The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-06-28

as stands for death. When you turn
up the ace of spades you know it's time
| to order your coffin"
Rubbish" said Gebb. "Humbug,'
| roafed the inspector; and they both
shrugged their shoulders to show their
| contempt for such superstition.
| Mrs. Presk shook her head gloomily.
Talk won't alter the matter" she
| said. pointing TO the card. There's
the death toten and there's the corpse;
what do you make of that?"
Il make this" said Gebb dryly,
that the murderer must be person
of Imagination
"He ought to be shot, the black
guard" growled Lakeland. play acting
with corpse. l wonder what they
were fooling with cards for? Looks
like madman's work TO me. What
do you say, Gebb?"
Gebb said nothing at the moment. He
was examining the dead woman, who
was arrayed with unusual splendor.
quite in keeping with the room, yet too
richly for the front parlor of a fifth
rate lodging house.
Miss Ligram's body was that OF an
old woman close upon so years of age.
with a wrinkled face and a profusion
of silvery white hair turned back in
the style of Marie Antoinette. 1t was
dressed In an old-fashioned dinner
dress Of white silk, trimmed with valu-
able lace, and this ycs designed so as
TO show the lean neck and bony arms OF
the wearer. Anything more incongru-
Gus than that poor clay clothed in such
costly garments can scarcely be imag-
ined. 1t seemed to accentuate the
grimness Of the crime. almost to elevate
a sordid murder to the level OF TRACE
dy.
did Miss Ligram usually dress like
this?" asked Gebb, turning to Mrs.
Presk
Every EVENING"" replied the land
'acy promptly.
"Sne must have been eccentric." was
Gebb's comment on this reply.
VERY eccentric, sir. l don't think she
was quite right" And the land
lady tapped her head significantly.
"A Crazy Jane?" questioned Lack
land.
"she was and she wasn't, answered
Mrs. Presk enigmatically: "She wasn't
mad enough TO be shut up, but she act
ed in queerer way than most people.
Look at this room. and all its lights;
every night IL was the same. She
usually dlned off chop and potatoes.
yet she dressed In silk and lace TO eat
them. And" Thus far Mrs. Presk
with her eyes on the corpse had pro-
ceeded volubly. when suddenly-still
stopped and her jaw dropped. Notion
less as a stone image she stood look
ing and then with an ejaculation she
ran out Of the room. The detective and
the inspector looked at her vanishing
form, looked at the corpse. looked at
each other. and failed to understand
her action.
What the devil does that mean?"
said Gebb with surly amazement.
"Only the devil knows" retorted
Lakeland. grimly; but II that jade Is
hiding anything of importance the
sooner we get II out OF her the better.
You're n BIT OF a lawyer. Gebb. so I'll
bring back Mrs. Presk. and you'll ex-
anime herl"
mo" said Gebb. OBTAINING his friend:
''let her go now, I'll get the truth out
of her tomorrow"
by George, you will. will your"
grumbed Lakeland. annoyed that his
advice was not taken; land what IL you
don't get charge of the case7'
"Ill grin and bear II. I supposed" re-
torted the other: but I'll work my
hardest 10 he given the handling OF
this affair. for 1t strikes me that 1t will