The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-03-19
cHAPTFR XIV.

| doubt the weapon with which Agatha
Webb had been killed.
CHAPTER XIV.
"Gentl~men, we have reached thu
conclusion of this business sooner thai
[ expected" announced Knapp. IF yoJ
will give me just ten minutes l will en-
deavor to find that large remainder Of
money which we have every reason tt
think is hidden away in this house"
Stop a minute said the coroner
Let me see what book John is holding
so tightly. Why" he exclaimed, draw
ing it out and giving it one glance, ''it
is a Bible.''
Laying it reverently down he met the
detectives astonshed glance and seri
ously remarked:
There is some incongruity between
the presence of this book and the deed
we believed to have been performed
down yonder."
None al ALL quoth the detective "It
was not the man in the chair, but the
one on the floor, who made use of that
dagger. But wish you had left it tc
me to remove that book, SIR
you, and why? What difference
would it have nader"
81 would have noticed between what
like knowing the details, sir"
DR.. Fenton gaZed wistfully at the
book. He would like to have known
himself on what especial passage his
friends eyes had last rested.
Il will stand aside" said he, land
hear your report when you are done"
The detective had already begun his
Investigations.
Here is a spot of blood" said he.
%. Tho
one you call James. This connects him
indisputably with the crime in which
this dagger was used. No signs of vio-
lence on his body. She was the only
one to receive the blow. The rest was
the result of Gods providence
"Or mans neglect" muttered the
constable.
There is no money in any of their
pockets, or on either wasted figure,
the detective continued, after few
minutes of silent search. 1T must be
hidden in the room, or-look through
that Bible, sirs''
The coroner, glad of an opportunity
to do something, took up the book and
ran hurriedly through its leaves, then
turned it and shook it out over the
table. Nothing fell out; the bills must
be looked for elsewhere.
'"rhe furniture is scanty," Abel OBJ
served, with an inquiring glance about
him.
Very, very scanty," assented the
constable, still with that biting remorse
at his heart. There is nothing in this
cupboard remarked the detective
swinging open a door in the wall, but
a set of old china more or less nicked. :"
Abel started. An old recollection had
come up; some months ago he had
been present when James had tried to
sell this set. They were all in Warmers
store, and James Zabel-he could see
his easy attitude yet and hear the Off
hand tones with which he tried to carry
the thing off-had said, quite as if he
had never thought of it before, by the
by, have a set of china that came over
in the Mayf1ower. John likes it, but it's
grown to be an eyeSore to me, and if
any of you hear of any one wanting
such a thing send him up to the cot
tage. L will let the old thing go for a
song" Nobody answered, and James
had soon disappeared. 1t was the last
time, Abel remembered, that he had
been seen about town.
L can't stand it," cried the lad. II
can't stand it. IF they died of hunger I
must know it. I am going to take
look at their larder." And before any
one could stop him, he dashed to the
rear of the house.
The constable would like to have fol-
lowed him, but he looked about the
walls Of the room instead John and
James had been fond of pictures, and
had once INDUCED their fancy to the
verge of extravaganza, but there We're
no pictures on the walls now, nor was
there so much as a. candlestick on the
empty and dust-covered mantel. Only
on q bracket in one corner there was a
worthless trinket made out of cloves
and beads which had doubtless been
given them by some country damsel in
their young bachelor days. But nothing
Of any value anywhere, and Mr.. Fenton
felt that he now knew why they had
made so many visits to Boston at one
time, and why they always returned
with a thinner valise than they took
aN ay. He was still dwelling on the
thought of the depths of misery to
which highly respectable folks can sink
without the knowledge of the nearest
when Abel came back look
ng greatly troubled.
It's the saddest thing I ever heard
)f,' said he. These men must have
been driven wild by misery. This room
S sumptuous in comparison to the ones
1t the back: and as for the pantry,
here is not even scrap there a mouse
could eat. l struck a match and glanced
nto their flour barrel 1t looked as if it
lad been licked. | declare it makes a
elbow feel sick
The constable, with a shudder, with |
rev toward the door.
The atmosphere here is sitting"
aid he. Il must have breath of oEt-
Ioor air.
But he was not destined to any such
immediate relief. AS he moved down !
he hall the form of a man darkened
he doorway. and he heard an anxious |
dice eXclaim:
'Ah, Mr.. Fenton, is that you? l have |
ee-; looking for you everywhere"
1t was Sweetwater, the young man
Who had previously shown so much I
nXiety to be of service to the coroner.
Mr.. Fenton locked displeased.
And how come you to find me here?"
e asked
"Oh, some men saw you take this
oad and guessed the rest
"Oh, all, very good. And what do you
amt, SWeetWater?''
The young man, who was glowing
18th pride and all alive with enthu-
lasm which he had kept suppressed
0r hours, slipped up to the constable
nd Whispered III his ear: Il have made
discovery, sir. know you will excuse
ne presumption, but l couldn't bring
lyself to keep quiet and follow in that
Their fellows wake. had to make in
on my own account, and
nd stammering in his eagerness-
they have been successful. sir. l have
'und out who was the murderer of
gatha Webb
The constable, compassionating the
lsaDDointment in store for him, shook
is head with a solemn look toward the
pom from which he had just emerged.
You are late, Sweetwater." said he,
we have found him out ourselves, and
E lies inside there, dead
1t was dark in the narrow passage
ay, and Sweetwater's back was to the
oonlight, so that the blank look which
ust have crossed his face at this an
ouncement was lost upon the con-
able. But his CONSERVATION was evil
mt from the way he thrust OH either.