The Weiser semi-weekly signal. (Weiser, Washington Co., Idaho) 1904-1911, 1904-06-25

the dust lying thick on Its top was
almost entirely lacking from the one
which had been nested under It,
Neither had the candelabrum been
standing there long. dust being found
under as well as around it. Had her
hand brought it there? Hardly, If 1t
came from the top of the mantel
toward which now turned In my
course of investigation.
/ have already mentioned this man
tel more than once This l could hard
ly avoid, since In and about IT. lay the !
heart of the mystery for which the
room was remarkable. But, though
have thus freely spoken of 1t and
though it was not absent from my
thoughts for a moment, had not ven
tured TO approach it beyond certain
safe radius. Now in looking to see If l
might not lessen this radius l expert
enced that sudden and overwhelming
interest in its every feature which at
taches to all objects peculiarly asso
ciated with danger.
. even took a step toward it, holding
up my lamp so that stray ray struck
the faded surface of an old engraving
hanging over the fireplace. 1t was the
well known one, in Washington at
least. of Benjamin Franklin at the
court of France, interesting, no doubt
in a general way, but scarcely calcu-
lated to hold the eye at SO critical an
instant Neither did the shelf below
call for more than momentary atten-
ton, for 1t was absolutely bare. So
was the time worn, if not blood stained.
hearth, save for the impenetrable
shadow cast over it by the huge bulk
of the great settle standing at its edge.
| have already described the impress
sion made on me at my first entrance
by this ancient and characteristic arti-
Gle of furniture.
1t was intensified now as my eye ran
over the clumsy carving which added
to the discomfort of its high, straight
back and as smelled the smell Of its
moldy and possibly mouse haunted
cushions. A crawling sense of dread
took the place, Of my first instructive
repugnance, not because superstition
had as yet laid its grip upon me, al
though the place, the hour and the near
and veritable presence of death were
enough to rouse the imagination past
| the bounds of the actual, but because
of discovery had made-a discovery
which emphasized the tradition that al
who had been found dead under the
mantel had fallen as If from the end Of
this monstrous and patriarchal bench
Do you ask what this discovery was
1t can be told in word. This on'
end and only this end had been made
comfortable for the sitter. For spac'
scarcely wide enough for one the sea
and back at this special point hat
been upholstered with leather fastene'
to the wood with heavy wrought nails
The remaining portion stretched GU
bare, hard and inexpressibly forbiddin
to one who sought ease there or eve
a moment of casual rest.
The natural inference was that tn
owner of this quaint piece of furnitur
had been a. very selfish man VIII
thought only of his own comfort. Blu
might he not have had some other ref
son for his apparent niggardllness
AS I asked myself this question an
: noted how the long and embracin
arm which guarded this cushioned r.
treat was fattened on top for the col
venient holding of decanter and glas
feelings to which can give no nam
: and which / had fondly believed m,
0 self proof against began to take Il
9 place Of Judgment and reason. Befo
. | realized the nature of my own II
Il pulse or to what it was driving me
y! found myself moving slowly and stea
q ily toward this formidable seat und
- an irresistible desire to fling myse
down upon these old cushions and
d But here the creaking of some faro
L shutter. possibly the one l had SCI
m swaying from the opposite side of t
ie street, recalled me to the duties OF I
1t hour. and, remembering that my
n yestigations were but half complet
ne and that / might be interrupted a.
le moment by detectives from headqu'
ed ters. broke from the accursed char
a which Mortified me the moment l
lr- capped It. and, quitting the room by
be door at the farther end, sought to d
IN in some of the adjacent rooms the d
nd mite traces had failed to discover
M this the actual scene of the crime.
at 1t was a dismal search, revealing
IN every turn the almost maddened ha
all with which the house had been ADJ
RS doned. l passed out into the kltci
ch and so on by close and narrow P
sage to the negro quarters clustered
m. the rear. Here 1 made discove
vi One of the windows In this long
I'd; used portion of the house was not o
on unlocked, but partly open. But a
my came upon no marks showing that
my outlet had been used by the escap
led murderer, l made my way back to
ing
tly The e.ndis In the tvmbisr
ST. ,se,slbIAANz~