The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-08-11

swore a great oath and called God to
witness. Speak TO that fellow again,
II you dare, while / live"' said he.
did not say word; just looked up
at him as I sat there. Father turned
pale. and shrank back, and put his hand
To his throat, where Rufus had clutched
him. There were some finger-U-.l spa
him. There We're some purple finger
prints there.
Il suppose you would have been glad
IL he'd killed me- father cried out.
II saved your life" said i.
What did you do with that pIstoI?"
he asked.
II put il back I'm the desk drawer"
I got up and went around and sat on
the west doorstep, which ia the front one
As sat there the bell rang for the Tues
day evening meeting. and Phoebe Dole
and Maria Woods, two old maiden la
dies. dressmakers, our next door neigh
hors, went past on their way to meeting
Phoebe stopped and asked if Rufus and
his wife had gone. Maria went around
the house. Very soon they went in. and
several other people passed. When they
had all gone 1t was still as death.
| sat alone long time, until I could
see by the shadows that the full moon
had risen. Then / went UP 10 my room
and went to bed.
lay awake a long time crying. 1t
seemed to me that all hope of marriage
between Henry and me was over. / could
not expect him TO wait for me. thought
of that other girl; I could see her Pretty
face wherever j looked. But at last
cried myself to sleep.
At about O'Clock ! woke and got up.
Father always wanted his breakfast at
6 o'clock. and / had to prepare il now
When father and j were alone he d.
ways built the ire i'm the kitchen stove
But that morning did not hear him stir
ring as usual. and fancied that he must
be SO out of temper with me that he would
not build the fire.
l went 20 my closet for dark blue call
leo dress which 7 wore to do housework
In. II had hung there during all the
school term. As / took IL off the hook
my attention was caught by something
strange about the dress / had worn the
night before. This dress was made of
thin summer silk IL was green in color
sprinkled over with white rings. 1t had
been my best dress for two summers;
but now / was wearing IL on hot after
moons at home. for il was the coolest
dress | have. The night before. too. I
had thought Of the possibility OF Henry's
driving over from Dighy and passing the
house. lie had done this sometimes dur
ing the last summer vacation. and ] wish
cd 10 look my best If he did.
As took down the calico dress 7 saw
what seemed to he a stain on the green
silk. I threw on the calico hastily and
then took tho green silk and carried II
over 10 the window. IL was covered with
spots horrible great splashes ard
streaks down the front. The right sleeve.
too. was stained. and all the stains were
Wet.
What have | got on my dress?' said L
II looked like blood. Then smellcd OF
H. and e was sickening i'm my nostrils.
hut WAS not sure what the smell of
blood was like. l thought l must have
Eot the stains by some accident the night
before.
III that is blood on my dress" said.
II must do something to get IL of at
once. or the dress will be ruined"
II came TO my mind that I had been
told that blood stains had been removed
from cloth by an application OF -four
paste on the wrong side / took my green
silk and ran down the back stairs, which
lead. having a door az the foot, directly
into tho kitchen
There was no fire in tho kitchen stove
as I had thought. Everything was very
solitary and stiii. except for tho ticking
OF The clock on the shelf when crossed
tho Kitchen 10 the PANTRY. however the
cat moved 20 be let in from the shed
She had little door Of her own by which
she could enter or leave the shed az will
an aperture Just large enough for her
Maltese body 20 PASS at ease beside the
SNEN door. II ENN a niue AfG. TOO. hung
uron leather hinge. on my way I let
81 the cat: then 7 went 10 the pantry and
get n howl Of -four This I mixed with
water into a stif paste aud applied 90 the
under surface OF the stains on my dress
then hung the dress Up 10 dry IN The
dark end 81 closet leading out 81 the
kitchen. which contained some old clothes
OF fathers
Then made up the FIRE IN The ljtchen
stove 7 made coffee. baked biscuits and
poa ched some eggs fer breakfast
Then I opened the door IN the sitting
room and called. Father. breakfast is
ready" Suddenly I started. There vas
n red stain on the inside ~ The sitting
room door. Ally heart began TO beat IN
nv ears
Father I called out. father
There was no answer
Father I aERia called as loud as I
could scream Why don't you speakr
What - the natter"
TIE door Of the bedroom stood onen-
I had feeling that I saw a red reflection
in yhere. I gathered myself together ard
went across the sitting roona 10 fathers
bedroom door ffis iit5le looking glass
hlsHg over hts bureau directly opposite
his bod. which was reflected ia IL
That Was the FIRST thing I saw when I
reached the deer. 7 could So father in
THE booking glass and tho bea Father
wss dad tax.s. Is had oeca murdered in
the GsSAs.