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


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"Hdi Here's a crumb Of that same bread.
Did you see that, Mr.. KndppF'
yes-there's blood on the edges. Here,
take the lantern, Mr.. Fenton, l must
see how the skin looks underneath. Oh.
gentlemen, no shirt! The poorest dock
hand has a shirt! Brocaded vest and
no shirt; but he don't want my pity,
not 10Y All. only a bruise over the
heart. Sirs, what did you make out OF
this!'
AS none of them had even seen 1t
Knapp was not the only one to remain
silent.
"Shall | tell you what | make out Of
itT' said the lad, rising hurriedly from
the floor, which he had as hurriedly
examined. This old man has tried to
take his life with the dagger already
wet with the blood of Agatha Webb.
But his arm was too feeble. The point
only pierced the vest, wiping off a
little blood in Its passage. Then the
weapon fell from his hand and struck
the floor, as you will see by the fresh
dent I'm the old board | am standing
on. Have you anything to say against
that?"
Again the detective opened his lips
and might have spoken. but Sweet
water gave him no chance.
where is the letter he was writlngF'
he demanded. "Iave any of you seen
any paper lying about here?"
"He was not writing" objected
Knapp; she 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 a small lead
pencil lying on the edge of his chair.
writing at some time" admitted
Knapp.
"Writing Just before the deed" 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 II 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
err he remarked; yet there is no
evidence that he made any attempt at
suicide"
"How do you know that 1t was sui
eide John attemptedT asked som 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 1t 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
chlld's reading, but what is diff
cult and what | find II hard to come
by, is how the 500 bill got into the old
mans hand. He found 1t here, but
how
Found it here? How do you know
that"
Gentlemen. that Is q point | will
make clear to you later, when ] have
laid my hand on q certain clew ! am
a~nxiously seeking. You know this is
new work for me, and | 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
perfumeT"
"Perfumef" echoed Abel, with n
glance about the musty apartment.
Rats, rather"
Sweetwatcr shook his head with a
discouraged air. but suddenly brighten
ed, and. stepping quickly across the
door, paused at one of the wlndows-it
was that one in which the shade had
been drawn down.
Peering at this shade he gave q
grunt.
You must excuse me for n minute"
said he. IL have not found what
wanted in this ROOT and now must
look outside for il. VIII some one
bring the lanternf"
81 WILL" volunteered Knapp, with
grim good humOr. Indeed. the situation
was almost ludicrous TO him.
Bring 1t round the house, then, to
the ground under this window" order
ed Sweetwater without giving any
sign that he noticed or even recog-
nized the others air of condescension.
"And, gentlemen, please don't follow.
It's footsteps l am after, and the fewer
we make about the house ourselves
the easier 1t will be for me to establish
the clew I am after"
Mr.. Fenton stared. What had got
into the fellow7
e. -