The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1900-05-18

ming along one side. Two long chairs
and table furnished it. Inside, the
center room served as sitting room, with
a, bed and bathroom opening off 1t. It
also was meagerlv furnished with ia
ble' two chairs, and a smaller side table,
wherein had laid Alistair's camera. At
the far end, the roem opened on to the
inatey>s vcranda and servants premises,
anu so almost on to the river bank. AS
l sat l could see through the omen door
way, across the house, the steady flow
OF the yellow water and the mud banks
on the far side.
an Silence; W.: y;t And apparent rel s9 Pitt e.
my long chair, the feeling began to grow
upon me that was not alone. The con-
seriousness that someone was behind me
made me sit up suddenly and turn round,
out there was no one.
Inc level rays of the sun were shining
directly, into the sitting room us l went
down the steps. Suddenly, through the
stiffness, heard faint click behind me-,
and then little noise, like that of a
plate falling into the well of a caren1a.
| turned sharply, but there WIS no one
IN the room, and the kodak lay where l
had put it.
Again from the inner room came the
fa'nt click, as Of a released shutter; again
the rattle of changing plate I stared
- - ~ Il iioihtIls anu tHeH as real
ized what it meant cold, chilly fear
took hold Of me and my hair began to
lift. e'
Supper over, 1 shut myself into the
bathroom. and put a red shade over the
night light: With a somewhat unsteady
hand l unlocked the camera. There, in
in the changing, we'll lay two! | laid the
first in the developing dish and feverishly
awaited results. Slowly, slowly-it
seemed an age to me-the Dlate began to
d9arken, and the high lights came up.
rlrst' the faint outline of the verantla,
then' dlmly, the table and long chair
had been standing. \ face that
shadows. My God! The face of Police,
with his arm appraised over the sleeper.
and curved Afghan blade in his hand.
1hen' and only then, did the meaning
OF tne picture flash upon me. Alistair
had been murdered in that very bunga-
With a haste born of fear | set to
WORK to develop the sacred plate
Slower it came up, till at last I recoy-
nlzed the familiar banks of the muddy
river r,ver. as they could be seen from the
bungalow ll Every ripple came out dis
ninety under the low, light of the setting
sun. and on the broad breast Of the slow
moving yellow water there floated, half
submerged, with vulture circling above
ia something-someth with the
lace OF Alistair, and there, in these two
plates, the tragedy of his death Law like
an open book before me.
Mir Khan had lied. Grahame had nnt
up at this bungalow. he had been MR.
dered there, and his body thrown to th,,
river. ~ XIV
"A All my nervous fears had vanished.
Ny one thought was, as carefully
washed the plates that. at last, we
should be able to bring the murderer to
justice, and yet-would these plates b.
evidence IN court Of law? True, thev
were faithful likenesses Of the two mon
put who had taken the photographs, and
now was l to account for their presence
IN my camera?
But even as turned the matter over
III my mind. a tiny breeze came IN tIh.
river. 1t loosencd the latchet Of the
o.; shutter and swung it omen.
Then it freshed and swung it close
again. Before had time to put out NV
hand, the heavy corner caught the blatcss
that were drying on the ledge. There WAS
a little crash, and then-all that rr-
NAMED named to me of the proof of lNlistair
Grahme's: murder was-a tiny bean Of
broken glass.-Philadelphia Press.