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

~
alton by a criminals hand. The boa
of delicate black net which encircled
her neck rose fresh and intact to her
chin; nor did the heavy folds Of her
rich broadcloth gown betray that any
disturbance had taken place In her
figure after Its fall. If jewel had
flashed at her throat, or earrings
adorned her ears, they had been re-
moved by careful, if not a loving,
hand. But was rather inclined to
think that she had entered upon the,
scene Of her death without ornaments,
such severe simplicity marked her
whole attire.
Her hat, which was as plain and also
as elegant as the rest Of her clothing,
lay near her on the floor. It had been
taken of and thrown down, manifestly
by an impatient hand. That this hand
was her own was evident from small
but very significant fact. The pin
which had held 1t to her hair had been
thrust again into the hat No hand
but hers would have taken this precau-
lion. A man would have flung It aside
just as he would have flung the hat.
Question:
Did this argue natural expectation
on her part Of resuming her hat, or
was the action the result Of an uncon-
scious habit?
Having thus noted all that was pos
sible concerning her without infringing
on the rights Of the coroner, next pro-
ceeded to cast about for clews to the
identity of the person whom consid-
cred responsible for the extinguished
candle. But here a great disappoint-
ment awaited me. I could find moth
ing expressive Of second persons
presence save pile of cigar ashes
scattered near the legs of common
Kitchen chair which stood face to face
with the bookshelves In that part Of
the room where the candelabrum rested
on small table. But these ashes look.
ed old, nor could detect any evidence
OF tobacco smoke in the general musti-
ness pervading the place. Was the
man who died here fortnight since
accountable for these ashes? II SO,
his unfin.ahed cigar must be within
sight Should I search for it7 No, for
this would take me to the hearth and
that. was quite too deadly a place to
be heedlessly approached.
Besides, l was not yet finished with
the spot where I then stood. II /
could gather nothing satisfactory from
the ashes, perhaps l could from the
chair or the shelves before which it
had been placed. Some one with an In.
terest in books had sat there; some one
who expected to spend sufficient time
over these old tones to feel the need
Of chair. Had this interest been q
general one, or had it centered In q par
ticular volume9 ran my eye over the
shelves within reach, possibly with an
idea Of settling this question. and
though my knowledge OF books Is linn
tied could see that these were what
one might call rarities. Some Of them
contained specimens of black letter, all
moldy and smothered In dust; in others
I saw dates Of publication which
placed them among volumes dear to q
collectors heart. But none Of them,
so far as could see,' gave any EVIL
dence of having been lately handled;
and, anxious to waste no time on
puerile details, hastily quilted my
chair and was proceeding to turn my
attention elsewhere when I noticed
on an upper shelf book projecting
slightly beyond the others. Instantly
my foot was on the chair and the book
In my hand. Did find it Of interest?
Yes, but not on account Of it's con-
tents, for they Were pure Greek to
me, but because 1t lacked the dust on
Its upper edge which had marked
every other volume I had handled.
This, then, was what had attracted the
unknown to these shelves, this-let me
see II can remember its title-"Disqui-
sition Upon Old Coast Lines" Pshaw!
was wasting my time. What had
such dry compendium as this to do
with the body lying in Its blood few
steps behind me, or with the hand
which had put out the candle upon this
dreadful deed? Nothing. I replaced
the book, but not so hastily as to push
1t one inch beyond the position in
which found 1t. For, II 1t had tale
to tell, then was 1t my business to
leave that tale to be read by those
who undo. stood books better than I
did.
My next move was toward the little
table holding the candelabrum with
the glittering pendants. This table
was one Of a nest standing against a
nearby wall. Investigation proved
that 1t had been lifted from the others
and brought to its present position
within a very short space of time. for
the dust lying thick on its top was
almost entirely lacking from the one
which had been nested Under It.
Neither had the candelabrum been
standing there long, dust being found
under as we'll as around it. Had her
hand brought 1t there? Hardly, II It
came from the top Of the mantel
toward which now turned in my
course Of investigation.
have already mentioned this man
tel more than once. This could hard
~ avoid, since in and about it lay the
heart of the mystery for which the
room was remarkable. But though l
have thus freely spoken of 1t and
though it was not absent from my
thoughts for moment, had not ven
tured to approach it beyond certain
safe radius Now in looking to see IL
might not lessen this radius I expert
enced that sudden and overwhelming
interest in its every feature which at
| taches to all objects peculiarly asso.