Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-05-19

| A-SNi luiheu, anu as lie ulQ SO MdA
closed the door noiselessly, for he did
not wish the faithful old servant to
| discover him as an eavesdropper.
Fully ten minutes elapsed, when of
a sudden the sharp crack of pistol
shot echoed through the empty up
stairs rooms.
expected was it.
For a second they hesitated; then
| opening the door, they both dashed
up the forbidden stairs.
CHAPTER LII.
Contains Complete Revelation.
A complete surprise awaited them.
The door of the small room on the
first floor stood open, and within the
light was switched on
Upon the threshold they both paus'
ed, dumbfounded by the scene before
them.
Just as they had left it, the coffin
stood upon it's trestles, but lying on
the floor beside was the body of the
man whose name it bore upon it's
plate-the man Jean Adam! q
In his nerveless grasp was a big
service revolver, while the small
round hole in his white temple told
citation and of suicide.
The dead man wore evening dress.
On his white shirt front was an ugly
crimson splash, while his fast-glazing
eyes, still open, stared blankly into
space. At the opposite wall, leaning
against 1t for support was old Sam
Statham, his countenance blanched.
his jaw set unable to utter word
|
tragedy had appalled, him. He stood
speeches.. He could only point to
the inanimate form upon the floor.
Max lifted the body and sought Gag
erly for signs of life. There were,
however, none. The bullet had pene-
trated his brain, causing instant
death.
Sam Statham's enemy-the man
whom they had presumed was already
in his coffin was dead! Yet what was
the meaning of it all? The whole af-
fair was a complete enigma. Why had
Jean Adam, the adventurer who had
lived by his wits for years and the
hero Of thousand thrilling adven-
lures, taken his own life beside his
own coffin?
Rolfe and Barclay turned away
|
ence descended the stairs where,
standing back in the shadow, tremb-
ling like an aspen, stood old Levi.
AS they passed down, the servant
entered the room to join his master,
with whispered words of awe.
Then, at the millionaire's sugges-
ton, when he descended to them five
minutes later, Charlie went forth into
/ Park Lane, and, walking hastily to.
wards the fountain, found constable,
whom he informed of the tragedy.
AS he went back to the house with
the policeman at his side, he wonder
ed whether, after all, he had not mis-
judged old Sam. In any case there
i was great and complete mystery
i which must now be Calculated.
ta
4 Just outside the little old town Of
Arundel in rural Sussex at the top
Of the steep hill which leads on to
the high road to Chichester, road
rendered dusty in summer and muddy
In winter by the constant succession
OF motor cars which tear along it,
stands Fordham Cottage, small un.
pretentious red brick house, surround
ed by pretty garden. and divided
from the road by a high old wall
clothed completely by ivy.
1t was three o'clock in the after
noon.
Within the neat old fashioned front
parlor-for the owners Of the house
were two prim maiden ladies-stood
Rolfe and Barclay, together with thu
grey-haired, grey-bearded man who,
having rented the place furnished,
was living there in complete seclusion
doctor Michael Petrovitch
They were in earnest conversation,
but Charlie kept his eyes upon the
window, as though in expectation of
the arrival of someone. The autumn
day was fine and dry, and Maud, re-
turning from London by the first
train, which had arrived at half-past
six that morning, had, after luncheon,
gone out upon her cycle as was her
daily habit.
Her lover, anxious and impatient,
scarcely needed what the doctor was
explaining to Max.
For the past hour both men had
been describing in brief what had oc.
Cured since the ex-minister's disap.
pearance from Cromwell Road. rela;-
Ing practically what has already been
chron1cled in the preceding chapters.
They had told him of Adams threats,
OF the warning given to Charlie by
Lorena Lyle, of Adams endeavor to
entire Max to Constantinople and of
Statham's evident terror of Adams
vengeance. To it all the grave, grey
bearded statesman had listened attei.
lively.
Only when they described their Sc.
cret visit to the house in Park Lane,
and the extraordinary discoveries
they had made there, did their hearer
eV1nce surprise. Then, knitting his
broWs. he nodded as though he under
stood. And when they told him Of
Adams suicide, he drew deep breath
of apparent relief
That man. he said, in low, dis.
tlnct voice, with scarce trace of ac-
cent-'that man was my enemy, as
well as Statham's. 1t was he who, in
order to further his speculative finan-
clal schemes, paid an assassin to
throw a bomb at my carriage-the
bomb that killed the poor little child /.
Il He was an adyanfI1ror who hod aloh