The Colfax chronicle., 1898-12-24
Held for His Own Murder

said Mrs. Latymer-Wynne,a as she
and her husband took their seats at the
dinner table.
"What is arranged?" asked her hus-
band, little grumpily, for he had had
long and fatiguing day in the city.
20, the football match, of course
"And are you going to waste your
afternoon in looking on?"
20, no; am going to play"
"You cannot be serious, Kate. You,
married woman with two children,
going to exhibit yourself in that way
before crowd of loafers! And in that
dress, tool"
''Well, the dress is little unbecorn-
ing-that's the worst of it. But as to
exhibiting ones self, that's all nom
sense. Isn't it woman's business to
exhibit herself? Don't we all exhibit
ourselves when we go to drawing
room?"
Mrs. Latymer-Wynn was decidedly
cleverer than her husband, and kept
him, on the whole, in state of sub
lection. He was good, honest fellow,
who did well on the stock exchange,
where his high animal spirits and pro-
pensity for practical joking were much
appreciated; but he was no match for
his pretty wife in the little verbal con-
fiicts which sometimes take place be-
tween the most affectionate couples.
I'm really lucky to have the chance"
she went on. Mrs. Flyte-that's our
captain, you know-said that, on pres
ent form, hadn't much claim to a
place on the team, but that, as two of
her cracks were down, she'd give me a
trial. o, wasn't 1t good of herr"
And you're going to allow lot of
cads to criticise you, and perhaps call
out: Get it, Tommy as they did at a
ladies' football match the other day.
Ladies', indeed! It's positively dis
gusting!"
20, think I'm all right, Harry. And
II they like to call me Tommy don't
mind. You know it's meant in admira-
tion."
"You will regret it yourself one day.
Katc-I am sure you WILL"
But Mrs. Latymer- Wynn only smiled.
Still, IL she could have foreseen the ter
ribIc calamity that was about to be-
fall her she would have relented. But
who can foresee the future.
Those who are living in Clapham-or,
indeed, anywhere in the city, at that
time cannot have forgotten the extraor-
binary sensation that was excited by
what was called the Clapham mystery.
And the scene of the mystery was Mrs.
Laty mer-Wynn's house.
1t appeared that, as the various rooms
in the upper story were in the hands of
painters and paperers, Mr.. Latymer-
Wynn occupied temporarily the library
on the ground floor as q bedroom.
while his wife slept with the children
on another floor.
Nothing occurred during the night |
TO disturb those who slept upstairs.
But when the servants came down in
the morning and proceeded to call their |
master they were unable to rouse him.
The door was forced open.
There was no sign of Mr.. Latymer-
Wynn, but there were various indi,a-
tions OF desperate struggle.
One OF the windows was open below.
and between this window and the bed |
the floor was strewn with fragments of |
the heavy china ever belonging to the
washstand. 1t appeared as If this had /
been used by the unfortunate man as
the only thing in the nature of a weapon
within reach. More ominous still. a
closer inspection revealed blood stains
on the carpet.
A little later Inspector Bickerdyke.
the celebrated detective made his ap-
pearance on the scene.
1t almost seemed as If even Inspector
Bickerdyke would for once be baffled.
But at last his patience was rewarded:
a sweep made his appearance on the
scene and informed the detective that
as he was passing the house in the early
dawn he had seen q man, shabbilv
dressed In q gray suit, stealing from the
premises.
The inspectors small eyes twinkled
with satisfaction as he listened to this
statement. The mere fact that the
criminal wore a gray suit did not seem
much to go upon, but Inspector Bicke--
dyke felt sure. that it would be enough
for him. He would track that gray sn;t
to the remotest corner of the earth.
The next morning there was in all
the papers long account Of s'The Clap
ham Mystery" A well-known member
Of the stock exchange had been sur
prjsed By burglars when asleep, and T;
after a desperate resistance had been !,