Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1904-07-22
hung from it I recalled with conceiva

bic horror the use to which a similar
ribbon had been put in the room pc
low. In the shudder called up by this
coincidence l forget to speculate how
q bouquet carried by the bride could
have found its 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 1t became an es-
tablished fact when in my further
course about the ROOF ~ CHANGED on a
handkerchief with the name Veronica
embroidered i'll one corner.
This handkerchief had an interest
apart from the name on it. 1t was Of
dainty texture and quite in keeping SO
far rs value went with the other be-
longings of its fastidious owner. But
1t was not clean. Indeed 1t was
strangely soiled, and this soil was Of q
nature did not readily understand. A
woman would doubtless have compre-
hended Immediately the cause Of the
brown streaks 1 found on 1t, but II
took me several minutes to realize that
this bit Of cambria, delicate as a cob
web, had been used to remove dust.
To remove dust! Dust from what?
From the mantelshelf probably, upon
one end OF which I found It, But no!
One look along the polished boards
convinced me that whatever else had
been busted in this room this shelf
had not. The accumulation Of days II
not Of months was visible from one
end to the other Of its unrelieved sur
face save where the handkerchief had
laid, and-the greatest discovery yet
where five clear spots just to the left
of the center showed where some
mans finger tips had rested. Nothing
but the pressure Of finger tips could
have caused just the appearance pre-
scented by these spots. By scrutinizing
them closely l could even tell where
the thumb had rested and at once fore
saw the possibility of determining by
means Of these marks both the size
and shape of the hand which had left
behind it SO neat and unmistakable
clew.
Wonderful! But what did 1t all mean
Why should man rest his finger tips
on this out of the WY shelf? Had ne
done so in an effort to balance himself
for a look up the chimney? No, for
then the marks made by his fingers
would have extended to the edge Of the
shelf, whereas these were in the mid.
die Of it. Their shape, too. was round,
not OblOng. Hence the pressure had
come from above, and-ah! l had 1t.
These impressions in the dust Of the
shelf were just such as would be made
by a person steadying himself for a
close look at the old picture. And this
accounted also for the overturned
chair and for the handkerchief used as
buster. Some ones interest in this
picture had been greater than mine;
some one who was either very near
sighted or whose temperament was
such that only the closest inspection
would satisfy an aroused curiosity.
This gave me an idea, or, rather. i'm
pressed upon me the necessity Of pre-
serving the outline Of these telltale
marks while they were still plain to the
eye. Taking out my penknife. 1 light
~ ran the point of my sharpest blade
around each separate impression till l
had fixed them for all time In the well
worn varnish Of the mahogany.
This done, my thoughts required to
the question already raised. What was
there in this old picture to arouse such
curiosity In one bent on evil II not fresh
from hideOus crime? have said be-
fore that the picture as a picture was
worthless. a mere faded sketch, fit only
for numbering up some old garrett Then
wherein lay its charm. charm which
/ myself had felt. though not to this
extent? 1t was useless to conjecture
A fresh difficulty had been added to
my task by this puZzling discovery.
but difficulties only increased my in
terest. 1t was with al odd feeling Of
elation that, in a further examination
of this room. l came upon two add
tional facts equally odd and irrecon-
| Cilable.
One was the presence Of penknife,
with the file blade open, on a small tn
BILE under the window marked by the
The penkhifs and
the filinIs on the table