The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1901-01-05

TO the stairs and without word
mounted to my mothers room. Ar
irving there, he stopped for a moment
or two and contemplated the closed
door; then he knocked gently thereon.
No reply coming he knocked louder,
louder and then he turned the handle.
Pecping behind him, saw that the
room was still shrouded In gloom, the
blinds being closely drawn. lie called
her by name, but his voice sounded
hollow and ghostly as II circled round
md round the oppressive chamber. No
sound came from the bed, no move
ment. He turned and drew up the
blind and let Il Hood of light into the
dark room, and as 1t lit up the bed
saw 1t fall upon tress of my mothers
hair, which dropped back over the pill
low. She was lying there enyclopcd in
The counterpanc, her form clearly out
lined beneath the clothes; but she was
10 still, SO dreadfully still.
Uttering an involuntary cry l sprang
lcross to her, aud before my uncle
tould prevent it had matched the COW
fring from her head. A CHASTITY white
face met me, two vague, distorted eyes
stared up into minc-eycS in which
glarcd too plainly the hideous piacidity
VI death.
"She is dead" l walled, "she is
Head" and, unable to look death in the
face, fell upon my knees by the bed
md buried my face in my hands.
Presently my uncle touched me on
the shoulder. AS | looked up at him
with blurred eyes it seemed to me that
bis erstwhile 1ovial face was ghastly
with pain or rage.
''Do you know what has happenod?'
he said, his voice cold and cutting as
death itself And not waiting for an
answer he at once replied to his own
query. Your mother has been muir
dered.'
Murdered" gaspcd.
YES murdered" he repeated. Look,
Don't be afraid, she cannot hurt you.
Look and remember
He drew me close to the head Of the
bed, aud once more ! gaZcd upon the
deathly pale face, the distorted eyes
which, seen through Il mist of tears,
were awful in the extreme As stared
down at the pale face could not quite
realize that this was death or what
death really was, but vague, sickrn-
Ing sense of loss numbcd ull my ener-
,gies and filled the world with vague
desolation. 1t was the first time had
gaZcd upon death, and tried to learn
its meaning. She was there, my moth
er, the sweet soul had known 50 long,
had loved so dearly. Save for that IN
Wullird pall"r, those fixed eyes, thcr"
was 10 difference in her. Yet sh"
knew me not; she would know m" II"
more. | might weep, might pray, but
she would heed me not. And though
FL life was her all in all | had passed
from her. MS it were: was that Of
which SHE knew not. This was death.
"Ser,' said my uncle, whose vote"
was low aud charged with deep, emo
ton, ">lr has been stranglsd.' And
he pulled back the nigltdrcss from her
white throat. and saw that it was
encir,.I"d with a hidrouS purple band.
The murt'rI"rS had done their work
deftly
BY this time my eyes had cleared Of
the mist and had courage really to
look my mother in the face. Across
her forehead u great lock Of loose hair
had fallen, and as with loving fingers
my uncle pressed it back h" gave II
sudden start as though he had been
Btung.
"Hrnvrns." he cried. "Tlcy were
not satisfied TO kill. They HAY" mutt.
lated her rs well'
pressed forward and saw distinctly
a brown circle on her forehead, red
dish brown circle which looked rs
though II had been burned by som"
acid. ] looked again, and the circle
formed itself into an ellipse or oval. !
started. What did this remind me Of?
] had seen something like this before.
but where?
Revcr"ntly my uncle covered up the
Door white face, drew the blinds and
led me from the ROOM
"Poor Davic. poor lad" he said very
tenderly. eve have been hit very hard.
Why WAS she not spared to us? Whom
could she have wronged? She who
never uttered harsh word or turned
a deaf ear to a tale Of sorrow. IIeav-
ems, but it's hardw and as he spoke l
felt his hand suddenly tighten on my
arm, and knew that there was sud
den madness in his heart.
Carefully locking the door he drop
ped the key in his pocket.
ave must go for the police" he said.
Eve can do nothing more at present"
"Janet." suggested.
IL forgot" and as il imprlled by a
sudden. awful thought he moved swift
ly toward the girls room, which was
just behind my mothers. Here. too,
we discovered that the door was shut,
and though we Knocked no answer
came. Entering the room, we found 1t
In darkness, but upon the blind being
drawn we saw the girls outline In the
bed In the far corner. Guessing in
stinctively what was the matter, my
uncle rushed across and there the
same awful sight met our gaze. The
girl was dead, strangled as my mother
had been and upon her forehead was
the same red brown sign.
My uncle seemed dunfounded at this
display Of fiendish malignity. Usually
4 man of resource. he looked inquiring.
~ my way as though he expected me
70 give him an answer to this hideOus