Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1898-04-28

eaAA'SA ~ BcffNNt "a ooCA1 ANA AiN tSONA y
was gray"
AT that distance? WLo ever heard
Of"
Hold on! not so FAST All. l see you
are not following me; but you'll catch
on in moment, so let's continue She
next showed us her tracks. Did you
notice how deep and distinct they were?
1t was the first thing that struck me.
Her mother is twice as heavy as she is,
and stood in the same sort of soil, but
her feet made hardly any impressions.
Don't forget that ! marked the spot
where Mrs. Walters stood with my
umbrella; after that, you know, we
went over to the fence. There is a
minor point here in Mrs. Walters
being the first to see the footprints be-
yond The fence, but we will pass that,
and come to the footprints themselves.
Did you notice nothing remarkable
about them, captain? No? Well, in
all my experience never saw such com
ical footprints. was tempted to laugh
outright, but il would have spoiled
everything, so ! smothered my amuse-
ment."
81 saw nothing remarkable about
Them" said Capt. Welsh, impatiently.
"They were made, captain, by mems
slippers, a number ten, with very thin
soles. The heels had been well pressed
down into the soft clay, and so were the
middle parts of the soles, but the thin
edges all round had turned up so easily
that only faint impression of the bot
tom was left"
What did you deduce from that?"
asked Welsh, still perplexed.
THAT they were worn by feet not
half large enough for them, though
they had doubtless been drawn on over
a pair of boots. saw by the shape OF
the track that the right one had come
off once as the wearer drew it from the
mud"
"Ah! curious!" exclaimed the cap
tain; but ! don't yet see what you are
driving at, though think you suspect
but how could you? Why"
'But that is not ALL" the detective
went on, smiling. You remember, per-
haps, that / asked if it had raned out
there recently. Well, l was trying to
account, since there has not been any
rain lately, for that naturally dry spot
of clay being soft enough to have re
ceived such distinct footprints. On
close examination, detected the faint
semicircular mark of a vessel in the
edge of the grass, and, at exactly the
right distance from it, spot where a
little water had trickled down from tho
spout on the clay"
"Ah, the watering pot!" cried Welsh
Wonderful wonderful! Now know
what all that rgmarole to the garden
Ell meant"
"Yes, and l found a little water in it
too, and learned that it had last nigh
been left on the floor when Robert dc
clared that he usually hung it up and OF
the bottom of it the stupid rainmake
had left trace of the very clay il
which we found the footprints. But
am fast; foryou remember,as stooC
at the big tracks, | sighted along owe
the fence at my umbrella on the lawn.
81 remember" said Welsh, with
laugh. "And l own | thought yoI
were making a blooming ass of your
self, and simply pretending to maxi
Investigations when you knew yoI
were wholly at sea. But what were yor
doing it for?'
"When | got my bearings in tha
way, / calculated that the handle 0
my umbrella was just about where he
sleeve must have been when she wa
bending over As l sighted along a
it, saw that if bullet were fired fror
where I stood and passed through he
, sleeve it must-as Il would natural
go in a straight line-strike certai
portion of the wall of the conseryator
beyond her. found, on examining th
: wall, that it had not"
$50 you knew no shot had been fired
I calculated the captain.
y ''No, not that" returned Hendricll
I "for there were the specks on the gowl
= you know. was, you see, convince
that the specks were made by revolvC
at short range, and woman of nery
q made them, captain, for the ball passe
. very near the arm"
= 81 begin to see what you suspect
said Welsh, "but I am so much astol
q ished that l am unable to grasp it a
Surely she could not be-"
q 'Wait till have finished" j" the detec
: i've interrupted. Don't jump to co
: clusions. don't think you were watc
p ing my work in the mayors study, f,
you seemed on pins and needles to g
. away"
n you don't mean that you did n,
= really want to write that note?"
'No; for 1 wanted her to do it, sa
a the detective, with a smile, taking fro
his pocket the threatening letter a
dressed to the mayor, and the no
4 Lillian Walters had written at his di
tation.
tTo BE Continued
=