The San Angelo press. (San Angelo, Tex.) 1897-1907, 1904-12-01

ence of the old tragedies with which
my mind was necessarily full, that I
paused. baked In my advance and well
nigh uncertain whether looked upon
real thing or on some strange and
terrible fantasy of my aroused imagi-
nation.
A form lay before me, outstretched
hitherto been hidden from me by the
half open door-a woman's form,
which even In that first casual look
impressed itself upon me as one of
aerial delicacy and extreme refine
ment; and this form lay as only the
dead lie; the deadl And had been
looking at the hearthstone for Just
such n pictured No, not just such
picture. for this woman lay face upper.
most and, on the floor beside her was
blood
A hand had plucked my sleeve. 1t
was Hibbard's. Startled by my i'm.
mobility and silence, he had stepped In
with quaking members, expecting he
hardly knew what But no sooner did
which held me spellbound than an I'm.
foreseen change took place in him.
What had unnerved me, restored him
to full self possession. Death in this
shape was familiar to him. He had no
fear OF blood. He did not show sur.
prise Mt encountering II, but only at
the effect 1t appeared to produce on me.
Shot" was his laconic comment as
he bent over the PROSTATE body. "Shot
through the heart! She must have
died before she fell"
Shot!
That was new experience for this
room. No wound had ever before dis
figured those who had fallen here, nor
had any of the previous victims been
found lying on any other spot than the
one over which that huge settle kept
guard. AS these thoughts crossed my
mind instinctively glanced again to.
ward the fireplace for what almost
refused to believe lay outstretched at
my feet. When nothing more ap.
peared there than that old seat Of sin.
lister memory, | experienced q thrill
which poorly prepared me for the cry
which ! now heard raised by Hubbard
Look here! What do you make Of
thls?"
He was pointing to what upon closer
inspection, proved TO he strip OF
white satin ribbon running from one
OF the delicate wrists of the girl before
us to the handle of pistol which had
fallen not far away from her side. 1T
looks as if the pistol was attached to
her. That is something new in my
experience, What do you think it
mcansT
Alas, there was but one thing It
could mean. The shot to which she
had succumbed had been delivered by
herself. This fair and delicate creature
was suicide.
But suicide in this placel How could
we account for thatP Had the story
of this rooms III acquired fame acted
hypnotically on her, or had she stun.
bled upon the open door I'm front and
been glad of any refuge where her
misery might find q solitary termina-
tioni Closely scanning her upturncd
face. | sought an answer to this ques.
ton, and while thus seeking received
fresh shock which did not hesitate
to communicate to my now none too
sensitive companion.
Look at these features" l cried. 81
seem to know them. Do your
He growled out a dissent but stoop.
ed at my bidding and gave the pitiful
young face a prolonged stare. When
he looked up again 1t was with puz.
zled contraction of his eyebrows.
"Iye certainly seen it somewhere"
he hesltatngly admitted. edglng slow.
ly away toward the door. perhaps In
the papers. Isn't she like
Like" interrupted. at is Veroni-
ca Moore herself, the owner of this
house and she who was married here
two weeks since TO Mr.. Jeffrey. Evi.
IDENTITY her reason was unseated by the
tragedy which threw So deep gloom
over her wedding"
ITO he Continued.)