Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-06-05

my hand shake when l tried to strike a
match. The groan had not been repeated.
l braced myself against the table and
struck the match sharply against the solo
of my shoe. 1t flicSered fraintly and went
out. And then, without the slightest warn
Ing, another dish went off the table. 1t
fell with thousand splinterings the very
air seemed broken into crashing waves Of
sound 1 stood still, braced against the
table, holding the red end of the dying
match and listened Il had not long 10
wait; the groan came again, and I recog-
nized it, the cry OF dog in straits.
breathed again.
Come, old fellow" said. Come on,
old man. Let's have look at you"
could hear the thud Of his tail on the
floor, but he did not move He only whim-
pered. There is something companionable
in the presence of a dog, and I fancied
this dog in trouble Slowly I began to
work my way around the table toward
him.
Good boy" 1 said, as ne whimpered.
Wen find the light, which ought to be
somewhere or other around here, and
then
stumbled over something, and I drew
back my foot almost instantly. did
step on you, old mani" 1 exclaimed and
bent to pat him. I remember Strengthening
suddenly and hearing the dog pad softly to-
ward me around the table. recall even that
had put the matches down and could not
find them. Then, with a bursting horror
Of the room and it's contents, Of the glib
bering dark around me, turned and made
for the door by which I had entered.
I could not find it. felt along the end
1aua Ivaua H. -
dog was beside me. think but he was
part and parcel now to my excited mind,
with the thing under the table And when,
after aeons of search, found a knob and
stumbled into the reception hall, I was as
nearly in a panic as any man could be.
was myself again in second, and by the
light from the hall led the way back to
the tragedy 1 had stumbled on. Bronson
still sat at the table, his elbows propped
on 1t, his cigarette still lighted, burning
hole in the cloth. Partly under the table
lay Mrs. Conway, face down. The dog
stood over her and wagged his tail.
Mcknight pointed silently to a large
copper ash tray, filled with ashes and
charred bits of paper
THE notes, probably" he said ruefuIly.
He got them after all, and burned them
before her. 1t was more than she could
stand. Stabbed him first and then her
self"
Hotchkiss got up and took off his hat.
"They are dead" he announced solemnly.
and took his note book out of his hat
band
Mcknight and 1 did the only things we
could think of-drove Hotchkiss and the
dog out of the room, and closed and locked
the door TITS a matter for the police"
Mcknight asserted. II suppose you've got
an officer tied to you, somewhere Law
renee? You usually have"
We left Hotchkiss in charge and went
downstairs. 1t was Mcknight who first
saw Johnson, leaning against a park rail.
ing across the street, and called him over.
We told him in few words what we had
found, and he grinned at me cheerfully.
After while, in few weeks or months,
Mr.. Blakeley," he said, when you get tired
OF monkeying around with the blood-s stain
and finger print specialist upstairs you
come to me- I've had that fellow you
want under surveillance for ten days."
(To be Contlnued)