Omaha daily bee., 1899-04-02

half minute, during which her smile was
a study if it was so cold and in such start
ling contrast to the vivid glances she threw
everywhere except behind her on the land
ing where Frederick stood listening to her
every word.
1--WE are very much interested" remarked
Mr.. Courtney. pray, go on
Drawing her left hand from the balus-
trade where it had rested, she looked at
one of her fingers with an odd backward
gesture.
Il will" she said. and her tone was hard
and threatening. Five minutes, no longer,
passed, when was startled by loud and
terrible cry from the house, and looking
up at the second story window, from which
the sound proceeded, / saw a woman's fig
ure standing out in a seemingly pulseless
condition. Too terrified to move, l clung
trembling to the tree, hearing and not hear
ing the shouts and laughter of a dozen or
more men, who at that minute passed by
the corner on their way to the wharves 1
was dazed, / was choking, and only came
to myself, when, sooner or later, do not
know how soon or how late, a fresh horror
happened The woman whom l had jus,
seen fall almost from the window was a
serving woman but when ! heard another
scream i knew that the mistress of the
house was being attacked, and riveting my
eyes on those windows, l beheld the shade
OF one of them thrown back and hand ap-
pear, finging out something which fen in
the grass on the opposite side of the lawn.
Then the shade fell again, and hearing
nothing further, ! ran to where the object
flung out had fallen, and feeling for ii,
found and picked up an old fashioned dag
ger, dripping with blood. Horriied beyond
all expression, dropped the weapon and
drew back, trembling, into my former place
of cOncealment.
But l was not satisfied to remain there.
A curiosity, a determination even, to SEQ
the man who had committed this dastardly
deed, attacked me with such force that !
was induced to leave my hiding place and
even to enter the house where in all prob
ability he was counting the gains he had
just obtained at the price Of such precious
blood The door, which he had not per-
fectly closed behind him, seemed to invite
me in, and before i had realized my own
temerty | was standing in the hall OF this
ill-fated house"
The interest, which up to this moment
had been breathless, now expressed itself
in hurried CALCULATIONS and broken words;
and Mr.. Sutherland, who had listened like
tone which proved that he for the moment,
at least, believed this. more than i'm
probable tale.
"Then you can tell US If Philemon was in
the little room at the moment when you
entered the house?'
As every one there present realized the
importance Of this question, a general move
ment took place and each and all drew
nearer as she met their eyes and answered
placdly:
Eyes; Mr., Webb was sitting in chair
asleep. He was the only person ] saw"
"O l know he never committed this
crime" Fasped his old friend, in a relief
so great that he and all seemed to share it.
Now have courage for the rest. Go on,
Miss Page"
But Miss Page paused again to look at
her finger, and give that sideways toss to
her head that seemed so unCalled for by
the situation to any who did not know of
the compact between herself and the listen
ing man below.
she; for when | saw the candles burning
on the table, and the husband of the woman
above sitting there in unconscious apathy,
felt something rise in my throat that made
me deathly sick for a moment. Then went
right in where he was, and was about to
shake his arm and wake him when l de-
tected a spot Of blood on my finger from
the dagger | had handled, That gave me
another turn, and led me 10 wipe off my
finger on his sleeve"
"Its pity you did not wipe off your
slippers, too" murmured Sweetwater.
Again she looked at him, again her eyes
opened in terror upon the face OF this man,
once so plain and insignificant in her eyes,
but now so filled with menace she inwardly
quaked before it, for all her apparent
scorn.
Slippers" she murmured.
"Did not your feet pass through the
blood in the grass, as well as your hands,"
She did not answer. She held him, pos
sbly, in too much scorn.
Il have accounted for the blood on my
hand" she said, not looking at him, but at
Mr. Courtney. III there is any on my slip
pers it can be accounted for in the same
way" And she rapidly renewed her mar
ratiye, 81 had no sooner made my little
finger clean-I never thought OF any one
suspecting the old gentleman-when
heard steps on the stairs and knew that the
murderer was coming down, and in another