Enterprise news-record. [volume] (Enterprise, Wallowa County, Or.) 1910-1911, 1911-06-03

I'LL that Carmel had
been within these
woeful walls to-.
FIND hhA L,iNa night? Relieved
nh"A by the discovery.
drew myself up and stepped, quickly
forward into the room where the two
officials stood. My hands were clean
Of this murder. and. allowing the sure
ty Of this fact to take foremost
place in my mind. faced these men.
and with real feeling. but as little dis
play Of it as possible I observed:
''You have come to my aid in crit
ical moment. This is my betrothed
wife-the woman ! was to marry
and / find her lying here dead in this
closed and lonely house. What does
1t mean? know no more than you do"
The two men eyed me quietly; then
Policeman Hexford whom knew,
pointed to my shoeless feet and sternly
retorted:
Permit me to doubt your last as
sertion. You seem to be in better po-
sition than ourselves to explain the
circumstances which puzzle you"
They were right. 1t was for me to
talk, not for them. But here emotion
seized me. and | almost broke down.
was In position much more dread
full than any they could imagine or
should be allowed to.
Their silence led me to examine
4 their faces. Hexfords mouth had
settled into a stiff. straight line. and
the other mans wore cynical smile
did not like. At this presage of the
difficulties awaiting me ! felt one
strand of the rope sustaining me
above this yawning gulf of shame and
ignomipy crack and give way. But
the courage which had served me In
lesser extremities did not fall me now,
and. kneeling down before my dead
betrothed. kissed her cold white
hand with sincere compunctiOn before
attempting the garbled and probably
totally incoherent story with which
endeavored to explain the inexplain-
able situation.
They listened-I will do them that
much justice-but It was with such
an air of incredulity that my words
fell with less aud less continuity and
finally lost themselves IN confused
stammer as reached the point where
pulled the cushions from the couch
and made my ghastly discovery.
"You see-see for yourselves what
al confronted me. My betrothed = a
dainty. delicate woman-dead. alone.
In this solitary. faraway spot, the
victim of what? asked myself then
II ask myself now. cannot under
, stand tor those glasses yonder-or-
or those MAJ arksr' They were black by
, this time -tInmistakable--no to be ig-
|, nored By them or by me.
1--WE understand those marks. and
you ought to- came from the second
man. the one i did not know.
My head fen forward. My lips re-
, FUSED to speak the words. The vision
Of the one woman bending over the
other was maddening one. shook
myself free from It by starting to my
,, feet, "It's-it's''- I. gasped.
!, "She has been strangled." quoth
Hexford doggediy.
.. "a dogs DEATH" mumbled the
, other
"You had better sit down." Hex
ford suddenly suggested, pushing q
chair my way. "Clarke. look up the
telephone and ask for three more men
] am going into this matter thorough
!, ". Perhaps you will tell Us where
!. the telephone isY' be asked. turning
: my way.
I The second man left the room to ~
to the telephone. As he did so Hex
ford lit the candle Idly watching
= for nothing now could make me looi
!. at the lounge again. noticed the can
9 dlestick. II was Of brass and rare u
Q style and workmanship candlesticl
u to be remembered. one Of pair. per
= haps. felt my hair stir as took In tn
D details of Its shape and ornamental
l. tion. If its mate were In her house
q No. no. no! ! would not have 1t 90
i could not control my emotion II
l. let my Imagination stray too far. Tn
% candlestick must be the property o
the club. had only forgotten. !
, was bought when7 While thinking
L planning. was conscious of hex
t ford's eyes fixed steadily upon me.
Q did you go into the kitchen II
q your wanderings belowT he asked.
u "No." began. but seeing that
q had made q mistake. bungled AM
q added weakly. "Yes; after matches"
= -And did you get themT
q "Yes"
q TN the dark7 You must have ha'
trouble In finding themY'
It mot at all. Only safety matche
r are allowed here. and they are put 4
D. o receptacle at the side of each doo
q had but to open fhe kitchen dooI
u feel alons the tamh- hnd tina recer