Evening star., 1899-03-25
PEERING AROUND A TREE TRUNK.

lowed this intrusion. which. I am quite
ready to acknowledge, was a trif1e presump-
tuous, L should have held my peace in re-
gard to it; but ] did make a discovery
there which has, as l believe, an important
bearing this affair." / have forced myself
to mention it. The lights in the house hav
ing been left burning, l had no difficulty in
hnding her apartment. l knew it by the
folderols scattered about. But 1 did not
stop to look at them. l was on search for
her slippers, and presently l came upon
them. thrust behind an old picture in the
dimmest corner of the room. Taking them
down, | examined them closely. They were
not only soiled, gentlemen, but dreadfully
cut ana rubbed. In short, they We're ruined ::
and, thinking that the young lady herself
would be glad to be rid of them, I quietly
put them into my pocket and carried them
to my own home. Abel has Just been for
them. so you can see them for yourselves
and, if your Judgment comedies with mine.
you Will discover something more on them
than mud"
DIR. Talbot, though he stared a little at
the young mans confessed theft took the
slippers Abel was holding out and carefully
turned them over. They We're. as Sweet
water had said grievously torn and soied
and showed, beside several deep earth
stains, mark or two of a bright red color
quite unmistaka BILE in character.
Blood declared the coroner. There is
no doubt about it. Miss Page was where
blood was spilled last night
nave dnOtner proof against her ~
SWeetwatar went ON, in full enjoyment of
his prominence among these men who, up
Till now, had barely recognized his exist
ence. When full of the suspicion that Miss
Page had had a hand in the murder of Mrs
Webb, i haStened down to the scene of the
tragedy. L met this young woman issuing
from the front gate. She had just been
making herself conspicuous by pointing out
a trail of blood on the grass plot. Dr. Tai
bot, who was there will remember how she
1g h1lf t,f ba
noticed how Abel here looked, or SO much
as remarked the faded flower the silly boy
had stuck in his button hole
= me, if l did," calculated the coroner
Yet that flower has a very important
bearing on this case He had found it. as
hs will tell you, on the floor near Batsys
skirts. and as soon AS | saw it in his coat
bade him take it out and keep it, for, gen
tiemen, 1t was a very uncommon flower
the like of which can only be found in this
town in Mr.. Sutherland's conservatory l
remember seeing such a one in Miss Pages
hair, early in the evening Have you that
Hover about you, Abel?'
Abel had. and being filled with import
aEce, too, showed it to the doctor and to
Mr.. Fenton. 1t was withered and faded in
hue, but it was Enthusiastically an orc hid of
the rarest description.
1T was lying near Batsy." explained
Abel. Il drew Mr.. Fenton's attention to it
at the time. but he scarcely noticed it,"
will make up for my indifference now"
Sdiu tnal gentleman.
Il should have been shown that flowar"
put in Knapp.
so you should" acknowledged Sweet
water, but when the detective instinct ia
aroused it is hard for a man to be Just to
his rivals: besides, l was otherwise occu-
pied. l had Miss Page to watch HappiIy
for me it had been decided that she should
not be allowed to leave town till after the
inquest, and so my task became easy. This
Hhoie day L have spent in sight of Mr..
Sutherland's house, and at nightfall l was
rewarded by detecting her end prolonged
walk In the garden by hurried dash into
the woods opposite. 1 followed her and
noted carefully all that she did AS she
had just seen Frederick Sutherland and
Miss Halliday disappear up the road to-
gether, she probably felt free to do as she
liked for she walked very directly to the
OLD tree We have Just come. and kneeling
down beside 1t. pulled from thu hole under
meath something which ratified in her hand
with that peculiar sound We associate with
fresh banknotes. 1 had approached her as
near as dared and was peering around
tree trunk, when she stopped down again
and plunged both hands into the hole She
remained in this position so long that did
not know what to make of 1t. But she rose
at last and turned toward home laughing
10 herself In wicked but pleased way that
did not tend to make ms think any more of
her. The moon was shining very brightly
By this time. and / could readily perceive
every detail of her person. Shs held her
hands out before hsr and shook them more
than once as she trod by me, so was sure
there was nothing in them and this Is why
L was so confident we should find the
money still in the hole
When I saw her enter the house, / set
out to find you, but the court house room
was empty, and it was a long time before
I learned where to look for you. But at
last fellow at Brighton's corner said he
saw four men go by on their way to Zabers