The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1898-03-11
mentioned it to you. but he told me you
had given your consent to Hendricks
being employed"
CHAPTER Y.

tensive grounds. 1t was in the suburbs
of the city. and at the end of one of the
electric car lines.
When the mayor went home that
afternoon. about six o'clock, he found
his family sitting on the front veranda
waiting for his return. The group con-
sisted of his son Marion, q young man
just of age. his married daughter.
Lillian, her husband, Fred Walters, AMI
Mrs. Roundtree.
Talking about the murder, know"
said the mayor, as he came up the
steps.
eve are concerned about your offer
ing that reward, DEAR" Mrs. Round
tree replied. IF had been downtown
l should have begged you not to do it.
The murderer is evidently of unsound
mind, and the reward may direct his
attention to you. You know he says
Mammals only nervous" interrupted
Lillian. 'She hasn't talked of thing
al! day except the isolation of our house
and how easy it would be for creature
of that kind to make us his Victims
"Pshaw! that's all nonsense" ex-
claimed the mayor, taking the seat va
Gated for him by his son, who had
thrown himself into hammock. BE
sides, the reward may be the means of
putting the man under lock and key"
81 wish it had been the duty of some
one else to offer it" replied Mrs. Round
tree, plaintively. "Why. dear, he was
near enough to have killed you when he
put that note into your pocket
He is not that sort of criminal" said
Lillian. to the surprise of the others.
'He will never kill anyone in open day
hight on the street, where he might be
seen. AS the murderer says in his let
tiers. the secret lies in that smile on Mr..
Strong's face. DR.. Kramer saw the
body. and he said this afternoon that he
had never heard of anyone being killed
with just such facial expression. 1t
is my opinion that you'll have to go
deep into psychical phenomena to get
at the mystery
flush, Lillian; 1 don't like to hear you
talk that way" said Mrs. Roundtree.
II have never approved of your reading
the books you read"
You object to my reading anything
which is really new and progressive"
said the young wife, pettishly. 1.-The
world would stand still if we did not
study the new sciences-if we did not
''It seems to me, sister," remarked
Marion, that you have talked more
about the murder than anyone else
Since we have been out here, I have
noticed that mother has changed the
subject three times, but some remark of
yours has always brought the converse
ton back to it,
Brother, you know that is deliber-
ate-it is not true" Lillian retorted,
angrily.
II must say thought so too, dear" in
terposed Fred Walters. Don't you re-
member mother said something about
the services at church tonight? Well,
before anyone had time to reply you
began talking again about whether it
could be proved that WILDLY had not
been out of the house to distribute the
notes."
Lillian seemed to forget her anger in
her interest in the subject. She rose
and stood in the doorway. "As far
as that is concerned" she said, with
animation, "Whidby could have had an
accomplish. TWAS strangely dramatic
thing the way he called up the police
at the telephone and remained with the
corpse till they came, not even allowing
the servant to enter. If he is guilty, he
is at least original. In these days of
masculine stupidity it would be pity
to execute an original man. never
could see why murderers should be such
short-sighted fools. I read the other
day of man who shot another down
and went to the Jail pretending to be
insane to escape punishment. How
much more effective would it have been
if he had Systematically pretended TO
be insane a month or SO before he COM
mitted the deed!-I mean if he had
done little things which would scarce
~ cause remark at the time, but which,
coupled with the crime afterwards,
would have pointed conclusively to in
sanity. If wanted to drown myself in
the river, and did not want anyone to
think it was done Intentionally. I
would first do n great many things to
make it look as if had never dreamed
of such a thing. I would make engage
ments. leave things unfinished, as if
] intended to return to them the next
moment. and"
"Oh, hush, my child" interrupted
Mrs. Roundtree. What can make You
say such things? 1 have never heard
you talk so peculiarly"
Everything is peculiar to mamma"
tho GIRL coId!v loIchcfi s,s she turned