Mexico Missouri message., 1905-12-28
Copyright, by The cassell Publishing COZ
CHAPTER II.
a PERFUME-As o. A WOMAN.

PERFUME-AS OF A WOMAN.
Sergt. Parr continued, nevertheless,
a careful scrutiny of the apartment.
It was beyond doubt a library, for the
backs Of books showed behind the
sheets that covered certain articles of
large bulk. The adjoining room was
in all probability the sleeping cham
Der of the master of the house. A
casual inspection satisfied the officer
that the bed had not been occupied
since it was last made up.
But there was something more i'm
purtLnt still in the sergeants estima-
ton 20 be ascertained, and on that he
had ample time to reach a settled con-
Vlction. 1t was evident at first sight
that the man on the floor had come
to his death by reason of a bullet
wound. If his own hand had been
responsible for the deed, the suicidal
weapon must be somewhere about.
And as a careful search failed to re-
veal any trace of such a weapon, the
sergeant had made up his mind long
previous to the arrival of the investi-
eating party that the case was a very
serious one and involved at the outset
q deep mystery.
The scene soon changed. The room
gradually filled with alert and digniJ
fed men, whose profession made their
attendance at such times matter of
too frequent occurrence to permit of
their exhibiting any other sentiment in
the presence of the grim witness of,
violent death than keen and speculat
tive business interest. In the vestibule
below two officers were stationed to
challenge everybody who attempted to
enter the house. Already in front of
the building, so quickly and mysteti-
Ously does evil news disseminate itself,
was gathered a throng which STARED
with fascinated horror at the upper
windows and at every fresh ingoer( and
outcomer.
Sergt. Parr had long since recog-
nized Inspector Applebee, and had
whispered in his ear that it was going
TO be a "big case"
"So?" said the inspector, lifting his
eyebrows and half smiling. A moment
later he was grave and apparently I'M
concerned.
DR.. Jarrett, the medical examiner
for the district in which the body was
found, came to the scene in carriage.
Till he arrived nothing was done. The
state imposes upon the Judgment and
good sense of these officials grave re-
isponsibilities. In three minutes after
his horse stopped in front of the house
DR.. Jarrett was at work examining,
questioning, Weighing the evidences in
his own mind.
The casual observer would have
looked in vain among these quiet Of
.ficials for the inevitable reporter. Evil
IDENTIFY the newspaper man was barred
out! Not at all. The public who look
for a notebook, and expect to find in
such circumstances a meddlesome
young man writing with ghoul-lilSe &C.
tivity, would never have suspected the
short, thick-set black-haired, gentle.
manly young man who talked with
each person present in an easy way
which showed that he was personally
acquainted with everyone. Instead OF
hourishing a notebook-the insignia OF
the property reporter of the theater
and of the beginners in the profession
this man had no better use for his
hands than a mechanical fondling Of
the pendant to his watch chain-s
trick which in soEle mysterious man,
nsr seemed to help him to think. AL
tbcdgh he was young, his experience
In criminal AFFAIRS, combined with his
natural ability, had made his sagacity
equal to that of anybody present, while
his trustworthiness and reliability en-
abled him to be oftenttmes ia impor
tant cases a confdant of the authori
ties This was Kingman r. Thomas
Of the Globe.
The medical examiner arose from 8
brief inspection Of the body, which
was already Identified as that OF Pau
North, the State street hnancieF
Everybody looked at him curiously
but his imperturbable face told nc
tales.
"Nothing has been disturbed?" ht
asked of the sergeant.
I'VE know our business, sir. Every
thing is exactly as we found It."
"Ahl" No more and no less, came
ln a matter-of-fact tone from the med
acal examiners lips.
'Syell. DOCTOR" said Mr.. Thomas
how is it?"
u shall perform an autopsy"
VhiS was said quietly. The msdiOa