Evening star., 1899-03-25

and brother he perhaps had not the cour-
age to ask for outright. But death had
been in the Webb cottage before him, which
awful circumstance, acting on his already
weakened nerves. drove him half insane
from the house and sent him wandering
~bindly about the streets for a good half
hour before he reappeared in his own house.
How do | know this? From very simple
fact. Abel here has been to inquire among
other things if Mr.. Crane remembers the
tune We were playing at the great house
when he came down the main street from
visiting old Widow Walker Fortunately ne
does, for the trip. trip. trip in it struck his
fancy, and he has found himself humming
it over more than once since.
We'll, that waltz played by us at
a quarter after midnight. which fixes the
time of The encounter at Mrs. Webbs gate
way pretty accurately. But, as you will
soon see, it was 12:J0 before James label
knocked at Lotions door. How do l know
this? By the same method of reasoning
by which 1 determined the time of Mr.
Cranes encounter. Mrs. Lotion was greatly
pleased with the music played that night
and had all her windows open in order to
hear it, and she says were playing
Money Musk when that knocking came
to disturb her Now, gentlemen, we played
Money Musk Just before we were called
out to supper. and as we went to supper
promptly at Lao, you can see just how my
calculation was made. Thirty-five minutes
then passed between the moment James
label was seen rushing from Mrs. Webbs
gateway and that in which he appeared at
Lotions bakery, demanding a loaf of bread
and offering in exchange one Of the bills
which had been stolen from the murdered
wOman's drawer. Thirty-five minutes! And
he and his brother We're starving. Does it
look, then, as if that money was in his
possession when he left Mrs. Webbs house?
W Ould any man W no felt the pangS of hum
ger as he did or who saw brother per-
ishing for food before his eyes, allow thir-
ty-hVe minutes to elapse before he made
use OF the money that rightfully or wrong
1ully mad come into his hand? No; and so
l say that he did not have it when Mr.
Crane met him. That, instead of commit
ting crime to obtain it. he found it in his
own home, lying on his own table, when
after his frenzied absence, he returned to
tell his dreadful news to the brother he
had left behind him. But how did it come
there? you ask. Gentlemen, remember the
footprints under the window Amabel
Page brought 1t. Having seen or perhaps
met TINS Old man roaming in or near the
WehD cottage during the time she was
there herself she conceived the plan of
thEpwins upon him the onus OF the crime
she had herself committed, and with
siyness to be expected from her. stole up
to his home, made a hole In the shade
hanging over an open window, looked
into the room where John sat, saw that
he was there alone and asleep and creep
ing in by the front door laid on the table
beside him the $40 bill and the bloody dag
Webb Then she stole out again, and in
twenty minutes more was leading the dance
again in Mr.. Sunderlands parlor."
We'll reasoned!' murmured Abel, expect
ing the others to echo him. But, though
MIR. Fenton and DIR. Talbot looked almost
convinced, they said nothing. while Knapp
or course, was quiet an oyster.
SWeetWater, with quiet smile calculated
to hide his disappointment went on as if
perfectly satisfied. Il
Meanwhile, John awakes2 sees the dag
ger and thinks to end his misery with it.
but hndS himself too feeble Il The cut in his
vest, the dent in the floor, prove this, but If
you call for further proof a little fact
which some, If not all. of you seem to have
overlooked, Will amply satisfy you that this
Open the Bible, Abel; omen II. not to shake
II ror what Will never fail out from between
It's leaves but to find in, the Bible itself the
ss n. l nave declared to you he wrote as a
dylng legacy with that tightly cIutched
pencil. Have you found them?'
NO" was AbePs perpIexed retort. T o.r-
margin" VI. .-' eai UT
Are those the only blank places in the
sacred book? Search the leaves devoted n
there?" what w Sou iiio
s.pp, Knapp, who was losing some of his indif.
tsIehce' orew nearer and read for himself
.he scraWi which now appeared to every
eye on the discolored page which Abel here
turned upDermost e
Almost illegible" he said. "ona 40, ,,,.
MAKE out these words: Forgive me. lanes
-trlea 70 use dagger-found Iying-but hand
woulon|dying without-don't grieye-true
men men haven't disgraced ourselves - God
bless That is ALL wv
Tho effort must have overcome bir, -
resumed Sweetwater in a voice from which
ne carefully excluded all signs of secret
uiunApu, ana when James returned. an he