The Opelousas courier., 1896-10-24

WIS HdihiIS Oh IL at the tliilt, AuN
when l received the blow | was right
in front of the gate. You exanli1e thai
grass AMI see if there are any signs oil
a fall IN the grass, OR if any one has
been dragged along it, for I feel sure
that I was carried from that spot into
the house,
81 will so and examine it," said.
much struck by his intelligence, ''aad
now, goodby for the present, and
don't get d~ownheartea."
"Goodby, sir; God bless you," lie
cried, aud then I left him and wendell
my way toward the house.
On the way | met tie Inspector, who
inquired if had learned anything.
YES" l replied; "a good deal. 7
think / a also prove the arrested
mans innocence.
He looked rather disappointed, but
did not ask for any particulars. [ be-
lleve he thought [ was mad. | reached
the front Of the house and carefully
searched the grass. Soon l found a
place where it looked disarranged,
and, getting out my lens, / carefully
examined it. Yes, there was the mark
of the fallen man; a. little further
back was the mark of another man,
who had evidently stood there some
time. But search as l would there
were 10 signs of any one being
dragged along. But, stay, / suddenly
aIighted On 9 deep footprint, then an
other, and another right up to the
gate, then across the garden, till they
ended close by the forced window,
Suddenly an idea struck me the foot
prints seemed very deep. l made one
or two beside them, mine were not
nearly SO deep. What did this point
to? The maker of them had been
heavily laden. There could be no
doubt of it, the villain had taken off
his own shoes and put or those of the
arrested man; then he had carried
him across the garden and thrown
him through the window unconscious,
pouring o glass Of the drugged wine
dosn his tlfoat, then he had robbed
the dead nan and departed. But
there were . few queries unanswered:
First-How did he know this wine
was drugged?
Second-How was it there were no
signs of his departure?
Third-How could he carry the
valuabies away, for I had been in
formed they were very heavy? In my
own mind | had proved one mans in.
nocence but a harder task lay before
me to prove another's guilt.
Search as I might, I could find no
more traces, and the matter became
more puzzling. The burglar seemed
either to have flown away, or to be
still in the house. This feeling was
augmented later on, when I went to
the nearest station and inquired if
any strangers had been about. To my
surprise they positively affirmed that
l was the only stranger that had come
or gone for the last few days. The
next station was some ten miles off; it
was not likely they would have carried
their spoil that Distance When I
my lodging aud thought the
over, there was only n pos.
sible conclusion. The murderer mus,
be still in III, village, and same of the
stolen properR must be stlll hidden
IN the house fairgrounds, and in the
evening I Determined to watch ,ae
house, for there Iovas convinced lay
The key of the mysteeitJy.. ID
About 10 o'clock I cautiously crept
into the garden and scaled q tree
which stood in q direct line with the
I'D mans bedroom. I have been in a
strange positions, but never in
such a one as that, before or since.
For there l sat perched in that tree
or two mortal hours in the most un-
comfortable Of positions, and nothing
occurred.
Presently I saw the light in one of
he bottom rooms go out, and soon
sfter the old man himself came up to
bed. First he very carefully drew his
window curtains together, which shut
ne out from all view. But I meant to
Zee somehow, and noticing that the
ends were left uncovered, I cautiously
from my perch, and after
off my boots, began to climb
Up the creeper which covered the
louse, and was as thick as a mans
wrist in some places. My heart beat
'iolently as [ neared his window; the
TEN Of the creeper was getting thin
Ter, and one false step might ruin all,
tut l reached it at last, and, by bend
ng under the window, had a fine
lew. The first thing that surprised
ne was that he had not begun to un-
|ress; but a greater was in store, for
fter walking across the room and
the door, be touched o board
n the wall-which was of paneled oak
and it sprang open, revealing o
mall, secret chamber. It might have
cen Aladdin's Gave, for it glittered
nd shone, wen in that pale light. 1t
obtained the stolen property
What happened during the next few
linutes l cannot tell, my brain was
30 dazed to observe. All ] could
aink Of was, the old mar had the
;olen property. When next 1 Hooked,
e was packing the things into parcels,
raped in rags and old paper, so that
ley lookedlike rubbish. As / watched
i'm l observed that he no longer pain
lily hobbled about, but rather flew !
YER the floor in his joy. Soon they +;
ere all wrapped up, and the secret
anel was slid noiselessly into it's :
lace. [ watched with great interest .
II the next development, but I am ).
ound to admit that 1t almost stag ,
sred me. The old man fumbled =
oout his beard for sometime, when it .
lddenlv fell off. revealing the face of .