Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1908-02-20

tnln ray OF sunlight fell upon the win
dow; the sparrows about the caves set
up their cheerful jargoning; upstairs
in the attic q door opened and the
maid-servant came slowly down the
stairs on her way to her morning
duties. She passed my door. de-
;cended to the floor below. walked
leisurely down the hall, and then
High and sharp and terror-smitten
then, the girls shrill scream rang
through the house. Again and again
the frantic outcry echoed up to me
mingled now with answering exclama-
ions of alarm from the awakened
aousehold. Doors opened, there fol
lowed the sound of hurrying footsteps,
and instinctively realizing that must
Initiate the behavior of the others. I
sprang from my bed, stumbled out
into the hall, and with two OF three
other half-dressed men, ran down the
stairs to the floor below. There at the
end Of the corridor, crouching almost
to her knees with terror, the girl stood
before the open door of gas-lit room,
babbling incoherently and pointing
with a trembling finger. And within
the room, lying fully dressed on his
bed, was the contorted, motionless and
blood-stained body of Francis Rand.
My friend had been dead for many
hours, it was found, slain almost in
stantly by a long, ragged dagger
wound in his throat His effects were
all in order and there were no signs
of a struggle having taken place, but
three things-the uaaccountable dis
appearance OF large sum of money
which only the day before the unfor-
tunate man had withdrawn from the
bank, the absence of the weapon with
which the crime had been committed.
and the fact that an open window Just
above the roof of the porch might
well have afforded entrance and egress
TO the assassin-made 1t clear to the
hastily summoned police that the mo-
tive of Rand's slayer had been that Of
robbery. Yet they could find no trace
of the criminal; he had left no tell-tale
footprints; no passer by had observed
his entrance or departure; he had
carried away no booty, the disposal of
which would lead to his detection. He
had come like the wind, had struck
Ike the lightning, and like a shadow,
he had gone. Only my own self-ac-
cusing lips could have made known to
them the name of him who had car
ried the blood-stained knife from out
that fatal chamber
Yet l dared not speak, for who
would believe me-would believe that
with no motive in the world, in a SOM
nambuEstic trance, had crept
stealthily to the room of my friend.
had murdered him, and then as
stealthily made my escape again. No,
1 must be silent must dissemble like
the veriest villain in all the world,
and with the consummate sarcasm of
a compassionate devil, must voice a
. grief for my own victim, must tender
ly make arrangements for the care OF
his body, must speed the pursuit of
his slayer.
How / contrived to enact my part
during those first few hours after the
discovery of Rand's death, l never
quite knew. Perhaps the same in
sensibility with which kindly nature
defends her children against the utter
most violence of bodily pain, may
sometimes, translated to a spiritual
anesthesia, be extended to the succor
of stricken soul. Certainly l could
not have been altogether conscious
then, although 1 managed somehow to
carry of my role. and in my outward
behavior exhibited a perturbation no
greater than was to be expected in
the closest friend of the murdered
man.
Yet after all this was a small thing
TO accomplish. The great thing, the
thing which I knew would prove i'm
possible, was yet in store for me-for
upon me, without the possibility of es-
cape, devolved the task of breaking
the news to his sister, to my be-
trothed, to Margaret Rand.
1t was hardly noon that day when
descended from the train at the little
town where Margaret lived and turned
down the quiet street toward her
house. had no idea OF what should
say to her, whether I should endeavor
to repeat the story which the news
boys were already crying in the street
as left the city, or whether / should
confess to her my crime, try to make
her believe in my essential innocence,
and failing as surely must, make an
end of my own life. I only knew that
had been deputed to break the news
of her brothers death to her and that
was on my way to do so.
turned in at a gate in the white
picket fence, passed up the gravel
walk between the rows Of hollyhocks.
assembled the steps, and was about to
ring, when the door was pushed open
suddenly, and Margaret appeared be-
fore me carrying an open letter in her
hand, her face white to the lips.
Tell me-" she cried, lis 1t true? Is
1t true7"
Mechanically took the letter from
her and read:
Dearest Margaret: When this
reaches you shall have made an end
OF myself. You will remember / told