The San Angelo press. (San Angelo, Tex.) 1897-1907, 1905-04-13


mad and lost myself for little while
Then went back to my wretched wife
and asked her how the awful deed had
! been done. She told me- and again
did not believe her and began to look
upon II all as some wild dream of the
diStempercd fancles of n disordered
brain. This thought Gained me. and
spoke gently to her and even tried to
take her hand. But she herself was
raving now and chung about my knees
murmurng words Of such anguish and
contrition that my worst fears return
ed and. only stopping to take the key
of the Moore house from my bureau. I
/ left the house and wandered madly-
! | know not where.
81 did not GO back that day. I could
not face her again till | knew how
! much o. her confession was fancy and
how much was fact. roamcd tha
streets, carrying that key from one end
| OF the city to the other. and at night
| used It TO open tn" np0" 'vNirh she
had declared contained ,u dreadful a
| secret.
II had bought candies on my way
| there but. forgetting To take them from
the store, | had no light with which to
penetrate the horrible place that even
| the moon refused to illumnc. ! realized
this when once in, but would not go
| back. All have told about using
matches To light me TO the southwest
| chamber Is true. also my coming upon
the old CandClahrnm there, with II candle
| In one of its sockets This candle |
| lit. my sole reason for seeking this
| room being my desire to examine the
| antique sketch for the words which she
had said could he found there
II hnd failed to bring II magnifying
| glass with me, but my eyes are
phenomcnnlly sharp. Knowing where
TO look ! was able TO pick out enough
words here and there In the lines com.
posing the hair to feel quite sure that
! my wife had neither deceived me nor
been deceived nS to certain directions
being embodied there In writing. Shnk.
Ell IN my last lingering hope, but not
yet cute convinced that these words
pointed 10 outrageous crime, flew
next To the closet aud drew ont the
fatal drawer.
"NO" ave been there and know what
the sc Is, but no one but myself can
ever realize what it was for me. still
loving. still clinging to Wild incense.
quCnt belief In my wife, TO grOpe In
that mouth of he'll for the spring she
had chartered about In her sleep TO
find it, press it, ana then to hear, down
in the dark of the fcarsome recess, the
sound of something deadly strike
against what | took to be the cushions
of the old settle standing ut the edge
of the library hcarthstone.
IL think must have tainted, FOR
when | found myself possessed of suf.
ficicnt consciousness to withdraw from
that hole of death the candle in the
candelabrum was shorter by an inch
than when I first thrust my head into
the gap made by the removed draw
ers. In putting back the drawers
hit the candelabrum with my foot. up
setting ii and throwing ont the burn
ing candle As the flames began to
lick the worm eaten boarding of the
floor a momentary impulse seized mt
to rush away and leave the whole
plncc to burn, but I did not. With Il
sudden frenzy I stamped out the flame
and then, finding myself In darkness
CROPPED my way downstairs and out
If entered the library do not remem
her IT. Some lapses must be pardoned
II man involved ms ! was"
But the fact which you dismiss sc
lightly is an important one" insisted
the major. I'VE must know positive
ly whether you entered this room OF
not"
II have no recollection of doing So"
"rhen you cannot tell us whether
the little table was standing there
, with the candelabrum upon 1t orr
II can tell you nothing about It,"
, The major, after II long look at thi'
suffering man. turned toward Miss
futile.
. "YOu must have loved your siste
very mnch." he scntentiously remark
ed.
, She flushed, and for the first tint
, her eyes fell from their resting place
Oh Mr.. Jeffrey'S face.
RIO ha npptipunIl