The Holly chieftain., 1898-03-11

night. but be found the door closed and
locked.
Hearing The voices of the undertakes
aud his men In Strong's room. he en-
tered it. The men looked mp from the
coffin at him. and Hotlson. the under
iaker, bowed and said good morning as
Varrenton approached and looked at
the dead mans face.
-l've never seen anything like that
smile. colonel" said Hodson. land I've
been In this busines. over 90 years. II
was all could do &c get my men 10 go
10 work when they first saw him. We
tried TO close his eyes: bnt the lids are
rs stiff as whnIebone.''
The colonel sbuddered ut the course
ness of the mans words.
'.How do you explain the smiie::- he
asked
Il can't explain it Mt ALL" answered
the undertaken. 4 don't think such a
thing ever happened before"
Warrenton bent over the coffin for
a moment. 1T seems to me TO be n
genuine smile, unmixcd with any SEN
sation. OF pain. or even surprise"
HE was laughing. colonel. IL ever a
man laughed In his life. Amt par
ticulnrly superstitious. once un-
screwed a box and bet mum out that
had passed for dead &c hours. wns
alone with 1t Al midnight. Youcnn bet
that gave me shock: but. frankly. I'd
hate to spend night with this one"
WILDLY slept in that room. didn't
hep" asked the lawyer CHANGING indif-
fercntIy towards the portiere.
Yes. sir. but the indications are that
the deed was done very quietly. Per
haps Mr.. WILDLY was druggcd.-
nodson 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
the portierc and the bed. It's back was
towards him. W urrentop listened.
Hodson was still talking to his men. and
the colonel could hear them using their
tack-hapmers. Quickly and stcoithiiy
he stepped to the chair and turned its
back 10 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 drnw the halter around
his neck. Thought the lawyer. II hope
It escapedthat detectives eye" Hehad
Just replaced the chair. when the por-
there was drawn back and Hodson
looked IN. ssf
II beg purdon. colonel. hut Capt.
Welsh aketl me to allow no one to come
in here. ,Ifthought yon went into the
hail.
II was just wondering how WILDLY
could have slept so soundly unless he
was <irugged..- said the colonel. II
would not have come in II I hnd thought
II was forbidden. WILDLY and I are SO
intimate. You know. feel as II I we're
at home bere.-
"Oh. no harm DONE said the under
tinker, ias he held the curtain aside for
wsrrvnton to pass out.
The colonel went into The hall and
turned into the parlor. Here he looked
about nimIessly for a moment, and then.
seeing mn open door which led 10 the
servants rooms in the rear. he passed
out.
In a little room adjoining the kitchen
he found Matthews.
II want to see you Matthew'S said
the tsulonel. II want to ask you some
questions. Mr.. WILDLY is 80 excited
and upset that don't wish to disturb
him. and yet must get some lighton
this subject
Il don't know much about it. sir"
replied the gardener. '.Ive told all I
know TO the jury
and ligbted cigar.
"Yoa can trust me. you know. Mat
thews. . am an old friend Of the FAM
iily."
"Oh. ! know thnr. sir. we'll enough p
'Yon hnve been in Mr.. Strong's sery-
Ice long time. Matthews. and you may
now remember some things that you
did not think of when you were testi-
flying. For instance. have you any rec-
cllection of ever having seen anything
which might tend to show that Mr..
Strong had mn enemy ?.
Matthews stared at the lawyer for
u moment In silence and then sat down
nn a chair and folded his hands nervous-
" over his knees-
Il l9can't say have, ooionei," !" he said:
''and yct--~eh- you know, my master
was very exeitabie. suspicious sort OF
y man"
Il never knew that
"Well. he was. mir. He used to have
spells Of il. sir-Apelis l call 'em. He
didn't seem able to sleep well at times.
He hus once IN awhile had me sIeep or
the fiJor at the foot of his bed"
"Ah! Is that so--
Not often, sir. but perhaps twice .
'year. or thereai,o,sts.~
DO you recall anything that might
have caused him uneasiDess at thoee
ti,nesw'
Well. ! did have sort OF idea that
he might "a brought home some money
and wns ufraid O. bein' robbed Of It.
Can yoN remember ever having seen
anyone about just oefore or after those
spells?''
Matthew'S was silent, deep In thought,
for moment. then he said:
Yes, do oremember somethtn rather
cdd. sir. Il was when Mr.. Wildly was
at the seashore in the summer, and mas-
ter was maxim me. sleep in his room
every night while he was gone. One
evenin' master told me hc was loolrin'
for . visitor to scs. him on important
buAinesa, and that / was to stay beck
here till he Deft.r f
Ibid you see the man r.
NYes. sir. 1 opened the door when he