The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1903-04-21

audible con.motion to Detective Ser
geant Burr. who was standing on the
sidewalk about forty feet from the
door. He merely knew that something
was going on. He couldn't have told
how he knew it.
He was looking the other way. A
man whom he was interested to have
seen. whom he had never seen before,
had just passed by, and Burr was star
ing after him. II the sergeant had
clothed his thought in words, it would
have been like this:
"That man is Warren Prescott. His
pictures up on the elevated stations,
and I've seen il in the papers. He
wrote a Pine Tree Shilling It's about
| the county that l came from down in
Maine. They say he's made a fortune
out of it. He ought to. It's a rattling
good. clean story. wonder If it would
make him feel any better to know that
| a policeman read his book and liked
itY
| At this point consciousness of trou-
BILE i'm his immediate vicinity obtruded
itself strongly. He turned toward the
|
| of the house. who had been leaning
against railing in front of it. started
away and looked up as If he expected
something to fall on him. A woman
flung up a window on the third story
and thrust out her head. She cried
MURDER in n dazed, mechanical tone,
and she did not even glance downward
to see whether any one heard her.
| Having obeyed her blind impulse to
scream. she disappeared from the win
dow.
Burr ran toward the house and en-
tered ahead OF the janitor, who had
had but three steps to take, yet had
lacked the resolution to take them.
The sergeant ascended the stairs. be-
ing greatly impeded by some women
near the top who were undecided
whether to run up or down.
A door upon the right of the hall to-
ward the front of the house was open
A woman stood in the doorway with
her back toward Burr. She was grip
ping the frame upon each side as if to
prevent her curiosity from dragging
her into the room. Burr gently lifted
one OF her arms and. having passed
her. replaced it, after which proceeding
she became a sort of bar to keep 9th
ers out. as he had meant that she
should. While he was doing this she
called to some one within, Frank
come awayw And then in different
tone lower pitched and hoarse, "Is she
deadT'
Frank" proved to be a tall despond
ent looking man whose visible attire
consisted of blue and white bathrobe
which trailed behind him. He had q
towel wound about his head.
"Who are your demanded Burr.
The man Strengthened up and looked
Z at the sergeant with relief.
My names Norris" he said. 81 live
across the hail. I've been SICK" hs
added. touching the towel. Grip.
guess. That's how | happened to b'
in the house at this time of day"
"Who did eilisg" demanded Burr.
Her husband, | guess" was the re
ply They used to quarrel some. but
don't know as he ever struck her be
fore"
Burr bent over the woman. She wa:
under thirty. but looked much olde
now that the face no longer cared t.
hide anything. Her hair was darl
and very abundant. No doubt she hat
thought it beautiful and had heard 1
praised many q time with innocen
pleasure when she was a girl. with th'
cold vanity of wasted womanhood il
later years.
"You go call an ambulance" sal,
Burr TO tile janitor. who had thrus
himself into the room. Know me
don't your;
The janitor nodded and obeyed. Bur
looked again NJ the victim of this sor
did tragedy. He recognized her. an'
many of his professional brethrel
would have had no difficulty in doin;
so. She had been marked during SOM
years as the consort OF q shrewd ant
notorious thief 1t was even said tha
she had married him when she wa
very yonng and without a knowledg
of his way Of life. The man had die
in prison not so long ago. and the wo
man had disappeared. The de.activ
was mildly surprised to find her ant
yet not surprised TO find her TINS.
.'Who are these people?" asked Burr
Parkinson" said Morris. That's th
name on the bell
Gilbert Parkinson was his name,
added Mrs. Morris from the doorway
Her name was Annie. Is she deadE'
Yes" replied Burr.
He put both hands to his forehead n
: he leaned against the mantelpiece.- III
was thinking of the man who ha'
passed him upon the street.
This is pretty tough" he muttered
. Gilbert Parkinsoni That's what h
called the old fellow in his book, an
Annie was the daughter. Good Lord
: What can Il man see in woman lik
that? And he an educated fellow wit
= the brains To make himself famous,
? call this tougher than the average"
> He stepped forward again and pickle
: up heavy cane that lay near th
body. Ii had head grotesquely twis
,, ed of silver plate much furnished.
+ zone blow of this" he said TO hin
81. self. And IL doesn't seem to have lei
!, any scar on her but it left a scar o
him all right I'm sorry"