Omaha daily bee., 1902-11-16

visit was still In its place at the Preside,
with the footstool just as he had left it;
the drawers which we opened one after
another showed no signs of having been
rummaged, and the sum result Of our in
vestigations was absolutely nil.
1T looks very much as though someone
IN the house had done it," whispered the
inspector seriously to me, having first
glanced at the door to ascertain that it
was closed.
Yes" I admitted. Appearances GER
tainly do point to that"
who was the young lady who met us
downstairs? inquired the detective-ser-
geant, producing a small notebook and
pencil.
Miss Ethelwynn Mivart-sister to Mrs.
Courtenay."
And is Mrs. Courtenay at homer" he
inquired, making a note Of the name.
mo. We have sent for her. She's stay
ing with friends in London"
"Hulloa! There's an iron safe here!''
exclaimed one Of the men, rummaging on
the opposite side of the room. He had
pulled away a chest of drawers from the
wall, revealing what / had never noticed
before, the door of a small freproof safe
built into the wall.
"Is It locked?" inquired the inspector.
The man after trying the knob and exam.
lining the keyhole, replied in the afHrma.
tive.
"Beeps his deeds and jewelry there,
suppose" remarked one of the other de.
t~ectives. HE seems to have been yer,
afraid of burglars. 1 wonder whether h,
had any reason for that?"
Like many old men he was a trihe &c.
| pantria - I ronIfad gNThEavoa onao k.ot,
into his country house years ago, I believe
and he therefore entertained a horror o
them"
We all examined the keyhole of the safe
but there was certainly no evidence to shov
that 1t had been tempered with. On tn
contrary, the little oval brass plate whicl
closed the hole was rusty, and had not beef
touched apparently for weeks.
While they we're searching in other part
OF the room / directed my attention to tn
position and appearance of my late patient
He was lying on his right side with on
arm slightly raised, in quite a natural at
titude for one sleeping. His features, al
though the pallor OF death was upon then
and they were relaxed, showed no signs o
suffering. The blow had been unerring, an
had no doubt penetrated to the heart. TIL
crime had been committed swiftly, and tn
murderer had escaped unseen and unheard
The eiderdown quilt, a rich one OF Gobe
lin blue satin. had scarcely been disturbed
and save for the small spot of blood 'upo
the sheet, traces OF a terrible crime wer
in no way apparent.
While, however, l stood at the bedside
at the same spot most probably where tn
murderer had stood. / suddenly felt some
thing uneven between the sole of my boo
and the carpet. So intent was l upon tn
examination I was making that at first m
attention was not attracted by fl; but o
stepping on It a second time I looked dow
and saw something white, which I quiekl
/. picked up.
The instant l saw II 1 closed my han
; and hid 1t from view.
Then I glanced furtively around, an
seeing that my action had been unot
served, I quickly transferred Il TO my vei
l pocket, covering the movement by takin
out my watch to glance at It.
t 1 confess that my heart beat quick!
and In all probability the color at this
5 moment had left my face. for l had b
. sheer accident discovered a clue.
- To examine Il there was impossible
for OF such a character was II that / ha
b no Intention. as yet. to arouse the sui
8 piclons of the police. ! intended at n
earliest moment to apprise my frienI
q Amber Jevous. OF the facts. and wit
him pursue an entirely independent II
$ quiry.
Scarcely had l safely poeketed the litt
a object had picked up from where n
q murderer must have stood when the II
speetor went out upon the landing ar
called TO the constable in the hail.