The sun. (Jacksonville, Fla.) 1905-1908, 1906-03-31

"That's where they found the man
who was murdered" explained the SER
want, who still stood in the doorway.
81 know" I replied. 81 was just try.
ing the glasses" Then put them down,
and on turning saw upon the mantle
shelf a small, bright-red candleshade,
which took in my hand. It was made,
l found, to fit upon the electric table
lamp.
"Miss Muriel was very fond of red
light" explained the young woman; and
as I held II wondered II that light had
ever been placed upon the toilet table
and the blind drawn up-whether 1t had
ever been used as q warning OF danger?
AS expressed desire to see the
young lady's boudoir, the maid Cameron
took me down to the luxurious little
room where, the first moment l en-
tered, one fact struck me as peculiar.
The picture of Elma Heath was no longer
there. The photograph had been taken
from its frame, and in its place was the
portrait of broad-browed, full-bearded
man in a foreign military uniform--a
picture that, being soiled and faded, had
evidently been placed there to FIJI the
empty frame.
Whose hand had secured that portrait
before the Leithcourt's fighti Why, in
deed, should /, for the second time, dis
cover the unhappy girls picture missingH
"Has the gentleman who called on the
evening of Mr.. Leithcourt's disappear
ance been back here again since he left
the hospital" / inquired as a sudden
idea occurred to me.
eyes, sir. He called here in fly on
the day he came out, and at his request
took him over the castle. He went into
the library, and spent half-anhour in
pacing across it, taking measurements,
and examining the big cupboard in
which he was found insensble. 1t was
strange affair, sir" added the young
woman, wasn't it,"
"Very," replied.
"The gentleman might have been in
there now had not gone into the library
and found lot of illustrated papers,
which l always put in the cupboard to
keep the place tidy, thrown out on the
floor. went to put them back but dis
covered the door locked The key
afterwards found in the CRATE, where
Mr.. Leithcourt had evidently thrown it,
and on opening the door imagine the
shock / had when l found the visitor
lying doubled up. I, of course, thought
he was dead"
"And when he returned here on his re-
covery, did he question your"
ooh, yes. He asked me about the
Leithcourts, and especially about Miss
Muriel. believe he's rather sweet on
her, by the way he spoke. And really
no better or kinder lady ever breathed,
I'm sure. We're all very sorry indeed
for her."
"But she had nothing to do with the
affair.""
"Of course not. But she shares in the
scandal and disgrace. You should have
seen the effect of the news upon the
guests when they knew that the Leith.
courts had gone. 1t was regular pan.
demonium. They ordered the best cham.
payne out Of the cellars and drank it,
the men cleared all the cigar boxes, and
the women rummaged in the wardrobes
until they seemed like pack of hungry
wolves. Everybody went away with
their trunks full of the Leithcourts
things. They took whatever they could
lay their hands on, and we, the servants,
couldn't stop them. I did demonstrate
with one lady who was examining into
her trunk two of Miss Muriel's best
evening dresses, but she told me to mind
my own business and leave the room.
One man saw 60 away with four of Mr..
Leithcourt's guns, and there was reg
ular squabble in the billiard room over
set of pearl and emerald dress-studs
that somebody found in his dressing.
room. Crane, the valet, says they tossed
for them"
"Disgracefull" calculated "Then as
soon as the host and hostess had gone,
they simply swent through the rooms
and cleared themp