Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-12-15

trunks, and one of them looked very
interesting, old as the hills and"
"You hadn't time? Why hadn't you
time? What happened to cut it
short?" &
We'll, sir, I'll tell you." The tone
IN which this was said reused me If it
| did not the inspector. IT had just
come from the desk which had disap-
pointed me, and was casting a look
about the room, which was as bare as
my hand Of everything like ornament
IL might almost say comfort-when I
heard a noise which was not that of
swdshing rain or even gusty wind
these had not been absent from my
ears for moment. / didn't like that
noise; 1t had a sneakish sound, and I
shut my light off in a hurry. After
that / crept hastily out of the room,
for l don't like set-to in a trap.
1T was darker than ever now in the
hall, or so 1t seemed, and as backed
away came upon a jog In the wall,
behind which crspt For the sound
had heard was no fancy. Some one
besides myself was in the house, and
that some one was coming up the lit
tie turretstair, striking matches as
he approached. Who could it be? A
detective from the district attorney
office? I hardly thought So He
would have been provided with some
thing better than matches to light his
way. A burgler? No. not on the
third floor of house as rich as this.
Some fellow on the force, then, who
had seen me come in and, by some
trick Of his own, had managed to fol.
low me? would see. Meantime I
kept my place behind the jog and
watched, not knowing which way the
intruder would go.
Whoever he was, he was evidently
astonished to see the turret door ajar,
for he lit another match as he threw
1t open and, though l failed to get a
glimpse of his figure, I succeeded in
getting very good one of his shadow.
1t was one to arouse a detectives in
stinct at once. did not say to my
self, this is the man want, but did
say, this is nobody from headquarters,
and I steadied myself for whatever
might turn up.
'AThe first thing that happened was
the sudden going out of the match
which had made this shadow visible.
The intruder did not light another. /
heard him move across the floor with
the rapid step of one who knows his
way well, and the next minute a gas
jet flared up in the stewards room,
and l knew that the man the whole
force was looking for had trapped
himself.
"You will agree that it was not my
duty to take him then and there with.
out seeing what he was after. He
was thought to be in the eastern
states, or south OF West, and he was
here; but why here? That Is what I
knew you would want to know, and
1t was just what i wanted to know my
self. So KEEP tiny place, which was
good enough, and just listened, for I
could not see.
What was his errand? What did
he want in this empty house at mid
might? Papers first, and then clothes
heard him at his desk, heard him
in the closet, and afterward potterine
| in the old trunk had been so anxious
to look into myself. He must have
brought the key with him. for 1t was
no time before I heard him throwing
out the contents in a wild search for
something he wanted in a great hurry
He found 1t sooner than you would be.
heve, and began throwing the things
back, when something happened. Elk
pectedly or unexpectedly, his eye fell
on some object which reused all bis
passions, and he broke into loud ex.
clamations ending in grpans. Finally
he fell to kissing this object with a
fervor suggesting rage, and rage
suggesting tenderness carried to the
point of agony. I have never heard
the like; my curiosity was SO aroused
that I was on the point of riskina
everything for a look, when he gave
a sudden snarl and cried out, loud
| enough for me to hear: Kiss what
I've hated? That is as bad as to
kill what I've loved Those We're the
words. am sure he said kiss and ]
am Sure he said kill"
"This is very interesting. Go on
with your story. Why didn't you col.
lar him while he was i'm this mood
You would have wen by the surprise
II had no pistol Sir, and he had. ]
heard him cock it. l thought he was
going to take his own life, and held
my breath for the report. But moth
ing like that was in his mind. In
stead, he laid the pistol down and de-
liberately tore in two the object Of his
anger. Then with smothered curse
he made for the door and turret stair
case.
II was for following, but not till ]
had seen what he had destroyed In
such an excess Of feeling. Thought j
knew, but wanted to feel sure. So
| before risktng myself in the turret,
crept to the room he had left and fell
about on the floor till | came upon
these"
"a tom photograph! Mrs. Fair
brother's!"
Eyes. Have you not heard how he
loved her? A foolish passion, but evi
IDENTIFY sincere and
'tNever mind comments, Sweet
water. Stick to facts"
II will, sir, They are interesting
enough. After 1 had picked up THESE
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