The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1898-03-10
From Clue to Climax.
BY wit y. HARDIN.
CHAPTER Nv.
,o0psr'shs 1900. by , 3 liupIneou Col

otht1
Hearing the voices of the undertakes
and his men in Strong's room. he en-
tered il. The men looked up from the
coffin at him. and Hodson. the under
taker, bowed and said good morning as
Warrcnton approached and looked at
the dead mans face.
I've never seen anything like that
smile. colonel" said Hodson. 'aBd I've
been in this business over 30 years. 1t
was all l could do tcget my men TO go
TO work when they first saw him. We
tried to close his eyes; but the lids are
as stiff as whalebone."
The colonel shuddered at the coarse
ness Of the mans words.
How do you explain the smile?' he
asked.
II can't explain it at ALL" answered
the undertaken. Il don't think such a
thing ever happened before"
Warrenton bent over the coffin for
a moment. 1T seems to me to be u
genuine smile. unmixed with any SEN
sation of pain. or even surprise"
"He was laughing. colonel, If ever a
man laughed in his life. l amt par
ticularly superstitious. | nee un-
screwed a box and let a man out that
had passed for dead &c hours. / was
alone with it at midnight. You can bet
that gave me a shock; but, frankly. I'd
hate to spend a night with this one"
WILDLY slept in that room. didn't
he" asked the lawyer. glancing indif-
ferently towards the portiere.
sfVnc cir l,,t tln p1toatfnpc n 20 thrf
the deed wa done very quietly. Per-
haps Mr.. Wildly was drugged."
Hodson turned to give some orders
10 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 portiere and the bed. Its back was
towards him. w arrenton listened.
Hodson was still talking to his men, and
the colonel could neal them using their
tack-hammers. Quickly and stealthily
he stepped TO the chair and turned its
back to 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 10 draw the halter around
his neck" thought the lawyer. II hope
itescaped that detectives eye" He had
just replaced the chair. when the por-
there was drawn back and Hodson
looked in.
Il beg pardon, colonel, but Capt.
Welsh akcd me to allow no one to come
in here. | thought you went into. the
hall"
II was just wondering how WILDLY
could have slept so soundly unless he
wal drugged." said the colonel. II
would not nave come in If l had thought
it was forbidden. WILDLY ond | are so
intimate. you know, I feel as if ] were
at home here"
"Oh. no harm done" said the under
taker. as he held the curtain aside for
Warrenton TO pass out.
The colonel went into the hall and
turned into the parlor. Here he looked
about aimlessly for n moment. and then.
seeing an open door which led to the
servants rooms in the rear. he passed
ont.
III a little room adjoining the kitchen
he found Matthews.
II want to see you. Matthew'S" said
the colonel. II want to ask you some
questions. Mr.. WILDLY is so excited
and upset that / don't wish to disturb
him. and yet l must get some light on
this subject"
II don't know much about it. sir
replied the gardener. I've told all I
know TO the jury"
The colonel sat down or a window-sill
and lighted a cigar.
You can trust me. you know. Mat
thews. | am an old friend of the fam
ily."
"Oh. | know thar. sir. well enough"
you have been in Mr.. Strong's serv-
ice a long time. Matthews. and you may
row remember some things that you
did not thinls of when you were testi-
flying. For instance. have you any rec
election of ever having seen anything
which might tend to show that Mr..
Strong had an enemy?"
Matthews stared ut the lawyer for
a moment in silence and then sat down
on a chair and folded his hands nervous
Iy over his knees.
II can't say ! have, colonel" he said:
land yet-well. you know, my master
was IA very excitable, suspicious sort of
a man."
Il never knew that"
"Well, he was, SIR. He used TO have
spells of it. sir-spells | call 'em. He
didn't seem able to sleep well at times.
He has once in awhile had me sleep ON
the floor Mt the foot of his bed"
"Ah! Is that 500
Not often, sir. but perhaps twice "a
year. or thereabouts."
DO you recall anything that might
have caused him uneasiness at those
times?"
'Wel, l did have a sort of idea that
he might ~ brought home some money
and was afraid o. bein' robbed of IT,"
'.Can you remember ever having seen
anyone about just before or after those
spells?"
Matthews was silent, deep in thought,
for a moment, then he said:
Eyes, lido remember somethin' rather
odd, sir. 1t was when Mr.. WILDLY was
at the seashore in the summer, and mas
ter was maxim me sleep in his o
every night while he was gone. One
evenin' master told me he was lookin'
for a visitor to see him on important
business, and that | was to stay back
here till he left"
An