Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-11-17

hurried departure; but presently RED
membered them, and grew very ur1.i
easy. l did not like carrying this
Woman's property about with me. II
had engaged myself, an hour before.I
to Miss Van Arsdale and was very
anxious to reioin her. The gloves
worried me, and finally, after little
aimless wandering through the var
ious rooms, determined to go back
and restore them to their owner. The l
doors of the supper-room had just
been flung open, and the end Of the
hall near the alcove was comparative
ly empty, save for a certain quizzicaI !.
friend of mine, whom saw sitting
with his partner on the yellow ddvan. /
l did not want to encounter him j1st
then, for he had already joked me-
about my admiration for the lady with
the diamond, and SO conceived the
idea of approaching her by means Of al
second entrance to the alcove, unsusI
pected by most Of those present, but
perfectly well-known to me, who have
been a frequent guest in this house,
A door, covered by temporary drap-
cries, connects, as you may know, this;
alcove with passageway commune
eating directly with the hall Of en-
trance and the upstairs dressings
rooms. To go up the main stairs ana
come down by the side one, and so on,
through small archway, was a verY
simple matter for me. If no ear1y-deJ
parting or late-arriving guests were mi
that hall, need fear but one encount-l
er, and that was with the servant sta.
toned at the carriage entrance. But
even he was absent at this propitio1sl
instant, and reached the door Il
sought without any unpleasantness.l
This door opened out instead OF ir,,--j
this l also knew when planning this
surreptitious intrusion, but, AFTER
pulling it open and reaching for the
curtain, which hung completely across
1t. found it not so easy to proceem
as had imagined. The stealthiness
Of my action held back my hands,
then the faint sounds heard Within
advised me that she was not alonej
and that she might very readily re-
gard with displeasure my unexpected
entrance by door Of which she was
possibly ignorant. tell you all this
because, If by any chance was seem
hesitating in face of that curtain.
doubts might have been raised which,
am anxious to dispel." Here his eyes
left my face for that Of the inspector.
ut certainly had bad look, that &
don't deny; but I did not think Of aps
pearances then. was too anxious to
complete task which had suddenly
presented unexpected difficulties. That
listened before entering was very
natural, and when I heard no voices.
only something like a great sigh, =
ventured to lift the curtain and stem
In. She was sitting, not where I had
left her, but on a couch at the left
Of the usual entrance, her face toward
me, and you know how, INSPECTOR
1t was her last sigh had heard. Hors
| rified, for had never looked on death
before, much less crime, reeled FORK
ward, meaning, / presume, to rush
down the steps shouting for help.
when, suddenly, something fell splashl
| ing on my shirt-front, and I saw my
self marked with a stain of blood.
| This both frightened and bewildered
| me, and it was a minute or two before
| had the courage to look up. When
/ did do so, I saw whence this drop
had come. Not from her, though the
| red stream was pouring down the rich
| folds Of her dress, but from a sharp
| needle-like instrument which had been
thrust, point downward, in the open
| work Of an antique lantern hanging
near the doorway. What had happened
to me might have happened to any one
who CHANGED to be in that spot at that
special moment, but l did not realize
this then. Covering the splash with
my hands, edged myself back to the
door by which had entered, watching
those beautiful eyes and crushing un-.
| der my feet the remnants of some
broken china with which the carpet
was bestrewn. had no thought Of
1 her, hardly any of myself, To CROSS
| the room was all; to escape as secrets
| ly as / came, before the portiere so
nearly drawn between me and the
main hall should stir under the hand
of some curious person entering. It
was my first sight Of blood; my first
contact with crime, and that was what
l did, fed"
The last word was uttered with al
gasp. Evidently he was greatly affect.
ed by this horrible experience.
II am ashamed of myself" he nuts
tered, "but nothing can now undo the
| fact. | slid from the presence Of this
murdered woman as though she had
been the victim Of my own rage or
cupidity; and, being fortunate enough
to reach the dressing-room before the
alarm had spread beyond the imme-
+. date vicinity of the alcove, found and
put on the handkerchief, which made
it possible for me to rush down and
find Miss Van Arsdale, who, some-
body told me, had tainted. Not till
stood over her in that remote corner
beyond the supper-room did again
think of the gloves. What did when
happened to think of them. you al
ready know. could have shown no
greater cowardice if had known that
the murdered woman's diamond was
hidden inside them. Yet, did not
know this, or even suspect it.. Nor do
understand, now, her reason for
placing it there. Why should Mrs.
Fairbrother risk such an invaluable
gem to the custody of one she knew
so little? An unconscious custody,
too? Was she afraid of being nur-
dered if she retained this jewell"
MT