Omaha daily bee., 1902-11-23
CHAPTER VIII.
Amber JevOns is InUuisitive.


People were about me the whole time.
Hence / had no opportunity of re-examin-
ing the little object l had picked up from
the spot where the murderer must have
stood.
When morning dawned two detectives
from Scotland Yard arrived, made no 81
the circumstances, examined the or
dow in the conservatory, made a
remarks and closely scrutinized thu
in the hall.
Ethelwynn had taken her sister TO a
friend in the vicinity, accompanied by the
nurse and cook. The house was now in
the possession OF the police and already it
had become known in the neighborhood
that old Mr.. Courtenay was dead. In all
probability early passersby, men on their
way to work, had noticed a constable in
uniform enter or leave, and that had ex-
cited public curiosity. I hoped that Amber
Jevons would not. delay, for 1 intended
that he should be first in the field. II 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 ingeniously he worked when assisting
the police to get at the bottom Of any such
affair.
He came a little after 9 in hot haste.
having driven from Hammersmith in a
hanson. / was upstairs when l heard his
deep CHEEKY voice crying to the inspector
from Scotland Yard;
"Hulloa, Thorpe. 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, II seems"
Gle that A,,AIar 90 7 oaIIo5 a,o- A..
banisters. Come up here"
He zane up breathIessly, two steps at a
time, and, gripping my hand. asked:
who's been murdered?"
"Old Mr.. Courtenay."
'rhe devil!" he calculated.
"A most mysterious affair." l went on.
They called me soon after 3, and / came
down here only to find the poor old gen.
tleman stone dead-stabbed to the heart"
Let me see him. my friend said in a
sharp businesslike 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 a mystery. He
worked independently, and, although he as
sisted the police and was therefore always
welcomed by them, his efforts were always
apart, and generally marked by cunning,
ingenuity and swift logical reasoning that
were alike remarkable 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, al
lowed him in.
The place was in darkness, so l drew up
the Venetian blinds, letting in the gray
depressing light OF the wintry morning.
He advanced to the bed, stood in the ex-
- - - -
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 dissatis-
fed grunt. and turned down the c~overlet
in 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 window
and looked out, afterwards making a tour
of the room slowly, his dark eyes search
ing everywhere. He did not open his lips
in the presence Of the dead. He only ex-
amined everything. swiftly and yet care
fully. opening the door slowly and closing
Il just as slowly, in order TO see whether
Il creaked or not.
II creaked when closed very slowly. The
creaking was evidently what the under
housemaid had heard and believed to be the
creaking OF boots. The murderer. finding
that it creaked. had probably closed 1t by
degrees; hence IL gave a series Of creaks,
which to sthe girl had sounded in the ST.
lence 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 examination
OF the room and recovered the dead face
with the sheet, we emerged into the cor
ridor. Then / told him OF the servants
statement.
"Bootsl" he echoed in a tone OF i'm
patience. Would a murderer wear creak-
ing boots? II was the door, Of course. II
opens noiselessly. but when closed quietly
It ereaks. Curious. however, that he should