The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1909-06-05

pioyeo tho girl gave the same teStl
mony, that she never went anywhere
with men, but frequently attended the
theater or parties with other girls. But
they never had seen these girls, though
they were positive that Sadie. who
was the most truthful of human be
fngs, would not deceive them in such
matter. At the end DR.. Furnivall
vas convinced by the testimony OF
these innocent employers that the girl
had lover, one who for some reason
she wished to keep under the rose, and
with whom she had passed these fire.
quent evenings which were supposed
to have been spent with girl friends
That was the man he must find, for
the news of her engagement to Pickett
would furnish the motive for the crime
which hitherto had been lacking, as
well as explain why the girl wished 1t
believed that the match was OF. But
the strictest search failed to disclose
any such person, or indicate In the
remotest degree whom he could be.
We'll, l must begin at the begin
Ming" he soliloquized, as he turned
his automobile away from the home of
the last of these witnesses. The
story must be worked from the ground
up. Our mysterious lady has compli-
Gated matters by her desire for Sc
crecy in her affairs, for | am sure
could find some sort of lead in Flick
EFT If l should keep at him long
enough. though he is unconscious him.
self that he knows anything. But
won't pry into the lady's secret I'M
necessarily, and should have to do
that In order to find out what wish to
know. Fortunately there's another
way open"
He drove to the undertaker's and
examined the body, interviewed the
medical examiner and policemen who
had brought the remains from the
field, then hurried to the field itself
and looked the ground all over. The
soil around the edge of the brook was
a mixture of clay and gravel in which
footprints we're easily discernfbIe, and
he saw at once where heavy weight
had been dragged from the water
across this soft material and deposited
in the grass few feet away. He knew
that the police theory was that the
deed had been done on the little bridge
near by, the girl having been thrown
into the water, afterwards drifting to
the spot where the workmen coming
along the path towards the bridge had
spied 1t. Following up the stream he
could see no traces of blood, either
along the bank or on the bridge, or, in
fact, anywhere but at the point where
the body had lain and from there in
straight line to the grass over which |
the workman had dragged and car
lied It.
1T looks as II the thing was done
right here, and not on the bridge" /,
ne said to himself, gazing down to |
where the waves rippled on the clayey |
shore. Suddenly he bent eagerly for
ward. There in the mud of the river
bottom, three feet out, where the wa
er was knee deep. were the tracks
If brogans pointing in towards the
'ank. Removing his shoes and stock
ngs he waded in and followed the
racks which, sunken deep in the mud,
Is II made by person of weight, or
arrying heavy burden, were plainly
o be seen by one in the brook over
hem, though they would be invisible
rom the shore, and found that they
ed back under the bridge and to a
oint on the opposite bank some rods
bove it. Here they turned in to
at stone surrounded by bushes, which
ormed an ideal lovers seat, and this
tone and the ground and foliage near
were drenched with blood.
AHA! Here is where It was done.
hen, and he carried her to that other
lace. What for? Here she might
emain undiscovered for days, while
here"
He paused, standing aAmoment in
bought. Then he crosse the bridge,
esumed his footwear, abd following
ne trail made by the workmen through
ne grass as they ran ~ where the
ody lay, soon reached the well-worn
ath along which the men had been
alking when the cry of their COM
anton attracted their attention. mi
lie path he turned and regarded the
lore.
This morning the sun rose at ex-
city quarter to six" he said to him.
III. "At few minutes past six, when
lese men came by here, the body
ould be lying in the shadow of that
lsh, andy the great Jove! Yes.
could not have been visible from
ERE at all, even in full sunlight! That .
srspicacious Barney must have eyes
lat bore through the solid earth!"