Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1899-08-31

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claring wildly that his wife had been
murdered - which had, indeed,
proved to be the case. There lay the
lady, stone dead, knife beside her
on the bed-one of the hotel knives,
my host explained in an injured voice
and her husband nearly mad with
grief and horror. But the strange
thing was that, though the knife lay
there, no sign was visible of its having
been used. The poor lady had evi.
IDENTIFY been suffocated. The hus-
band, who had slept in the room next
to his wife's said that the door be-
tween their rooms had been open all
night, but he swore he had heard no
sound. How the murderer had come,
where he had vanished to, and above
all, why he had murdered the poor,
innocent lady, remained profound
mysteries.
"Do you mean that the murderer is
still at large?" I asked the hotel
keeper.
He nodded.
"Well, could identify him any
where" said, sharply.
The man looked at me keenly.
"You saw, sir-you saw?" he STAN
mered.
81 saw the whole thing, from be-
ginning to end, in that internal glass, {"
I replied; "the whole CHASTITY per.
formance. Has no one ever seen it
before?"
Mine host crossed himself rapidly.
'It has been seen BEFORE" he an.
swered; "but no one has ever seen it
all. The lighted glass-yes-and a
lady, the lady IN the bed-and man
who enters. But, then-no one has
ever dared to stay to face all the hor-
ror through. No one ever saw the
mans face. They have all tainted or
run away-or what not. You saw his
face, sir?" he ended, incredulously.
'As plainly as see yours" L said.
eff ever L see it in real life L will let
you know"
We movod our room that night, on
some plea L gave my wife-I forget
now what it was-and few days
later we left the place, and I must
confess, honestly, was not sorry to
CO.
But fate works strangely sometimes.
Six months later, my wife was con-
valescent after a severe illness, and
the doctors insisted on my taking her
to this very place again. I suggested
many other localities. But, no; there
she must go, and nowhere else. So,
back we went, and found it very
charming, even in winter; stepped in
sunshine, fresh and sweet, with clear,
dry air and deep-blue sky.
We had been there a week, and my
wife and were sitting at our small
table in the great dining-room waiting
for lunch, when the door behind us
opened and someone came in.
"Oh, what hateful-looking manr
my wife exclaimed, and 1 saw her
shudder. glanced around, and, by
Jovel L shuddered myself, for, walk
ing down that dining-room, with
brazen, jaunty air, was the very man
whom had seen in the glass murder
ing the poor lady. Without a word,
bolted out of the room and breath
lessly rushed to the bureau, where the
master of the house looked at me as if
l were lunatic.
'"Ihe man is herep I said as soon
as [ could speak.
"What man?" he asked bewildered.
"The man who murdered the lady
in that room where the glass is.
Come quickly; 1 will show him to
you"
think he still thought me mad,
but he reluctantly followed me to the
dining-room door, and L pointed eau
tiously down the long room to a table
at the other end, where the gentle.
man in question was placidly begin
ming his soup.
"There," said; 'there he is, sit.
ting at the tablet"
"But, no, sir, nor' gasped my COM
panion; ''you are mistaken. 1t is
impossible; that is the lady's husband.
He comes here every year to lay
flowers on her grave"
ooh, does he?" [ answered, saw
agely; "then the more devil hel That
is the man who murdered her. /
swear i'll"