Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1903-12-03

ms eyes were Snldi ana Spft ana
Drown: the set Of his mouth,
,haduwed by small mustache, was
rcsolute and masterful. and the gen
rral expression of his face was dig
rified and gracious. Evidently he was
q man of resolutc nature, whose
friendship was as val,,ab bic as his hos
tility would be dangerous. Such a
man seemed To Wnrde in the nature
of special dispcnsaton in this
emergency. for he would doubtless
enter with all his soul into any efforts
made to bring the murderer of his
friend to justice. and it need hardly
he added that Warde had now become
q prey 10 rather absorbing interest
in the mysterious crime and had made
up his mind to unravel il. il that were
possible.
When he entered Col. Franklin's
law Office he found that gentleman
smoking a cigar and reading Byron's
poems. book Of which he WAS ex-
cessivcly fond. He seemed to think
it necessary to explain that whenever
he did not feel like working he did
feel like reading Byron: "the greatest
of all the poets" he would say. with a
Embarrassing touch upon the worn
volume.
He received the newspaper man
courteously and laid the book aside.
II come to see you" said Warde,
about the murder of your friend,
Wright"
Has anything come 10 hghtY'
"No; nothing tangible; but I
thought perhaps you might be able
to suggest a theory concerning it,"
~ am afraid" said the colonel.
chat ] can throw but little light on
that terrible affair. Everything seems
yelled In the densest mystery. Wright
was killed in the woods where no
| human being could have been a wit
| ness to the deed. For two or three
DAYS the body lay there. and no one
| but the murderer knew that the
crime had hccn committed. In the
/ meantime the homicide, whose object
seems to have been robbery. but who
may have used robbery to veil a
deeper motive, has no doubt left this
section of the country, and will not
he likely 70 make his appearance here
again for some time---uuleSs. indeed
he can be Appreciated and brought
back by the law
Il have some reason TO doub,
whether be has left Nilus," SAID
Wardc.
Indeed" replied the colonel, keen
ly Interested
"Of course. ii is only surmse or
nv part but there are certain circum
stances which lend color to the idea
that the murderer WAS not an ordi
nary thief. and that his motive was
something else than robbery. 1t is
my opinion that he is now in the
city"
"That is important news. surely. il
true What proof have you in sup
port Of such theory?
"You see" answered Irving. smiling
IL have contracted the detective craze
recently. and | have made some inves
LEGATIONS on my own hook, ana | be
lieve the murderer has not only no
Iun away. but that he has seen hi
victim twice this very day"
How do YOU know this?" aske,
the colonel with a skeptical smile.
II do MOI know it. but | suspect i
very strongly, and | viii give you m.
reasons foi doing so"
He then gave detailed account o
his estigations. Col. Franklin lis
tened attcntiNrly to the story withou
, interruption and without betrayin;
whether or not he was iuspresse,
with the young journalists ingeniou
theories. Whcn the story was fin
ished, he sat lost in Thought. Fl
was evidently bringing to bear upO
the evidence presented all the power
I of his aStute intellect. Al length h
said: "Your story is certainly start
ling. and YOU deserve great credit fo
the interest you have taken in tn
matter. ! believe that your invest
Cation will aid materially in solyin
the mystery. and | thank You fc
, putting me in possession of such fact
, as You have"
This WAS all the salts faction tha
: Warde could get ont of the laWye
and he was yisibly disappointed: b.
he knew that Franklin was not tn
man TO catch at every plausible su
: mise offered, and. after ohtainin
from him the main events in the lii
:, Of the cotton King for biographies
n purposes he took his departure afte
agreeing ~ inform Franklin of an
new disc worries on his part