr It plays considerable part in this
He put his arm about the neck of the
dead, and, with his hands, very gently
forced the jaws to open.
'Lookp' he cried.
We all pressed forward and we saw,
upon the tip of the dead mans tongue one
OF the large postage stamps Of the Colum-
bian pattern.
"Poisoned!' exclaimed the coroner. THAT
should make the case clear. The writer of
letter
He took the letter from the envelope
and read 1t aloud, as follows:
Holman Brand: Why do you not answer
my letters? I have written three and you
have not noticed them. We are destitute
l care nothing for myself but my mother
whom your brother married in aff1uence
and has left in beggary-is dying for want
of proper nourishment and the medicines
which her illness demands. Whatever You
may have believed at the time of that mar
riage, surely you will not let her die in this
way, when SO small a part of your vast
wealth would save her."
At this point the coroner paused
The remainder of the letter was evil
IDENTIFY added at later period" said he.
at this point changes. 1t is hurried and
nervous.
81 will force you at least to answer
this" he continued reading CT inclose
stamp for a reply. Can you believe me
that this stamp costs me more than I can
afford? Do you know what such poverty as
that means? You dare not, for shame's
sake, refuse to answer me. though it be to
you.' 1t is signed Margaret Brand"
Can it be possible the coroner contin-
ued, that so good a man as 1 know your
uncle to have been allowed his brother
widow and her child to suffer like this?"
II know nothing about it," said Harold.
"He never mentioned them to me-
THAT letter." said Preble. pointing to the
one which the broker had written, twill
nS n hat ninf
would suggest that you open 1t.
II hesitate to do that" responded the
young man. '1t Is addressed to her. Yet
in such a case 1t is necessary, 1 suppose"
He tore open the envelope, and read as
my poor child: Before you receive this
you will have had such help as money can
give. Your letter, four days delayed, came
to me this morning. 1 instantly telegraph
ed to Mr.. Edward Morton of Cornwall, one
OF the best of my friends. You will have
seen him before you get this. and will have
found out for yourself that 1 could have
sent no better man to you. He has doubt
less explained-so far as any one can ex-
plain 1.-THE mystery of this wretched af-
fair. I have never received your letters.
I did not know where you were. My last
information was that you and your mother
were in England, and comfortably provided
for. have tried to find you, but vainly. If
! could have done so. you both would have
had home with me. 1 am childless and
alone. and you would have been a thousand
times welcome. So far from cherishing the
old resentment, l have long repented of
my behavior in regard to my brothers
marriage. If there is to be forgiveness, it
must come from your mother, not from
me.
THE money which you think I grip so
tightly will be yours and hers some day.
For years, while I have prosecuted my
fruitless search for you, my will has named
you for the bulk of my fortune But all
these matters may be left until We meet,
Va, I1,, I.
you myself. There are excellent reasons,
which you shall soon know My friend will
bring you to me-you and your mother-as
socn as she can be moved. I walt with i'm
patience to hear when that will be. 1t Is
not that 1 will make home for you but
that you will make my desolate house a
home for me, by your presence. Till then,
goodbye. My love to both of you.''
This Is most extraordinary" said the
coroner. "Can 1t be that this unhappy girl
had learned about the will, and had sent
poison to the man who would have done so
much for her? What do you find there,
doctor?"
This last question was addressed to DR..
Bell. who during the reading of the letter
had not been idle. Assisted by Preble he
had removed the stamp from the mouth of
the murdered man, and had placed it upon
a sheet of paper. Then he had made sec
ond and much more careful examination of
the body.
There is but one point so far" he re-
piled to the coroner's question. 1.-The stamp
exhales faint perfume-a most unusual
odor, extremely agreeable. 1t can be no.
ticed also about the lips of the dead man"
"Gelothania," exclaimed the detective
1T is poison discovered-and named-by
a German chemist, who seems to have
known moro chemistry than Greek He
meant the name to signify The Joy of
1eath.'"
CHAPTER II.
A Natural Inference,
You are undoubtedly correct" said Dr.
Bell. II have susnected IL from the fret , |