Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1900-03-15
result was that Susan Ellen had not

AOAANt 1AA4e9 " CACN1s ultCoG
1t was case of suicide"
"Impossibler' she calculated.
''What sort of mood was he in when
he bade you good night?'
every bright and cheerful"
"How 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"
'sThen you heard the report of the
pistol shortly after he bade you good
night?"
81 did"
"And you say he was in a bright,
cheerful frame of mind?"
"Yes; he went off with laugh about
being in the top story, saying he could
get 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 conscie nee which
would y,orefof IN "a +4a chine rrroot hIo ~,
to herself for having left out that win.
dow sash. One phase Of her character
however, was at a loss to account
for, and that was the sudden and un-
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 a meal with
pussy. but now she actually shlvered
if the animal happened to brush
against her.
But it was many years before dis
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 ole
home had been broken up. and l was
drifting about the world in an aimless
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
condolences about old times.
One night as we sat by the fire the
subject happened to turn on Aunt
Samyra's old yellow cat. asked hei
why it was that she took such a sud
den and unaccountable aversion to that
poor animal.
'It is something have often want
ed to tell you," she answered, "bui
somehow always shrank from doing so
At first l was afraid, and afterward
just kept putting it off because knew
/ ought to have told it at first You
remember the night Uncle Ralph was
killedT
81 certainly do"
"Well, that evening ! went to con
cert with Mr. Wentworth We goi
home about 1920 and stood talking al
the front gate few minutes. lie ineaa
while calling my attention to the com
ct. / felt guilty standing at the gate
for Aunt Samyra had often told me noi
to do so, and involuntariIy ! glancet
toward the house, expecting to see hel
poking her head out of the window
looking at me. Instead two euriou.
objects in Uncle Ralph's window
caught my eye.
s'You remember it was such a bright
moonlight that one could see very dis
tinctly. You remember also about my
washing the windows. The bottom
sash was in, but hoisted on a piece oil
broom handle so as to take the place Of
the top sash, leaving the bottom of ths
window open.
''Now, then, on the window sill
walking backward and forward, look
ing at the comet, too, suppose. was
Aunt Samyra's old yellow cat, while
OuN1E Win nCdu DOhcO Ou
from the window, was also regarding
the comet with rapt intentness.
tMy first feeling was one of guilty
dismay. He was looking at the Gomez
now. to be sure. but If he were IL
glance In my direction and then to tel
Aunt Samyral
"WhiIe ! hesitated what to do pussy
began rubbing herself against the piece
of broom handle that held up the win
dow. The broom handle. | am afraid
had been put mp in very slanting. in
secure fashion | realized this in 8
flash as noticed Uncle Ralph's pisto
lying on the window sill And | had
barely realized it when the broom han
die slipped. the window came dowr
on the pistol. and you beard the shot
and know the rest
She paused and took a deep breath.
"And now | want to know which
was responsible for the murder. the
cat or the comet? ?"-Chicago Times
Herald