Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1900-02-17
result was that Susan Ellen had not

finished the windows.
"But it was so warm" she wound
up with another burst of tears. SCI did
not think It would matter to leave out
one sash, and meant to clean it an0
put it in today"
l understood now why it was that
Cousin Susan was so powerfully af
fected by the death of a great uncls
whom she had never seen till yester
day. She thought if she had not left
out that window sash the murderer
could not have gained entrance.
Aunt Samyra employed the finest de-
tectiVes to clear up the mystery, but ii
remained mystery still.
"Alicia," said my aunt about six
months after the murder "what is
your theory on this subject?"
81 have none," answered, unless
1t was case Of suicide"
Impossible" she calculated.
What sort Of mood was he in when
he babe you good nightY
Every bright and cheerful"
How long was it after lie left. you
uelOfe you FellfeQ!
81 hadn't retired at all. but was pu,
ting up my hair in curl papers when ,
heard the pistol SHOT and went afte,
you"
'"Then you heard the report of III
pistol shortly after he babe you guoN
night?''
II did,
'And you say he was in a bright
cheerful frame Of mind?"s
Yes: he went off with "A laugh about
being in the top story, saying he 10ultt
get a better view Of the comet. whicl;
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 n
the beginning
But one thing had been borne in up
on my mind very forcibly Of late, AMI
that was the change in Susan Ellen
Ever since that memorable night SE'
had been different girl and Sryule,
only the shadow of her former self
attributed this state Of things 20 -
morbid. OverSpnSitive'c conscience W|r!rl
would persist in attaching great hIam.
to herself for having left OUT t!af VIE
dow sash. One phase Of her character
however. was at loss to acroun
for. and that was the sudden and uu
accountable aversion she had taken IT,
Aunt YSamyra's poor old yellow cat.
L.,
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 it 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 aimIess
way
Susan Ellen had invited me to spend
a 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 it was that she took such a sud
den and unaccountable aversion to that
poor animal
at is something l have often want.
ed to tell you," she answered, but
somehow always shrank from doing so.
At first was afraid, and afterward
Just kept putting it off because l knew
ought to have told it at first. You
remember the night Uncle Ralph was
killed. 500, zsy4y
" Certainly do"
swell, that evening went to con- J
cert with Mr. Wentworth. We got
home about 1920 and stood talking at
the front gate few minutes, he mean
while calling my attention to the COM
1t. felt guilty standing at the gate,
FOR, Aunt Samyra had often told me not
70 do so, and involuntarily glanced
;oward the house, expecting to see her !;
1oking her head out Of the window
ooking at me. Instead two curious
objects in Uncle Ralph's window
caught my eye
'You remember it was such bright
that one could see very dis.
inctly. You remember also about my
washing the windows. The bottom
sash was in. but hoisted on a piece Of
broom handle so as to take the place Of
he top sash, leaving the bottom Of the
window open.
snow, then, on the window sill,
Walking backward and forward, look
ne at the comet. too. l suppose was