The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1905-02-01

taken off and thrown down, manifestly
by an impatient hand. That this hand
was her own was evident from small
but very significant fact The pin
which had held it to her hair had been
thrust again into the hat No hand
but hers would have taken this precau-
ton. A man would have flung it aside
just as he would have flung the hat.
Question:
Did this argue natural expectation
IN her part of resuming her hat, or
was the action the result of an uncon-
scious habit?
Having thus noted all that was pos
sible concerning her without infringing
on the rights of the coroner. next pro-
ceeded to cast about for clews to the
identity of the person whom consid-
cred responsible for the extinguished
candle. But here great disappoint-
ment awaited me. I could find moth
ing expressive of a second persons
presence save a pile of cigar ashes
scattered near the legs of common
kitchen chair which stood face to face
with the bookshelves in that part of
the room where the candelabrum rested
on small table. But these ashes look
ed old, nor could detect any evidence
of tobacco smoke in the general musti-
ness pervading the place. Was the
man who died here a fortnight since
accountable for these ashes? If so,
his unfinished cigar must be within
sight. Should search for it? No, for
this would take me to the hearth and
that was quite too deadly place to
be heedlessly approached"
Besides, l was not yet finished with
the spot where l then stood If
could gather nothing satisfactory from
the ashes, perhaps l could from the
chair or the shelves before which it
had been placed. Some one with an i'll
terest in books had sat there; some one
who expected to spend sufficient time
over these old tones to feel the need
of chair. Had this interest been
general one, or had it centered in par
ticular volume? ran my eye over the
shelves within reach, possibly with an
idea of settling this question, and
though my knowledge of books is linn
tied could see that these We're what
one might call rarities. Some of them
contained specimens of black letter, all
moldy and smothered in dust; in others
saw dates of publication which
placed them among volumes dear to Il
collectors heart. But none of them,
SO far as l could see, gave any evi.
dence of having been lately handled:
and. anxious to waste no time on
puerile details, | hastily quilted my
chair and was proceeding to turn my
attention elsewhere when | noticed
| on an upper shelf a book projecting
slightly beyond the others. Instantly
my foot was on the chair and the. book
I, in my hand. Did l find it of interest?
| Yes, but not on account of its con-
tents, for they were pure Greek to
J me, but because it lacked the dust on
its upper edge, which had marked
! every other volume l had handled
/ This, then. was what had attracted the
| unknown to these shelves, this-let me
| see if can remember its title-"Disqri-
] sition Upon Old Coast Lines Pshaw!
was wasting my time. What had
Such a dry compendium as this to do
with the body lying in it's blood few
| steps behind me, or with the hand
which had put out the candle upon this
dreadful deed? Nothing. l replaced
lint no I, eli 10,
1t one inch beyond the position in
which found it. For, if it had tale
to tell, then was it my business to
leave that tale to be read by those
who understood books better than l
did.
My next move was toward the little
| table holding the candelabrum with
| the glittering pendants. This table
was one of nest standing against a
nearby wall. Investigation proved
that it had been lifted from the others
and brought to it's present position
| within very short space Of time, for
the dust lying thick on it's top was
almost entirely lacking from the one
| which had been nested under it,
Neither had the candelabrum been
standing there long, dust being found
under as we'll as around it. Had her
hand brought it there? Hardly, if it
came from the top of the mantel
toward which now turned in my
course of investigation.
have already mentioned this man
tel more than once. This could hard
ly avoid, since in and about it lay the
heart of the mystery for which the
room was remarkable. But, though
have thus freely spoken of it and
though it was not absent from my
thoughts for moment, had not ven
| tured to approach it beyond a certain
safe radius. Now in looking to see if
! might not lessen this radius l expert
! enced that sudden and overwhelming
interest in its every feature which at
taches to all objects peculiarly asso
ciated with danger.
I even took step toward it, holding