The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-12-07

command. nor have I any sympathy with lawlessness and murder. You were about to proceed to where was first one of your number. young of flcer, I judge, went upstairs to procure his revolver"
 I paused as though in question, and Judge Dunn said grufiy:
 GA friend of my sons, Lieutenant Navarro, and he is long while about it.e "When this officer disappeared I sought in vain for some available exit from this floor. Finding none. has, tily decided to slip up the stairs after him and try drop from one of the second story windows. Just beyond the head of the stairs one of the rooms was lighted. and I supposed that to be where he was. turned to the right | and tried the first door. I stepped in- side; the window was wide open; on the floor. at my feet lay the dead body of Lieutenant Navarro"
 1 could see them leaning forward staring at me with suddenly blanched | faces; I heard a sharp cry as Miss Dunn dropped her head upon the arm l of the sofa; a bitter oath from the lips of Calvert Dunn as he leaped to his feet. his dark face fairly black 1 from passion.
 1 "You Hary' he shouted, rage choking his utterance. "This is your work! You killed himr'
 ! I thought he would spring at me, but even as drew back a single step for better defense Jean Denslow came between us.
 "No, not that. At least give Lieu tenant King a chance to tell his story"
 "Aye. be still. boy" And Donald rose to his feet. massive figure of man. ''You found him lying dead. you say ?'
 "Yes, resting upon the floor. huddled upon his left side. l turned him over on his back, seeking the wound. 1t was a knife thrust in the throat. but the blade had been withdrawn. There are marks of blood on the window sill, from whence the assassin must have dropped to the ground 1 I sought to read the expression on the face of the girl beside me. but her hands were pressed to her eyes, her form trembling. Then Donald stepped to the open doorway. block i ing the only egress from the room. | Calvert" he said in stern tone of command. ''Go up stairs and verify this story. Lieutenant King will re main where he Is until your return"
 As young Dunn hastily left the room I turned to meet the deep set eyes of his father.
 "Why didn't you go out that win dow also?' he asked bluntly. "You could probably have escaped"
 "Yes," I answered. ''and you would have believed forever that was the murderer"
 'That wouldn't have hurt you any; the killing of one of the enemy by a scout in time of war is not considered murder. Your army would have pro- tected you"
 'T am not that kind of man, Judge Dunn"
 'I don't know what sort you may be-" he returned slowly. ''but in thi. case it seems to me you are either . fool or a wise knave. and there is no, very wide difference between tn, two. You evidently expect this volun tary surrender will clear you of al suspicion"
 '.No; it simply means intend to re main and face the suspicion. Tn, man upstairs was killed by knife thrust: l possess no knife. The on, who killed him dropped from the win dow. leaving his bloody finger mark. on the siiL The morning will re veal his imprint on the ground be meath. My act is neither that of foo nor that of a knave; I prefer being { prisoner rather than to have this fou crime charged against me- We must have waited there for ter minutes. no one speaking. the judge gazing full at me. as if l were a pris oner before his court. the big frame 0, Donald completely blocking the door way. Miss Dunn was crying softly and I thought Jean was beside her but did not venture to glance toward them. Suddenly Calvert Dunn came down the hall. holding in his hand s lighted lantern.
 Lieutenant Navarro is lying dead 1T Jeans room." he said shortly, evident ly striving to speak calmly, yet witt trembling voice. He was stabbed ir the throat with a knife and apparent ly given little. opportunity for defense as there are no evidences of struggle There is light still burning in his own room. further down the hall. an6 believe Navarro was in there, seek ing his revolver. when he heard some noise in the front of the house, caus ing him to investigate. The hidden as sassin must have sprung upon him ir the dark"
 You found other evidence?'
 Comparatively little. There are marks of blood on the sill of the oper window. not finger marks, merely splashes. The roadway is below, and man dropping from that height would leave no impress on the packed ashes. found this knife in the bushes. where it could easily have been thrown from the window.'
 The full meaning of all this burst upon my mind in horror. Instead o1 clearing me of suspicion, eyerythina tended rather to bind closer the chains of guilt.
 "Do you meanD-