Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-09-13

| was bundled out of the room, and Hurt
 sat down to relate his late adventures
 This he did clearly and slowly and wa:
 interrupted frequently by exclamation'
 of astonishment from his two hearers "So there," said the detective wheI finishing, you have the beginning o1 the end"
 "Then you think that Mrs. Krill killed her h,isband?" asked Paul dubiously. q can't say for certain was tht cautious reply, but I think so on tht face of tue evidence which you have heard. What do you say?"
 Don't say anything" said Sylvit before Paul could reply. "Mr. Hurt had better read this paper. It was found by Deborah in an old box belong ing to my father, which was brought from Gwynne street"
 She gave the detective several sheets of blue foolscap pinned together and closely written in the shaky handwrit ing of Aaron Norman. Hurd looked al it rather dubiously. "What Is it?' he asked.
 "The paper referred to in that unfin. ished scrap of writing which was dis covered behind the safe," explained Paul. Norman evidently wrote it out and placed it in his pocket, where he forgot it. Deborah found it in an old coat she discovered in a box of clothes brought from Gwynne street. They were Norman's clothes and his box and should have been left behind.'
 "Debby won't hear of that said Sylvia, laughing. "She says Mrs. Krill has got quite enough, and she took all she could"
 Whats all this writing about?' asked Hurd, turning over the closely written sheets. "To save time you had better give me precis of the mat ter. Is it important?"
 "very, should say" responded Paul emphatically. Tt contains an account of Norman's life from the time he left Christchurch"
 "Humr' Hurds eyes frightened. 'I'll read it at my leisure, but at the present moment you might say what you can"
 Well, you know q good deal of it." said Paul, who did the talking at a sign from Sylvia Tt seems that Nor man-we'd better stick to the old name left Christchurch because he was afraid of being accused of murdering Lady Rachel
 "Was she really murderedT
 Norman doesn't say. He swears he knows nothing about the matter. The first lntimation he had was when Jes- sop came down with the news after blundering into the wrong bedroom. But he hints that Mrs. Krill killed her"
 "Can he prove that?"
 ''No; he can't give any proof, or. at all events, he doesn't. He declares that when his wife and daughter"-
 'Oh, does he call Maud his daugh- ter?"
 "Yes. We can talk of that later," said Paul impatiently. Well. then. Norman says he went fairly mad. Jes- sop had bolted, but Norman knew he would not give the alarm, since he might be accused himself of killing Lady Rachel. Maud, who had seen the body, wanted to run out and call the neighbors."
 How old does Norman say she was!"
 About fifteen-quite old enough to make things unpleasant"
 "Then she can't inherit the money" said Hurd decisively.
 "No," cried Beecot quickly: 'both Sylvia and think so. But, to go ON with Norman's confession, he would not let Maud go. She began to scream, and he feared lest she should alarm the neighbors. He tied handkerchief across her lips, but she got free and again began to scream. Then he cruel ly fastened her lips together with the opal brooch"
 Where did be get that, If innocent?"
 "He declared that he spied 1t on the floor of the sitting room near his wife's feet and then hints that she strangled Lady Rachel to get 1t and turn 1t into money, as she was des- in need of cash for Maud. Mrs. Krill idolized the child"
 q know that" snapped Hurd. "Go on."
 "When Norman fastened the child's lips together Mrs. Krill threw herself on him in a rage He knocked her in- sensible and then ran away. He walk ed through the night until at dawn he came to a distant railway station. There he took a ticket and went to London. He concealed himself until there was no chance of his being dis covered and. besides. saw the verdict of the jury in the newspapers. But he was determined he would not go back to his wife because she threatened him."
 "In what wayT'
 "Ah." said Paul. while Sylvia shud dered. fin a strange way. When he the child's lips together Mrs. Krill said that she would do the same to him one day and with the same brooch"
 Hurd uttered an exclamation. ''So that was why she wanted the brooch so much." he exclaimed eagerly.
 "Yes. And she told Hay she wanted It. though she did not reveal her req son. She said if she got the brooch he would be allowed to marry Maud, with whom Hay was deeply in love. Hay stumbled across me by accident. and I happened to have the brooch.