Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1897-11-03
From Clue to Climax.
By VIII n. H.RBts.
toopyrigh, 1900. by } B Lipripcoa Col
CHAPTER ".

went downstairs. He knew the room
where WILDLY had slept the precious
night. but he found the door closed and
locked
Hearing the voices of the undertake.
and his men in Strong's room. he en-
tered IL. The men looked up from the
coffin at him. and Hodson. the under
'aker. bowed and said good morning as
Warrenton approached and looked AT
the dead mans face
I've never seen anything like that
smile. colonel" said Hodson, .and I've
been in this busines. over 30 years. II
was all | could do to get my mex 20 60
To work when they first saw him. We
tried TO close his eyes: but the lids are
as stiff rs whalcboue.''
The colonel shuddered at the coarse
ness of the mans words.
How do you explain the sm,ic?" he
asked.
Il can't explain II y: all" answered
the undertaken. II don't think Such a
thing ever happened before"
Warrenton bent over the coffin for
moment. ut seems TO me 10 be "A
genuine smile, unrniNed with any sen
sation of pain. or ever surprise
''TIc was laughing. colonel. II ever a
man laughed in his life. J amt par
ticularly superstitious. once un-
screwed "a box and let man out that
had passed for dead SO hours. I was
alone with IL at midnight. W. ,or, bet
that gave me II shock; but, frankly. I'd
hate TO spend Il night with this one
WILDLY slept in that room. didn't
he?" asked the lawyer. glnucing indif-
fcrently towards the portiere.
yes. sir. but the indications are that
the deed was done very quietly. Per
haps Mr. WILDLY was drugged."
Hodson turned to give some orders
10 his men. The colonel went into
Whidby's room and let the curtain fan
behind him. The room had no. been
put 10 rights. \ chair stood between
the porticre and the bed It's back was
towards him. w arrenton listened
Hodson was still talking TO his men. and
the colonel could hear them using .heir
tack-hammers. Quickly and steOlthily
he stepped TO the chair and turned its
back TO the light from the window. Tie
found what he feared was thcre-a faint
smear of blood just where Wildly had
caught the chair with his right hand
Enough TO draw the halter around
his neck" thought the lawyer. II hope
81 escapcd that detectives eye" lie had
just replaced the chair. when the por-
there was drawn bacl, and JIodson
looked in.
~ beg pardon. colonel. but Capt.
Welsh allcd me to allow no one TO come
in here. | thought you went into the
hall
Il was just wondering how WILDLY
could have slept so soundly unless he
was druggcd." said the colonel. 81
would not have come i'm if had thought
il was forbidden. WILDLY and I are so
intimate. you know, / feel as If / were
at home here"
''Oh, no harm DONE said the under
taker, az he held the curtain aside for
Warrenton TO pass out.
The colonel went into the hall and
turned into the parlor. Here he looked
about aimlessiy for a moment. and then.
seeing an open door which led to the
servants rooms in the rear, he passed
out
In little room adjoining the Kitchen
lac found Matthews
II want to see YOU. Matthews" said
the colonel. 81 want 10 ask YOU some
questions. Mr.. WILDLY is so excited
and upset that I don't wish to disturb
him. and yet / must get some light on
this subject
II don't know much about il. SIR"
replied the gardener. rive told all
know TO the jury"
The colonel sat down o. viudow-sil
and lighted cigar
You can trust me. YOU know. Mat
thews. ! am an old friend OF the fam
iIy.'
'Oh, know that, sir, we'll enough"
"Gou have been in Mr.. Strong's serv-
ice "A long time. Matthews, and YOU may
row remember some things that you
did not think of when YOU were tcsti-
tying. For instance. have YOU any rec
election of ever having seen anything
which might tend TO show that Mr..
Strong had an enemy"
Matthews stared at the lawyer for
a moment in silence and then sat down
on "a chair and folded his hands nervous
~ over his knees.
II can't say have colonel" 1c said:
land yet-wcIl. YOU know. my master
was a very eNcitabie. suspicious sort OF
man"
II never knew that
well. hc was. SIR. He used TO have
spells Of it, sir spells ! call en-. lie
1idnt seem able to sleep well at times.
lie has once in awhile had me sleep OF
the floor at The foot of his bed"
"Ah. Is that So
Not often. sir, but perhaps twice a
year. or thercabouts."
DO you recall anything hat might
have caused him uncasiness at those
fimes?"
well. / did have 90 sort Of idea that
hc might a. brought home some money
aud was afraid o. bcin' robbed Of it,"
Can YOU remember ever having seen
anyone about just before or after those
SPELLS
Matthews WAS silent, deep ina bought
for a moment. then he said:
Yes. / do remember sOmethiu' rather
odd. sir. II was when Mr.. WILDLY was
at tho seashore IN the summer, and mas
Ter was maxim me sleep in his room
every night while he was gone One
e.yeufuf ruaetcr told mo lac was look in