Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1897-09-23

"Now you are going rather fast, are
you not?" asked Burrows sarcastically.
II will give you reasons for all my
deductions. The summer house faces
the west, and the northwest wind last
night drifted considerable snow in
through the doors; enough, at any rate,
to show me that this woman sat quito
still in corner all the time while she
was inside, for the mark Of her foot
shows it. Had she moved about more the
snow would have been mCce trampled.
I even think she sat on one foot, as
many women do, for there Is but one
imprint near tho bench where she must
have sat, and that is exaggerated out Of
all shape, as though in her impaticnce
at the slow flight of time she had nerv.
ously kicked this one foot about and
into the drifted snow"
''How much you make out of little
things" said Burrows admiringly.
"She came probably to hear what
passed between the man and woman in
the next compartment. Certainly she
sat as close to the partition as possible.
She staid until after they had gone.
This she would naturally have done to
avoid detection, but I have stronger
proof in the fact that near the gate
find an imprint from the foot of the
man, and across it is one of the wom-
an. The latter is palmer than the first
and was consequently made last. By
palmer I mean that the outline of tho.
10 trap n
footprint, which it obliterates where
the two cross There is another thing
worth noting Observe that this woman
went almost in straight line from the
gate into the summer house. In depart
ing she came out in straight line to-
ward the house and then turned and
went to the gate. just where this turn
occurred she stopped for moment"
"Why, you seem to discern a great
deal. How do you deduce that?"
every easily and almost certainly. If
one walks or runs, the footprints wust
be single and about cquidistant, Az .h8
point where l say that sAr toULnG ]
find two imprints nearly 81 Il ~ .-lo,
So she stopped, but VAT:'
"Can ycu also tel ;'.-t,''
II think that | Cnu!l mlEn 70 vagy
shrewd guess. Bat we w.Y tag. naI
for the present and TAX 40 tho n-Et set.
No. 3, mans He cviJyl.. Ass. ~
appointment, for be, too, cr.'"-ai -y fho
small cato and went direct, 20 rj,
summer house, He returned a- H ANS.
which Strengthens the theory hat als
sole object in coming was to meel .a,na
one at this place. That it was nCt ~
meet the woman whose movements J.
have followed is shown by the fact that
his steps pass the compartment NJ, and
GO to the other, N. There is another
point Of great interest-he was attacked
by dog"
"What? You don't mean to say that
the footprints tell you that"
"As clearly as though they spoke. 1
cannot trace the dogs movements, for
his marks are all over the lawn, tut al
one point Oh my diagram you will OBJ
serve that No. S's feet show a great
many imprints in one place. Here lie
was stopped by the dog, whose foot
marks are numerous at the point indl-
Gated. Their exaggerated shape, too,
shows clearly that the dog jumped upon
the man, and that in falling back upon
his launches the mark of his whole leg
was made. Again, from this point to-.
ward the gate l note that the stride OF
the man increased. This means that he
ran away. You followed the other two
What did you discover"
81 gave you my drawings, aud you
have them shown quite accurately. NO.
2, made by a woman, commences, az you
know, at the steps of the dining room
piazza and leads to the summer house.
From there | traced it over TO the river,
where found a boat landing. Ilglce
she returned to the steps agnln No. |,
a mans, commences at tAo clyrr Nank
about 200 feet south of the lanolu9 and
leads directly to the steps. IAeuce 1t
follows around the house ana out
through the main gate. Outside, un-
fortunately, our party this morning
made SO many footprints that l could
not follow No. /.
"Did you cross the river, Tom?"
NO, Uut tutIG - u potu llSie, ohN
meant to suggest that we go over to-
eether I think we will find evidence OH
the other side that my lady crossed last
night. Why else should she have gone
to the boat?'' g.
Certainly; we will go at once, but
first have something more to commu'
nicate. Your theory was that the shot
was fired from without and by wom-
an, and you inclined to the belief thas
you knew the identity of that woman,,
What, then, do you think of this?" He
handed Burrows beautiful silver
mounted revolver, in the chambers OF
which were four loaded cartridges and
one empty cartridge. The weapon had
apparently been recently fired. Burrows
looked at it moment i'll amazement
and then asked:
"Where did you find this?''
"Outside of the summer house, lying
in the snow, just where l claim that
the woman stopped Now you see what
Imeant when said could guess why
she did SO. But you have not seen all
vet. There is name on it, Read. "
Burrows examined the butt more at
tentively, and there saw piece OF plate
let into the stock, and neatly engraved
thereon the name, "Alice Marvel. y
mir. Barnes, what do you make OF
thatPn