The Holly chieftain., 1898-02-25
where do Won get your meal, :.


-Where do you get your meals?"
Here. usually: but to-day the cook |
is away on leave Of absence. Uncle and
i were going over TO the Randolph. the
restaurant on the corner. for our meals
till she returned"
Have you eaten anything this morn
ing?'
.No."
..well. you'd better go: wen look
after everything and telephone the cor
oner."
-All right" replied WILDLY. He
turned to the wash-stand and filled
basin from a pitcher OF water. I'm
my excitement forgot to wash my
face and hands"
.Stop!" cried Hendricks, and he
caught Whidby's arm MS his hands were
almost in the water. "Pardon me. but
you've stained your fingers somehow"
The young man stared at his right
hand in surprise. There was faint red
smudge on the thumb and fingers.
why" he said, II don't see how 1t
could have got there, unless Iwon-
der IL" WILDLY turned quickly into
the other room and bent over Strongs
bed. "Ah!" he cried, to the others.
See! l must have got 1t from the cor
ner of the sheet when put it back;
YOU see there il blood on the under
side"
The detective had followed WILDLY
no further than the portiere, where he
stood indifferently watching the young
mans movements. M
"Yes. from the sheet or this curtnln."
he replied, pointing to an almost in
visible spot Of blood on the portiere.
"Then the fellow must have been in
my room, too," said WILDLY, wonder
ingly.
"And just after the deed was done"
Hendricks remarked.
The young man stirred at the detect
i've curiously as he returped to the
washstand and took off his coat.
Look" he cried to him, "herc is some
of it on my cuff"
i've. ut is drop Of blood. Perhaps
you had better detach the cuff and give
II to me. You did not sleep in that
shirt?"
no" WILDLY gave him the cuff
"Where did you lay the shirt last
night when you took it OFF,"
''On that chair near my bed" an
swered WILDLY.
THAT is all you can do for u.s." said
Hendricks. YOU'D better go to break
fast"
WILDLY crossed the street and en-
tered the restaurant on the corner. He
took a seat at the table farthcst from
the door and ord some eggs. coffee.
rolls and butter; hut he found that he
had no appetite, and he drank his cof-
fee when it was SO hot that it burnt
his lips. Then he bought newspaper
and sat for ten minutes gazing at 1t abb
sently.
On his return home he found the yard
filled with crowd of curious people.
Some of them stood on the verandn
near the windows. The door was closed
WILDLY tried the knob. but it was
locked. Turning. he saw Matthews COM
ing ronnd the corner of the house.
Capt. Welsh asked me to send you in
at the rear door," the man said
They're goin' to hold n inquest on i'm
WILDLY followed the gardener intt
the house. How he disliked to zee til,
body again. and the strange smile OF
the dead mans face! But there was ns
help for it He must do what he coult
towards bringing the criminal to jus
tice.
The atmosphere of Strong's room wa
SO close that WILDLY could hardI.
breathe. and the perfume from the con
servatory sickened him. The corone
and his jury had arrived. Indeed, the.
seemed to be waiting for him. He sn
down near a window. He wondered
what they would ask him. and II h
could make Intelligent replies.
The coroner opened the proceeding
with few words 10 the jury, and Whid
by thought they stared at him furtivel.
whenever his name was mentioned
Then his testimony was called for. an,
WILDLY felt that he was repeating wor'
Tor word the account he had given Hen
bricks short while before.
The detective rose next and told Il
careful detail how the police had heel
called to the telephone by WILDLY an,
first informed of the murder; how tn
young man had met him and Welsh n
the door, and what was said abou
whether the door was locked. He spok
of the blood stain on Whidby's han'
and produced the cuff with the drop o
blood on it. 1t was his opinion. he said
that the cuh could not have been worl
at the time it received the drop, nor TO
at least half ali hour afterwards. fol
as the jury could see, the blood ha'
dried in such shape as to prove tina
it had remained motionless for som
time. Mr.. WILDLY had said that tn
shirt with the cuff attached mad lain oil
a chair near his bed all night.
Then the coroner called for Wildly
nigbtshirt, and the jury passed it fron
one to the other and examined it care
fully. At that moment WILDLY rose t.
call attention to the blood on the por
tiere aud on the corner of the sheet
which he thought Hendricks and Capt
Welsh had forgotten to mention, bu
the coroner ordered him. rather coldly
4 to sit down.
Matthews was next called, but n
could testify to nothing except that h
slept in the cottage behind the hous
and had not walked during the night
Then the coroner requested Whidb.
and Matthews to leave the room, AM
WILDLY went into The library across th
hall and closed the door behind him.
(ro BE cosTrHuED.1
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