The Virginia enterprise., 1909-07-23

her, and he-he-we1l, she was crying
In his arms. And he knows I saw
them together. He gave her money,
too"
"Will you keep quiet!" almost
screamed the wounded man. It was
the last effort of which he was capa-
bic, and Immediately he relapsed into
unconsciOusness. -.
I'VE can't have any more of this"
said the doctor, sternly, to the SER
geant, as he hastened to the patients
aid. I'VE must rush this poor fellow
to the hospital and try for the bullet
he has in him. You should not have
attempted to conduct an examination
here, with him in this state and that
body on the bed It was indecent
"You put your side of the job
through and I'll manage to worry mine
along without any help" the sergeant
growled, belligerently. There's a
phony streak somewhere in this mixed
up murder and burgle, and it's my
duty to dig it out. And" he added,
slowly and significantly, eying Mrs.
Philpots, I'm a-goin' to dig it out!"
"Dr. Furnivall," said Mrs. Philpots,
Il requested you to call here in order
that might ask you to find the real
criminal in this awful case, and thus
protect me from the police, who are
doing all in their power to make my
house notorious and mix me up in this
dreadful crime. That sergeant has
acquired grudge against me for some
reason or other. See the crowd at
my borrowing to the publicity he
has given the affair! And this officer
right here in my own hall! 1t is
scandalous"
"The sergeant is merely doing his
duty as he"sees it" the doctor respond
ed. your contradictory evidence JUS
titles him in his action"
But how could be sure whether or
not 1t was a woman, in the uncertain
light? l said in the first place that
it was a man because the idea of
woman doing such a thing never en-
tered my head. Even now it seems
preposterous. I took it for granted
that it was a man. But the instant
one OF my boarders testified that he
saw a woman come up the steps the
thought of that woman who called on
Mr.. Truro occurred to me, and l hesi-
tated. Their interview was so strange!
l became less sure that the person
l saw was man. Indeed, if could
only have had time to choose my
words in the first place I should have
said person., not man. and not
woman That would have been the
real truth"
This woman, you say, visited Mr..
Truro. Was Mrs. Truro away?"
She was in the kitchen with me,
doing some ironing. She knew the
lady was there, but seemed to wish
not to meet her. l think that, knowing
she was coming, she made an excuse
to go down stairs in order to avoid
her"
"She said nothing about herr"
mo; l judge from her actions. She
was very sweet and gentle, and I am
sure would never say anything against
a person, no matter how much she
should dislike him. But she would
not return to her room until this
woman had gone away. I could not
help suspecting that she was some girl
Mr.. Truro had liked before he met his
wlfe-something of that sort. And she
was jealous, l thought how foolish
she must be to feel that way, he so
plainly loved her with all his heart.
But as I came up the back stairs
saw In the mirror, their door being
open, that this woman was in his arms
weeping, as they stood near the cen
ter of the room, and he was soothing
her. l was astounded. A roll of
money lay on the table, where It did
not lie few minutes later when she
had gone and Mr.. Truro had come to
the head of the stairs to call his wife,
so l could only suppose she took it
when she went. He was giving her
money! Mr.. and Mrs. Truro loved
each other to the nOint Of w0rshin if