The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1903-03-14

| oAc StiuSh u AlutCll, dliu, SeeIuS uOtll
ing, with feminine instinct stopped
and looked under the bed She saw {
hand move and face stare, and, drop
ping the match, took out her door key
ran into the hnll, locked the door be
hind her and gave the alarm. 1t was
Randall who had called the police. Ills
conduct was very calm and deliberate
| He had seen OH one, heard nothing,
till his sisters cries aroused him. Then
| he had run down stairs and tele.
phoned. The mother, prostrated with
grief and understanding nothing was,
knew, Incapable of any connection,
with the singular affair. Somebody IL
the house had killed the burglar. OF
that l was certain. But who? And
why did he or she refuse to admit 1t?
l gave them to understand that no
crime was done by killing a house
breaker, but they all stuck to their
stories.
THE dead burglar was a common
looking. square-built. cheaply dressed
man Of about twenty-six That he
was a burglar We had no doubt, for
We found the household jewelry, or
most of 1t, slowed in his pockets. He
had no keys nor any Of the tools which
housebreakers use; no letters Of iden-
tif.cation, no marks upon his clothing.
couldn't figure out how he effected
an entrance, for, as said, the doors
were all locked on the inside, the win
dows latched, and there We're no signs
OF a violent entrance. Among the
papers, the letters and memoranda
which l had taken from young Taul-
by's room was one letter dated Haver-
hill, Mass, and signed Kent Howard.
Il was evidently from an old college
mate, and would have ignored it If I
had not also found in one of Taulby's
pockets postal card addressed to this
same Kent Howard, and sent by one
OF those Greek letter societies they
have at universities. That gave me a
vague hint, for I couldn't understand
why Taulby should have Howard's
postal card in his possession. 1 made
a grand bluff then, Just for flyer, you
know. I got Randall in a corner one
evening, and told him that I had dis
that the dead burglars name
was Kent Howard. 1 thought if my
guess was right he'd flush up, or shake
Or show some sign, but he never batted
an eye, and l concluded I was on an
other bad steer.
Il started some letters east to the
college that Taulby had graduated
from, and then resolved to keep q close
watch on him. couldn't find him
hat day at all. nor the next, and I was
to get ratified when I got |
The following letter:
Dear McCarty-You are too cute
altogether. l don't know how you
'ound out 1t was Kent Miller, ard l
.on't care now. Find me IL you can.
It was no murder. anyhow. l let him
nto the house. He was born thief,
Ind was on the high road to the pen,
my way. 1 owed him money all
light. an old score, but he was trying
0 blackmail me. I'm pretty bad my
ell, but I couldn't rob my own peo-
'le. let him in at the front door and
urned him loose to rob the house as
e pleased. had TO do something fer
I'm, and as I had no money did ttis.
anice was sound asleep when we got
nto her room. I couldn't stand what
e said then-about her. l struck him
With his own billy and showed him
nder the bed. Then I dropped it out
be window and went to bed. Please
rop this thing If you can. If you
ring Janice's name into it I'll kill {
ou; don't forget that. That's the de-
er. side Of me. won't stand any
hing against her. Il. T.
"And l dropped it," concluded Nc
arty, signing softly. "A1ay be it was
crime-I don't know-but it was a
ecent crime, don't you think ?'-Chi- |
ago Record Herald.