Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-05-03

time Worn rooms and halls. Are these
intrusions necessary? Now that Mrs.
Jeffrey's body has been removed. do
you feel that the scene of her demise
need hold the attention of the police
any longerY"
THAT is question to put to the SUI
perintendent and not to me-" was my
deprecatory reply THE major has is
sued no orders for the watch to be
taken Off so we men have no choice.
l am sorry If it offends you. Doubt
less few days will end the matter,
and the keys will be given into your
hand. ] suppose you are anxious to
move IMP
He cast glance behind him ut his
dog, gave whistle, which passed I'M
needed, and replied, with dignity, IL
but little heart:
when man has passed his seventh
decade he is not apt to be SO patient
with delay as when he has prospect
of many years before him. / am anx-
ious to enter my own house-yes. l
have much to do there"
remounted the steps, carelessly re-
marking:
.I'll see you again after taking a
turn through the house. II discover
anything, ghost marks or human
marks which might be OF interest to
you, I'll let you know"
1t was necessary for the success Of
my plan that some time should elapse
before l reapproached Mr.. Moore. I
therefore kept my word to him and
satisfied my own curiosity by taking a
fresh tour through the house. Natural
", in doing this, visited the library.
Here all was dark. The faint twilight
still Illuminating the street failed to
penetrate here. I was obliged to light
my lantern.
Ny first glance was toward the fire.
place. venturesome hands had been
there. Not only had the fender been
drawn out and the CRATE set aside, but
the huge settle had been wrenched
free from the mantel and dragged into
the center of the room. Rather pleas
ed at this change, for with all my ap-
parent bravado did not enjoy too
close proximity to the cruel hearth
stone, stopped to give this settle a
thorough investigation. The result was
disappointing. To all appearance-an
I did not spare It the experiment Of
many thump and knock-it was per-
fectly innocuous piece Of furniture,
clumsy OF build, but solid and absolute
ly devoid Of anything that could ex-
plain the tragedies which had occurred
so near 1t. 1 even sat down on Its
musty old cushion and shut my eyes,
but was unrewarded by alarming vi
sions or disturbance OF any sort. Nor
did the floor where it had stood yield
any better results to the inQuiring eye.
Nothing was to be seen there but the
marks left by the removal OF its base
from the blackened boards.
Disguised with myself II not with
this object of my present disappoint-
ment, left that portion Of the room
in which it stood and crossed to where
had found the little table on the night
of Mrs. Jeffrey's death. 1t was no
longer there. 1t had been set back
against the wall, where it properly be
longed, and the candelabrum removed.
Nor was the kitchen chair any longer
to be seen near the bookshelves. This
fact, small as 1t was, caused me an in
slant of chagrin. / had intended to
look again at the book which l had ex-
amined with such unsatisfactory re-
suits the time before. A glance showed
me that this book had been pushed
back level with the others But re-
membered its title, and had the means
Of reaching it been at hand should
certainly have stolen another peep at
it.
Upstairs found the same signs of
police interference. The shutter had
been fastened In the southwest room
and the bouquet and wrap taken away
from the bed. The handkerchief also
was missing from the mantel where !
had left 1t, and when opened the clos
ct door it was to find the floor bare and
the second candelabrum and candle re-
moved.
All SOuS, tuOuSul l. CoSA uiiSA SF
cry clew"
But was mistaken. In another mo-
ment I came upon the minute filings
had before observed scattered over a
small stand. Concluding from this
that they had been passed over by Dur
bin and his associates as valueless, I
swept them, together with the dust in
which they fsU. Into an old envelope
happily found In my pocket. Then
crossed to the mantel and made close
inspection OF its now empty shelf. The
scra tches which had made there were
visible enough, but the Impressions for
which they stood had vanished in the
handling which everything in the house
had undergone Regarding with great
thankfulness the result Of my own
foresight, / made haste to leave the
room. 1 then proceeded to take my
first steps in the ticklish experiment
by which 1 hoped to determine wheth-
er Uncle David had had any share In
the fatal business which had rendered
the two rooms I had just visited so
memorable.
First satisfying myself by peep
through the front drawing room Win
dow that he was positively at watch
behind the vines, went directly to the
kitchen, procured chair and carried 1t
;nto tho Nhrorv uhnre 7 mt IT to Use