Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1898-03-31
CHAPTER III.

undertakers and his assistants and
showed them into Strong's room.
| WILDLY went into the bedroom above,
closed the door, threw himself on a
lounge, and shut his eyes. In a few min
utcs he began to feel less nervous. A
rcstful sensation stole over him, and he
felt sleepy. Suddenly his mind re-
verted to what seemed a vague dream of
the night before. Was it a dream, or
could it have been reality? He sprang
\ up, quiyering all over with excitement,
but the more he thought of it the more
the memory evaded him, till in despera-
tion he sat down on the lounge aud
buried his face in his hands. Just then
he heard astep in the hall, and scme one
raped on his door
He rose and went to the door. 1t was
Matthews.
"Col. Warrenton is downstairs, sir, and
wants to see you"
"Send him up here, said WILDLY. 81
don't care to go down."
In a moment Col. Warrenton entered.
lie was a short, middle-aged man, with
a red face and iron-gray hair lie put
his silk hat on table and gave WILDLY
his hand
Il was dumfounded by the news" he
said. "We are such good friends that
| waived all ceremony and came right
round"
I'm glad you did, old man" returned
WILDLY. "Sit down, and excuse me if
I am not entertaining, The truth is, /
am badly broken up over this affair.
Something is wrong with me; am not
myself at ALL"
The visitors glance wandered aim
lessly about the room in the silence that
followed' Whidby's remark. Then the
colonel said:
"You need not tell me anything. l
have heard all about it from Capt.
Welsh. lie and l have been intimate
friends for years. You have not asked
for my advice, but, love you like a
brother, and I don't want to see you run
your head into trouble for the lack of a
lawyers opinion"
"Why do I need legal advice?" asked
WILDLY, nervously. In what way? !
don't understand"
The lawyer drew his chair nearer to
the young man, who was seated on the
lounge, and laid his hand on his knee.
"Of course it is absurd to think OF
your being concerned in Strongs death,
Alfred" he began; but I am obliged,
through the force of habit, to look at
such affairs from a professional stand,
point. l know you are innocent; but
innocent men have been hanged before
this, and I have seen men put on trial
for murder with less circumstantial
evidence against them than there is
against you"
WILDLY brushed back his disheveled
hair with a quivering hand, and stared
at his friend.
you mean that l may yet be nc
cused?"
ut all depends on Hendricks" the
colonel interrupted. "He is the bright
est man in his line in the world. If he
gets on the track of the real criminal
you are all right, and not a soul vii
accuse you; but if his investigations
should be confined to this house it nigh
grow very unpleasant for you. Il
struck me that this view of the cast
might not occur to you, and that is thc
reason l am here. You see, it is wei
, that / came of my own accord, for i
you had sent for me it might have al
ugly look"
The young man rose and began t.
walk to and fro across the room. 81 an
: very much obliged" he sighed &"
never dreamed of being suspected. Mat
5 thews said that after ! left the room
during the inquest something wa
brought up about the blood stain on m,
hand and uncle's will; but that did no
trouble me-"
, Col Warrcnton's glance followed hi
friends form back and forth for a mo
ment; then he said:
= Pardon me, my boy, but do you real
ly know if you got the blood on you
. hand from the sheet, or from the POI
e tiere? Is your memory clear on tina
d point?"
mo; l did not notice it till starte,
y to wash my hands. In fact, the deteC
? tive called my attention to it. 1 mus
S have been very much excited, or woul
t have noticed thing like that; but, oil
l man, my head is in such a whirl tina
0 l do not know what am saying.
e oversight, and feel as if 1 had bee
3 drugged. Besides"-Whidby stoppe
at the colonels side and put his hand o
$ bis besides, to tell the trutl
{ something has come into my mind sine
= I have been in this room-something
8 did not remember at the inquest. Pei
T. haps 1 ought to tell the police about i
e since / did not think of il when test
e flying. AS 1 was lying down just b,
d fore you came up, something tiashe
b into my mind like a dream. ! seemed
o recall walking about my room and bt
ing half walked by stumbling over
L chair near my bed. caught the cha
It 10 steady myself, and half remembC
y that my shirt, which 1 had thrown o
v the chair when I went to bed, fell on II
e floor. It seems TO me that picked u
IS the shirt and replaced il, and then weI
% back TO bed. 1 know the shirt was q
.e the chair when I walked this mornin
n but can't imagine what i was doing u