The Richmond palladium. (Richmond, Ind.) 1906-1907, 1906-12-11
CHAPTER XXI.

~ RESTORED the picture to Its
place and left the building. As
did so the first signs Of dawn be-
came visible in the east. I had
expended three hours in picking out
the meaning concealed in the wavy
lines Of the old picture.
l was early at headquarters that
morning, but not so early as to find the
superintendent alone. A group of men
were already congregated about him in
his small Office. and when, on being ad-
mitted, / saw among them the district
attorney, Durbin and another famous
detective, / instinctively knew what
matter was under discussion.
There was with them a fourth man,
who stood apart. On him the general
attention had been concentrated at my
He was an unpretentious person OF
kindly aspect. To any one accustomed
to Washington residents. he bore the
unmistakab BILE signs Of being one of
the many departmental employees
whose pay is inadequate to the neces-
stiles Of his family. OF his personal
peculiaritieS l note 80. He blinked
when he talked q suffered pain
fully when excited Notwithstan ding
these defects he made a good impress
sion and commanded confidence. This
1 soon saw was of importance, for the
story he now entered upon was one
calculated to make me forget my own
errand and even to question my own
convictions
The first intimation 1 received of the
curious nature of his communication
was through the following questions,
put to him by the major:
You are sure this gentleman is
identical with the one pointed out to
you last night?
very sure, sir. can swear to it,"
You recognize him positivelyT
Positively. 1 should have picked
him out with the same assurance il
1 had seen him in some other city and
in crowd of as fine looking gentlemen
as himself. His face made a great i'm
preston on me. You see. had ample
time to study 1t in the few minutes we
stood so close together.
$50 you have said. Will you be kind
enough to repeat the circumstances?
should like the man who has just come
in to hear your description of this
scene. Give tine action, please. 1t is
all very interesting"
The stranger glanced inquisitively in
my direction, and turned to obey the
superintendent
Il was returning to my home in
Georgetown on the evening of May
My wife was Ill, and 1 had been into
town to see a physician. and should
have gone directly home; but was Gu |
rious to see how high the flood was
remember it was over /
the banks that night. So I wandered |
out on the bridge. and came upon the /
gentleman about whom you have been /
questioning me. He was standing all |
alone leaning on the raiI-thus."
Here the speaker drew up chair. |
and. crossing his arms over its back, |
bent his head down over them. 81 did |
not know him, but the way he eyed the /
water leaping and boiling In yellow
food beneath was not the why of 4
curious man like myself, but OF one
who was meditating some desperate
Iced. He was handsome and well
dressed. but be looked a miserable
wretch and was in a state of such
complete self absorption that he did
not notice me, though l had stopped
lot five feet from his side. expected
o see him throw himself over. but in
stead OF that he suddenly raised his
lead. and. gazing straight before him,
lot at the heavy current, but at some
Tision in his own mind, broke forth in
hese words, spoken as I had never
heard words spoken before
Here the speakers suffering got the
,etter of him and the district attorney
lad time to say:
What were these words: Speak
hem slowly: we have all the time
here is
Instantly the man plucked up heart,
md. eying US all impressively. was
BILE to say:
'.They were these: she must die! She
must dier No name. but just the one
'hrase twice repeated. She must die"
his startled me. and. hardly knowing
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