The Natchitoches enterprise., 1900-05-03

as OF SCATTERING glass, heavy rail- an
q then pistol shot, all at once.
Then Aunt Samyra raped on til
floor and called to me in excited tone
B through the keyhole:
q "Alicia Dean! Alicia Dean! Get vi
and dress, quick! There are burglar
up stairsw
4 Fortunately was already dressed
having sat up later than usual tina
night, waiting for my roommate, Su
Il san Ellen, to come back from the con
cert.
So opened the door at once, and as
did SO Susan Ellen almost ran into
my arms, looking white and scared
and almost ready to drop.
Aunt Samyra appeared moment
later. her hair done up in curl pa.
pers, armed with lighted candle, a
revolver and poker.
got possession of the revolver I'm
mediately; not that expected to do
any more good with it than she could,
but hoped to do less harm.
Susan Ellen" said l In a stage whis-
per, did you see anything of the rob-
bers as you came-inY'
But Susan Ellen seemed so paralyzed
with fear that she was incapable Of
answering and simply chung to my left
arm like frightened child, shaking
from head to foot
"NOw, girls, follow me, and don't
speak a wordI' commanded Aunt
Samyra, ascending the stairway, pro-
tected by her helmet of curl papers, as
1t were, and with the candle in one
hand and the poker in the other.
We followed at safe distance, and
I confided to Susan Ellen on the way
that the pistol shot seemed to have
come from Uncle Ralph's room, and
was afraid the robbers had hurt him,
or he would have come to our rescue
in this time
She opened her mouth to answer,
but her teeth chartered so that she
could not.
We now saw that Aunt Samyra had
stepped In front of Uncle Ralph's door
and was making Intellectual attempts
to rouse him.
BY accident had the key Of my
room in my hand. having unconscious !
ly taken 1t out after opening the door
to Aunt Samyra. This key now ap-
piled to Uncle Ralph's lock. The door
opened readily, and Aunt Samyra STEP
ped in, but sprang back instantly with
cry Of horror, for Uncle Ralph lay
on the floor under the window with a
pistol beside him.
1t did not take me many minutes to
decide that he was dead with q bullet
through his heart.
After becoming convinced Of this
fact all my nerve left me- While gaz-
ing vacantly about with dazed eyes,
vaguely conscious that Aunt Samyra
was sobbing and that the cobk, who
had just come on the scene, was; ut
tering Mortified calculations, felt
some one pull my sleeve. 1t was Su-
san Ellen.
take me away" she said. "Its
chilly up here"
1T Is chilly" I answered, drawing
her arm through mine.
Then l noticed that strong gale
was sweeping through the room and
that the upper sash of the window was Il
out,
'TookF said. "No wonder we are
,oldr'
But she paid no attention.
After / had put Susan Ellen to bed I
md managed to get her warm and
Iuiet with the assistance of smelling !
alts and glass Of wine went back I
lp stairs. I
/ had already decided In my own t
mind that Uncle Ralph had been MUIR
Tered by burglar, but the first glance q
ound the room seemed to dlsprove this I
heory. for on the dressing case lay e
he watch and the purse of the MUIR 4
cred man. Nor, after thorough
earch, could find even pin missing. b
OF course we had n coroner's inquest, 0
nd this developed the fact, which we d
lready knew, that Ralph Morton had
Jet his death at the hands OF a party s.
+ parties unknown" g
When the verdict had been rendered. Il
returned to the scene Of the murder b
nd made another investigation. I'm. d
en- the window discovered some bits Of
{ broken glass. On examining the al
rindow Itself not only found that
be upper sash was out. but that one
ane Of glass In the lower was miss "
lg. AS failed to draw any conclu. ca
lon from these circumstances went "a
ack to Susan Ellen and asked IL she
the murderer had carried of
1e upper window sash.
She burst out crying hysterically. Is
nd for long time could get no an gC
wer out of her at all. But 1t trans Ia
lred at last that when Aunt Samyra
ad been appraised Of Uncle Ralph's be
nexpectcd visit the day before she Pl
I'D sent Susan Ellen up stairs TO get
Is room ready. Susan Ellen. think =.
IL she bad plenty Of time before his =
rival 70 clean the windows, took out y
le snshcs-thev were old fashioned Z, e
order to wash them. -
But t'pcip Raiph roi in two hours -
head cf tire iiav'ng come on an =.
arlicr tran t!san hn rvn~cted Thu =
suit was that Susan Ellen had no,
lished the windows n,
"But II was SO warm" she wound u.l
? with another burst Of tears. II did ~
II think II would matter to leave out al
re sash. and meant to clean it and
1t 1t In today"
] understood now why 1t was that ms
nf1Qin Gucon xvas 90 ,.-.,xo-e..ls-. -