The Irish standard., 1897-05-15
He sank on the sofa. covered ~
With his hands, and groaned aloat sH
CHAPTER ~. !.

S0Alles COlOnels 6dlu I1OuSO0S 0AA0 ANH
been in this business over 20 years. u
was all could do to get my men to %
to work when they first raw him. We
tried to close his eyes; but the lids ara
as stiff az whalebone."
The colonel shuddered at the coaEase.
"aow do you explain the smi1eP" II
asked.
Il can't explain it at all" answered
the undertakes. IT don't think such q
thing ever happened before" 81
Warrenton bent over the coffin ton
a moment. vt seems to me to be q
genuine smile. unmixed with any sens
sation of pain, or even surprise" +.
HE was laughing, colonel, If ever q
man laughed in his life. I Amt par
ticularly superstitious. I once UNI
screwed q box and let man out that
had passed for dead SO hours. I was
alone with it at midnight. You can bet
that gave me shock: but, frankly, I'd
hate to spend a night with this one"
WILDLY slept in that room, didn't
he?" asked the lawyer, glancing indif1
ferenuy towards the portiere.
Eyes. 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 fall
behind him. The room had not been
put to rights. A chair stood between
the portiere and the bed. It's back was
towards him. w arrenton listened.
Hodson was still talking to bis men, and
the colonel could hear them using their
tack-hammers. Quickly and stealthily
he stepped to the chair and turned its
back to the light from the window. He
found what he feared was there-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. "Ihope
It escaped that detectives eye" He had
Just replaced the chair, when the poF-
there was drawn back and Hodson
looked in.
II beg pardon. colonel. but Capt.
Welsh aked me to allow no one to come
in here. thought you went into the
hail.
II was just wondering how WILDLY
could have slept so so,ndly unless he
was drugged." said the colonel. IT
would mot have come in if I had thought
it was forbidden. WILDLY and are 80
intimate. you know, ! feel as If were
at home here" :,
'Oh, no harm DONE" said the under,
taker. as 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 aimlessly for 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.
he found Matthews.
II want to see you, Matthew'S" said
the colonel. II WANT to ask you some
questions. Mr.. WILDLY is so excited
and upset that don't wisl, to disturb
him, and yet i must gtt some light on :
this subject"
II don't know much about ft. SIR"
replied the gardener. ave told all
know to the jury"
and lighted cigar.
you can trust me, you know, Mat
thews. am an old friend of the fam.
fly"
"Oh, know that, sir, we'll enough"
"You have been in Mr.. Strong's serv-
fee long time, Matthews, and you may,
row remember some things that you
did not think Of when you were testi-.
flying. For instance, have you any rec!
election OF ever having seen anything
which might tend to show that Mr.;
Strong had an enemy?" y. g..
Matthews stared Mt the lawyer for
q moment IL, silence and then sat down.
on chair and folded his hands nervous
~ over his knees.
II can't say have, colonel" he Said:
"and yet-wcll, you Know, my mastcr|
was very excitablc, suspicious sort Of,
q man." -
Il never knew that.
"VeIl, lie was, sir. lie uscd to have,
spells Of it, sir-spcIIs call 'cm: Hej
didn't seem able 10 sleep we'll vt times,
lie has once in awhile had me sleep on
the floor at the foot OF his bed"
"Ah! IL that So:
mot often. sir, but perhaps twice Q
year. or tlereaEouts." .
do you recall anything that might
have caused him unensincss at those
timcs"' I,
"Well. l did have sort Of idea that
he might a brought home some money:
and was afraid O. bejn' robbed Of IT," n
"Can you remember ever having seetI
anyone about just before or after those,
spelIs?'
Matthews was silent. deep in thought,
for moment. then lie said:
Eyes, do remember somcthin' rather
odd, sir. 1t was when Mr.. Wildly was
ut the seaslore In the summer. and inas-'
ter was maxim me sleep in his room n
every night while lie was gone. Opst
evenin' master told me he wns tooktn
for q visitor to see him on importance
business, and that was to stay buck
here till he left" -
Ibid you see the man, 's.
"Yes, sir. opened the door when be- ].
rcng."
"How did he look?" 81
every queer-iookin' Individual. sir. IT,.
struck me. lie looked like he.fnigbt ~ a
q drinkin' man. lie was till and thin.
and bad dark eyes and white hair. He