The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1898-02-26

CHAPTER ~.
When Warrenton left WILDLY he
went downstairs. He knew the room
where WILDLY had slept the previous
night, but he found the door closed and
locked.
Hearing the voices of the undertaken
and his men in Strong's room, he en-
tered it. The men looked up from the
coffin at him, and Hodson, the under
taker, bowed and said good morning as
Warrenton approached and looked at
the dead mans face.
1--WE never seen anything like that
smile, colonel" said Hodson, "and I've
been in this business over 20 years. 1t
was all could do to get my men to go
to work when they first saw him. We
tried to close his eyes; but the lids are
as stiff as whalebone."
The colonel shuddered at the coarse
ness of the mans words.
"How do you explain the smile?" he
asked.
II can't explain it at ALL" answered
the undertaken. 81 don't think such
thing ever happened before"
Narrenton bent over the coffin for
a moment. "It seems to me to be a
genuine smile, unmixed with any SEN
sation of pain, or even surprise"
HE was laughing, colonel, if ever
man laughed in his life. / amt par
-ticularly superstitious. 1 once I'M
screwed box and let a man out that
had passed for dead 36 hours. l was
alone with it at midnight. You can bet
that gave me shock; but, frankly, I'd
hate to spend a night with this one."
"Whidby slept in that room, didn't
hep" asked the lawyer, glancing indif-
fetently towards the portiere.
"Yes, sir, but the indications are that
tim deed was done very quietly. Per-
haps Mr.. WILDLY was drugged."
Hodson turned to give some orders
to his men. The colonel went into
Whidby's room and let the curtain fall
behind him. The room had not been
put to rights. A chair stood between
ths, portiere and the bed. Its back was
towards him. w arrenton listened.
Hedson was still talking to his men, and
the colonel could hear them using their
tack-hammers. Quickly and stealthily
he stepped to the chair and turned its
back to the light from the window. He
found what he feared was there--a faint
smear of blood just where WILDLY had
caught the chair with his right hand.
Enough to draw the halter around
his neck" thought the lawyer "Ihope
itescaped that detectives eye" He had
just replaced the chair, when the por-
there was drawn back and Hodson
looked in.
II beg pardon, colonel, but Capt.
Welsh aked me to allow no one to come
in here. I thought you went into the
hall"
81 was just wondering how WILDLY
could have slept so soundly unless he
was drugged," said the colonel. IL
would not have come in if had thought
it was forbidden. WILDLY and I are so
intimate, you know, feel as If I were
at home here"
"Oh, no harm DONE" said the under
taker, as he held the curtain aside for
Warrenton to pass out.
The colonel went into the hall and
turned into the parlor. Here he looked
about aimlessly for a moment, and then,
seeing an open door which led to the
servants rooms in the rear, he passed
out.
In little room adjoining the kitchen
he found Matthews.
81 want to see you, Matthews" said
the colonel. 81 want to ask you some
questions. Mr.. WILDLY is so excited
and upset that don't wish to disturb
him, and yet must get some light on
this subject"
81 don't know much about it, SIR"
replied the gardener. "I've told all 1
know to the jury"
The colonel sat down on window-sill
and lighted cigar.
You can trust me, you know, Mat
thews. 1 am an old friend of the lam
lily"
"Oh, know that, sir, well enough"
"You have been in Mr.. Strong's serv-
ice long time, Matthews, and you may
row remember some things that you
did not think of when you were testi-
flying, For instance, have you any rec
election of ever having seen anything
which might tend to show that Mr..
Strong had an enemy?"
Matthews stared at the lawyer for
a moment in silence and then sat down
on chair and folded his hands nervous
" over his knees.