The San Angelo press. (San Angelo, Tex.) 1897-1907, 1905-01-12

NDpn VrrlNpu III front again IL W0S
quite dark So was the house. but
there was light In the library. | felt
assured that | should find Uncle Ia.
vd there and did. When after a
noiseless entrance and careful adj
vance through the hall threw open
the door beyond the gildc1 pillars it
was to see the tall figure of this old
man mounted upon the chair had LETT
there pccrlng up at the nail from
which had so lately lifted the pic
turc. lie started as presented myself
ana almost foil from the chair But
the careless laugh | uttered assured
him of the little Importance placed
upon this evidence of his daring and
unappcasable curiosity, ana he con
frOntcd me with an cnvahlc air of
dignity, whcrcupon managed TO say:
"Rcally, Mr.. Moore, I'm glad to SOC
you here 1t is quite natural Tor you To
wish to learn by any means in your
power what that picture concealed. !
came back because suddenly remcm-
bcred that had forgotten to rehanS
it."
Involuntarly he glanced again at the
wall overhead, which was as bare as
his hand save for the nail he had al.
ready examined.
ut has concealed nothing" he re-
torted "You can see yourself that the
wall is bare and that it rings as sound
as any chimney piece ever made
Here he struck it heavily with his fist.
"What did you imagine that you had
found"
smiled shrugged my shoulders in
tantalizing repetition of my former
action upon like occasion and then
answered brusquely
~ did not come back to betray police
secrets. but to restore this picture to
its place. Or perhaps you prefer to
have It down rather than up? 1t isn't
much of an ornament"
He scrutinized me darkly from over
his shoulder. wary CLEAN showing
itself in his shrewd old eyes and the
idea crossed me that the moment
might possess more significance than
appeared. But | did not step back
ward nor give evidence In any way
that had even thought of danger.
simply laid my hand on the picture
and looked up at him for orders.
He promptly signifed that he wished
Il hung, adding as ! hcsitated these
words: THE pictures in this house are
supposed to stay on the walls where
they belong. There Is u traditional su
persttion against removing them"
Immediately lifted the print from
the floor. No doubt he had me ut i
disadvantage, If evil was in his heart
and my position on the hearth was as
dangerous as previous events haC
proved 1t to be. But II would not dc
TO show the white feather at mOmen
when his fate, IL not my own, hung II
the balance; so. motioning him to steI
down. put foot on the chair and raiset
the picture aloft to hang il. AS | die
so he moved over to the huge settle o
his ancestors and, crossing his arms
over its back. surveyed me with
smile | rather imagined than saw.
Suddenly, as | strained to put tn
cord over the nail. he called out:
Look out! You'll fall"
If he had intended to give me a star
in payment for my previous rebuff h
did not succeed, for my nerves hat
grown steady and my arm firm at tn
glimpse | had caught of the shelf he
low me The fine brown powder hat
scattered there had been displaced /
FIVE distinct spots. and not by my Iii
gers. | had preferred to risk the los
of my balance rather than rest m
hand on the shelf, but he had taken II
such precaution The Clew | so any
iousy desired and for which | had $
recklessly worked was obtained
But when, half an hour later, foun
an opportunity of measuring thes
marks and comparing them with thoS
upstairs | did not enjoy the full IT.
umph | had promised myself for IL
two impressions utterly failed to con
eide, thus proving that whoever IL
person was who had been in this hou'
with Mrs. jeffrey on the evening 81
died It was not her Uncle David.