Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1898-04-07
mentioned it TO you, but he told me you
had given your consent to Hendricks
being employed"
CHAPTER V.

CHAPTER V.
Mayor Roundtree lived in a large
two-storied brick house standing back
a hundred yards from the street, in eX-
tensiye grounds. 1t was in the suburbs
of the city, and at the end of one of the
electric car lines.
When the mayor went home that
| afternoon, about six o'clock, he found
his family sitting on the front veranda
waiting for his return. The group con-
sisted of his son Marion, a young man
just Of age, his married daughter,
ISlian, her husband Fred Walters, and
Mrs. Roundtree.
Talking about the murder, l know"
said the mayor, as he came up the
steps.
eve are concerned about your offer
| ing that reward, DEAR" Mrs. Round
tree replied "If had been downtown
l should have begged you not to do it.
The murderer is evidently of unsound
mind, and the reward may direct his
attention to you. You know he says"
Mammals only nervous" interrupted
! Lillian. "She hasn't talked of thing
all day except the isolation of our house
and how easy it would be for a creature
of that kind to make us his victims"
"Pshaw! that's all nonsense" en-
claimed the mayor, taking the seat va
Gated for him by his son, who had
thrown himself into hammock BE
sides, the reward may be the means Of
putting the man under lock and key"
81 wish it had been the duty of some
one else to offer it, replied Mrs. Round
tree, plaintiyely. "Why, dear, he was
near enough to have killed you when he
put that note into your pocket"
''He is not that sort of criminal, said
Lillian, to the surprise Of the others.
"He win never kill anyone in open day
light on the street, where he might be
seen. AS the murderer says in his let
ters, the secret lies in that smile on Mr..
Strong's face. Dr. Kramer saw the
body, and he said this afternoon that he
had never heard of anyone being killed
with just such facial expression. 1t
is my opinion that youll have to 60
deep into psychical phenomena to get
at the mystery"
flush, Lillian; don't like to hear you
talk that way" said Mrs. Roundtrec.
81 have never approved of your reading
the books you read"
"You object to my reading anything
which is really new and progressive, .
said the young wife, pettishly "The
world would stand still if we did not
study the new sciences-if we did not
allow ourselves to think on new lines. ''
1T seems to me, sister," remarked
Marion, that you have talked more
about the murder than anyone else.
Since we have been out here, l have
noticed that mother has changed the
subject three times, but some remark of
yours has always brought the conversa-
tion back to it,"
Brother, you know that is deliber-
ate-it is not true" Lillian retortcd,
angrily.
Unjust say thought so too, dear" in,
terposed Fred Walters. Don't you re-
member mother said something about
the services at church tonight? Well
before anyone had time to reply you
began talking again about whether il
could be proved that WILDLY had not
been out of the house to distribute the
notes"
Lillian seemed to forget her anger in
her interest in the subject. She rose
and stood in the doorway. "As fan
as that is concerned" she said, with
animation, "Whidby could have had al
Occomplice. 1t was strangely dramatic
thing the way he called up the police
at the telephone and remained with thC
corpse till they came, not even allowing
the servant to enter. If he is guilty, HI
is at least original. In these days O.
masculine stupidity it would be pity
to execute an original man. / never
could see why murdercrs should be sucl
short-sighted fools. l read the othe
day of a man who shot another dowi
and went to the Jail pretending to b,
insane to escape punishment. How
much more effective would it have beer
IL llG lIdu - NlNiildtiCtllN ilNAChhNh u
be insane a month or so before he com
mitted the deed!-I mean if he ha,
done little things which would scarce
ly cause remark at the time, but which
j coupled with the crime afterwards
{ would have pointed conclusively to in
/ sanity. If wanted to drown myself il
) the river, and did not want anyone 4
think it was done Intentionally,
, would first do a great many things +
make it look rs if 1 had never dreame
, Of such a thing. ! would make engage
2 ments. leave things unfinished, as
] intended to return to them the neN
j moment, and"
"Ok, hush, my child!" interrupte
p Mrs. Boundtree. "What can make yo
2 say such things? / have never hear
you talk so peculiarly"
D Everything is peculiar To mamma,
the girl coldly laughed, as she tarne
2 into the drawiug-room. The next me
s ment they heard her playing on be
/ violin.
D [ro be Continued
. ]
Confederation.
Miss Emcrson-Mr. Skidds seems