Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-09-27
THE PYRWHIT CASE.

PyrWhit himself was a very ordinary
country gentleman, a good fellow, but in
no way brilliant. He was devoted to his
wife, who was 10 years younger than him.
self and remarkably beautiful. She was
quite a good woman, but she had her
faults. She was FOND of admiration, and
she was an abominable flirt. She misled
men very cleverly, and was then sincerely
angry with them for having been misled.
Her husband never troubled his head about
these %firtations, being assured quite truly
she was Il good woman He was not jealous.
She, on the other hand, Yves possessed of a
jealousy amounting almost to insanity.
This might have caused trouble II he had
ever provided her with the slightest basis
on which her Jealousy could work, but he
never did. With the exception Of his wife
women bored him. l believe she did once
or twice try to make a scene for some pre-
posterous reason which was no reason at
all, but nothing serious came Of 1t, and
there was never q real quarrel between
them.
On the death Of his wife, after q pro-
ionged illness, Pyrwhit wrote and asked
me to come down to Ellerdon for the fu-
neral and to remain at least a few days
with him. He would be quite alone, and
he urged me. I hate attending funerals,
but l was his Oldest friend, and l was,
moreover, q distant relative of his wife
/ had no choice and l went down.
There were many visitors in the house
for the funeral, which took place In the
village churchyard, but they left imme-
diately afterward. The air Of heavy gloom
which had hung over the house seemed to
lift q little. The servants-servants are
always very emotional-continued to break
down at intervals, noticeably Pyrwhit's
man, Williams, but Pyrwhit himself was
self possessed. He spoke Of his wife with
great affection and regret, but still he
could speak Of her and not u~nsteadily.
At dinner he also spoke Of one or two
other subjects, of politics and Of his duties
as a magistrate, and Of course he made the
requisite fuss about his gratitude to me
for coming down to Ellerdon at that time.
After dinner we sat in the library, a room
well and extensively furnished, but with
out the least attempt at taste. There were
a few oil paintings Oh the walls-a presen-
tation portrait of himself and a landscape
or two-all more OF less bad as far as l re-
member. He had eaten next to nothing
at dinner, but he had drunk a good deal.
The wine, however, did not seem to have
the least effect upon him. l had got the
conversation definitely off the subject Of
his wife when l made a blunder. l noticed
an Erichsen's extension standing on his
writing table. l said:
II didn't know that telephones had pen.
etrated into the villages yet"
Eyes," he said, II believe they are COM
mon enough now. l had that one fitted
up during my wife's illness to communi-
cate with her bedroom ON the floor above
us on the other side Of the house"
At that moment the bell of the telephone
rang sharply.
with the stupid affection Of calmness one
always puts on when II is a little bit
frightened:
"Probably a servant in that room wishes
to speak to you.'
He got up, walked over to the machine
and swung the green cord toward me.
The end Of 1t was loose.
II had 1t disconnected this morning
he said; "also the door of that room IL
looked and no one can possibly be in It,"
He had turned the color of gray blotting
paper. So probably had l.
The bell rang again-a prolonged, rat
Ting ring.
Are you going to answer it9" I said.
II am not" he answered firmly.
"Then," 7 said, 81 shall answer it my
self. 1t Is some stupid trick-a joke not
in the best of taste, for which you will
probably have to sack one or other Of your
servants"
my servants" he answered, would
not have done that. Besides, don't you sec
it Is impossibleS The instrument is dis
connected"
1.-The bell rang all the same. I shall try
It,"
I picked up the receiver.
"Are you therel" l called.
The voice which answered me was u
mistakably tho rather high staccato voice
of Mrs. Pyrwhit.
II want you," It said, ''to tell my hus-
band that he will be with me tomorrow"
l still listened. Nothing more was said.
l repeated, Are you there?" and still
there was no answer.
/ turned to Pyrwhit.
"There Is no one there" l said. "Pos-
sibly there is thunder in the air affecting
the bell in some mysterious way. There
must be some simple explanation, and III
find it all out tomorrow"
He went to bed early that night. All
the following day l was with him. We
rode together, and I expected an accident
every minute, but nom happened. All tho
evening l expected him to turn suddenly
faint and i'll, but that also did not happen.
When, at about 10 o'clock, he excused
himself and said GOOD night l felt dis
tinctly relieved. He went up to his room
and rang for Williams.
That night Pyrwhit was murdered by
his man Williams.
The rest is of course well known. The
mans reason had broken down, possibly
the immediate cause being the<death Of
Mrs. Pyrwhit. On entering his masters
room without the least hesitation he raised
a loaded revolver which he carried In his