Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-05-17
CHAPTER XIV.
The Woman at the Bottom.

bTONelOH 10 SHlCdSO VI pIoLiIIleAl "deSA-
ers of this now celebrated case. Thither
sped Capt. Hazlett, Counselor Biggs and
one of his brothers in the law. Thither
followed Dr. Gilhooley of the Flats, for
stetson's condition was pronounced alarm
ing, and Gilhooley's bill for professional
services, rendered to Stetson's household at
home or on the island, exceeded the aggre-
gate of most all the others. Stetson, when
found, was far gone in drink. under the
roof of kindred spirits-and dealers there
in-well over on the west side. Stetson.
when found, was in no condition to give ac-
count of himself or his wanderings, and
the denizens of his refuge swore stoutly
that he had come to them well drunk and
had so remained until the inevitable con-
sequences appeared and he took to pistol
practice as a diversion. They had him
locked up in an upper room, where the po-
lice were called to disarm maniac. NOW,
recognized by the detective employed by
Bggs and Hazlett, he lay raging and raw
the guardianship of the law. DR.. Gilhooley
was informed that, despite his claim 10
be the patients family physician, he could
not be allowed to intrude. The case was
one only specialists could handle Dr. Gill;
hooley inquired for Stetson, the son, and
was properly shocked and scandalized to
hear that that young man had vanished,
with all the big "wad' the father had mad
In his possession, the very morning symp-
toms Of mental arrangement appeared
Then Gilhooley was ready to engage in the
pursuit of the son, yet declined to JOIN
forces with the legal and accredited persons
at work in the matter. The case Is one
only specialists can handle, SAID ne re-
joicefully, land this time I'm the Special
ist." Then Gilhooley disappeared.
Three days and nights did Stetson rave
and rage and suffer the tormens OF the
damned before the physicians found tneir
20
lowed days of utter prostration. and mean
time that other patient, Hayden, worn
down to a skeleton, was beginning Slowly
and almost imperceptibly to mend. perli-
ously near deaths door had ne or, a,,ee
Twice the father and sister had been sum-
moned to his bedside to see him die, ana
still he lived, just barely lived, and kne"
them not at all. If either patient, mere
at Groveton or there at chicago, IN the
course of his delirium had revealed augnt
connected with the mystery OF Plggott 8
murder. no one Of the few watchers would
admit 1t. IT,, .oa,
stetson was the first to get on his rect
the shadow of his former seit, paIlia, me' r.
Gus and shaken, yet feverishly ANXIOUS, y.
was noted, for news from GroVetoh. l.
was considered wise at first to conceal from
him the tidings of Major Piggotts oeath
They might have spared themselves nc
trouble 1t was in every paper OF pronA-
nence in the west the day following the
fire. and Stetson had not broken down uHtl
nearly a week thereafter. what the DOCTOR
and the legal luminaries were consiue ;.nIss
was the fact that If he had seen the item
In the papers, his conduct was calious IN
that he had gone on spree IN Chlcago III
stead of going back to the funeral at IroVe-
ton. Another thing that called lot com
ment and explanation was the fact that he,
who had been SO assiduous in his attentions
before the night Of the fire, should nave
manifested so little interest In the dlsposl-
ton of his kinsman's remains ana eIects,
haan
condition He woke to sudden and sorolo
interest even before the doctors looked Tor
1t. ,,
Piggott had been buried quietly and with
out the customary military honors. Three
officers, designated by Gen. Sheridan, came
from Chicago, and, after conference with
the legal representatives OF the Stelsons
as we'll as those of the unseen, unknown
Mrs Piggott had examined such papers
and effects as were with him during his III
starred visit to Groveton. Nothing was
found. there, at least, to throw much hght
on his past but the officers BEFORE gong
to Groyeton had overhauled the contents
of the desk, trunk and wardrobe at the chi
cago lodgings, and Hazlett was able to lis
ten with the equanimity OF superior WIS
dom to the remarks and theories OF the
legal gentlemen wrangling over the rgnt
to possession of the effects. There was
much to tell, but the time was not ripe.
Among the valuables In Piggotts trunk
were the badges OF one or two military so
having borne the commission of a field off,
Ger of volunteers during the civil war. ana
with these was that inexpensive trlfe 10
gain which many a soldier has r1sked his
life-and some few have periled their repu-
tations for vera city-the medal of honor.
HaZlett and his comrades shook their heads
at sight of 1t.
It had been expected that Pggott's dis
consulate widow-she who had SO energeu.
cally pursued him during the last years OF
his life-would be present to follow ms
shrouded remains to the grave, but acting
on the advice Of her legal representative,
said the Chicago firm. Mrs Piggott has
they, will be fully protected" The major
had properly in the east also certain United
States bonds, 1t was believed. and the
whereabouts of these the lawyers were
more than eager to ascertain. Finding the
officers close-mouthed and uncompromising,
they resorted to the by no means novel
tactics Of assailing them through the press.
HaZlett and his associates were presently
and publicly accused of having guilty
knowledge of the disappearance of valuable
securities held by the late Major Piggott.
The papers speedily found their way to the
slowly recuperating Stetson, and then that
worthy awoke in earnest. Stetson demand
ed to know what steps had been taken to
bring to the bar of justice the murderers of
his beloved and honored kinsman, Major
Piggott. Every man in the least acqua1nt-
ed with the situation and facts, said he
knew the culprit could be none other than
Capt Fame.
Hayden still lay helpless in hospital, In
ert, unconscious and with the chances for
recovery all against him. Stetson. jr., had
gone. The police, the reporters, the law
yers and the soldiers would not say where,
and most Of them could not. The one re-
markable thing was that Stetson himself,
though q large sum Of money had gone with
the boy. refused to make the faintest
charge against him, and declared his con-
vlction that his son would turn up all
right unless there were more Fanes about
and he had been foully dealt with; yet,
even while stoutly affirming the innocence
OF the young man of any crime, manifesting
the keenest anxiety on his account and
hourly praying for news of him, Gilhooley
had gone back to Groveton in disgust, and
was making vague threats as to what would
happen to certain people If they interfered
with his prerogatives again. And Stetson's
own lawyer had been summoned from
Groveton to Chicago, whence he presently
returned bristling with information and i'm
portance. Stetson, he said, would be able in
a week to return to his own, and then We
should see what we should see
And in two days less than week Stetson
was home again, and now, said Groveton
the climax has come and this painful mys-
terry will be solved, once and for all time
In some way the story had got abroad that
when, on strong circumstantial evidence,
the murder of Major Pfggott had been shift