Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1898-04-07
From Clue to Climax.
BY WILL N. HARBEN.
copyright 1896, by J, B, Lippincott Col
CHAPTER ".


When Warrenton left WILDLY he
went downstairs. He knew the room
where WILDLY had slept the previous
night, but he found the door closed and
locked.
Hearing the voices of the undertaken
and his men in Strong's room, he en-
tered it. The men looked up from the
coffin at him, and Hodson, the under
talier, bowed and said good morning as
Warrenton approached and looked at
the dead mans face.
1--WE never seen anything like that
smile, colonel" said Hodson, "and I've
been in this business over 20 years. 1t
was all l could do to get my men to go
to work when they first saw him. We
tried to close his eyes; but the lids arc
as stiff as whalebonc."
The colonel shuddcred at the coarse
ness of the mans words.
How do you explain the smile?" he
asked
81 can't explain it at ALL" answered
the undertaken. 81 don't think such a
thing ever happened before"
Warrenton bent over the coffin for
a moment. at seems to me to be a
genuine smile, unmixed with any SEN
sation of pain, or even surprise"
"IIe was laughing, colonel, if ever a
man laughed in his life ] amt par
ticularly superstitious. once I'm.
screwed a box and let a man out that
had passed for dead 36 hours. l was
alone with it at midnight You can bet
that gave me a shock; but, frankly, I'd
hate TO spend night with this one"
WILDLY slept in that room, didn't
hep" asked the lawyer, glancing indif.
ferently towards the porticre.
Eyes, sir, but the indications are that
the deed was done very quietly. Per.
haps Mr. WILDLY was drugged."
Hodson 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 beer
put to rights. A chair stood between
the portierc and the bed. It's back was
towards him. w arrenton listened
= Hodson was still talking to his men, and
the colonel could hear them using Their
tacl-hammers. Quickly and stealthily
he stepped to the chair and turned its
back to the light from the window. HC
found what he feared was there-a faint
smear of blood just where WILDLY had
caught the chair with his right hand.
Enough to draw the halter around
his neck" thought the lawyer. 81 hope
It escaped that detectives eye" He haG
Just replaced the chair, when the por
there was drawn back and HodsoT
looked in.
81 beg pardon, colonel, but Capt
Welsh aked me to allow no one to come
in here. I thought you went into tn,
hall"
"I was Just wondering how WILDLY
could have slept so soundly unless h
was drugged," said the colonel. 90
would not have come I'm If / had though
IL was forbidden WILDLY and I are s,
intimate, you know, I feel as II I wert
at home here"
"Oh, no harm done" said the under
taker. as he held the curtain aside fo
Warrenton TO pass out.
The colonel went into the hall an,
turned into the parlor. Here he locke,
about aimlcsslv for moment, and then
seeing an open door which led 10 thl
scrvanta' rooms in the rear, he passe,
out.
Ina N,tle room adjoining the kitcher
De found Matthews.
"I waai 90 see YOU. Matthews" sal.
the col,aol II want 20 ask you SOM
questions. "r. Wildly is go cxcite'