Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-11-16

| not many IOuiS beIoi e
The instant my gaze fell upon him |
| knew the truth Cadaveric rigidity had
| supereened, and he had long been be-
! yond hone OF human aid. His furrowed
! face was as white as ivory, and his lower
! Jaw had dropped in that manner that
/ Enthusiastically betrays the presence OF
| Death.
! AS the man had described, the sheet
was stained with blood. But there was
| not much. and l was some moments be-
fore / discovered the wound. 1t was
lust beneath the heart clcanly cut and
about ttree-quarters of an inch long,
! evidently inflicted by some sharp irstru-
i11ent. He had no doubt been struck
in his sleep and with such precision that
had died without being able to raise
the alarm.
The murderer whoever he was. had
carried the weapon away.
7 turned and saw lCthelwynn. Il pale,
wan figure in her light gown and shawl.
standing OIL the threshold, watching me
intently. She stood there white and
trembling, as though fearing to enter
the presence OF the dead
made a hasty tour of the ROOM eN-
aiming the window and finding it fas-
tened. AS far as ] could discover, noun
:rG whatever was disturbed
!
the door behind me- said:
short must go along to the police sta
ton. Nc must report 1t.
But is it really necessary? she asked
anxiously Think of the awful expos
IRE in the papers. Can't we hush 1t up:
Do Ralph. for my sake, she implored.
"But I can't give a death certificate
when a person has been murdered.
axnIained. Before burial there must
be a post-mortem and an inquest
Then you think he has actually been
murdcred?"
.'Of course; without doubt. 1t GER
tainly isn't suicide"
The discovery had caused her to be-
come rigid, almost statuesque. suooe,i
terror often acts thus upon women OF
her highly nervous temperament one
allowed me to lead her downstairs ana
hack 10 the dining-room On the way
met Short in the hall, and ordered hlH
10 go at once TO the police station.
Now, dearest" said, taking her hand
+erderly in mine when we were alone
together with the door closed, tell me
calmly all you know of this awful al
fair. >
II know nothing" she declared. No
thing except what you already Know,
short Knocked at my door, and dressed
hastily. only TO discover 1hat the poor
was the house still locked up?
~ believe So The servants could, sup
rose tell that" 49,,
..T;t is it not strange that Mary Is still
absent?" I remarked. perplexed.
mo. not very. Sometimes she mas miss
ed her last train and has stopped the
night with the Penn-Pagets or the Hen
mixers. 1t is difficult, she says, to go TO
sumner after the theatre and eaten the
last train. 1t leaves Charing Cross so
early ...,;,
tion on her part to shield her sister
The whole thing is a most pro'ound
mystery she went on. Il mu: nave
slept quite lightly. for heard tn caufch
clock strike each quarter until ctocN'
vet not an unsual sound reac..Eu me-
Neither did Nurse hear anythiT g.
Nurse Kate was an excellent "etnan'
whom I had known at Guys through
several years Both Sir Bernard ana my
self had every confidence in her, ana
she had been the inValid's attendant LOT
the past two years.
III certainly is a mystery-one which
we must leave TO the police to investl-
gate. In the mean time, however, we
must send Short TO Redclffe Square 10
t,nd Mary. He must not tell her the
truth but merely say that her huspahn
is much worse. To tell her OF the trag-
edy at once would probably prove TOO
great a blow"
"She ought never to have gone TO
town and left him." declared my Well
beloved In sudden condemnation or her
sisters conduct. ''she will never fer
give herself.
regrets will not bring the poor TEL