San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1897-07-25


cred her purpose unattainable. Opening
the drawer of her bureau, she took
therefrom small mahogany box, which
she unlocked. In X were several paste
board packages of ball cartridges. One.
however, contained shells which had
been exploded. She next withdrew a
cartridge from the pistol, and in It's
stead inserted an empty shell. being
careful to see that the hammer exactly
rested upon the indentation in the rim.
Thus it is evident that if she had re-
moved from this pistol the empty shell
which Mr.. Barnes had picked up she
must have reloaded the weapon prior TO
his entrance. Now she was restoring it
to its original condition. She threw the
pistol on the bed, as though DESTROYS
that it should be readily found.
Next she opened drawer of the cab
met and took out two pieces of folded
paper. One of these was duplicate of
that found by the detectives, bearing
the words, IF am dead in the morn
ing, my murderer is -" except
that. as Mr.. Barnes had guessed, this
one bore name, the sentence being
completed. Virginia scrutinized this
for some moments, sighed deeply and
refolded it. The other was also half
sheet and bore few lines addressed to
herself. She read this several times and
then folded it also, placing both papers
in her dress.
Approaching the door which commu-
nicated with the parlor, she listened at
tenrively for few moments and then
entered that apartment, which was
empty, the detectives, by this time, hav-
ing gone out upon the lawn. Peeping
from the window, careful that she her
self should be hidden from sight by the
curtains, she saw Mr.. Barnes and Bur
rows near the summer house. She
watched them until they were again
approaching the house. whereupon she
returned to her own room. Here she re-
manned till the detectives had made the
map of the grounds and again sailed
forth toward the river. This time she
watched them from the window of her
own room and realized from their &C
tions that they were studying the foot
prints between the house and the river.
She also saw them get in the boat and
cross the river.
Once more she entered the parlor.
One would think from her repeated Wis
its to the place where lay the dead body
that it had some fascination for her. AS
though, indeed, this were the case. she
went straight to where it lay and, bend
ing down, gazed at it intently. Especial
ly cid she look upon the disfgured face.
Finally she turned her attention to the
hand and examined ring on one fin
ger. This seemed to satisfy her. In ris.
ing she stepped on the hem Of her dress
and fell to her knees, striking against
the corpse. which was thus slightly
turned over. This action brought into
view the other hand, which before had
been under the body. She shuddered as
she jumped up, and then, noticing that
the fist was doubled up tight, her Curl
osity was aroused, and she determined
to investigate further. She endeavOred
to open the fingers, and, though they
were tightly clinched, she at length
succeeded in relaxing two. This enabled
her not only to see that there was some
thing within the dead mans grasp, but
also to withdraw it. This done. she evil
IDENTIFY had enough of the company Of
the corpse, for she hurried to the next
room and hastily closed the door after
her.
She then examined the article which
she had just obtained and found it to be
a small gold locket. Opening it, she saw
that il contained a miniature of herself
which had been made when she was yet
a child.
She was evidently disturbed at the
discovery, for she gazed at it long and
earnestly. Perhaps her conscience
troubled her, and the thought came to
her that even at the moment when he
was killed her uncle had just been look
ing at this picture Of herself, thinking
of the time when. young and attract
i've child, she had been his idol, and
then of the past week. when, before all
their friends, they had antagonized
their wills. She threw herself ON the
bed, buried her face in her hands, and
for some minutes she sobbed like one in
dire distress. Presently, rising from her
rscumbent position, controlling her
emotions by an effort of will, she first
hid the locket in her dress, as she had
done with the letters, and then bathed
her face and went to the window. She
looked toward the summer house, bat
saw nothing of the detectives Turning,
she huriedly put on her hat, arranged
her toilet and started out from the house
in the direction Of the postoffice.
She thought that she had avoided the
observation Of the detectives, but in
this, as she herself subsequently sus-
pected, she was mistaken. Reaching
the bridge, she noticed the boat, and as
she had last seen the two men entering
it she concluded that they were now in
the vicinity, though she did not yet
guess that they had followed her. As
she passed the saloon, however, she
caught glimpse of Burrows, and as he
Immediately withdrew, so as TO hide