The San Angelo press. (San Angelo, Tex.) 1897-1907, 1904-12-08

and brought to It's present position
within a very short space OF time, Tor
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 well as around 1t. Had her
hand brought II therer Hardly. II 1t
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.
ly avoid since In and about 1t lay the
heart Of the mystery for which the
room was remarkable. But, though I
! have thus freely spoken OF 1t and
though It was not absent from my
thoughts for a moment. had not ven.
tured TO approach 1t beyond certain
/ safe radius. Now In looking to see IL
might not lessen this radius | expert
enced that sudden and overwhelming
interest In its every feature which at
taches to all objects peculiarly asso.
ciated with danger.
! even lOOh oltp NO"u'N ~
up my lamp so that stray ray struck
the faded surface Of an old engraving
hanging over the fireplace. 1t was the
well known one, in Washington Mt
least, Of BENJAMIN Franklin at the
court of France, interesting, no doubt.
In Il general way, but scarcely calcu-
lated to hold the eye at so critical an
instant. Neither did the shelf below
call for more than momentary atten-
ton, for it was absolutely bare. So
was the time worn, II not blood stained,
hearth. save for the impenetrable
shadow cast over 1t by the huge bulk
of the great settle standing at its edge.
have already described the impress
sion made on me at my first entrance
by this ancient and characteristic arti'
Gle of furniture,
It was intensified now as my eye ran
over the clumsy carving which added
to the discomfort of its high. straight
back and as l smelled the smell OF Its
moldy and possibly mouse haunted
cushions. A crawling sense OF dread
took the place of my first instructive
repugnnnCe, not because superstition
had as yet laid its grip upon me, al
though the place, the hour and the near
and verltahle presence OF death were
enough to rouse the Imagination Ias'
the bounds of the actual. but because
of a discovery had made-a discovery
! which emphasized the tradition that al
/ who had been found dead under Tho
| man,cl had fallen as If from the end o.
. this monstrous and patriarchal bench
. DO YOU ask what this discovery was
II can be told In word. This on
end and only this end had been mad
\ comfortable for the sitter For spac
r scarcely wide enough for one the sea
!. and back at this special point Ia,
been upholstered with leather, fastene
/. to the wood with heavy wrought nails
. The remaining portion stretched on
}. bare, hard and ineXpresslbly forbidden
o TO one who sought ease there or eve
/. a moment of casual rest.
d The natural inference was that tn
t. owner of this quaint piece OF furnitur
/. had been very selfish man VIII
s thought only of his own comfort. BIZ
- might he not have had some other RET
n son for his apparent niggardliness
,e As asked myself this question an
IF noted how the long and embrncin
ID arm which guarded this cushioned r.
k treat was fiattened on top for the col
,e venient holding of decanter and Glas
H. feelings to which can give no nan
le and which had fondly believed m
ce self proof against began to take Il
10, place of judgment and reason. Befo
In | realized the nature of my own II
or pulse or to what 1t was driving me
nd found myself moving slowly and stea
to lily toward this formidable seat und
an Irresistible desire to fling myst
tn down upon these old cushions and
| But here the creaking of some faro
'm shutter, possibly the one l had SCI
lie swaylng from the opposite side OF
1t street, recalled me to the duties or I
In hour and, remembering that my
ne yestigatlons were but half complet
ne and that | might be interrupted a
ed moment by detectives from headqui
q ters, | broke from the accused char
ar which Mortified me the moment l
he capped it, and, quitting the room by
an door at the farther end sought to Il
nd In some Of the adjacent rooms the d
i'm. mite traces had failed to discover
nat this the actual scene Of the crime.
EN- TO be Continued
all
ers At the Opera House