Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1903-07-11

be thankful that the Grabbed crea
ture is dead she said. Some com
mon burglar, of course. She'c
scream and shrek if she saw one al
her jewel case and get herself kill.
/ ed
We'll, poor old woman, I'd have
been his death if | had been near,
Neffrles said. She wasn't half bad.
She never made will and left
things away from me, as she might,
after / told her I'd never cringe to
her for her favor. Hang it, / wish
| wasn't her heir! People will sus-
pect me secretly perhaps. | can
prove | wasn't inside the house that
night, but you know how the pa
pers talked. Poor Bitzner, the roof
er, came to me and cried over what
they said about him. Kill Aunt
Jessy! Why, good Lord
you used to call her Aunt Jeze-
BEL said the widow. Mrs. Null is
her name.
eyes, Pm sorry / did, but she
had a temper, said Mr.. Jeffries.
I've mind not to take the mon
ey.'
""Then | shan't take you,' said
Mrs. Null. Such an idiot! should
be ashamed of YOU f.
"See here!" Kitty handed me an
address on piece of paper. 1t
was Mrs. Preston Null, at certain
number, Chestnut street, at is
her mother-in-law, Can you send
our Mrs. Mull-Eliza Mull-a tele-
gram saying, Come at once to this
address ?''' she asked.
Il can" said l
''Do it," said she. ''No, don't
ask me. ] am helping you. / have
my thoughts. Now take me home"
| took her home and telegraphed
to brother detective to telegraph
to the widow, and | waited and
watched. saw her get into a car
riage and go away. | followed and
saw her take the train. If Kitty
wanted her out Of the way she was
safe.
A few hours afterward I received
a note:
Disguise yourself as an old wo-
man and come here at once. Come
in cab. Wear a thick black veil.
Send up word that you are my Aunt |
Agnes. Lose no time"
| lost none. AS | went slowly up
the stairs, with my black veil down,
| could hear my heart beat. Kitty |
opened the door, called out, "Why, |
aunty, dearN and shut it.
81 have opened the door between
my room and Mrs. Mull's," she said. |
II have found something. I can't |
appear in this matter. You must |
see for yourself"
She led me into the handsome |
room and went to a wardrobe. |
There, from beneath other dresses, |
she drew a plainly cut coat, or red |
ingote, of thin black cloth, with
many buttons down the front, and |
spread it on a chair. About the
neight of the knees a piece was torn
away and a button gone. She took
he bit Of cloth from her pocket,
tilted it to the rent and laid the
button on it.
'The piece of cloth found in dead
Mrs. Jeffries' hand came from this
garment" was her remark.
eyes," l said, "she must have dis
pulsed him in it. But-why"-
"Goosey!" said Kitty. ''Mr. JEFF
'ries could not get into this. Mrs.
Null wore it herself. Mrs. Null
Iilled old Mrs. Jeffries. The neph-
w knows nothing about it-guesses
This wicked woman want
ID to marry him when he had in
lerited the estate. She has done
t. | watched her through the peep
lole | had made. I saw her writhe
n agony and, without speaking a
7ord, wiring her hands and tear her
lair."
Mrs. Null was arrested at the sta
ion on her return, and it was all
S Kitty said. She made full con-
ession. She had conceived the idea
f numbering the old woman that
er nephew might get the money,
nd she had hoped the poor roof
nender would be charged with the
rime.
She was fiend in female form,
ut the thought that I had driven a
oman to the gallows haunted me
nd sickened me of the detective
usiness, which I left very soon.
Kitty and | are keeping a little
otel now and prospecting very well.
Had the Advantage of Him.
81 I 1 \