Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1901-01-12
THE MYSTERY OF
AGATHA WEBB.
BY ANNA KATHARINE GREENE,
Author of Lost Mans Lane, "aand
and Ring" Etc. Etc
Copyright, 1900, by Anna Katharine Gr
SYNOPSIS OF PREVIOUS CHAPTERS.

SYNOPSIS OF PREVIOUS CHAPTERS.
In order that new readers of THE EN-
oUIRER may begin with the following
installment of this story, and under
stand 1t just the same as though they
had read it all from the beginning, we
here give a synopsis of that portion Of
which has already been published:
The story opens with the close Of a
ball after daylight in the morning.
While the guests are leaving the house
Frederick Sutherland daShes out fran
tically and disappears in the woods on
the other side of the road. Agatha
Webb is found up stairs murdered.
The body of Batsy, the cook, is found
Webb, Agatha's husband, is discovered
sitting before a dining table asleep.
with a smear Of blood on his coat
sleeve. Philemon being charged with
the murder, his mind, alrady feeble
gives way completely. All Agatha
Webb's money has been taken. Miss
Page, standing on the lawn, points to
spot Of blood on the grass. Frederick
Sutherland, who has been wild fel-
low, promises mis- father to reform; also
to give up Amabel Page, whom he has
been expecting to marry. Miss Page
tells Frederick that she followed him
him secrete 1000 in hollow tree. She
declares that he shall either marry her
or she will proclaim him murderer.
She is about to leave him and the town
when she Is held as a witness. The
past life Of Agatha Webb. Six children
have been born to her and all died in
infancy. It is learned that the money
taken from Agatha Webb was all In
new bills. A storekeeper produces one
of them that a strange man with
flowing beard gave him the night Of the
murder. The problem now is to flnd
the man with the long beard. Suspic-
ion falls on the label brothers. Fred
erick visits the hollow tree and finds
the money gone. Wattles a gambler
from Boston, demands $3.50 Of Freder-
lex in payment Of gambling debt.
Frederick secures check for the
amount from his father, pays the debt
and is about to leave home when he is
stopped by Miss Page. Knapp, detec-
tive, and Abel, with the coroner, visit
the label brothers. They are obliged
brothers dead. A spot of blood Is
found on the clothing Of one Of the
brothers, and a miniature of Agatha
Webb when q young girl Is lying on
James labels breast. The party visit
the hollow tree, and Sweetwater, who
has oined them, digs under 1t and hnds
$3.50. The finder declares that Amabel
Page buried the money. He also de-
clares that he followed Amabel Page
when she left the house on the night
Of the murder and saw her bury the
money. He accuses her oftryfng to
throwsuspicion on one Of the Zebel
brothers with one Of the bills. Miss
Page Is examined with reference 10 her
conduct on the night of the murder
and proves a very willy witness. The
will of Agatha Webb bequeaths her
fortune to Frederick Sutherland. Fred
erick testifes before the coroner that
Agatha Webb gave herself the blow
which killed her. On the night Of the
murder he visited her in his necessities
for money, and was so excited she
thought he was about to murder her.
To save him from crime she struck the
blow herself, but before she died point
ed to a drawer containing $1,000, and
bade him take it. He also declares that
Agatha Webb was his mother.