Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1906-06-07

marry Amelia within 30 days. ana
Rote's parting words were that there
would be q corpse In Gale de Tam
pico before the wedding. Isn't there
the motive? It's enough for Us In Mex
leo. anyway"
'Rote must have some explanation"
was all I could stammer forth. for
knew that q man once arrested must
In Mexico. prove his innocence.
II Is one Of my accomplishments to
be able to play and think NJ the Same
time, and. as sat at my window saw
ing way at the "Primero Beso." my
mind was turning over the events OF
the past "a hours. Only the day be-
fore the beautiful Sonora Ustedine had
been In that very room. From where
I sat could see her nne house on
the opposite side OF the street. She
was q widow. beautiful. rich and still
young. My bachelor life. full OF pro-
fessional duties though II was. was
devoid OF much In the matter Of COM
partnership and home attractions.
Even the association with the old flute
player. Henkel, was at an end. and ]
began to speculate on home Of my
own, with Sonora Ustedine presiding
over II. for she had attracted me
strangely and strongly.
As I sat there turning out waltzes
and images Of home with the hand
some widow as Its goddess. II sudden.
ly occurred to me that was breaking
my promise the very first day.
arose hurriedly. As I did 50. there
came q gunshot in the street. There
was q sharp click as q bullet tore
through the back Of the chair in which
had been sitting. I looked down the
street. Sonora Ustedine and Alfred were
standing in their doorway. but from
third.story window Of their resi-.
dence q smoke cloud was floating away
In the sunlight.
Mice calculation! A bulls-eye! A
bull's-eye!" was ringing In my ears
as I walked rapidly across to the
Ustedines.
Sonora" exclaimed, II have been
shot at from the third.hoor room or
your house, and there's no doubt but
poor Henkel was killed by the villain
now in that room. I demand instant
admission"
She turned white with Indignation,
but, upon my pointing to the smoke
cloud still lingering about the upper
window, babe me enter. adding that
there was no one In the house save her
son and herself.
sprang up the stairway. Alfred fol-
lowing with q scowl on his face. NUT
tering: Calculation missed! Calcu'
lation missed" again and again.
Arriving at the third floor. ! pushed
open a door that led to the front room.
It was a big chamber Uttered over
with odds and ends. Upon benches
and chairs, and upon the floor itself
were enough machines and parts Of
machinery to start a railroad repair
shop-electrical engines. turbine
wheels, circular saws. wires. tools. me-
chanical contrivances without number
the playthings Of the paranoiac.
Alfred Ustedine, who followed me
closely into his den and led me direct
ly to the front window.
Close to the window was as diabol.
ical contrivance as mans skill could
well invent. And Alfred explained Its
operation to me with pride. and with
much repetition Of terms and processes.
In the curtain Of the window he had
cut small circular hole. Upon o
wooden stand rising about three feet
from the floor he had fastened one OF
the old rifles picked up by his father.
The gun, a muzzle-loader. was one Of
those which required percussion cap
about as big as kernel Of corn. But
Alfred didn't need the cap. He mere
ly loaded the gun from an old ammuni-
ton case that went with It a. q relic.
filled the large nipple" with loose
powder, and over this fixed an ordi.
nary magnifying glass. When the sun.
shining through that hole In the cur
tain, focused Its rays upon the mag
nifier, the powder in the nipple was
ignited and the gun went OF.
Alfred observed the regular hours
Of Henkel and myself at our windows.
with flute and violin, aimed the gun.
and the sun did the rest He had been
in my office that day, and killed Henkel
from the third-story window across tho
way. He had stood at his threshold,
a few minutes before. and failed to put
an end to my music and life, simply
because had moved from my chair.
What q beautiful alibi he had at
his command! How pat was his OBJ
servation that day when he stood over
poor old Henkel's body and murmured:
Mice calculation! A bull's-eye! A
bulls-eye!"
What an artistic, though strenuous.
critic of music!
Rote was freed and Alfred kept In
fail for q year-in order to give him
chance to prove his innocence. per-
haps. Then they declared him to b
insane and dangerous, but freed him.
for his mothers sake.
But l did not think It worth while