Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1901-02-06

cnamDermald ana by ner were admit
ted to the room which had lately been
occupied by Mr.. Wentworth, but o
minute examination disclosed no clew
to the antecedents off that young gen
tleman. The girl regarded my uncle
with n; half curious, half superior smile
of astonishlhent as he peered here and
there but her look was strangest of all
as pointed to the bullet splash on the
wall. e
Law she gasped, chow did that
happen?.
l told her, and asked IL nothing had
been heard of the report.
Nothing" she answered. But l
don't understand It,"
Nor 1. But there is the proof"
Here my uncle, who had been closely
examining the mark turned and said:
Il can't find the bullet. Davie. 1t has
been extracted"
1t was true, but why could not
imagine. Jim shook his head sagely
.srhe police have ID way of following
up slender clews," he said mo doubt
the person who extracted this bullet
had n very good reason.'
The next morning at breakfast my
uncle, who was an Unsuitable reader of
the newspapers, stopped suddenly in
the midst of a perusal of his favorite
journal 1--WE all have one) and, looked
me blankly in the face. "Davie." he
muttered below his breath. "the devils
have been at 1t again.
My heart seemed suddenly to turn
cold. for knew to whom he referred.
'.What is..ft? What has happened
,now?"
For reply he handed NE the paper,
pointing with his forefinger to head
ing in large type. II ran thus: "Trag-
$edy In aisWest End Hotel. Murder or
Suicide?'.:
A mist seemed to swim before my
. eyes. Is;was almost afraid to read.
Then I pulled myself together, my
brain, With strange insistence, assur-
ing me of the fact that 1t could not re-
fer to any one who was dear to me be-
cause, with the exception of my, uncle,
there was no one in the world loved.
Not that,I was too selfish to love, hut
my destiny had not given me. a choice
of friends.
Looking down the column l saw that
a man had .seen found dead.in his:room
at the Victoria, hotel His breast had
been pierced .,by g dagger and. the
weapon Itself. az ,euriouslys wrought
piece Of eastekn workmanship, prob
ably Malay or Chinese, was now in the
hands Of the police. The gentleman, it
seems, who had registered in the visit
ors' book as Mr.. Charles Hilbury. of
Melbourne had but lately arrived In
this country with his wife and daugh-
ter. both of whom We're naturally pros
trated with grief, The report went on
to say: No cause is assigned for the
deed--if 1t be one of suicide, as the
officials seem inclined to believe-as
the gentleman was supposed to be In
comfortable circumstances. This fact
renders the mystery still more moons
prehenSibie.." Then followed. descrip-
tior Of the man and the, manner in
which he was discovered. A couple
of lines in connection with his personal
appearance. burnt, themselves into my
brain: ION the deceased gentleman's
forehead there is strange elliptical
mark, which is evidently the result of
some former accident. y
l dropped the paper with the one
word, ''I'he Sign!"
/ "Yes.'' i.
I. Our further attempts at eating were
hollow nfockery. After a few inef-
fectual efforts i abandoned even the
pretense. My uncle drank copiously of
Ills coffee and turned once more to the
news sheet. The food lay untouched
before Inn. Wien he lookedssat me
again, the trouble had settled deeper on
his brow.
"What do you make of it?' said,
more by way of breaking the ominous
silence than the expectation of gaining
new idea; for in my mind had al
ready sketched a vivid outline of the
unhappy mans career. Needless to say
we did not entertain the thought of sui
eide. : s''i,s II =
MT IS eFideItr was the reply, that
this unfortunate Mr., Hilbury. had, like
ourselves. run counter to the society.
How, or in what. way, remains to be
seen, Perhaps he may even have been
an associate of your father. We shall
see lhterson.". Il. "
He folded his paper preparatory to
rising.
did yon notice. said 1. "that de-
Snrtnf inn nf- tho wpapnuY,
He opened the paper once more and
read aloud. sThe weapon itself, curl