The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-05-19

| l ! | my way.
 The second man left the room to go ! to the telephone. AS he did so Hex | ford lit the candle. Idly watching. | for nothing now could make me look at the lounge again. I noticed the can | dlestick. It was of brass and rare in style and workmanship-a candlestlck to be remembered. one of pair. per haps. I felt my hair stir as I took in the | details of its shape and ornamenta- tion. If its mate were in her house. No. no, no! I would not have it so. could not control my emotion if l let my imagination stray too far. The candlestick must be the property or the club. l had only forgotten. It was bought when? While thinking. planning. was conscious of Hex ford's eyes fixed steadily upon me.
 "Did you go into the kitchen in your wanderings below?" he asked.
 'No," I began, but seeing that had made a mistake. I bungled and added weakly, "Yes; after matches"
 And did you get them"
 "Yes."
 'Tn the dark? You must have had trouble in finding them|
 "Not at all. Only safety matches are allowed here. and they are put in receptacle at the side of each door. I had but to open the kitchen door. feel along the jamb. find the recep- tacle and pull the box out. I'm well used to all parts of the house." r Where did you light your first match"
 Upstairs
 ''Not in the kitchen?"
 'No. sir"
 'That's pity. I thought you might be able to tell me how so many wine and whisky bottles came to be stand ing on the kitchen table,"
 I stared at him. dazed. Then I re membered the two small glasses on the little table across the room and instinctively glanced at them. But no whisky had been drunk out of them. The odor of anisette is unmistakable.
 "You carry the key to the wine cet larr' he asked.
 I considered a moment l did not know what to make of bottles on the kitchen table. These women and bot ties! They abhorred wine; they had reason to. l remembered the dinner and all that had signalized it and felt my confusion grow.
 '@The keys were given up by the janitor yesterday" managed to stam- mer at last. "But did not bring them here tonight. They are in my rooms at home"
 I finished with gasp. had sud denly remembered that these keys were not in my rooms. had had them with me at Miss Cumberland's and. being given to fooling with some thing when embarrassed, had fooled with them and dropped them while talking with Adelaide and watching Carmel I had meant to pick them up. but forgot and
 "Yeu need say nothing more about It." remarked Hexford. 'I have no right tto question you at all. Let us see what there is in here," stepping into the adjoining small room, into which had simply pesred in my own in- vestisatio4 eF the place.
 As he did so a keen blast blew in; a window III the adjoining room was nnen- He cast me a hurried glance and, with the door In his hand, made fEs feSia9 remark:
 'Your ladylove. the victim here. could not have come through the snow with no more clothing on her than we see now. She must have worn hat and coat or furs or something of that nature. Let US look for them"
 As I followed him into the closet he pushed the door wide, pulling out an electric torch as he did so. By its light we saw almost at first glance the coat and hat he professed to seek, ly- ing in corner of the floor, beside an overturned chair.
 'Goodp' left my companions lips. 'That's all straight. You recognize these garmentsT' nodded, speech less.
 -Sfstszt