Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-11-23

! stood
When morning dawned two detectives
from Scotland Yard arrived, made notes
of the circumstances, examined the open
window in he conservatory, made fe"
! wise remarks. and closely scrutinized the
dagger in the hall.
Ethelwynn had taken her sister to a
friend il the vicinity. accompanied by the
nurse and the cook. The house was now
in .he possession of the police. and al
| read. IT had become known in the neigh
{ borhcod that old Mr.. Courtenay was dead.
In all probability early passers-by, men
on their way to work. had noticed con-
stable in uniform enter or leave, and that
had excited public curiosity. l hoped that
Amber Jevons would not delay. for in
tended that he should be the first in the
/ field. If ever he had had a good mystery
before him this certainly was one. knew
, how keen was his scent for clues. and
how carefully and ngeniously he worked
when assisting the police to get at the
bottom of ny such affair.
He came a little after nine in hot haste,
having driven from Hammersmith in c
hanson. I was upstairs when heard his
deep, CHEEKY voice crying to the inspector
! from Scotland Yard :
tHulloa Trope. What's occurred? My
friend. Dr.. Boyd. has just wired to me-"
Murder responded the inspector.
You'll find the doctor somewhere about.
He'll explain it all. Queer case-very
queer case. it seems
els that you. Amber" I called over
the banisters. Come up here
He came up breathlessy. two steps at
a time, and gripping my hand, asked:
who's been murdered?"
"Old Mr.. Corrtenay."
THE devil!' he calculated.
"a most mysterious affair."" I went on.
They called me soon after three. and I
came down here, only to find the old gen
| tlerran stone dead-stabbed to the heart"
Let me see him." my friend said, in a
sharp, business-llze tone. which showed
that he intended to lose no time in sitting
the matter. He had his own peculiar
methods of getting at the bottom of q
mystery. He worried Independently, and
although he assisted the police and was
therefore always welcomed by them. his
efforts were always apart, and generally
marked by cunning. ingenuity and swift
logical rea soning that were alike remark
able and marvellous.
l gave him a brief. terse outline of the
tragedy. and then. unlocking the door Of
the room where the dead man still lay
In the same position as when discovered.
allowed him in.
The place was in darkness, SO I drew
TIP the Venetian blinds, letting in the
grey depressing light of the wintry morn
ing.
lie advanced to the bed stood in the
exact spot where had STOOD, and
where without doubt the murderer had
stood and folding his arms gazed
straight and long upon the dead mans
features
Then he gave vent to a kind of dissat-
lsHtd gTunt and turned down the coverlet
II! order to- examine the wound, while
stood by his side in silence.
Suddenly he swung round on his heel
and measured the PAGES between the bed
and the door. Then he went to the win
dow and looked OUT afterwards making
tour OF the room slowly, his dark eyes
searching everywhere He did not open
his lips In the presence OF the dead. He
only examined everything. swiftly and
yet carefully. opening the door slowly
and closing 1t Just as slowly, in order to
see whether it creaked or not.
It creaked when closed very slowly.
The creaking was evidently what the
under housemaid had heard and believed
ito be the creaking Of boots. The murder
er finding that 1t creaked had probably
closed it by degrees: hence It gave a
series OF creaks. which to the girl had
sounded In the silence Of the night like
those OF new boots.
Amber Jevons had almost at the open
Ing OF his inquiry. cleared up one point
which had puzzled us.
When he had concluded his examine
ton OF the room and recovered the dead
face with the sheet.we emerged into the
corridor. Then I8 told him Of the SER