The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1901-03-26

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Again the detective opened his lips
and might have spoken, but Sweet
water gave him no chance.
"Where is the letter he was writing"
he demanded. "Have any of you seen
any paper lying about here?"
HE was not writing objected
Knapp; 'he was reading-reading in
that old Bible you see there"
Sweetwater caught up the book, look
ed it over and laid it down, with that
same serious twinkle of his eye they
had noted in him before.
"He was writing he insisted. "See,
here is his pencil And he showed
them the battered end of small lead
pencil lying on the edge of his chair.
Writing at some time,' admitted
Knapp.
Writing Just before the Decd" in
sisted Sweetwater. "Look at the fin
gers of his right hand. They have not
moved since the pencil fell out Of
Them
'"The letter, or whatever it was, shall
be looked for declared the constable.
Sweetwater bowed, his eyes rowing
restlessly into every nook and corner
of the room.
"The brother, James, was the strong
er," he remarked; yet there is no
evidence that he made any attempt at
suicide"
'How do you know that it was sui
eide John attempted?" asked some one.
"Why might not the dagger have fallen
from James hand in an effort to kill
his brother?"
Because the dent in the floor would
have been to the right Of the chair
instead of to the left" he returned.
Besides, James hand would not have
failed so utterly, since he had strength
to pick up the weapon afterward and
lay it where you found it,
''True, we found it lying on the
table," observed Abel. scratching his
head in forced admiration of his old
schoolmate.
'All easy very easy" Sweetwater re-
marked, seeing the wonder in every
eye. Matters like those are for a
child's reading, but what is diff
by, is how the 500 bill got into the old
mans hand. He found it here, but
how
Found it here? How do you know
that?"
Gentlemen, that is point will
make clear to you later, when l have
laid my hand on a certain clew l am
anxiously seeking. You know this is
new work for me, and l have to adj
vance warily. Did any of you gentle
men, when you came into this room,
detect the faintest odor of any kind of
perfume?'
"Perfume?" echoed Abel, with a
glance about the musty apartment.
rats, rather"
Sweetwater shook his head with a
discouraged air, but suddenly brighten.
ed, and, stepping quickly across the
floor, paused at one of the windows-it
was that one in which the shade hae
been drawn down.
Peering at this shade he gave 6
grunt.
"You must excuse me for a minute,
said he 81 have not found what
wanted in this room and now mus
look outside for it. Will some ont
bring the lantern?"
81 WILL" volunteered Knapp, will
grim good humor Indeed, the situation
was almost ludicrous to him.
Bring it round the house, then, t.
the ground under this window" order
ed Sweetwater without giving an.
sign that he noticed or even recog
nized the others air of condescension
''And,. gentlemen. please don't follow
It's footsteps am after and the fewe
we make about the house ourselve
the easier it will be for me to establis
the clewlI am AFTER
q Mr.. Fenton stared. What had GO
into the fellow?