Morris tribune., 1904-05-14

closed door at the end Of side pas
sage, I gave slight push to the door
and on seeing crack of light leap into
life along the jamb, pushed the door
wider and wider till the whole room
stood revealed.
The instantaneous banging of shut
ter in one Of it's windows proved the
room to be the very one which we had
seen lighted from below. Otherwise
all was still, nor was I able to detect
in my first hurried glance any other
token Of human presence than a can
die sputtering in it's own grease at the
bottom of tumbler placed on one cor
ner of an old fashioned dressing table.
This, the one touch Of incongruity in
a room otherwise rich if not stately in
Its appointments, was loud in it's sug-
gestion of some hidden presence given
to eXpedients and reckless of conse-
Quences, but of this presence nothing
was to be seen.
Not satisfied with this short survey, l
! turned my attention to my surround
ings, which had many points Of inter-
est. Foremost among these was the
big four poster which occupied a large
space at my right. I had never seen it's
like in use before, and 1 was greatly
attracted by it's size and the air of
mystery impaired to it by it's closely
drawn curtains Of faded brocade.
A dressing table laden with womans
fixings and various articles Of the tot
let, all of an unexpected value and
| richness, occupied the space between
the two windows, and on the floor, i'm
mediately in front Of high mahogany
mantel, there lay, amid a number of
empty boxes, an overturned chair.
This chair and the conjectures it's po-
sition awakened led me to look up at
the mantel, with which it seemed to
be in some way connected, and thus l
became aware Of a wan old drawing
hanging on the wall above it. Why
this picture, which was totally unin-
teresting sketch of a simpering girl
face, should have held my eye after
the first glance cannot say even now.
1t had no beauty, even Of the sentiment
tai kind, and very little If any mean
ing. Its lines, weak at the best, were
nearly obliterated and in some places
quite faded out, yet I not only paused
to look at it, but in looking at it forgot
myself and we'll nigh my errand. Yet
there was no apparent reason for the
spell it exerted over me.
1t may seem both unnecessary and
out Of character for a man of my call
ing to acknowledge these chance SEN
sations, but only by doing SO can ac-
count for the minutes which elapsed
before summoned sufficient self pos
session to draw aside the closed cur
tains Of the bed and take the quick
look inside which my present doubtful
position demanded. But, once I had
broken the spell and taken the look
just mentioned, found my manhood
return and with it my old ardor for
clews. The bed held no gaping, chat
tering criminal, yet was it not quite
empty. Something lay there, and this
something, while commonplace in it.
self, was enough out of keeping with
the place and hour to rouse my inter-
est and awaken my conjectures. 1t
was lady's wrap, so rich in quality
and of such a festive appearance that
it was astonishing to find it lying in a
neglected state in this crumbling old
house. Though l know little of the
cost Of women's garments, 1 do know
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
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 a similar
ribbon had been put in the room be-
low. In the shudder called up by this
coincidence I forgot to speculate how
a bouquet carried by the bride could
have found it's 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 it 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 it became an es-
tablished fact when in my further |
course about the room l CHANGED on a
with the name Veronica |
in one corner.
This handkerchief had an interest |
apart from the name on it. It was Of |
dainty texture and quite in keeping SO |
far as value. went with the other be-
longings Of it's fastidious owner But |
it was not clean. Indeed it was |
strangely soiled, and this soil was Of a
nature l did not readily understand. A
hou