Hopkinsville Kentuckian., 1900-02-27
The Cat Or the Comet
7lN1IS 9le'1IS 1lS a. ~ SaIIii7IS 'lI.''l


fall and then pistol shot, all at once.
Then Aunt Samyra raped on the
door and called 70 me in excited tones
'Aahrough the keyhole
"Alicia Dean! Alicia Dean! Get up
md dress, quick There are burglars
upstairsl"
fortunately was already dressed,
having sat up later than usual that
night waiting for my roommate, SUI
san Ellen, to come back from the con-
cert.
SO j opened the door at once, and as
/ did so Susan Ellen almost ran into
my arms, looking white and scared and
almost ready to drop.
Aunt Samyra appeared a moment
later, her hair done up in curl papers,
armed with lighted candle, revolver
and a poker.
/ got possession of the revolver inn
mediately; not that expected to do
any more good with it than she could,
but hoped to do less harm.
Susan Ellen" said ], in stage whis-
per, did you see anything Of the rob-
bers as you came in?"
But Susan Ellen seemed so paralyzed
with fear that she was incapable Of an
swering, and simply clung TO my left
arm like frightened child, shaking
from head to foot.
''Now, girls, follow me, and don't
speak world" commanded Aunt Sa-
myra, ascending the stairway, protect
ed by her helmet of curl-pspers, as it
were, and with the candle in one hand
and the poker in the other.
We followed at a safe distance, and
I confded to Susan Ellen on the way
that the pistol shot seemed to have
come from Uncle Ralph's room, and 1
was afraid the robbers had hurt him, or
he would have come TO our rescue in
this time.
IA She opened her mouth TO answer, but
her teeth chartered so that she could
not.
We NOW saw that Aunt Samyra had
stepped in front Of Uncle Ralph's door
and was making Intellectual attempts
to rouse him.
BY accident 1 had the key of my room
ln my hand, having unconsciously
taken II out after opening the door TO
Aunt samyra. This key now applied
to Uncle Ralph's lock. The door opened
readily, and Aunt samyra stepped in,
but sprang back instantly with cry
OF horrors for Uncle Ralph lay on the
foOp under the window, with pistol
beside him.
II did not take me many minutes to
decide that he was dead, with bullet
through his heart
After becoming convinced Of that
fact, all my nerves left me. While gaz-
ing vacantly about with dazed eyes,
vaguely conscious that Aunt Samyra
was sobbing, and that the cook, who
had Just come on the scene, was utter
ing horrifed calculations, felt some
Que pull my sleeve. 1t was Susan
Ellen.
"Take me away" she said; "it's chilly
up here"
1T Is chilly" answered, drawing
her arm through mine.
Then I noticed that strong gale
was sweeping through the room, and
that tha-upper sash of the window was
out.
"Lookl" I said. No wonder we are
coldl"
But she paid no attention.
After had put Susan Ellen to bed
and managed to get her warm and
quiet with the assistance of smelling
salts and glass of wine. went back
upstairs.
I had already decided In my own
mind that Uncle Ralph had been muir
dered by burglar, but the first glance
round the room seemed to disprove
this theory, for on the dressing case
lay the watch and the purse of the
murdered man. Nor, after thorough
search, could find even pin missing.
OF course we had coroner's in
quest, and this developed the fact,
(which we already knew that Ralph
Morton had met his death at the hands
of a party or parties unknown"
When the verdict had been rendered
I returned to the scene of the murder
and made another investigation. Un-
der the window 1 discovered some bits
Of broken glass. On examining the
the upper sash was out, but that one
pane Of glass in the lower was miss
ing As failed to draw any conclu-
sion from these circumstances, went
tack to Susan Ellen and asked if she
opposed the murderer had carried off
the upper window sash.
She burst out crying Historically.
end for long time l could get no an
swer out of her at all. But it trans
pired, at last that when Aunt Samyra
had been apprised OF Uncle Ralph's
unexpected visit the day before she
had sent Susan Ellen upstairs to get
his roop ready. Susan Ellen, think
ing shehad plenty of time before has
arrival to clean the windows, took out
Tho sashes-they were old-fashioned
windows-in order to wash them.
But Uncle Ralph got in two hours
ahead Of time having como on an
earlier train than no expected. The