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

II WLl the correctness VI lllN NltHNll'
V cation All the pictures had T.
seen OF this well known society
belle bad been marked by an indivil. .
uality Of expression which fixed her
face In the memory and which now
saw repeated In the lifclcss features
before lie
uuyiug sent the too willing Ilibbnrd
TO notify Headquarters, | was on the
point Of making n memorandum OF
such details as seemed important.
when my lantern suddenly went out.
leaving me In total darkness.
This was far from pleasant, but the
effect It produced upon my mind was
not without It's result; for no sooner
did find myself alone and III the I'M
relieved darkness of this gravcllkc
room than became convinced that no
woman. however fren2icd would make
her plunge into an unknown "Xistenc"
from the midst of darkness only too
suggestive of the tomb to which she
was Fastening. II was not in nature,
not in woman's nature, ut all events.
Either she had committed the final act
before such daylight as could inter
through the shutters OF this closed up
room had quite disappeared "A by
pothesls instantly destroyed by the
warmth which still fingered In certain
portions of her boly-Or else the light
which had been burning when she
pulled the fatal trigger had since been
carried elsewhere or cXtinguIshcd.
Recalling the uncertain CLEANS which
we had seen flashing from one OF the
upper windows, | was inclined to give
some credence to the former theory,
but was disposed to be fair TO both SO
after rclighting my lamp turned on
one Of the gas cocks of the massive
chandelier over my head and applied
n match. The result was Just what !
anticipated: no gas in the pipes. y
meter had not been put In for the wed
ding This the papers had repeatedly
stated in dwelling upon the gnrish cf'
feet of the daylight on the elaborate
costumes worn by the ladies' Candles
had not even been providcd-uh, can
dies! What, then, was 1t that ! saw
glittering on n small table nj the Other
end of the room? Surely candlestlck
or, rather an old fashioned Candida
brum with half burned candle in one
of its sockets. Hastily crossing to II
felt of the candle wick 1t was quite
stiff and hard. But not considering
this Il satisfactory proof that 1t nae
not been lately burning the tip of thu
wick soon dries after the lame IL
blown out took out my pcnknlfe anc
attacked the wick nt what might b'
called its root; whercupon found tina
where the threads had been protecteS
soft ana penetrablc,
The conclusion was obvious, Tru
to my instinct in this matter the wa
man had not lifted her weapon in dark
ness: this candle had been burning
But here my thoughts received Tres
shock. If burning, then by whom hat
it since been blown out? Not by heE
her wound was too fatally sure 10
that. The steps taken between til
table where the candclabrum stood an
the place where she lay were tnkcE
IL taken Mt all by her, before that she
was fired. Some one clsc-somc on
whose breath still fingered In the a
about me-had extinguishcd this cand
namc after she fell, and the death
looked down upon was not SulcId
but murder
The excitement which this discover
caused to tlnglc through mycvcry ncrN
had its birth in the ambitious feeliI
referred to IN the opening paragraph
this narrative. believed that my lol
sought for opportunity had come; tn
with the start given me by the co
vlction just stated | should be q
abled to collect such clews ana cstn
ligh such facts rs would lead to the Il
ceptnnce of this new theory instead
the apparent one Of suicide cmbrac
by Hubbard and about to he prom'
gated ut police headquarters If
what triumph would be mine "A
what a debt | should owe to I
Grabbed old gentleman whose scemir
~ fantastic fears had first drawn
to this place!
Realizing the value of the oppor
nifty afforded me by the few minutes
was likely to spend alone on this see
Of crime, proceeded to my task W
TINT directness and method which
had always promised myself shot
characterize my first success in Diet
tive work.
First, then, for another look at
fair young victim herself What
of misery on the brow What dt
hollows disfgurlng cheeks otherW
Ms delicate as the petals of rose!
interesting If not absolutely beaut
face, it told me something | co
hardly nut into words; so that 1t
like leaving Il fascinating but unsol
mystery when finally turned fror
10 study the hands, each of which
sented u separate problem That
fered by the right wrist you alre
know-the long white ribbon conn
ing It with the discharged pistol.
But the secret concealed by the
while less startling, was perhaps I
ms significant. All the rings We're s
even the wedding ring which had
placed there such short time bel
Had she been robbed? There wer'
signs of violence visible nor even