Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1901-02-13

scruplcs. Without waiting for any
mans permission he gllded in and step
ped cautiously, but without any delay,
into n room the door Of which stood
wide open before him. The constable
was about TO follow when he saw
Knapp come stumbling back with n
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 rs 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
horsehalr sofa. But this-thls was so
unexpected and so d%eplorable that,
hardy men though they were, they sue
cumbcd without being able to resist
the oyerpowcrlng impression made up.
ON them.
On the foor near the entrance lay
one brother In a streak Of moonlight
which showed every feature Of his
worn and llfcless face. alrl Mt n table
drawn up in the center Of The room sat
the ether, rigid in death, with n book
ciatchcd IN his hand.
Both had been dead sone time, and
on the faces and in the aspect of either
n visible n misery that added It's
WI gloom 10 the pitiablc and grew
some sceS and made the shining Of the
fFgt.ug tY1It.. YtAn,n ns1If.l E1ia1 nNFnpg
corner Of the bare room, seem n mock
cry well nigh uncomfortable to those
who contemplated 1t. John dead In his
chair! James dead on the aoOr! What
could be sadder and what more plte.
Gus?
Knapp, who Of them all would natur-
ally feel this least. was of course the
person 10 speak first.
both wear long Boards" said he,
"but this one on the floor was doubt
less Lotions customer. Al.' he cried,
pointing at the table, rs he carefully
crossed the floor. Here is the bread,
and Even he had his moments Of
feeling. The appearance Of that LOAF
had stunned him; one corner of II had
been gnawcd off.
"a light. Let us have n light" cried
Mr.. Fcnton. speaking for the first time
since his entrance. ''ThCse m%oOnheams
are horrible. See how they cling IL the
bodies as If they delighted In lighting
up these wasted and shrunkcn forms"
could il have been hunscri" began
Abel, trembllngly following Knapp's
every movement as he struck a match
and lit a lantern which he had brought
in his pocket.
God help us all If il was," said Fen
ton In a secret remorsc no one but DR..
Talbot understood. "But who could
have believed it of men who were once
prosperous, Are you sure that one Of
them has gnawed this bread? Could 1t
not lave been
These are the MARKS Of human
teeth" observed Knapp. who was cx-
aiming the loaf carefully. Il declare.
1t makes me very uncomfortable, not
wlthstandlng It's In The line Of regular
experiences" And he laid tie bread
down hurricdly.
Meantime Mr.. Fenton. who had been
bending over another portion of the
table, turned and walked away to the
window.
IL am glad they are dead" he nut.
tered. ''They have ut least shared the
fate Of their victims. Take a look
under that old handkerchief lying be-
side the newspaper, Knapp"
The detective did so. \ three edged
dagger, with a curiously wrought han.
die, met his eye. II lad blood dried
on its point and was. as no one could
Gorht. the weapon with which Agatha
Webb had been killed.