Evening star., 1899-03-18

served Abel. What if We find them gone
to bed?'
I'VE will wake them said the constable
Il cannot go back without being myself as
sured that no more money like that given
to Lotion remains in this house"
Very WE'LL remarked Knapp, and going
up to the door before him, he struck re-
sounding knock that was startling in that
place of silence.
But loud as the summons was it brought
no answer. Not only the moonlighted door,
but the little windows on each side of 1t
remained shut, and there was evidence
that the knock had been heard.
"Zabel, John Zabel!" shouted the con-
stable, stepping around the side of the
house. Get up, my good friends, and let
an old crony in James! John! Late as it
is, we have business with you. Open the
door; don't stop to Dress
But this appeal received no more recogni-
tion than the first, and after rapping on
the window against which he had flung the
words he came back and looked UP and
down the front of the house.
1t had a solitary aspect and was much
less comfortable looking than he had ex-
pected. Indeed, there were signs of power
that astOnished him. Not only had the
weeds been allowed to grow over the door
step, but from the unpainted front itself
bits of board had rotted away, leaving
great gaps about the window lodges and at
the base of the sunken and well nigh top
pling chimney. The moon flooding the roof
showed up all these tmperfections with pitt
less insistence, and the torn edges of the
green paper shades that half concealed the
rooms within were plainly to be seen, as
well the disInantled knocker which hung
by one nail to the old cracked door. The
vision of Knapp with his ear laid against
this door added to the forlorn and sinister
aspect OF the scene and gave to the con-
stable, who remembered the brothers in
their palmy days when they We're the life
and pride of the town, a by no means
agreeable sensation as he advanced toward
the detective and asked him what they
should do now.
Break down the door" was the uncom-
promising reply. "Or, wait, The windows
of country houses are seldom fastened; let
me see if 1 cannot enter by some one of
them"
! Better not" said the coroner. with con-
siderable feeling. Let us exhaust all other
means first" And he took hold of the knob
of the door to shake it, when to his sur
prise 1t turned and the door opened. 1t had
not been locked.
Rather taken aback by this, he hesitated
But Knapp showed no such scruples
Without waiting for any mans permission
ne ghded in and stepped cautiously but
without any delay into room the door of
which stood wide open before him. The
constable was about to follow when he saw
Knapp come stumbling back with a face
whittier than his own.
"'Devilish work. he muttered and drew
| the others in to see
Never will any of them forget that sight
| They had not as yet recovered any more
, than the mass of their townsfolk, from the
| shock of seeing Agatha Webb lying in her
| blood on the old horsehair sofa But this
| this was so unexpected and so deplorable
| that, hardy men though they were, they
/ succumbed without being able to resist the
| oVerpowering impression made upon them.
On the floor near the entrance lay one
| brother, in a streak of moonlight which
showed every feature of his worn and life
less face, and at a table drawn up in the
| center OF the room sat the other, rigid in
death, with book clutched in his hand
Both had been dead some time and on
tne races and in the aspect of either was
visible misery that added its own gloom
| 10 the pitiable and gruesome scene, and
| made the shining of the great white moon.
"hlcn hiied every corner of the bare room,
seem mockery well nigh uncomfortable to
| those who contemplated 1t. John. dead in
his chair! James, dead on the floor. What
could be sadder, and what more piteous?
Knapp, who of them all would naturally
! teei this least, was. of course the person
\ to speak first.
| this one on the floor was doubtless Lotion 8
| customer Ahi'' he cried, pointing at the
| table, as he carefully crossed the floor.
Here Is the bread, and" Even he had
his moments Of feeling. The appearance
| of that loaf had stunned him; one corner
| of 1t had been gnawed on.
"A light. let us have q jght.' cried Mr.
Fenton. speaking for the first time since
his entrance. These moonbeams are hor-
| rible. see, how they cling to the bodies as
| il they delighted in lighting up these
| wasted and shrunken FORMS"
Gould IL have been hunger?" began Abel
trenfblingly following Knapp's every move-
| ment as he struck a match and lit a Ian
tern which he had brought In his pocket.
God help US all, IL it VAST said Fenton.