Morris tribune., 1904-05-14


uaIity of expression which fixed hel
face in tie memory and which | now
saw repeated in the lifelesS features
before me.
Having sent the too willing Hubbard
TO notify headquarters, l was on the
point Of making a memorandum OF
such details as seemed important
when my lantern suddenly went out
leaving NE 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 l find myself alone and in the I'm
relieved darkness of this gravelike
room than l became convinced that no
woman, however frenzied, would make
her plunge into an unknown existence
from the midst of darkness only too
suggestive of the tomb to which she
was Fastening. 1t was not in nature,
not in Woman'S nature, at all events.
Either she had committed the final act
-sbefore such daylight as could filter
through the shutters Of this closed up
room had quite disappeared "a n.y.
pothesis instantly destroyed by the
warmth which still fingered in certain
portions of her body-or else the light
which had been burning when she
pulled the fatal trigger had since been
carried elsewhere or extinguished.
Recalling the uncertain CLEANS which
we had seen flashing from one Of the
Mpper windows, was inclined to give
some credence to the former theory,
but was disposed to be fair to both. So
after relighting my lamp l 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. \
meter had not been put in for the we'd
Aing. This the papers had repeatedly
stated in dwelling upon the garish eff
feet of the daylight. Oh the elaborate
costumes worn by the ladies. Candles
had pot even been provided-ah, can
dies! What, then, was it that I saw
glittering on a small table at the other
Or. rather. an old fashioned Candida
Drum with a half burned candle in one
Of its sockets. Hastily crossing to it,
felt of the candle wick. 1t was quite
stiff and hard. But not considering
this a satisfactory proof that it had
not been lately burning-the tip of the
wick soon dries after the fame is
blown out took out my penknife and
attacked the wick at what might be
called it's root; whereupon found that
where the, threads had been protected
by the wax they were comparatively
soft and penetrable.
The conclusion was obvious. True
to my instinct in this matter. the wo-
man had not lifted her weapon in dark
ness; this candle had been burning.
But here my thoughts received fresh
shock. II burning, then by, whom had
it since been blown out? Not by her:
her wound was too fatally sure for
that. The steps taken between the
table where the candelabrum stood and
the place where she lay were taken,
If taken at all by her. before that shot
was fired. Some one elSe-SOme one
whose breath still fingered in the air
about me-had extinguished this candle
dame after she fell, and the death l
looked down upon was not suicide,
but murder.
The excitement which this discovery
caused to tingle through my every nerve
had it's birth in the ambitious feeling
referred to in the opening paragraph of
this narrative. l believed that my long
sought for opportunity had come; that
with the start given me by the con-
viction just stated l should be en-
abled to collect such clews and estab-
lish such facts as would lead to the &C
aceptancc of this new theory instead Of
the apparent one of suicide embraced
by Hubbard and about to be promul-
gated at police headquarters. If SO,
what triumph would be mine and
what a debt l should owe to the
grabbed old gentleman whose seeming
~ fantastic fears had first drawn me
to this place. A-..
Realizing the value of the opportu-
nifty afforded me by the few minutes
was likely to spend alone on this scene
of crime, l proceeded to my task with
that directness and method which |
had always promised myself should |
characterize my first success in detec (
tive work.
First. then, for another look at the :
fair young victim herself! What line
Of misery on the brow! What dark
bellows disfiguring cheeks otherwise
as delicate as the petals of rose! An
interesting if not absolutely beautiful :,
face, it told me something | could |
hardly put into words: so that it was
like leaving Il fascinating but unsolved
mystery when finally turned from it
to study tho hands. each of which pre-
sented a separate problem. That Of
fered by the right wrist you already
know-the long white ribbon connect
ing it with the discharged pistol
But the secret concealed by the left,
while less startling, was perhaps fully
40 significant. All the rings were gone,
even the wedding ring which had been