The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1903-07-18
Mystery Of the
Bayou Woods
By WALKER KENNEDY.
Copyright, 1913, by A. N. Kellogg Newspaper Co
CHAPTER VII.-CoNrINuED.

'OrdlnarilT 1T would, but there is
something behind all this"
What do YOU mean?'
'Why, when ! took out this pistol
Mrs. Wright was tumfounded for a
moment. Then she Cac!ared that it
was not her husbands pistol, and that
when she had left the house this
afternoon that weapon had not been
there. for she had examined the one
that was--an old utlair-in order, she
said. to sec whether it had been fired
or not. She asserted positively that
some one had changed the pistols in
her absence
by Jove!" cried Warde, "tlis
grows exciting"
81 don't claim to be an extra good
Judge of human nature said the de-
tective, ''but in my opinion the wo-
man was telling the truth. She led
me to the pistol without Il particle
of hesitation, and | never saw any
persons face fall Us hers did when I
took out the shining revolver. I put
it up this way, that the man who
changed these REVIEWERS must have
taken hand in the murder, or else
is Il bitter enemy of young Wright.
at any rate, my idea Of the case has
changed considerably since this
morning..
81 have an idea" said Warde. land
if You will help me perhaps we can
hit on a solution of this riddle"
II will do anything consistent with
nv official duty"
81 ask nothing more. 1t is your
duty, us | conceive it not to bolster
up any pet theory or anyhody's hob
by, hnt to get at the truth and I'M
mask the real criminal"
"You are right. | agree with you
thoroughly
Let me make suggestion to you.
Go back to Mrs. Wright tomorrow
and find out whether she has any
proof that the old pistol was there
yesterday morning; if she has not,
perhaps some of her ncighbors could
tell whether anybody visited the
house while she was away. If you
can find the man who put the pistol
there, you are in fair way to find
the man who killed John L. Wright
"I'll go out there tomorrow and
see what can do. In the mean time
l must turn in this new link of evil
dence against that young fellow"
The detective retired, and Warde
unused awhile before rcsuming his
work. 1t was indeed singular that
while the mystery was deepening, at
the same time the visible proofs were
accommodating against Wright He had
more reason now than ever to believe
that still darker crime that involved
something besides murder lay beyond
the prima facie case that had been
made out. For the first time he felt
that he was contending with an un
seen antagonist, and that while he
was endeavoring to clear the name
of Herbert Wright some one was
fighting him step hy step and was
trying to fasten the guilt upon the
young man. 1t could not be the au
thorities They were. of course, mere
lv doing their duty to til" hest OF
their ability and they could not b,
expected to yield anything to the
sentimental side Of the ease.
ceased to frcl that he and the unseen
were engaged in g desperate gam"
i'm which Il human life WAS involved
He silently ac"rrt",i the uuwrittrl
challenges 10 battle and made mp !i'
mind that be would not be defeated
The next morning Nil,s was treat
ed to Il sensation. the startling owl
dcncc obtained 10y the authorities be
ing supplemented by an exclusive
piece of news published in the JONI
nal. When Warde sat down to break
fast and picked up tlsat paper II" WA:
cold with nmaz"mrnt at what h,
read. for in large. glnring hcatl!in 3
he saw that Herbert Wright. "stun.
by Il guilty conscience. had rnlcaN
ored to take his own life The at
tempt. ii seemed. was discovered b.
the "alcrt and tirclrss Iailcr." wh'
had promptly sent for Il physician
and the young mans life WAS saN"'
Wright had taken morphine. but TIL
physician, who had arrived prompt
ly, administered an cmctic, and s
checlzmated the would-be suicide.
Warde was in despair when he rea
this. 1t was the virtual confessio
of a guilty conscience, and it woul
be useless to continue his investigl
tions. AS soon as he had swallowe
his breakfast he jumped on a stree
car and went to the Jail.
Wright was very glad to see hin
and the jailer allowed the newspape
man and the prisoner to have an il
terview in the rotunda of the Jail.
"You have read the Journal?" sal
Wright, with smile.
eyes, and it knocked me cold!"
'But I am prepared to astonis
you"
"What do you mean?"
"Why, that account is lie from b
ginning to end"
"Well, am certainly glad to he's
that"
"The fact is, an attempt was MAD
here in the Jail last night to poise
me-"
''To poison you'll"
eyes, to poison me. The drug WI
put into my food, and of course a
it. I noticed a peculiar taste, al
shortly afterward found myself gro
ing very drowsy. I called for tt
jailer at once and told him l. thong
had been drugged. Fortunately
had doctor here in five minutes wi
detected the evidences of morphi
and Immediately took steps to relic
me. The eructation was prcserv