The new era., 1909-07-29

be some poor relative in trouble, whom
he was helping in some great sorrow
against his wife's wishes The money |
indicated that, and l could explain
what saw in no other way, SO l said
nothing, resolving to give him the |
benefit of the doubt. For he certainly |
seemed the incest kind of man l
ever had here and l wanted to believe
in him Besides, he saw me in the
mirror as | looked at them there In
each others arms, and as he made no
explanation, l thought he felt that he
had done no wrong. nothing that
needed excuse. But now-1 don't
know what to think. If he really loved
this other woman, and not his wife.
and If 1t was woman who came up
those steps at dead of night"
She stopped, shuddering. DIR. Furni
vail rose briskly.
ITO begin at the right end OF the
man. or the woman. But as he is at
the hospital and am here, while the
woman remains unknown, will look
at the body and then examine the
room"
Shown by the boarding mistress to
the scene of the tragedy he studied
the face of the victim lying in the bed.
The undertaken had not yet arrived,
it being still early in the morning,
and the body remained as the medical
examiner had left it few hours be-
fore.
"A face that would be beautiful"
l. hut for hn
dominance of sentiment over thought
in It, That changes the adjective to
pretty The sweetness which Mrs.
Philpots saw is really mildness. gentle
ness, of the kind due to lack Of force.
The girl was weak. She was also
good, and high-minded in her way;
sensitive in the extreme. She lived in
the air, In the clouds, not on the solid
practical earth. She was SO young
not over 1S-that the signs of the
| tragedy sure sooner or later to over
| take such character exist in her fea-
lures only family, in hints. indirec-
tions, possibilities, not as prophecies.
| That appearance would have devel-
oped later. But 1t is there-high
tragedy! That mere thief should act
| as the purveyor of fate to her is i'm
possble She was above the reach OF
a person on that plane. 1t was senti-
ment that killed her, not brute crimi-
nality. Therefore the indications SO
far point to that other woman. either
as principal or accessory. There was
| no thief in the case. Yet Truro says
that the murderer was at his trousers
rockets. Did he recognize this per-
son, and was that statement false,
made to shield the guilty? 1t must be
so. He knows who the criminal Is.
Otherwise he would not have tried to
misdirect suspicion. This being grant
ed, would he have applied the word
coward to a woman. as he certainly
applied 1t to the criminal? In the ex-
citement and bitterness of the moment
he might have shot the epithet once,
even at woman, but he would not
have reiterated it over and over. as
he did, to anybody but man. The
murderer was therefore man, and
Truro knows what man. The next
step is obvious"
Having called up the city hospital
on the telephone, however. he learned
| that, Wnlle lHe "ouhuSu huoDahu was
doing we'll his case was precarious.
and as he was sleeping now it would
not do to disturb him. Therefore DR..
Furniyall returned to the front parlor
and began an examination of 1t. In a
few minutes he turned to Mrs. Phil
pots.
"I suppose the police have searched
the room" he said. Have they taken
away any exhibits
81 think not-nothing that l know
Of"
But the furnishings here all belong
| to the room. just as you always let it.
That is evident. The couple brought
nothing into it-no bric-a-brac. no or
naments of any kind. You say they
had plenty of money-did they give
any reason why they did not follow
the CUSTOM by adding that kind Of
thing to the adornment of their apart
ment?"
"Oh. yes. that is all right! They
were to be here only temporarily, were
going to housekeeping in few weeks,
and all their goods were packed and in
storage"
LII. luieW optH tlle uooi VI
the single closet
WAS their wardrobe packed and in
storage also?" he asked. She saw
with dsmay that the dresses which
she supposed We're crowding the closet
to repletion were missing. There was
practically nothing on the hooks
II am sure they always appeared
finely dressed, both of them" she said,
blankly. And they brought two great
trunks. Here they are"
The doctor raised the lids. The re-
ceptacles were empty.
Without word. and followed by the
anxious gaze of the boarding house
mistress. he pulled out the drawers of
the bureau. They contained only the