Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-09-14
to.,yzsAt - LATHE. sssx. ooapav, iseslsle,

the drawer and picked up pair of boots
with square toes!
"Ah.'' cried. We've solved one mys-
terry at least. These are proof that my
anonymous friend had access to this
room. Now, what is this?" My foot had
come in contact with something under
the desk. Peering under l perceived the
tin cover Of typewriter.
How kind of him to leave it. Or did
Mr.. Somhers have a typewriter?''
ming to think that fact counts for MOTH
ing. Jove! What was uncles idea in
having all this, anyway"
WEN go. on and see If our search can
tell us. Some time I want to compare
the print that machine makes with that
Of the notes I've received
1 turned to the left side of the desk,
where there were four drawers.
The first was crammed to the very top
with bundles of letters. These were di-
vided into two packages. and under the
binding string of each was a slip Of pa
per. On one slip. in Mr.. Somhers' up
right chirography. was inscribed: From
Adelaide; on the other the words were
ITO Adelaide"
His wife," explained Milbrath. HE
was deeply attached to her and was never
the same after her DEATH
The second drawer contained photo
graphs. We looked them over hasli-y
and Nlilbrath told me who the originals
were.
There were several of Mrs Somhers-
q calm-looking. sweet-faced woman-and
a full dozen OF the boy, i'm every pose and
expression. There were pictures OF Fran
els, the brother. at various ages. Of the
sister who had been Harrison Milbrath' 8
mother. and daguerreotypes of a genera
ton back. Last of all was q collection
of photographs of Mr.. Somhers himself.
, One taken in his bOyhood showed him
to have been q chubby-faced. bright-eyed
lo1 OF ri in, RI "
teens; yet another. In his first mustache
presumably, from the shadow on the up
pei lip. Another showed him with the
laughing boy upon his shoulder. and it
was the picture of proud and happy
father.
And SO the pictures ran, showing a
gradual advance in age.
HE would never sit for his picture
after Aunt Adelaide's DEATH" Milbrath
remarked. But in that he was mistaken.
velope containing two photographs. Al
first glance they appeared Identical
prints from one negative. But a closer
inspection proved Nsuoh conclusion
wrong. Were they, indeed. OF the same
man? ] seized the lens and examined
each photograph with minute care.
do you see any difference I'm them?'
I asked. handing the pictures to Milbrath.
who had been looking over my shoulder
silently as studied.
There Is difference. 1t ls-are they
both of Uncle Peter?'
THAT is what ! have been wondering.
Study them for a moment under the
glass. The dress is the same, you see.
itache and the hair. Cut In the same
way you will notice. The noses would be
difficult to distinguish If covers were
placed over the remainder of the faces.
The shape of the heads is similar, the
turn of the eyebrows also, but
1.-THE eyes.
That's 1t. The expression of the eyes.
Now. which resembles Mr.. Somhers?'
'This''
Did YOU ever see him like this other?"
Never Possibly in his younger days
uncle's eyelids may have dropped in that
gentlet way, but l doubt it. Let us look
back to the photographs that We have
just SEEM"
We turned to the earlier pictures and
studied them carefully, but not in one
did we find the mild-tempered droop that
characterized the eyelids of the second
photograph.
ing study" I observed as ! replaced the
two photographs III their envelope and
laid the lens upon them. Apparently
we have stumbled upon some new evil
dence, and when we are through we'll
try to classify IL. Hello! What's in this
than momentary interest. too as. they are
for large amounts. No local bridesmaids
bills these, Til be bound. See. they are
in careful chronological order and run
back a quarter Of q century or more"
And wondering / turned to the year 49,.
There 1t was, as 1 hoped, receipt for a
tombstone placed over the grave of Fran
els SOmhers. Following it was a large
collection of receipted bills for debts con-
tracted by Francis Somhers and paid by
Peter Somhers. At the bottom of the last
of these was scrawled in capitals one
word: ''FINIS.'
"That looks as though Mr.. Somhers had
reached the end of an unwelcome task,
l commented. Still you never can tell.
If Francis Somhers were alive and his
brother had reasons for wishing him
considered dead suppose he would have
taken the same precautions. However,
let us see what is in here.
The fourth drawer contained an unla-
beled letter file. which looked compare