Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-08-10

Will MISS bull III tbC via LIS AO0@AAs
what do you know Of this"
Miss Bull, her face white and drawn,
her eyes sharper than ever and her
manner perfectly composed, shook her
head. Il know absolutely nothing,
she said In her monotonous voice.
Last night we had our usual recep-
ton, but it broke up at 10 o'clock.
Madame dismissed the guests at that
hour and stood In the doorway to do
SO. | retired to my bedroom with
madame's niece, and after a game OF
patience l went to bed
"Does Mrs. Jerseys niece sleep with
you"
"AIargery? No, she sleeps in room
above. 1t was few minutes to II
when she left me- l was in led short
ly after the clock struck the hour. l
am sure Margery had nothing to do
with it. She was quite devoted to he.'
aunt and as the poor girl has no
money don't know how she will live
now that madame is dead"
"The room is not far from the front
door" mused Inspector Duck. Gould
any one have entered"
mo, am sure Of that" put in Miss
Bull eInphati cally. Madame always
locked the front door every night her
self and kept the key. 1t could not be
opened in the morning until she chose y
"Who opened 1t this morning"
81 did. l knew that the key would
be in madames pocket"
"And 1t was7"
Eyes. She must have locked the door
as usual and then have see TO put
the light out In her sitting room before
going upstairs
"Was tina, before 11?"
II can't say. did not leave my
room after 10. But Margery may have
seen some one as she went up to her
bedroom when she left me-"
"I'n question the girl" said Quex
and entered the sitting room.
1t was of no great size, with one win
dow. which looked out on to the square
This was locked, and, even If it had not
been. no one could have climbed in, as
Duck saw that the area was below
"And madame chained the area gate
every night with her own hands," eX
planned Miss Bull, who was watching
him.
The inspector turned suddenly to
ward her. "It seems to me that the
deceased was overcautious. Was she
! afraid? 2"
81 think she was" admitted Miss
| Bull "She had habit Of looking ovel
her shoulder and, as have stated, was
particular as to bolts and bars. Bu1
she was secretive woman and nev
said anything to me about her fears
ii she had any"
Madame was still In the black sill
dress which she wore on the previous
night. Seated at the round center ia
BILE, she had evidently been struck from
behind and killed before she had TIME
to cry out. Her arms were on the ta
BILE and her head had fallen forward
The furniture of the room was not II
disorder; the red tablecloth was not
even ruffled. The murder had beer
committed without haste or noise, as
Quex pointed out to Miss Bull.
"Whosoever murdered her must have
| been friend" said he.
| ut doesn't seem friendly act to kill
a defenseless WOMAN" said Miss Bull
looking coldly on the limp figure.
"You don't quite understand. What
l mean is that Mrs. Jersey knew the
person who killed her"
Miss Bull shook her head. II DOM
agree with you" she observed, and
| Quex was astonashed that she should
dare to contradict. "She was strucb
from behind before she had time t.
turn her head"
"Quite SO. But the assassin must
have entered the room, and unless the
deceased was deaf
MADAME had particularly sharr
ears"
"Then that makes 1t all the more Ger
tain. Had any one unexpected entered
| she would have been on the alert; there
would have been a struggle. Now, we
see that the furniture is not disturbed
| therefore we can argue from this that
/ Mrs. Jersey was in friendly conversa
ton with the assassin. She was seated
at the table and the assassin was at hel
back, which shows q certain amount
Of trust. In fact, Miss Bull, the perscr
who committed this murder was the
last person Mrs. Jersey expected te
hurt her in any way"
II understand. But don't fancy that
madame had any friends. She was q
woman who kept very much to her
self"
do you know anything of her past?
| absolutely nothing. She took this
house some fourteen or fifteen years
ago, 1 believe. I have been here ter
and was very comfortable, save that
madame and I disagreed on many
points. She was always rude to me
and don't think she was lady" Miss
Bull drew herself up. "My father was
a general" she declared proudly.
/ But Quex was too busy examining
the room to attend to Miss Bulls fam
lily history. He searched for the weap
on with which the crime had been com
mitted, but could find none. There
was no blood ON the furniture, although
some had trickled down from thu
wound on to the tablecloth. The blow
must have been struck strongly anc
surely and with the power of deadly
] hatred. 1t was at this moment thai
the doctor arrived, and, turning thu
body over to him. ouex conducted