The Cairo bulletin., 1904-04-14


aid, he enters. while Uncle David retires with
in his own home and beglrs PLAYING the organ
The detective finds the body OF woman on the
floor in front OF settle which has
played a part in previous tragedies. PTS
tol is attached TO her wrist by ribbon
CHAPTER III.
Y0T for an instant did doubt
N the correctness of this identifl-
\ 20 cation. An the pictures had
seen of this well known society
belle had been marked by an individ-
uaity of expression which fixed her
face in the memory and which | now
saw repeated in the lifelcSs features
before me.
Having sent the too willing Hubbard
to notify headquarters, was on the
point of making 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 its result; for no sooner
did find myself alone and in the UNI
relieved darkness of this gravclike
room than became convinced that no
woman, however frcnzied, 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
before such daylight as could filter
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 body-or else the light
which had been burning when she
pulled the fatal trigger had since been
carried elsewhere or extinguishcd
Recalling the uncertain CLEANS which
we had seen flashing from one of the
upper windows. ! was inclined to give
some crcdence to the former theory.
but was disposed to be fair TO both SO
after rellghtlng my lamp | turned Oh
one OF the gas cocks of the massive
chandelier over my head and applied
match. The result was just what |
anticipated; no gas in the pipes. \
meter bad not been put in for the we'd
ding. This the papers had repeatedly
stated in dwelling upon the garlsh eff
feet Of the daylight on the elaborate
Ia. In lne,
had rot even been provided-~ah, can
dlos What, then. was 1t that | saw
glitterlng on small table at the other
end Of the room? Surely candlcstick,
or, rather, an old fashioned candida
brum 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 Il satisfactory proof that it had
not beer lately burning the tip of the
wick soon dries after the flame is
blown out---I took out my penknife and
attacked the wick at what might be
called its 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. If 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 cxtinguished this candle
flame after she fell, and Tie death |
looked down upon was not a suicide,
but murder.
The excitement which this discovery
caused to tingle through my every nerve
had its birth In the ambitious feeling
referred to IN the opening paragraph of
this narrative. believed that my long
sought for opportunity had come; that
will. lie start given me by the con
viction just stated | should he en-
abled TO collect such clews and estab-
lish such facts as would lead TO the ac-
ceptancc of this new theory instead of
the apparent one of suicide embraced
by Hubbard and about to be promul-
gated at police headquarters. If 50,
what triumph would be mine and
what n debt | should owe. to the
grabbed old gentleman whose seeming
ly fantastic fears had firsI drawn me
to this place.
Realizing the value of the opportu-
nifty afforded me by the few minutes |
was likely TO spend alone on this scene
of crime. proceeded TO my task with
that directness and method which |
had always promised myself should
characterize my first success in detee-
tive work.
First. then. for another look ut the
fair young victim herself. What line
of misery on the brow! What dark
hollows djsHgurlng checks otherwise
as delicate as the petals of a rose. An
interesting IL not absolutely beautiful
face. it ted me something | could
hardly put into words; so that it was
like leaving fascinating but unsolved
mystery when finally turned from 1t
60 ,.,.Ix- tha haoda zach nf which ,lrp.