The Natchitoches enterprise., 1900-05-03

day. She thought il she had not lef
out that window sash the murdere
could not have gained entrance:
Aunt Samyra employed the finest de
tectives to clear up the mystery, but i
remained a mystery STILL
"Alicia," said my aunt about si1
months after the murder. what i!
your theory on this subjectY
81 have none," | answered, "unless
1t was a case Of suicide"
"Tmpcssiblew she calculated
"What sort of mood was he in wher
he babe you good nightY'
every bright and cheerful"
GLOW long was it after he left you
before you retired"
81 hadn't retired at ALL but was put.
ting up my hair in curl papers when
heard the pistol shot and went after
you"
"Then you heard the report Of the
| pistol shortly after he babe you good
night?
81 did"
"And you say he was in a bright.
cheerful frame of mindY
"Yes; he went off with laugh about
being In the top story, saying he could
get a better view Of the comet. which
was then attracting the attention of
every one, as he would be so much
nearer to it."
At the end Of this conversation was
as much in the dark as had been at
the beginning.
But one thing had been borne In up
on my mind very forcibly of late. and
that was the change in Susan Ellen.
Ever since that memorable night she
had been a different girl and seemed
only the shadow of her former self.
! attributed this state of things to a
morbid. oversensitive conscience which
would persist in attaching great blame
to herself for having left out that win
dow sash. One phase OF her character,
however. | was at loss to account
for, and that was the sudden and IN
accountable aversion she had taken to
Aunt Samyra's poor old yellow cat
Formerly. remembered, she had
been the cats greatest champion and
many time had shared meal with
pussy, but now she actually shivered
If the animal happened to brush
against her.
But 1t was many years before | dis
covered the cause of that aversion.
Aunt Samyra was dead: pussy had
died and been buried by me with many
tears under the cypress tree in the
back yard; Susan Ellen had married
Mr.. Wentworth, the young man who
had been her escort to the concert the
night Of Uncle Ralph's death; the old
home had been broken up. and | was
drifting about the world in an aimless
way.
Susan Ellen had invited me to spend
week with her, and as her husband .
was away on business we had ample
opportunity for the exchange Of long
about old times.
One night as we sat by the fire the !
subject happened to turn on Aunt
Samyra's old yellow cat | asked her
why II was that she took such a sud {
len and unaccountable aversion to that
Door animal. }
1T is something have often want :,
ID to tell you," she answered, "but ;,
somehow always shrank from doing so.
1t first ] was afraid, and afterward
ust kept putting it OFF because | knew
ought to have told 1t at first. You p
the night Uncle Ralph was 7
.iIIed? u
II certainly do" :
well, that evening went to a con- ;,
ert with Mr.. Wentworth. We got O.
ONE about 1870 and stood talking at
ne front gate few minutes. he mean Il
nile calling my attention to the COM al
felt guilty standing mt the gate,
or Aunt Samyra had often told me not
do SO, and invOluntarily l glanced :,
ward the house, expecting to see her Fl
oking her head out of the window, 81
oking at me. Instead two curious th
)Jects In Uncle Ralph's window ii,
lught my eye. hl
You remember It was such n bright
oonlight that one could see very dis.
nctly. You remember also about myl
ASKING the windows. The bottom pI
sh was In, but hoisted on d piece of m
Dom handle so as to take the place of wi
e top sash, leaving the bottom of the. be
indow open.
Now. then, on the window sill.
hiking backward and forward. look
at the comet. too, suppose. was IRA
int Samyra's old yellow cat. whilei IL
lcle Ralph, with his head boked out ~ ~
I'm the window, was also regarding sn,
> comet wifi rapt intentness. he
My first feeling was one of guilty Thu
may. He was looking at the comet an
W, to be sure, but If he were TO
nee In my direction and then to tell e&'
mt Samyra! 90
While hcsitated what to do pussy ~. .n'
yan rubbing herself against the piece =
broom handle that held up the win pr,
". The broom handle, I am afraid. ant
been put up in very sIanting, in on
ure fashion. realized this in a in
II as noticed Uncle Ralph's pistol
lR on the window sill. And | had
ely realized 1t when the broom ham
slipped. the window came down !
the pistol, and you heard the shot W
know the rest" =
he paused and took a deep breath. i
And now | want to know which for,
responsible for the murder. the rec
or the comet?"-C Chicago Times rat
raid. pas
- wit
E~oY., trIC
don't see how fhn dnfopdop4 49,