The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-11-29
CHAPTER Y.

seN4ures OF mGn.
me man was Busknsr!
'roml' I muttered.
TAs lamp vas held closer 70 the
eE
.'Lst me in. Tom" said in falter-
ing scents.
NY 0odF'
me lamp trsmbled in his hands.
scared that he would drop II.
'Ifs ali right, old man. I assured
hfrn. q"
The hand tl.st held the lamp still
srsmbled. but the door was opened
wider.
You're not a believer in ghosts. are
you, Tom p asked reproachfuily-
"Coms II. Dick" he murmuFed.
trembied. too. as / Eased at his
drawn and hasEagd face,
Look out for that lamp / NUT
ssrod as ] passed within.
took & from bis hands.
Lets So to the library" / said.
Ghosts don't carry lamps, do they.
Tom3 I'm in the flesh. believe me-
And Il was / who, bearing the
lighted lamp. led the way to the
library. Arriving there ! placed the
amp On ne csuIsE kAotcs
Grasping a pair OF portieres with
trembling hands, Bueknsr. pausinE st
the door. vas looking at me with an
expression OF horror.
/. too. was affeeted. My strength
gave way. sank into an easy chair
AID hid my face in my hands,
It's ali right. old man" muir
H8Tsd family.
IN q rev memsnts he stood in front
e as-s dscanter In one hand and a
szaan glass in the other.
Have soma braudyT'
-Just a drop" I answered Then
esvs me something 10 eat. am stsrv-
iag."
took the gIsss and called
Enough" when the Bottom was COW
ssed with the liquor that he poured
cut When he had added dash OF
naitser 70 the amber huid ] drained
TIE glass.
'sr.n be back in a minute" he said.
and left the room.
He was not gone Ions, Whea he re-
turned. three or four minutes later. he
carried a tray on which were couple
Of chicken sandwiches, a stalk OF
eslery. and a pot OF tea. ate and
drank in silence
Buckner. either sitting or standing
had taken a position behind me. When
the sandwiches we're gone l took my
last alp OF tea This was scarcely
done when Tom. leaning over my
shoulder. raised the tray from the
table.
ANY more sandwiches, Tom7"
asked hssitatingiy.
There was a pause.
'Hsw loaR has It been since you
have eatsn9" he asked abruptly.
Three or four days, I guess I an
Ewersd Euiisniy.
Better wait. than. for An hour or
so" he said as he placed the tray on
a little table IN q corner OF the room.
Can you alsepT'
No. I have slept too long"
looked searchinEly at the face of
ny friend. stir pale, he avoided my
eyes.
Tell me what has happened, Tom,
I pleaded.
I saw you in the morEue. I saw
YOU lowered In the grave. and the
earth thrown In upon you. That is
all"
''But-"
'sHere-glanee over these"
He stopped down In a corner OF the
room and raised a mass OF papers.
These he placed on the table in front
OF me-
For about twenty minutes / conned
the newspapers in silence. II was a
Wild, weird succession OF stories. j.
Richard Duniston. had entered the
house Of DR.. Joseph Demarest. at 0l5
Madison avenue. a few minutes after
o'clock. There I had found Evelyn
HOLSTER. and had felled her with a
blow inflicted by some blunt instru-
uoent. presumably with the butt OF a
revolver that had carried. This done
I had shot and killed George Lock-
wood. who had been a sutton for ner
hand Dr. Demarest, the young WON
ans uncle and her former q srdian,
had heard the sound Of the shot. and,
hurrving 10 his office. had found the
bodv Of Lockwood In the hall
Miss HOLSTER, unconscious as a re
suit OF her injuries, was lying on the
hoor Of the Office.
Dennasest had seen me run 10 the
drawing room anu NAANA' am 49,
breast the revolver that had carried
had then fallen 20 the floor with the
revolver stnl grasped in my right
hand. When ne examined me he founJ
that ] was dead
The newspaper accounts Of the trag-
-ot forth the fact that an eN-
animation OF my body showed that i
,.dmueu 10 heart disease, and
thai In the revolver that was found IN
my right hand there were four undis-
charged blank cartridges. The re-
naming two cartridges we're empty.
The coroner's inquest had resulted
IN = nnding by the jury that Lock
wood had come To his death as the
result OF a pistol wound inflicted by
me and that Miss Hollister. as a re-
suit OF the blows that ] had dealt her.
vas now in the psycOpathic ward Of
Bellevue Hospital. raving maniac.
The newspaper reporters had at
tempted 10 prove that I had been an
sdnirer or Miss HOLSTER and that
had slain Lockwood and had as
saulted her in a ut OF Jealous frenzy.
They had been unable. however TO
prove this statement, but some color
vas given to Il by she testimony OF
nv office boy, who averred that he