The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1905-05-10
CHAPTER III.

N the correctness Of this identii-
" cation. AN the pictures | had
seen Of this well known society
belle had been marked by an indiyid-
uality OF expression which Fixed her
face in the memory and which now
saw repeated In the lifeless features
before me
Having sent the too willing dibbard
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 ] end myself alone and in the un.
relieved darkness of this gravelike !
room than became convinced that no /
woman however frenzied would make
heT plunge into an unknown existence /
from the midst Of darkness only too /
suggestive of the tomb 10 which she |
was Fastening i 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 1
through the shutters OF this closed up I
room had quite disappeared "a by I
pothesls instantly destroyed by the /
warmth which still fingered in certain |
portions Of her body-or else the light |
which bad been burning when she |
pulled the fatal trigger had since been
carried elsewhere or extnguh,hed
Recalling the uncertain CLEANS which |
we had seen flashing from one OF the |
upper windows, | was inclined to give |
some credence to the former theory.
but was disposed TO be fair TO both SO
after relighting my lamp / turned on
one OF the gas cocks Of the massive
chandelier over my head and applied
a match. The result was just what /
anticipated; no gas in the pipes A
meter had not been put in for tile we0-
ding This the papers had repeatedly
stated in dwelling upon the garish ef-
feet Of the daylight on the elaborate
costumes worn by the ladies'. Candles
had not even been provided cam
dies! What. then. was il that / saw
glttering on a small table at the other
end of the roomI Surely a candlestick,
or, rather, an old fashioned Candida
brum with a half burned candle in one
Of its sockets. Hastily crossing TO t.
I felt Of the candle wick. 1t was quite
sti1 and hard. But not considering
this a satisfactory proof that It had
not been lately burning-the tip of the
wick soon dries after the fame is
blown out-I took out my penknife and
no rr-f,. at hnt rs4ffr hn
called its root; whereupon I found that
where the threads had been protected
by the wax they were comparatively
soft aud penetrabe
The conclusion was obvious. True
10 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 II burning, then by whom had
/ it since been blown out2 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 extinguished this candle
flame after she fell, and the death !
looked down upon was not a suicide,
but a murder
The excitement which this discovery
caused 10 Jingle through myevery nerve
had its birth in the ambitious feeling
referred to IA the opening paragraph Of
this narrative. ! believed that my long
sought for opportunity had come; that
with the start given me by the con
viction just stated ! should be en-
abled 10 collect such clews and estab-
lish such facts as would lead 20 the ac-
ceptance Of this new theory instead Of
the apparent one OF suicide embraced
by Hibbard and about to be prOmul-
gated at police headquarters. II so.
what a triumph would be mine ana
what debt / should owe 10 the
grabbed old gentleman whose seeming
ly fantastic fears had FIRST drawn me
20 this place
Realizing the value OF the opportu-
nifty afforded NE by the few minutes
was likely 10 spend alone on this scene
Of crime. / proceeded 10 MY task with
that directness and method which
had always promised myself should
characterize my nrst SUCCESS la desee.
tive work.
First then. for another look az the
fair young victim herself What line
OF misery on the browi What dark
hoiions dishguring cheeks otherwise
as delicate as the petals Of rosel An
interesting II not absolutely beautiful
face. Il told me something could
hardly put into words; 80 that Il was
Ike leaving fascinating but unsolyed
mystery When ! nnally turned from IL
20 study the hands, each Of which pre-
sented a separate problem. That Of
fered by the. right v prist you already
know,-tho long white ribbon connect
ing Il with the dischafged pistol,
=. Ia E.rfH