Omaha daily bee., 1899-03-05

! added, as Mr.. Fenton moved. abel. here,
will see that I am given admittance''
SHOW me your credentials said the
coroner. He did so. They seem all right,
and you should be n man who understands
his business. Go alone, II you prefer, but
bring your conclusions here. They may need
some correcting"
ooh, l will return" Knapp nonchalantly
remarked, and went out. having made any
thing but a favorable impression upon the
assembled gentlemen.
Il wish we had shown more grit and tried
to handle his thing ourselves" observed
Mr.. Fonton. Il cannot bear to think of that
cold, blcodless creature lowering over our
beloved Agatha"
Il wonder at Carson. why should he
send us such a man? Could he not see the
matter demanded extraordinary skill and
judgment?'
90, this fellow may have skill. But he
Is so unpleasant. hate to deal with folks
of such nsh-like characteristics. But who
is this?' he asked, as a gentle tap was heard
on the door. why, it's Lotion. What can
no want here?"
The man whose presence In the doorway
had called out this exclamation started at
the sound of the doctors heavy voice and
came very hesitatingly forward. He was of
a weak. irritable type, and seemed to be in a
state of great excitement.
81 beg pardon" said he, "for showing
myself. l don't like to intrude into such
company, but l have something to tell you
which may be of use, sirs, though 1t isn't
any great thing, either"
Something about the murder which has
taken place?' asked the coroner, in a milder
tone. He knew Lotion we'll, and realized the
advisability of encouragement in his case.
THE murder! o, l wouldn't presume to
say anything about the murder. In not
the man to stir up any such subject as that.
It's about the money-or some money-moTe
money than usually falls into my till. lit
was rather queer, sirs, and l have felt the
hutter of it all day. Shall tell you about
it? 1t happened last night, late last night,
sirs, so late that / was in bed with my wife,
and had been snoring, she said, four hours"
what money? New money? Crisp, fresh
bills. Lotion % eagerly questioned Mr.. Fenton.
Lotion, who was the keeper Of a small
confectionery and bakery store on one of
the side streets leading up the hill, shifted
uneasily between his two interrogators, and
finally addressed himself to the coroner:
ut was new money. l thought it felt so
at night. but | was sure of it in the morning.
A brand new bill, sir, a But that isn't
the queerest part. | was asleep, sir, sound
asleep, and dreaming of my counting days;
for 1 asked Sally at the circus, sirs, and
the band playing on the hill made me think
of it, when / was suddenly shook awake
by Sally herself, who says she hadn't slept
a wink for listening to the music and wishin'
she was a girl agin. There's a man at the
shop door, cries she. He's a calm OF you
to go and see what he wants. I was mad at
being Weakened. Dreamin' is pleasant, spe-
| ,ta1I,r ,.h,,, n "a Dr1 liGCin' GOT roiNnH
up in 1t, but duty is duty, and so into the
snop | stumbled, swearing a bit perhaps.
for hadn't stopped for a light and 1t was
as dark as double shutters could make 1t.
The hammering had become deafening. No
let up till l reached the door, when 1t sud-
denly ceased.
"'What is ito l cried. Who's there and
what do you want?'
"a trembling voice answered me. Let
me in it said, L want to buy something to
eat. For Gods sake, open the door,
81 don't know why I obeyed, for It was
late, and l did not know the voice, but
something in the impatient rafting Of the
door which accompanied the words affected
me in spite of myself, and l slowly opened
my shop to this midnight customer.
"'You must be hungry 1 began. But
the person who had crowded in as soon as
the opening was large enough wouldn't let
me finish.
Bread! 1 want bread, or crackers, or
anything that you can find easiest, he
gasped, like a man who had been running.
Here's money and he poked into my hand
a bill so stiff it ratified. It's more than
enough he fastened to say, as I hesitated
over it, but never mind that; I'll come for
the change in the morning
"'Who are you?' l cried. You're not
Blind Willy, I'm sure
But his only answer was 'Bread!' while
he leaned so hard against the counter 1 felt
it shake.
Il could not stand that cry OF 'Bread!' 30
l CROPPED about in the dark and found him a
stale loaf, which I put into his arms, with
a short There, now tell me what your name
is
'But at this he seemed to shrink into
himself, and muttering something that
might pass for thanks he stumbled toward
the door and rushed hastily out. Running
after him l listened eagerly to his steps.
They went up the hill"
"And the money? What about the
money!" asked the coroner. Didn't he
come back for the changer"
"No. / put it in the till, thinking it a
dollar bill. But when 4 came to look at it
in the morning it was a twenty; yes, sirs,
a twenty"
This was startling. The coroner and the
constable looked at each other before look
ing again at him.
"And where is that bill now?" asked
the former. Have you brought 1t with
you?"
81 have, sir. It's been in and out of
the till twenty times today. l haven't known
what to do with it. Isdon't like to think
wrong of anybody, but when l heard that
Mrs. Webb God bless herr was murdered
last night for money, / couldn't rest for the
weight of this thing on my conscience.
Here's the bill, sir. / wish I had let the old
man rap on my door till morning before l
had taken it from him"
They did not share this feeling. A distinct
and valuable clew seemed to be afforded
them by the fresh crisp bill they saw in his
hand. Silently DR.. Talbot took it, while
Mr.. Fenton, with a shrewd look, asked:
"What reasons have you for calling this
mysterious customer old? I thought 1t was
so dark you could not see him."
The man, who looked relieved since he had
rid himself of the bill, eyed the constable
in some perpleXity.
Il didn't see a feature of his face" said
he, "and yet I'm sure he was old. / never
thought of him as being anything else"