El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-05-12
THE CAT OR
THE COMET
Which Was Responsible


as of SCATTERING glass, heavy fall anC
then 4 pistol shot, all at once.
Then Aunt Samyra raped on the
floor and called to me in excited tones
through the keyhole:
"Alicia Dean! Alicia Dean! Get VI
and dress. quick! There are burglars
up stairs!'
Fortunately 1 was already dressed
having sat up later than usual that
night, waiting for my roommate, Su
san Ellen, to come back from the con
cert.
So 1 opened the door at once, and as
my arms. looking white and scared
and almost ready to drop.
Aunt Samyra appeared a moment
later, her hair done up in curl pa
pers. armed with lighted candle, a
revolver and a poker.
1 got possession of the revolver i'm
mediately; not that 1 expected to dc
any more good with it than she could
but hoped to do less harm.
Susan Ellen" said in stage whis-
per, ''did you see anything of the rob-
berS as you came in?'
But Susan Ellen seemed so paralyZed
with fear that she was incapable of
answering and simply chung to my left
arm like n frightened child, shaking
from head to foot.
"Now, girls, follow me, and dom
speak Il wordv' commanded Aunt
Samyra, ascending the stairway, pro-
tected by her helmet of curl papers, as
it were, and with the candle in one
hand and the poker in the other.
We followed at Il 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 I had the key of my
room in my hand. having unconscious
ly taken it out after opening the door
to Aunt Samyra. This key I now ap-
piled to Uncle Ralph's lock. The door
opened readily. and Aunt Samyra step
ped in, but sprang back instantly with
a 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 a bullet
through his heart.
After becoming convinced of this
60 I1rA
ing vacantly about with dazed eyes,
vaguely conscious that Aunt Samyra
was sobbing and that the cook, who
had just come on the scene, was ut
tering Mortified calculations, 1 felt
some one pull my sleeve. 1t was SUI
san Ellen.
''Take me away" she said. ITS
chilly up here"
cit is chilly" 1 answered, drawing
her arm through mine.
Then I noticed that a strong gale
was sweeping through the room and
that the upper sash of the window was
out.
"Lookr 1 said. mo wonder we are
coldr'
But she paid no attention.
After I had put Susan Ellen to bed
and managed to get her warm and
quiet with the assistance of smelling
salts and a glass of wine I went back
UP stairs.
1 had already decided in my own
mind that Uncle Ralph had been MUIR
dered by a burglar. but the first glance
round the room seemed to disprove this
theory. for on the dressing case lay
the watch and the purse of the MUIR
1ered man. Nor. after thorough
search. could I find even a pin missing.
OF course we had a coroner's inquest,
and this developed the fact. which we
already knew. that ralph Morton had
met his death at the hands of a party
Or parties unknown"
When the verdict had been rendered.
returned to the scene of the murder
md made another investigation. I'm
Ter the window l discovered some bits
window itself I not only found that
he upper sash was out. but that one
pane of glass in the lower was miss
ng- AS l failed to draw any conclu-
'ion from these circumstances | went
back to Susan Ellen and asked if she
the murderer had carried off
he upper window sash.
She burst out crying Historically.
Ind for long time could get no an
'wer out of her at all. But it trans
bred at last that when Aunt Samyra
lad been appraised of Uncle Ralph's
visit the day before she
lad sent Susan Ellen up stairs to get
lis room ready. Susan Ellen. think
ne she had plenty of time before his
rrivai to clean the windows. took out
he sashcs-they were old fashioned
order to wash them.
But Uncle RaIDb pOt i'm two hours