The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-09-28

it.1!ies IN the room, we'll and good;
IL hot' ! must. 90 elsewhere for them
ana come buck. 1t was q grim tnsk
put 1T had TO be done.
Y Somehow, l got 10 mantelpiece
ana there, luckily, among q litter III
pipes and bottles and miscellaneous
rubbisli, did lny my hand on broken
cup, containing few matches.
struck one, which showed me on tho
| mantel an end OF candle STANDING
up in bed OF ..s own grease.
lighted 1t, and not until the lame was
burning brightly, did / look round.
There was but faint illumination.
YET 1t was enough 10 give me tho
secret of the room. might nnvu
/ seen all at glance as came sn,
before the light OF my last matcn
was blown out by the wind, had not
the door as opened 1t formed
screen between me and the dend man
on the floor.
| He lay In the midst OF the widest
confusion. In falling, he had dragged
With him the cover OF table, ana a
1 glass lamp which was smashed in
4 pieces the spilled oil mingling with
I tile stream of his blood. A chair had
( bcen overturned, and broken plate
/ and tumbler with the tray that l,eS
held them were half hidden in III.
folds OF disordered rug.
But this was not all. The struggle
Tor life did not account for the con.
dition OF other. parts OF the room.
Papers were scattered over the floor:
I the drawers OF an old escritoire HAD
been 1erked out of place, and their
contents strcwn far and near Tho
doors OF wardrobe were open, and
Few shabby coats and pairs OF trous-
| ers thrown about, with tho pocket,
wrong side out or torn In rags A
| chest OF drawers had been ransacked.
n ph n t,<, IA. =.
sheets and blankets, the stufiing o. the
mattress pulled into small pieces. The
room looked as IL whirlwind had
/ swept through It: and as forced my
| self to go near the Dody. saw .nnt
1t had not been left In peace by the
murderer. The blood-stnined coat was
| open. the pockets OF the garments
turned out, like those In the ward
robe. and all the clothing dlsarranged.
evidently by hands which searched for
something with frenzied haste anil
merciless determination.
The coming forethought of the
wretched man had availed him noth-
Ing. i could gine how joyously he
had arrived at this house, believing
that he had outwittcd the enemy. I
pictured his disappointment on not
finding the friend who could have
helped and supported him. I saw how
he had planned to defend himself 81
case of siege. by locking and boiling
the door (hoth lock and bolt were
broken); fancied him driven by hun
/ ger to search his friends quarters for
! food. and fearfully beginning sup
per. In the midst OF which he had
probably been interrupted. Almost. I
could feel the horror with which he
must have trembled when steps came
| along the corridor. when the door was
tried and finally broken In by force
10, 4, u 4,
I guessed how he had rushed to thu
window. opened 1t. only to stare down
at the depths below and return des-
perately. to stand at bay; to protest
to the avengers that he had rot tia
Jewels; that he had been deceived;
that he was Innocent OF any intention
to defraud them; that he would explain
all. make anything right II only they
would give him time.
But they had not given him time.
They had punished him for robbing
them OF the diamonds by robbing him
/ OF his life. They had made him pay
with the extreme penalty for hia
treachery; and yet in the pickering
candle-light. the stricken face. D.ood.
spattered though 1T was. seemed to
leer cunnlngly. as IL in the knowledge
that they had been cheated in the ems.
Tho confusion of the room promised
badly for my hopes, nevertheless there
was chance that the murderers. In
tent only on finding the diamonds or
some letters relating to their dis
posal, might, II they found the treaty.
have hastily flung it aside. as q thing
OF no value.
Though the corridors OF the house
were lit by gas. this room had none.
and the lamp being broken. / had to
depend upon the bit Of candle. which
might fall while still had need OF It.
separated it carefully from It's bed
of grease on the mantel, and as dill
so. the wavcring light touched my
hand and shirt cuff. Both were stained
red, and turned slightly sick at the
sight. There was blood on my brown
boots. too, and the grey tweed clothes
which had not had time to change
since arriving in Paris.
told myself that must do my
best to wash.away these tell-tale stains
before leaving the room; but first l
would look for the treaty.
began my search by stirring UP
the mass Of scattered papers on tbs
floor. and in spite of the horror which
gripped me by the throat, I cried
"hurrah!" when, half hidden by the
twisted rug, saw the missing letter.
case It was lying spread open. back
/, uppermost. and there came an instant
OF despair when pounced on It only
treaty on tho floor underneath: and
lucky 1t was that the searchers had
thrown 1t out, for there were gouts
of blood on the letter-case while tho
treaty was clean and unspotted.
With sense of unutterable relict
which almost made up for everything
endured and still to be endured.
slipped the document back into the
pocket from which it had been stolen
At that moment board creaked IN
!, the corridor, and then came step out.
side tbs door. #