Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1897-10-15

Up Ii two hours ago. confess,
could find no possible loophole ia the
net that at this moment surrounds Mr..
Leo Markhouse. / have called you
all here TO tell you that now fancy
there may be one" Another breath
less pause, as fetched out square
of cardboard. "All hangs upon this, -
I said. "a photograph Of the deceased
gcntleman's eyes, taken after death.
Two hours back made the acciden-
tai discovery that there was in those
eyes the indelible reflection of face,
face all but recognizable at sight,
and then l remembered something.
By tomorrow morning, If there is any
basis for the well-known scientific
theory that the eyes OF person meet
ing dea h by foul play often catch and
retain a likeness Of tho assassin S
features, we may be in possession Of
the truth. Is this the face Of Mr.. Leo
Markhouse? ] am not at all certain
of it; am going straight away now
to have this snap shot of mine enlarged
tenfold and then In the meantime,
will ask you not TO let the matter go
beyond the house,"
A shiver and then craning of pale
faces to catch glimpse Of the photo
graph, but l was gone before they
could fully grasp what | said. / hal
motioned to Kate, and she followed
me to the hall door like one cropping
in dream.
evil you will you save meg'
recollect her whispering. "You
have discovered this, you suspect some
one, aud yet you warn them all. You
1T is falsei Show me that photo
graph, or / shall scream outr'
SSH you're too sensible" l said
"The photograph II isa blank card;
seel Mrs. Markhouse, I've simply
played card don't possess, that's
ALL Time is precious Now, listen.
They think I'm off to town; you will
let me in by the drawing room window
in ten minutes from now. Goodby.
First train in the morningl'' l added,
loudly, and the big door changed.
-Four hours later, when everything
was quiet, ] heard someone creeping
along the passage leading from the
servants quarters and up the stairs.
had been waiting in the drawing
room; was out in jiffy. A man
yes, he was standing at the top Of the
flight, as if afraid to go ON. l had
him: Up / crept. He went straight
along to that room and tried the han
die. When it gave he jumped back
and almost saw me. Another second
then in he went. l heard him
striking a match. 1 was there. He
had lit a candle and was turning this
way and that drawn, white face that
bore the marks of the four hours su3-
pense. 1t was Silverley, for years the
valet Of the man lying behind those
white hangings, and it seemed that
my bit Of bluff was going to have re-
suits. Holding tine candle high, ne
drew back the hangings and stared
hard at the poor old gentleman's eyes.
They we're closed, of course, and
would never open again. He had
waited four hours in fever for moth
ing at ALL
A click behind him did the rest. I
was pulling the door to, and he sprang
across in a fair frenzy--just too late
/ managed to lock it on the outside,
and his nerves weren't proof against
that second shock. He gave sort Of
choking scream, and then all was
quiet. Down ran and woke one of
the servants. However, when we
opened that door there was no need
to use force or even to ask questions.
He was on his kness there an. gasped
out the truth on the spct.
"I-Idid in it itself-defencel Let me
out-only let me outl They'll never
hang me-they couldn'tl You think
1t was all quiet in there. I ran
through the drawing room and along
the balcony, and he was sitting with
his head down SO, and the packet was
lying there -anyone's property IL
thought he was in fit and found my
hand on the packet before l knew it,
He saw me aud snatched at my throat.
like this, in a passion. He was mad
and would have strangled me, and L
l had to do i'll Then was frightened
and ran back. never meant to let
Mr.. Markhouse in for it till IL
Oh, heavensl ] didn't What have 1
said?" A bit more than I'd expected.
Enough, at any rate, to get him penal
servitude.