Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-11-10

QSdTp WILL Take you 10 your uuClS.
This-this dreadful tragedy, interrupt
ing so gay scene, has quite upset
me. l was always sensitive to the
sight, the smell, even to the very men
ton of the word blood"
So was l, but not to the point Of
cowardice. But then / had not just
come from an interview with the muir
dered woman. Her chances, her
smiles, the lift of her eyebrows were
not fresh memories to me. Some con-
sideration was certainly due him for
the shock he must be laboring under.
Yet did not know how to keep back
| the vital question.
who did 1t? You must have heard
some one say"
Il have heard nothing" was his
somewhat fierce rejoinder. Then, as
made move, What! You do not
wish to follow the crowd there?"
II wish to find my uncle, and he is
In that crowd"
Mr.. Durand said nothing further,
and together we passed down the hail.
| A strange mood pervaded my mind.
Instead of wishing to fly scene
which under ordinary conditions
would have filed me with utter repug-
nance, 1 felt desire to see and hear
everything. Not from curiosity, such
as moved most of the people about
me, but because of some strong in
stinctive feeling could not under
stand; as If 1t were my heart which
had been struck and my fate which
was trembling in the balance.
| We were consequently among the
first to hear such further details as
| were allowed to circulate among the
now well-nigh frenzied guests. No
one knew the perpetrator Of the deed
nor did there appear to be any direct
| evidence calculated to fix his identity.
| Indeed, the sudden death Of this
beautiful woman in the midst of fes-
tivity might have been looked upon as
| suicide, If the jewel had not been
| missing from the breast of the instru-
ment Of death removed from the
| wound. So far, the casual search
which had been Instituted had failed
| to produce this weapon; but the po-
| lice would be here soon and then
something would be done. AS to the
means of entrance employed by the
assassin, there seemed to be but one
opinion. The alcove contained win
dow opening upon small balcany.
BY this he had doubtless entered and
escaped. The long plush curtains
| which, during the early part of the
evening, had remained looped back on
either side of the easement, were
| found at the moment of the crimes
| discovery closely drawn together.
| Certainly a suspicious circumstance.
However, the question was one easily
settled. If any one had approached by
the balcony there would be marks in
the snow to show it. Mr.. Ramsdell
had gone out to see. He would be
coming back soon.
do you think this probable ex-
PLANTATION of the crime" I demanded
of Mr.. Durand at this juncture. "If I
remember rightly this window over
looks the carriage drive; it must,
therefore, be within plain sight of the
| door through which some three hun
could any one climb to such a height,
| lift the window and step in without
being SEEM"
"You forget the awning" He spoke
quickly and with unexpected vivacity.
'The awning runs up very near this
window and quite shuts 1t off from
the sight of arriving guests. The driv-
ers of departing carriages could see 1t
If they CHANGED to glance back. But
their eyes are usually on their horses
in such crowd. The probabilities
are against any of them having looked
up" His brow had cleared; a weight
seemed removed from his mind.
when 1 went into the alcoye to see
Mrs. Fairbrother, she was sitting in a
chair near this window looking out. I
remember the effect Of her splendor
against the snow sitting down in a
steady stream behind her. The pink
velvet-the soft green Of the curtains
on either side-her brilliants-and
the snow for background! Yes, the
murderer came in that way. Her
figure would be plain to any one out
side, and If she moved and the dia-
mond shone- Don't you see what a
probable theory 1t is? There must be
ways by which desperate man might
reach that balcony. believe
How eager he was and with what
look he turned when the word came
filtering through the crowd that,
though footsteps had been found In
the snow pointing directly toward the
balcony, there was none on the bal.
cony itself, proving, as any one could
see, that the attack had not come
from without, since no one could en-
ter the alcove by the window without
stepping on the balcony.
"Mr. Durand has suspicious of his
own" explained determinedly to my
self. HE met some one going in as
he stepped out Shall ask him to
name this persona" No, did not
have the courage; not while his face
wore so stern a look and was so reso.
lutely turned away.
4 The next excitement was request
from Mr.. Ramsdell for us all to go in.
to the drawing-room. This led to var.
ious cries from hysterical lips, such
as, "We are going to be searched!'
He believes the thief and murderer
to be still in the house DO you
see the diamond on me?" "Why don't
they confne their suspicious to the
favored few who were admitted to the
alcove?"
"They will" remarked some one
close to my ear.
But quickly as I turned 7 could moi