The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1897-10-27

tective, throwing down his newspaper.
If that man had had smattering of
science at his fingers ends he could
have done the trick. Yes, you can all
see il now. All, / ought to know. 1t
was bit of science that once helped
me to net $500, get at the root of as
queer mystery as ever tackled aud
possibly to save gentleman's life
into the bargain. Yes, can tell you
just how it happened. | wasn't on
the spot till after the crime. of course,
but l know exactly what took place.
My word
1t was Sir Gavin Grey's case, if you
emember-Grey, the great London
banker. He had fine old place down
at Wimbledon that his niece, Kate
as sweet and lovable girl IA ever
walked this earth--used to keep for
him. Old bachelor, you know. They
say, and believe, that that girl might
have married any man she liked; but,
of course, it so happened that the lucky
fellow who crept into her heart was
only cashier at her uncle's bank
Leo Markhouse by name. The old
gentleman was staggered Mt first, but
at the finish he gave way on the condi-
tion that they waited till the young
fellow proved himself fit for a partner
ship and for such wife, and things
went smoothly enough for time.
Then came deadly crash.
Would. you believe it, this Mark
house was fool enough to go and make
use of check that ought to have gone
| into the bank, and somehow or other
it was found out before he could pay
it back. 1t wasn't in Sir Gavin to
| give any man second chance, / sup
pose; at any rate, he called him in,
dared him to show his face there again
and sent him about his business, with
an alternative of prosecution. And
one evening, week later, when the
old gentleman got back to his VIM
bledon house the first thing he heard
was that Markhouse had been there
and that Miss Kate had gone off with
him--gone for good. Pretty romance,
eh?
Now for the mystery. II seems
that for some days Sir Gavin was alb
solutely crushed and never left the
house. He used to go up to the girls s
room to make sure she was gone, and
then he would go and sit in his study
for hours at stretch, hardly moving
all the time, they said. Well. there
was glass door opening on n sort of
balcony, and one night, when he was
sitting there so, that door opened, and
a man walked in. Burglar? No; it
was Warehouse, come there with his
wife to ask for one chance to redeem
his backsliding. He said afterward
they had meant to go boldly up to the
front door, because Miss Kate was
sure only one contrite word was
needed to go straight to the old gen.
tleman's heart; hut, as luck would
have it, he had seen the light in the
study and chose that way.
There was a fine dramatic scene;
they say the noise of it could be heard
half over the house. Markhouse, he
pleaded hard and tried to explain
things, but the old gentleman was
hard as. granite. At the finish I'm
telling you just what 1 had from
Markhouse himself and from Silver
ley, Sir Gavin's man servant, who,
being privileged, was listening outside
the door the whole time) he dragged
open drawer and threw packet on
the floor.
"There," he says, "you've wasted
your time and eloquence. Your wife's
mother left her at death f200 and
some jewelry. There it is and there
the way out, and never wish to see
either Of you again"
Markhouse swears he never once
thought of touching the packet, but
simply stood still for time, dazed by
the prospect and the other mans bit.
terness. Then he pulled the glass
door to and went down the balcony
steps and along the avenue to where
Kate was standing in q tremble, star
ing at that light from the study. II
was queer sine should say to him:
'""Leo,, you never threatened him! ]
heard your voices, but was too fright
ened to move. Leo, don't harden
your heart so-wouldn't you be bitter
in his place?"
Perhaps" was all he said. "The
air of this place suffocates me-"
Well, they had got to the end Of
the avenue when there came after them
a hoarse scream, unnerving enough in
the circumstances. just the one
word-"Murder," and nothing more.
But the worst of it was that the sound
came from the house he had just left.
OF course, he stood staring ut the
girl incredulously, and the next thing
he knew was that she had broken
away from him and was flying back
up the avenue. He followed mechan.
ically, and instinct took him back to
that study window. And, by Jove!
across the carpet in there, sure
enough, lay still figure; his wife
hung over it with clasped hands, and
the servants were buzzing and whis-
pering behind. Murder? Well, the
old gentleman had been struck side.
ways, it seemed, as he sat. There
was a purple mark on his ri0ht tamnla