The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1901-03-19


he had flung the words he came back
and looked up and down the front of
the house.
1t had g solitary aspect and was
much less comfortable looking than he
had expected. Indeed, there were
signs Of poverty or at least of neglect
abont the place that astonished him.
Not only had the weeds been allowed
to grow over the doorstep, but from
the Imprinted front itself bits of board
had rotted away, leaving great gaps
about the window lodges and at the
base of the sunken and we'll nigh top
ping chimney. The moon flooding the
roof showed up all these imperfec-
lions with pitiless insistence, and the
torn edges of the green paper shades
that half concealed the rooms within
We're plainly to be seen as we'll as the
dismantled knocker which hung by
one nail to the old cracked door. The
vision of Knapp, with his ear laid
against this door, added to the forlorn
and sinister aspect of the scene and
gave to the constable, who remembered
the brothers in their palmy days, when
they were the life and pride of the
town, by no means agreeable sensa-
ton as he advanced toward the de-
tective and asked him what they
should do now
Break down the door," was the I'M
compromising reply. ''Or wait! The
windows of country houses are seldom
fastened Let me see if l cannot en-
ter by some one of them"
"Better not said the coroner, with
considerable feeling. "Let us exhaust
all other means first" And he took
hold of the knob of the door to shake
it, when to his surprise it turned, and
the door opened. 1t had not been
locked
Rather taken aback by this, he hest
tated. But Knapp showed no such
scruples. Without waiting for any
mans permission he glided in and step
ped cautiously, but without any delay,
into a room the door of which stood
wide open before him. The constable
was about to follow when he saw
Knapp come stumbling back with a
! face whittier than his own
"Devilish work" he muttered and
drew the others in to see.
Never will any of them forget that
sight They had not as yet recovered
any more than the mass of their towns
folk from the shock of seeing Agatha
, Webb lying in her blood on the old
horsehair sofa But this-this was so
unexpected and so deplorable that.
hardy men though they were, they sue
cumbed without being able to resist
the overpowering impression made up.
on them.
/ On the floor near the entrance lay
one brother in streak of moonlight
/, which showed every feature of his
l worn and lifeless face. and at table
drawn up in the center of the room sat
the other. rigid in death, with book
clutched in his hand.
| Both had been dead some time, and
! on the faces and in the aspect of either
was visible misery that added its
own gloom to the pitiable and grew
! some scene and made the shining Of the
! great white moon. which filed every
corner of the bare room. seem mock
cry we'll nigh uncomfortable to those
who contemplated it. John dead in his
chair! James dead on tie floor! What
could be sadder and what more pite-
Gus?
/; Knapp. who of them all would natur
ally feel this least. was of course the
person to speak first.
Both wear long boards" said he
"but this one on the floor was doubt
less Lotions customer Ali" he cried
pointing at the table. as he CAREFUL!
crossed the floor. Here is the bread
and Even he had his moments O
feeling. The appearance of that loa
had stunned him; one corner of it hat
been gnawed off
"a light! Let us have a lightw criet
Mr.. Fenton. speaking for the first TIM
since his entrance. '"These moonbeam
are horrible. See how they cling to tn
bodies as if they delighted in lightin;
up these wasted and shrunken FORMS
"Could it have been hunger?" began
: Abel, tremblingly following Knapp
every movement as he struck mate
and lit Il lantern which he had brough
in his pocket.
, "God help US all if it was" said Fer
; ton in a secret remorse no one but D.
J Talbot understood But who coul
: have believed it of men who were one
prosperous. Are you sure that one {
them has gnawed this bread? Could
: not have BEEN
' These are the marks Of huma
teeth observed Knapp. who was e:
f aiming the loaf carefully. II declar
it makes me very uncomfortable. no
a withstanding it's in the line of regul;
experiences" And he laid the brea
u down hurriedly &
: Meantime Mr.. Fenton, who had bee
t bending over another portion Of IL
e table. turned and walked away to IL
|. window
e Il am glad they are dead" he mu
Y tered. "They have at least shared tt
fate of their victims. Take loo
D under that old handkerchief lying b
side the newspaper Knapp
+" The detective did SO. three edg,
II dagger, with a curiously wrought la