Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1896-09-17
A Strange Death.

detective, settling himself down in his
chair and looking anxiously at the
pretty little ballet girl that stood before
/ him-"Well, of course, if you insist l
am at your service. But, mind you, l
think you are throwing your money
away"
4 (which shows how little you know
Phillip Passeron," said Miss Belle
Bohati, of the Frivolity, stamping her
foot impatiently on the ground; and
nth slightly heightened color.
/ Il admit" said the detective slyly-
! Il admit 1 am not on quite such init
mate terms as you seem to be with the
late Miss Sonde's heir; but, for all that
l know enough about the young gen
! tleman-"
Il don't care what you know-he is
innocent, Miss Borati interrupted al
most rudely. IF you do not care to
prove it l will get someone else to-
! She had risen and was half way to-
! wards the door when the detective
| called her back, looking at her Slim
| graceful figure with undisguisod ad-
miration
My dear Miss Borati," he said, his
! bantering tone turning to one of ex-
IRENE friendliness, you misunderstood
me entirely I only want ID save you
from expense and perhaps disappoint-
ment. I will do anything in my power
to serve you. But what hope is there?''
Every hope cried the young girl
half defiantly. 'There is some terrible
mistake somewhere. He could not
stoop to murder-oh, why have they
imprisoned him."
Mr.. Arthur Darlington, above all
men, hated a scene. Personally, he
/ had little belief either in joy or sor-
row, pleasure or disappointment; every
sign of emotion seemed to his hard
ened heart, meaIy and hypocritlcal. He
was a stole himself, and he thought
! that all men, in their heart of hearts,
were as Indifferent, insensible, i'm
passive as he.
He was glad, therefore, when the
door opened at this moment, and a
messenger brought an imperative sum-
JIOuS IIOu OCOIIduu ydru.
Il shall have to go, madam, I am
afraid he said, rising hastily. I'll
you call round in two days, and at
this time, I will be in a position to let
you know what I have been able to do
in behalf Of Mr.. Passeron."
He took the girls hand, impetuously
held out, and pressed it in his own,
perhaps a trifle longer than was abso-
lutely necessary. 1t certainly was very
pleasant to have such exceedingly pref
ty clients.
Il hope, Miss Borati,' he said, as he
bowed her to the door and called a
hanson by swapping his fingers togeth-
er and raising his eyebrows, Il hope
you will not set your heart too much
on his release. I am afraid-very
much afraid"
The girl turned her head away i'm
miserably, my heart is wrung enough
already cannot bear it cannot
bear it-and it was all my faultr'
Miss Sonde-Miss Anna Maria Sonde
of fabulous wealth and crotchety
mind, was dead.
Upon a morning they found her lying
across her bed, cold and rigid, with a
pistol shot through her head
The idea of suicide was suggested
and promptly rejected as out of the
question.
A woman who shoots herself through
the brain does not get up and hide the
revolver before she dies. There was
no weapon in the room, and death
must have been instantaneous.
And yet the position of the corpse
pointed to suicide, there was no doubt
about that Miss Sonde's body was
doubled back over her legs, and death
must have come to her while kneel-
ing on the pillows, her face turned to-
wards the head Of the bed, which was
against the wall. 1t was remarkable
that while in this attitude she should
have been shot through the fOrhead
and it was still more remarkable that
she should have been in this attitude
at all, seeing that she was dressed and
her bed had not been slept in.
The whole thing was most mysteri-
Gus, and at first no one could even sug-
gest a motive for the crime.
Robbery was vastly improbable,
for roll Of bank-notes lay on the
dressing table, and some loose gold in
a scattered pile on the mantel piece.
| Another curious thing was that the
window was locked on the inside and
! the shutter fastened. The murderer
must have come in through the door.
/ And this mistifed the police yet the
more. Miss Sonde inhabited a suite of
| rooms on the second floor of a board
ing house not one hundred yards from
! Earle's Court Station.
The door Of Madame Locks estab-
/ lishment was always kept latched. and
without key it was impossible to get
] in without the knowledge of Phoebe.
! the parlor maid
| And the Iift-man confirmed the
! frightened girls fearful statement that
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