Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-04-29
synopsis of Preceding Chapters

husband who for years has been growing
demented is discovered asleep at the din
table. \ trace of blood his sleeve
points to him the murderer. Agatha
Webb is known to but few us Il rich woman
Miss Page, the niece of Sutherland's house
keeper, persists in remaining about the
Webb premises, and discovers blood on the
grass. The money drawer is found to be
empty, and robbery is added to the mys-
terry. Frederick Sutherland, n wayward
youth, calls his father to witress his deter
mination to be a better man, and promises
not to marry Miss Page, by whom he has
been fascinated. Miss Page tells Frederick
that she followed him the night of the mur-
der and knew where he mad secreted a
thousand dollars. She gives him week to
decide whether to marry her be pro-
claimed as the murderer OF Agatha Webb
1t is learned that the money was in new
bills, and the keeper of a small store pro-
duces one that strange gave him
late the night of the murder for loaf Of
bread. A detective arrives from Boston and
reports. Simple case. Murdered for mon
ey. Find the man with the flowing beard"
suspicion falls upon one OF the label broth
ers. Frederick visits tie hollow tree The
money is gone Wattles. Boston gambler
arrives and demands $3.50 of Frederick In
payment of gambling debt. Frederick Sc
cures a check for the amount from his
father. The label brothers found dead
OF starvation, one OF them clutching the loaf
of bread, the other a blUOd-Stained knife
The Boston detective declares the mystery
solved, but young Sweetwater astonfshes the
company by chain of evidence point
ing to another perpetgator of the terrible
crime. This time AmaGel Page is srs-
pected. Sweetwiter finds the money where
he has Miss Page hide it. Miss Page
is confronted by the detectives and officers
and tells what she saw the night of the
murder. Frederick overhears the talking
and joins the group, and Miss Page tells
just enough that a later confession will
fmplicate Frederick ii he refuses to marry
her. On the following day occurs the
funeral of Agatha Webb. and late that night
Mr.. Sutherland discovers Frederick Weep
ing over her grave. On the way home he
learns of the death of Philemon. Agatha's
husband. Sweetwater suspects and follows
Frederick and is thus discovered by Mr.
Sutherland. Frederick places a package of
old letters into Agnes Halliday's hands and
his father seeks an explanation. Agatha
Webbs will Is opened, and by its terms Mr.
Sutherland is made executor and Frederick
sole heir Of a 800, 900 estate sweetwater
reasons that Frederick is the murderer but
because Mr.. Sutherland once saved his life
SWeetwdter is unwilling 10 betray his sls-
PIGEONS. In order to keep bis secret he plans
to leave home on the following morning.
Mrs. Sweetwater said afterward that she
never knew Caleb to talk so Cruuch and eat
50 little as he did that next morning at
Such plans as he detailed for
the murderer of Mrs Webb!
Such business for the day, So many people
to seei 1t made her quite dizzy, she said
And, indeed Sweetwater was more than
usually volrble that morning; perhaps be-
cause he could not bear his mothers salts
fled smile; and when he went out of the
house it was with a laugh and a CHEEKY
Goodbye, Mamsie," that was in striking
contrast to the irrepressible exclamation
Of grief which escaped him when the door
was closed between them. All, when should
he enter those four walls again, and when
should he see the old mother?
He proceeded Immediately to town. A
ship was preparing to sail that morning
for the Brazls and the wharves We're alive
with hustle. He stopped moment to con-
template the great hulk rising and falling
at her mOOr1ngS, then he passed on and en-
tered the building where ne had every
reason to expect to find DR.. Talbot and
Knapp in discussion. 1t was very inpor-
tant to him that morning to learn just how
they felt concerning the great matter All
sorbing him. for If suspicion was taking
the direction of Frederick, or If he saw 1t
was at all likely to do So then would his
struggle be cut short and all necessity for
ledVihg town be at an end. 1t was to save
ffederlck from this danger that he was
prepared to cut all the ties binding him to
TINS place. and nothing short of the pros
peek or accomplishing this would make
MN I'M, W1lhng to undergo such a sacrifice.
wen, e"eet"ater, any news, eh?' was
the half-jeering, notwithstanding greet
ing ne received from the coroner
o"eeC"ater, VINO had regained entire con-
!. VI oge rms Feelings as soon as he found
nllnsel1 under the eye of this man and the
supercilious detective he had attempted 10
rival, gave a careless sbrug and PASSED the
question on to Knapp Have Won anv
neWs?" he asked '
Knapp, who would probably not have ac-
hio"leugeu II II he had, smiled the indul-
gent smile OF a self-satisffed superior and
uttered a few eo1ivocaI sAntancas 1Tb;s
wdS gan ana Wormwood to SWeetwater, but
ne Kept MS temper admirably, and with an
ar oi DraVado, entirely assumed for the oc-
castor, said to Dr. Talbot:
Il think l shall have something tn tel,
you soon which will materially aid you in
your search Tor witnesses BY tomorrow at
least, / shall know whether / am right or
wrong IN thinking l have discovered an i'm
portant witness in quite an unexpected
quarter.
o"eet"ater knew Of no new witness but
II was necessary for him not only to have
a pretext for the move he contemplated,
pet 10 SO impress these men with the idea
ings that no suspicion should ever arise of
ms having escaped them through any pre-
incubation. He wished to appear the victim
OF accident, and this is why he took moth
ing from MS home which would betray any
intention on his part Of leaving it.
huh, 1ndeed!' said the coroner, some
what interested. And may 1 ask
Please, urged Sweetwater with a side
look at Knapp, do not ask me anything
JUST yet. This afternoon, say, after have
mad certain interview with-What, are
they setting sails on the Hesper already?
ne ourst out, with quick glance from the
WINDOW at the great ship riding at anchor
a. little distance from them in the harbor.
Ihere Is man on her must see. Ex-
cuse me, slrs. Oh, Mr. Sutherland!'
49,, rms time he fell back in real confusion.
fhat gentleman had just entered the room
IN company with Frederick.
Il beg your pardon" stammered Sweet
water, starting aside and losing on the
room.
Indeed, he had not the courage to do
so even If he had had the will. The joint
appearance of these two men in this place,
and at an hour SO far in advance of that
which usually saw Mr.. Sutherland enter the
town, was far too significant in his eyes for
MN TO Ignore 1t. Had any, explanation
taken place between them, and had Mr..
Sutherlands integrity triumphed over per-
Sonal considerations to the point of his
bringing Frederick here to confess?
: Meanwhile DR.. Talbot had risen with a