Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1898-10-12

decided on taking a house here for The
winter; the climate is mild, and dare
say we all need a little change after
our recent anxiety. will send to
Deanpark for some things, though the
house we have taken is small and we
won't require very much, but Agnes
must have her pianO-she is never real
ly happy without It."
Very good" said; II think 1t is
the best thing you can DO. Your daugh
ter seems 70 haye quite recovered"
did not Ike to damp his good spir-
Its, but in his Joy at his child's recovery
Mr. Delmege appeared to forget the
deadly nature of her complaint, and as
[ returned to London / could not help
thinking that the stealthy hand that
was at work at Deanpark would soon-
er or later find way to carry on tts
murderous work, no matter where Its
victim might be.
In this surmise l was only too cor
rect About a month afterward l re.
ceiyed a wire from Mr.. Delmege t.
come to Seacombe at once.
Putting of all my other engagements
1 journeyed down by the next train
and got to Seacombe in the afternoon
The house Mr. Deimege had taken
was small, but very prettily situated
IN about an acre Of ground, command
ing a very lovely view Of the bay and
hills beyond.
met him In the hail. He was in a
terrible state.
my poor child-she IS as bad as
everw he exclaimed.
Miss Delmege was lying on a sofa in
a darkened room. She was suffering
from great headaches and pains in The
eyes; her throat, toe, was very CON
strlcted 1t was pitiful 10 see the poor
thing SO, and her patience under all
her .sulferings,
l gave something to ease the pain In
her head and send her to sleep. Sit
ting by her noticed Indeed, had no
tieed IT before-tbat her nails were
rather bitten. 1t was a habit she was
Inclined to and which, when l spoke
about it once, she declared was ip-
fuced by playing the piano SO much.
[ did not pay much attention to 1t at
the time, bat now the words came back
to me with peculiar significance.
remembered that Mr.. Delmege told
me that Mr.. Hunt had chosen the
piano.
Now Miss Delmege was the only one
IN the house that played, as neither
lnr father Rer mother ever touched the
instrument.
This last attack had come on just a
of rha rain h1I frQrn
Deanpark. / sat thinking over the
matter for some time, and before say-
ing anything to Mr.. Delmege decided
TO make careful exaypinatien of the in
strument, which l felt sure ROW WAS
IN some mysterious way the cause OF
his daughters sickness.
That night, after dinner, when Mrs.
Delmege had gone up to sit with her
daughter AID Mr.. Delmege had walked
cut for stroll went over to the
piano, ard, lighting the candles, sat
down and carefully scrutiBized the
Keyboard ! then took q microscope
from my pocket, and critically eXamia-
ed the ivory keys, and became aware
of the presence Of a fine white powder
On some of the notes ia the center Oc-
taye.
\ shudder of horror went over me.
Further close examination rendered me
certain that 1t was powdered arsenic
[ The next step was to remove the
front board Of the piano. and to take
out some of the center notes to Exam
Inc them more closely, when, as did
SO, saw what made me start back
with an Involuntary exclamation of
amazeHent
I had uRearthed the most diabolical
Invention for the destruction Of human
life had ever seen or heard of.
Underneath the keys Of the center
octave ran small gutter-nke con
struction of stiff brown paper. filled
with powdered arsenic, II was 50 ip
genIously made that, while II Ia no way
Interfered with the tone or sound Of the
instrument, it from tine to time, threw
Up on the keys a scattering Of the dead
ly powder
Miss Delmege's habit Of biting hei
lails-a habit, no doubt, known to heI
trustee-had thus been utilized in tho
most helHsh fashion TO bring about heg
death, and undoubtedly it would have
done 50 but for my timely discovery.
l replaced the notes carefully With
out disturbing the deadly gutter of az
senic, for It would be required In the
future when Mr.. Hurt-as ! determin-
ed he should be-was brought to JUS
tice for attempted murder.
As was leaving the piano suddenly
.
me from the window.
1t was the face Of an elderly man,
with white beard and wild, staring
eyes 1t disappeared at once. I made
Il dash for the window, when suddenly
It shot rang out on the night air, and q
bullet. grazing my temple, smashed in
70 fragments vase on the mantlepiece.
spraug out Of the window, and saw
the figure of man rushing toward the
.Opse at the Iback of the house, where
it disappeared.
Another shot rang out.
hastcned toward the wood, and, be
fore l had gone many yards, found the
body of Mr.. Hunt-as it afterward
proved TO be-stretched out dead on the
SWard.
je had come down to Seacombe to
sae how his murderous plan was pro-
sressing. and. hearing I was there,
feared something, evidently. Prowl-
ing round the house, he had seen my
.Xamlnation of the piano, and the dis
novery of his diabolical design, think,
upset his mind, and in desperation he
attempted my life and took his own.
It was some time before Miss Del
nege or her parents recovered from
he shock of the awful occurrence of
hat night, but time is a great medi-
rine, and they are all happy and well
now.
The piano with its fatal octave Is