Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1896-04-02

Une 1OOr thus. NOW VIII you ODl1ge
me by opening the main door suddenly
Thanks. You perceive the drnught
Of air shuts this one. 1t fastens itself.
I've replaced the locley6tf broke, and
everything is as it was. SO we've dis
posed of your delusion TINT you were
right on the heels of the murderer"
was considerably perplcxed by this
sudden change of theory. 1t was hard
to escape the detectives reasoning in
regard to the time of the commission
Of the crime, yet there were several
points that needed explanation. For
instance, how could the door have been
locked on the inside with my uncle's
keys? I heard them drop out of the
Jock. Who had put them into it2
"It was Mr.. Davis himself" said
Johnson, when I put the question to
him; "he was trying to get out Doubt
less he was feebly crying for help, but
no one heard. Those marks of hands
upon the door were his. The position
shows that they were made by some
one who was supporting himself with
difficulty"
"IIe could not open the door and for
n very good reason. Dnzed and dying,
he had selected the wrong bunch of
keys. ! got the right one out of his
pocket and the key of that door was
on it.
"And that's the great point of this
case. That door was locked--not
with Mr.. Davis key, for otherwise ID
would not have been In his pocket,
There is but one other, and that be-
longs to"
"Stalbridge!" I exclaimed.
Correct, and beyond doubt Stall
bridge is the murderer"
MY instinct told me so, even when
/ believed absolutely that knew him
TO be innocent"
"And now for the reason why de-
ccivcd YOU" continued the detective.
AT first | acted on general principles.
My theory propounded in this room,
was intended to deceive everybody.
Afterwards / acted for the sake of the
effect upon Stalbridge. l did not know
him to be guilty, but l strongly sus-
pected him. l had heard of his stop
ping you and taking you for a walk.
If he had anything to say, why didn't
he bring you up here? Or take you
into one of the rooms of the Union
Lines? 1t was lair to guess that he
wanted to keep you out of the way.
AT last you forced him back to thu,
scene of his crime. What must have
been his surprise and horror at find
ing that his victim still lived! But
soon he saw that il was TO be his own
salvation.
THE closing door, the wound in the
heart-everything seemed to indicate
| that the crime was but just done.
Then he could prove an alibi through,
you.
"Instantly the desire to convict Nor
man seized upon him. He was Nor
mans rival for Miss Davis hand,
and had worked in that cause as well
as for money in getting your uncle into
his power. 1t was in my favor that
he should plot to convict Norman, for:
he was more likely to be led into an
indiscrction. And the surest way TO
keep him at it was to satisfy himself
of his own safety TO make him
over-confident. For that reason /
worked upon you. He would not
have believed me, but he put faith
in what came to him through you.
He knew you to be his bitter enemy,
and nothing could sustain him so much
as your confidence in his innocence.
meanwhile l hnd Norman more on
less under suspicion. l knew that he
had been here, though was not aware
that Stalbridge was present at the
same time. You forced that ont OF
Stalbrdge and also the very valuable
and singular alibi for Norman"
"How about the Itnlian?"
"IIe was saved by my water clock.
He could account for himself up to
the time when he entered this building
and that time was absolutely known.
1t was three minutes before eleven.
The crime was committed five minutes
earlier. Judge, then, of my satisfac,
ton when you remembered seeing An
tonelli. Stalbridge was with You at
that time. lie had just appeared
lie had time TO leave the scene of the
crime, to leave the building by the
side door, to see you approaching, and
to stop you in order that you might not
find the body.
ITO Stalbridge, then, all clews lead
He will be here presently and you
shall see how he faces the accusation.
ais he under arrest?"
mo; but he is Swallowed. He will
be arrested if he does not keep the ap-
pointment which he has with me here
lie is overdue"
johnson glanced Mt his watch and
then stepped to the door: l saw him
start. His face suddenly flushed.
Come here" he cried
a slender young man in rather shah
by dress stepped quickly to the door.
"Where's Stalbridge?" he gasped, ms
he glanced into the room.
"IIe hasn't been here" returned
johnson. "By heavens, Mack, you've
lost him!"
mot on your life. / Swallowed hin
to this room"
"He did not come in. The man has
escape. He got onto you and tool
the alarm"
Mack, the shadow, struck his fore
head with his right hand,
"Is it possible that he got in there p
he said, and then he pointed to the door