The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1897-10-20
lbs aIdatfGnlall alla gout|uols.
WEDNESDAY, ocT. 90, 1897.
tHAPTER VI

CHAPTER VI
MYSTERIOUS NOISES.
"a pursuance of the directions left by
Mr. Barnes and communicated to him
by Burrows Squire Olney impaneled q
jury, taking them to the Lewis farm
and allowing them to examine the
corpse where it lay Ia the position as
when discovered. He then adjourned
He inquest Until the return,of the ab-
sent detective. Meanwhile he ordered
B DR.. Snow, q competent surgeon, to
make an autopsy, placing the corpse in
AN upper room and in charge OF the
physician.
The nrymen and assembled neigh
bfns dispersed slowly, as though loath
TO leave the vicinity. Burrows mixed
with them, hoping TO extract some cfew
by conversation which might prove Of
value to him. In this he failed entire
sy. The greater number apparently sus-
pected that Waiter Marvel was imph-
Gated. and as he was general favorlte
they feared TO speak with the detective
lest they should compromise their
friend
One man, however, voluntarily ap-
proachel him and said:
They tell me as how you're the de-
tectiYe.
81 % are quite right, 2 said Burrows
hopefully.
s MS names Skene, = said the other,
JOSIAH Skepe, station agent down to
Lee Deepo' hearn bout this here In
quest an tho't I'd run up an see how
you're gitth on. Anybody 'rested?
Well, hardly, = answered Burrows,
with smile. We have only been at
work few hours, yon know. .
Well, that only goes to show. al
ways tho't as how them stories in the
\ Borston naIers wuz kinder farfetehed.
They make outs though you detective
fellers wuz quicker'n creased ightnin-
! guess you amt no smarter than other
folks 1 guess could put you up to
snuff IN this case anyway. " Mr. Skene
took his long chin whisker In his cleft
! hand, stocked itonce and then turned it
up SO that he readily hit the end, the
Ehile looking at Burrows through the
conner OF his eyes. his head turned part
{ II away, as though he were contemplate
ing something on the distant horizon.
Do you know anything% Burrows
spoke with a little anxiety. He reccg
nazed that the man was an eccentric
and feared to do or say something that
would antagonize him. After long
pause came the reply:
g Mebbe. Only this one word, NUT
tered without removal Of the whisker
from his mouth. Burrows waited for
more, but was forced to continue the
conversation himself
Mr.. Skene, this Is dreadful busi-
ness, and if you can help Us to unravel
it e am snre you Will do SO.
Amt that what I'm up here for?
D'you s,pose tramped up here for ex-
srcise? Not much. But the joke is that
sou should need me to tell you any
thing. You're a. detective from Bors,
ton. tho't as how you fellers wuz so
cute like that you jest looked at the
dead man an rested the murderer
straight off; saw his likeness in the
sorpse's eyes or snthin. I've read that
! IN books, but guess you reel detectives
amt SO darned smart as all that, hay:"
No, am afraid not. We are no
smarter than other folks, only we make
business of putting two and two TO-
gether, that's all You could tell that it
would make four as easily I could. But
you have your railroad business, Mr..
Skene, and have to look for criminals.
That is the only difference. I" Burrows
tried Ettle conciliatory fattery, and it
operated to make Mr. Skene more COM
municatsye.
by Jehosaphat! You hit it square
that time. kin smell rat, but it amt
my place to hunt him down. So guess
I'll tell you who killed Lewis an let
you ketch him. Only seems to me you
onghtn't to git all the glcry, hay:"
You give me the clew, Mr.. Skene.
and when I arrest the man you shall
have full credit for giving me the clew. "
sob, I'm only jokin. You ketch the
feller an I'll be satisfied. amt lookin
for no notoriety. Nevertheless he wore
pleased expression, as when shrewd
New Englander has just arranged one Of
those typical Yankee bargains" in
which each man swaps what he does not
want fer what he does want and
chuckles because he has cheated the 9th
ser man. Mr. sSkene thought moment,
as though deciding where to begin.
Then he resumed, "You noticed that I
said could tell you who killed Lewis::'
stI did, y said Burrows, and Won
dered whether you Lad seen the crime
committed.
e.sesn it?' cried Mr.. skene. "Nhy,
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