Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1904-08-26

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the value Of lace, and this garment
was covered With it.
Interesting as was this find, it was
followed by one still more SO. Nestled
in the folds Of the cloak lay the with
cred remains of what could only have
been the bridal bouquet. Unsightly
now and scentless, it was once beau
tiful specimen Of the florists art. AS l
noted how the main bunch of roses
and lilies was connected by long satin
ribbons to the lesser clusters which
hung from it recalled with conceiva-
BILE horror the use to which similar
ribbon had been put in the room be-
low. In the shudder called up by this
coincidence forgot to speculate how
bouquet carried by the bride could
have found its way back to this up
stairs room when, as all accounts
agree, she had fled from the parlor be-
low without speaking or staying foot
the moment she was told Of the catas-
trophe which had taken place in the
library. That her wrap should be ly-
Ing here was not strange, but that the
wedding bouquet
That 1t really was the wedding bou-
quet and that this was the room in
which the bride had dressed for the
ceremony was apparent to the most
casual observer. But 1t became an es-
tablished fact when In my further
course about the room CHANGED on a
handkerchief with the name Veronica
embroidered in one corner.
This handkerchief had an interest
apart from the name on 1t. 1t was Of
dainty texture and quite in keeping SO
far as value went with the other be-
longings of It's fastidious owner. But
1t was not clean. Indeed it was
strangely soiled, and this soil was Of a
nature did not readily understand. A
woman would doubtless have compre-
hended Immediately the cause of the
brown streaks found on 1t, but It
took me several minutes to realize that
this bit Of cambria, delicate as cob
To remove dust! Dust from what?
From the mantelshelf probably, upon
one end of which found It. But MOI!
One look along the polished boards
convinced me that whatever else had
been busted in this room this shelf
had not. The accumulation Of days if
not of months was visible from one
end to the other Of its unrelieved sur
face save where the handkerchief had
laid, and-the greatest discovery yet
where five clear spots just to the left
of the center showed where some
mans finger tips had rested. Nothing
but the pressure Of finger tips could
have caused just the appearance pre-
scented by these spots. By scrutinizing
them closely could even tell where
the thumb had rested and at once fore
saw the possibility Of determining by
means Of these marks both the size
and shape of the hand which had left
behind 1t 80 neat and unmistakable a
clew.
Wonderful! But what did 1t all mean
Why should a man rest his finger tips
on this out Of the way shelf? Had he
done SO in an effort to balance himself
for a look up the chimney? No, for
then the marks made by his fingers
would have extended to the edge of the
shelf, whereas these were in the mid
lie Of 1t. Their shape, too, was round,
not oblong. Hence the pressure had
come from above, and-ah! had it.
These Impressions In the dust Of the
shelf were just such as would be made
by person steadying himself for a
close look at the OLD picture. And this
accounted also for the overturned
chair and for the handkerchief used as
duster. Some ones interest in this
picture had been greater than mine;
some one who was either very near
sighted or whose temperament was
such that only the closest inspection
would satisfy an aroused curiosity.
This gave me an idea, or, rather, i'm
pressed upon me the necessity Of pre-
serving the outline Of these telltale
marks while they were still plain to the
eye. Taking out my penknife, light
ly ran the point of my sharpest blade
around each separate impression till I
had fixed them for all time in theywell
worn varnish Of the mahogany.
This done, my thoughts required to
the question already raised. What was
there in this old picture to arouse such
curiosity in one bent on evil If not fresh
from hideous crime? 1 have said be.
fore that the picture as picture was
worthless. mere faded sketch, fit only
for numbering up some old garnet. Then
wherein lay its charm. charm which
myself had felt, though not to this
extent2 1t was useless to conjecture
A fresh difficulty bad been added t.