Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1900-11-28

woman issuing from the front gate.
She had just been making herself con-
spicuous by pointing out trail Of
blood on the grass plot. DR.. Talbot,
who was there, will remember how she
looked on that occasion, but I doubt
If he noticed how Abel here looked, or
so much as remarked the faded flower
the silly boy had stuck in his button
hole"
II did not" calculated the coroner.
"Yet that flower has very important
bearing on this case. He had found
1t, as he will tell you, on the floor near
Batsy's skirts, and as soon as saw 1t
In his coat, bade him take 1t out and
keep it, for, gentlemen, 1t was very
uncommon flower. the like Of which
can only be found in this town in Mr..
Sutherland's conservatory. remember
seeing such one In Miss Pages hair,
early in the evening. Have you that
flower about you, Abel?"
Abel had, and being filed with i'm
portance, too showed 1t to the doctor
and to Mr.. Fenton. 1t was withered
and faded in hue, but 1t was unmis-
takably an orchid of the rares. de-
scription.
at was lying near Batsy," explained
Abel. 81 drew Mr.. Fenton's attention
to 1t ut the time, but he scarcely no.
ticed It"
~ will make up for my Indifference
now" said that gentleman.
II should have been shown that dow
err" put in Knapp.
$50 you should" acknowledged
sweetwater, "but when the detective
instinct is aroused 1t is hard for .
man to be just to his rivals. Besides,
was otherwise occupied. had Mise
Page to watch. Happily for me. It
had been decided that she should not
be allowed to leave town till after the
inquest, and so my task became easy.
This whole day l have spent in sight
of Mr.. Sutherland's house. and ut
nightfall l was rewarded by detecting
her end prolonged walk in the gar
den by hurried dash into the woods
opposite. followed her and noted
carefully all that she did. AS she had
just seen Frederick Sutherland and
Miss Holiday disappear up the road
together, she probably felt free to do
as she liked. for she walked very d.
rectly to the old tree we have Just
come from and, kneeling down beside
it, pulled from the hole underneath
something which ratified in her hand
with that peculiar sound we associate
with fresh bank notes. had approach.
ed her us near as dared and was peer
ing around a tree trunk when she
stopped down again and plunged both
hands into the hole. She remained in
this position SO long that did not
know what to make Of it. But she
rose at last and turned toward home,
laughing to herself in q wicked but
pleased way that did not tend to make
me think any more of her. The moon
was shining very brightly by this time,
and could readily perceive every de
tail of her person. She held her hands
out before her and. shook them more
than once as she trod by me, 30 was
sure there was nothing in them, and
this is why / was so confident we
should find the money still in the hole.
when saw her enter the house. l
set out to find you, but the courthouse
room was empty, and it was long
time before learned where to look for
you. But at last fellow ut Brighton's
corner said he saw four men 60 by on
their way to labels cottage. and on
the chance of finding you among them
1 turned down here. The shock you
gave me in announcing that you had
discovered the murderer Of Agatha
Webb knocked me over for the mo-
ment, but now hope you realize, as
do, that he could never have had an &C.
tive hand In her death notwithstand-
ing the fact that one of the stolen bills
has been found to have been In that
wretched mans possession. for and
here is my great point-tne proof is not
wanting that Miss Page visited this
house as well as Mrs. Webb's during
her famous escapade. or at least stood
under the window beneath which l
have Just been searching. A footprint
can be seen there, sirs. a very plain
footprint, and If DR.. Talbot will take
the trouble to compare it with the slip.
per be holds in his hand he will find II
to have been made by the foot that
wore that slipper"
1 The coroner, with a quick glance
from the slipper in his hand up to
sweetwater's eager face, showed de
cided disposition to make the expert
ment thus suggested, but Mr.. Fenton
whose mind was Gull of the label trag
edy, Interrupted them with the ques
ton:
But how do you explain BY this by
pothesis the fact Of James label trying
to pass one of the 500 bills stolen from
Mrs. Webb's cupboard? Do you con
slider Miss Page generous enough t.
give him that money!"
"You ask me that, Mr.. Fenton? d.
you wish to know what think of thu
connection between these two grea
tragedies"
Eyes: you have earned voice in THU
matter. Speak, Sweetwater."
! well, then. think Miss Page ha!
made an effort to throw the blame O.