The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1905-05-11


sciQus habit7
Having thus noted all that was pos
sible concerning her without infringing
on the rights Of the coroner. I next pro-
ceeded TO cast about for clews TO the
identity Of the person whom / consid-
cred responsible for the extinguisbed
candle But here a great disappoint-
ment awaited me. l could find moth
ing expressive of a second persons
presence save a pile OF cigar ashes
scattered near the legs Of a comtyn
kitchen chair which stood face to face
with the bookshelves in that part OF
the room where the candelabrum rested
on a small table. But these ashes look
cd old, nor could detect any evidence
Of tobacco smoke In the general musti-
ness pervading the place. Was the
man who died here a fortnight since
accountable for these ashesl II so,
his unfinished cigar must be within
sight. should search for III No, for
this would take me 10 the hearth and
that was quite too deadly a place to
be heedlessly approached.
Besides. was not yet finished with
the spot where l then stood. II !
could gather nothing satisfactory from
the ashes. perhaps l could from the
chair or the shelves before which It
had been placed So:Ae one with an in
terest in books had sat there; some one
who expected TO spend sufficient time
over these old tones TO feel the need
OF q chair. Had this interest been a
general one. or had It centered in par
ucular volumef ran Eny eye over the
shelves within reach, possibly with an
idea OF settling this question, and
though my knowledge OF books is linn
ited could see that these were what
one might call rarities. Some of them
contained specimens OF black letter, all
moidy and smothered in dust; in Others
l saw dates of publication which
placed them among volumes dear TO a
collectors heart But nsne of them,
so far as | could see, gave any evi-
dence of having been lately handled;
and. anxious TO waste no time on
puerile details, hastily quilted my
chair and was proceeding TO turn my
attention elsewhere when / noticed
on an upper shelf a book projecting
slightly beyond the others. Instantly
my foot was on the chair and the book
in my hand. Did find it OF interest?
Yes, but not on account Of its con-
tents, for they were pure Greek to
me, but because 1t lacked the dust on
its upper edge which had marked
every other volume / had handled.
This, then. was what had attracted the
unknown TO these shelves. this-let me
see If can remember its title-"Disqui-
sition Upon Old Coast Lines" Pshawl
! was wasting my time. What had
such dry compendi IN as this to do
with the body lying in its blood a few
steps behind me, OF with the hand
which had put out tine candle upon this
dreadful deed? Nothing. | replaced
the book, but not 80 hastily as to push
It one inch beyond the position IN
which ! found it. For, IL 1t had a tale
20 tell, then was il my business TO
leave that tale to be read by those
who understood books better than /
did.
My next move was toward the little
table holding the candelabrum With
the glittering pendants. This table
was one Of a nest standing against a
nearby wall. Investigation proved
that it had been lifted from the others
and brought to its present position
within a very short space OF time, for
the dust lying thick on its top was
almost entirely lacki from the one
which had been nested under 1t.
Neither had the candelabrum been
standing there long, dust being found
under as well as around IT, Had her
hand brought II there? Hardly, II II
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 II lay the
heart OF the mystery for which the
room was remarkable. But. though
have thus freely spoken OF IL and
though 1t was not absent from my
thoughts for a moment, had not ven
tured to approach it beyond a certain
safe radius. Now In looking TO see II
might not lessen this radius l expert
enced that sudden and overwhelming
interest In it's every feature which at
taches TO all objects peculiarly asso
ciated with danger
/ even took a step toward II, holding
up my lamp so that a stray ray struck
the faded surface OF an old engraving
hanging over the fireplace 1t was the
well known one, In Washington Al
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 al
instant Neither did the shelf below
call for more than momentary atten
ton, for II was absolutely bare. S,
was the time worm II not blood stained
hearth, save for the impenetrabll
shadow cast over It by the huge bull
Of the great settle standing at its edge.
have already described the impres
sion made on me at my hrst entranc,
by this ancient and Characteristic arti
Gle OF furniture.
1t was intensified now as my eye RAJ
over the clumsy carving which addeI
TO the discomfort OF its high, straigh
back and as l smelled the smell OF IL
moldy and possibly mouse haunte'
cushions. A crawling sense OF drea'
took the place OF my first instinctiVl
repugnance. not because superstition
had as yet laid its grip upon me. al
though the place. the hour and the nea