Omaha daily bee., 1899-02-19

4.arH anu NAAAE AAAEANAs SFWAaa AaaAa a. .
Amos Fenton. The constable
All. Mr. SUTHERLAND said he. sad bust
ness, a very sad business, But what little
girl have you there"
This is Miss Page. ny housekeepers
niece. she would come. InQuisitiveness.
the cause. 90 not approve Of st."
Miss Page must remain on the doorstep.
We allow no one inside except yourself. Do
be said, respectfully. in recognition OF the
fact that nothing 81 importance was ever
undertaken in Sutherlandtown without the
presence OF Mr.. sutherland.
Miss Page curtsied, looking so bewitch-
Ing in the fresh. morning light that the
( tough old constable scratched his chin in
rrudEing admiration. But he did not re-
! consider his determination. Seeing this.
she accepted her defeat gracefully, and
moved aside to where the bushes offered
her more or less protection from the curl
osity Of those about her. Meanwhile Mr.
Sutherland had stepped into the house.
he found himself in a small bail with a
staircase in front and open door at the left
On the threshold Of this open door a man
stood, who at the sight Of hin dofed his
hat. Passing by this man, Mr.. Suther-
land entered the room beyond. A table
spread with eatables met his view, beside
which. in an attitude which struck him al
the moment as peculiar, sat Philemon
Webb. the well known master Of the house.
Astonished at seeing his old friend in
this room and in such a position, be was
about to address him, when Mr.. Fenton
stopped him.
Wait" said be. Take a look al poor
Philemon before you disturb him. He was
sitting just as you see him when we broke
into the house a half hour ago, and We
have let him he for reasons you can easily
appreciate. Examine him closely. MIR.
Sutherland; be won't notice it"
But what ais him? Why does be sit
crouched against the table? Is he hurt,
too
NO; look at his eyes
Mr.. Sutherland stopped and pushed aside
the long gray locks that halt concealed the
countenanee Of his aged friend.
Why. he cried. startled, they are
closed! He isn't dead?"
NO, he is asleep"
Asleep"
Yes. He was asleep when We came in
and be is asleep yet Some Of the ~neighbors
wanted to wake him, but I would not let
them. His wits are not strong enough TO
bear a sudden shock"
No. no, poor Philemon! But that he
should sit sleeping here while she-but
what DO these bottles mean and this parade
"a S@ERNA 80 k-N ~ s-@- 'N@~ - -
cust0med TO eat in"
We don't know. II has not been eaten,
you see. He has swallowed q glass Of port,
but that is ALI The other glasses have had
no wine in them, nor have the viCtuals been
touched"
Seats ser for three and only one occu-
pied" murmured Mr.. Sutherland. Strange!
Could he have expected guests
1t looks like it I didn't know that his
wife allowed him such privileges; but she
was always too good to him, and I fear has
paid for it with her life"
"Nonsense, he never killed her. Had
his love been anything short Of the worship
it was, he stood in too much awe OF her
to lift his hand against her, even in his
most demented moments"
Il don't trust men Of uncertain wits, re-
turned the other. You have not noticed
everything that is TO be seen in this room"
Mr.. Sutherland, recalled TO his duty by
these words. looked quickly about him.
With the exception of the table and what
was on and by it there was nothing else in
the room. Naturally his glance returned
to Philemon Webb.
u don't see anything but this poor sleep
ing man" he began.
Look at his sleeve"
Mr.. Sutherland, with a start, again bent
down. The arm Of his old friend lay crooked
upon the table. and on it's blue cotton sleeve
there was a smear which might have been
wine. but which was-blood-
AS Mr.. Sutherland became assured Of this
he turned slightly pale and looked inquir-
ingly al the TWO men who were i~ntently
watching him.
This is bad" said he. Amy other marks
of blood below stairs?'
NO; that one smear is all"
sn Dks1a-1-F - h.u- Er1- NJ n-hz-1ar NJ
in deep emotion. Then as he looked long
and shudderingFy at his friend, he added
slowly:
He has been in the room where she was
killed; so much is evident. But that he
understood what was done there I cannot
believe, or he would not be sleeping here
like a log. Come. ret Us go upstairs
Fenton. with an aimoni1ory gesture TO-
ward his subordinate, turned directly toward
the staircase. Mr.. Sutherland followed him.
and they a. once proceeded 10 the upper hall
and into the large front room, which had
been the scene Of the tragedy.
It was the parlor or sitting room Of this
small and unpretentious house. A rag car
pet covered the floor and the furniture was
Of the plainest kind. but the woman who lay
outstretched on the stiff old-fashiored
lounge opposite the door was far from be-
ing in accord 9TH the homely type Of her
surroundings. Though the victim OF a vio-
lent death, her face and form, both Of q
beauty seldom to be found among women Of
any station, were so majestic in their calm
repose, that Mr.. Sutherland, accustomed as
he wes 70 her noble appearance, experienced
q shock of surprise that found vent in these
words
Murdered she? You have made some
mistake, ny friends. Look al her face"
But even in the act Of saying this his
eyes fell on The blood which had dyed her
cotton dress and he cried;
Where was she struck and where is the
weapon which made this ghastly wound 30
SHE was struck while standing or sit
ting at this table, /" returned the constable.
pointing 10 two or three drops Of blood or its
smooth surface. The weapon we have not
found, but the wound shows that it was
inflicted by a three-sided dagger
"A three-sided dagger"
Yes"
Il didn't know there was such q thing
in town. Philemon could have had no dag
ger"
1t does not seem so, but one can never
tell. Simple cottages like these often con-
tain the most unIooked-for articles"
Mr.. Sutherland thought Ct VIVA; this cot
tage did contain. and scrutinized the con-
stable closely. But the latter showed no
discomposure.
I cannon imagine A dagger being among