Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1900-11-28

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closeted with DIR. Talbot in the label
kitchen. Abel had rejoined them, and
Sweetwater was telling his story with
great earnestness and no little show Of
pride.
Gentlemen, when charge young
woman of respectable appearance and
connections with such revolving crime
as murder, do SO with good reason, as
hope presently to make plain to you.
Gentlemen, on the night and at the
hour Agatha Webb was killed, was
playing with four other musicians in
Mr.. Sutherland's hallway. From the
place where l sat could see what
went III in the parlor and also have a
clear view of the passageway leading
down to the garden door. As the
dancing was going on In the parlor
naturally looked that way most, and
this is how came to note the eager
ness with which during the first part
Of the evening Frederick Sutherland
and Amabel Page came together in the
Quadrilles and country dances. Some
times she spoke as she passed him and
sometimes he answered, but not al
ways, although he never failed to show
he was pleased with her or would have
been IL something-perhaps II was his
lack Of confidence in her, sirs-had not
stood in the way Of perfect under
standing. She seemed to notice he
did not always respond and after
awhile showed less inclination to speak
herself. though she did not fail to
watch him and that intently. But she
didn't watch him any more closely than
l did her. though little thought at the
time what would come Of my espion.
age. She wore a white dress and white
shoes and was as couuettish and seduc-
tive as the evil one makes them. Sud-
denly 1 missed her. She was in the
middle of the dance one minute and
entirely out of it the next.
Naturally l expected that she had
slipped aside with Frederick Suther-
land. but no. he was still in sight. but
looking so pale and 80 abstracted was
sure the young miss was up to some
sort of mischief. But what mischief?
Watching and waiting, but no longer
combining NV attention to the parlor.
/ presently espied her stealing alons
the nassapewav. have mentioned
carrying q long cloak which she rolled
up and hid behind the open door. Then
she came back. hummInr a gay little
song which didn't deceive me for a mo-
ment. .Goodr' thought /. she and
that cloak will soon 1oin company,
And thew did. Al we were playine the
Harebeli maxurka I again caught sight
| Of her stealthy white figure in that dis
| tant doorway. SEEKING the cloak, she
wrapped 1t round her. and with lust
one furtive look backward, seen, war
rant. by NO one but myself. she van
ished in the outside dark. Now to note
who follows herr thought I. But no
body followed her. This struck me as
strange. and having a natural love for
detective work. In spite of my devotion
to the arts. 1 consulted the clock at
the foot of the stairs. and noting that
1t was half past II. scribbled the hour
on the margin of my music, with the
intention Of seeing how long my lady
would linger outside alone. Gentle
men, 1t was two hours before saw her
| face again. How she got back into the
house / do not know. 1t was not by
the garden door. for nv eye seldom
left ii: vet at or near half past 1 I
heard her voice ON the stair above me
and saw her descend and melt into the
crowd as IL she had not been absent
from 1t for more than 1--WE minutes. A
half hour later saw her with Fred.
erick again. They were dancing, but
NOT with the same spirit az before. and
even while I watched them thew sep
arated. Now where was Miss Page
during those two long hours? think
I know and II ia time I unburdened
myself To the nolice.
"Rnt first i must inform YOU of a
ANAL discovery made while the
dance was still in progress. Miss Page
had come down stairs, a. have said,
from what now know to have been
her own room. Her dress was, In all
respects, the same as before, with one
exceptiun-her white slippers has been
Exchanged for blue ones. This seemed
to show that they had been rendered
unserviceable, or at least unsightly, by
the walk she had taken. This In itself
was not remarkable, nor would her pc.
culiar escapade have made more than
a temporary impression upon my
curiosity II she had not afterward
shown an unaccountable and extraor
binary interest in the murder which