Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1911-03-30

VOice-a voice lie knew. PornapS that
was only dream. He must have
been asleep some time. because the
lights were out and. seemingly, every.
body had gone to bed. He wondered
what the noise which started him
could have been. Suddenly he heard
groan. He listened intently. but all
was still The silence was uncanny.
Now thoroughly frightened, How
ard cautiously groped his way about,
trying to find the electric button. He
had no idea what time 1t was. 1t
must be very late. What an ass he
was to drink so much! He wondered
what Annie would say when he didn't
return. He was a hound to let her
sit up and worry like that. Well, this
would be lesson to hint was the
last time he'd ever touch drop. OF
course, he had promised her the same
thing a hundred times before, but this
time he meant it. His drinking was
always getting him into some fool
scrape or other
He was gradually working his way
along the room, when suddenly he
stumbled over something on the floor.
1t was a man lying PROSTATE. Stoop-
ing, he recognized the figure.
"Why-it's Underwood" he ex-
claimed.
At first he believed his classmate
was asleep, yet considered 1t strange
that he should have selected so un-
comfortable a place. Then it occurred
to him that he might be i'll. Shaking
him by the shoulder, he cried:
"Hey, Underwood, what's the mat
ter?"
No response came from the pros
trate figure. Howard stopped lower
to see better, and accidentally touch.
ing Underwood's face, found it clam
my and wet He held his hand up in
the moonlight and saw that it was
covered with blood. Horror-stricken
he cried:
MY God! He's bleeding-he's
hurt"
What had happened? An accident
or worse? Quickly he felt the mans
pulse 1t had ceased to beat. Under
wood was dead.
For a moment Howard was toe
much overcome by his discovery tc
know what to think or do. What
dreadful tragedy could have hap
pened? Carefully cropping along the
mantelpiece, he at last found the elec
trio button and turned on the light
There, stretched out on the floor, lay
Underwood, with a bullet hole in his
left temple, from which blood haC
flowed freely down on his full-dress
shirt. 1t was a CHASTITY sight The
mans white, set face, covered with
crimson stream, made a repulsive
spectacle. On the floor near the body
was highly polished revolver, still
smoking.
Howards first supposition was tha
burglars had entered the place anG
that Underwood had been killed while
defending his property. He remem
bered now that in his drunken sleeI
he had heard voices in angry alterca
ton. Yet why hadn't he called fol-
assistance? Perhaps he had and he
hadn't heard him.
He looked at the clock, and was
surprised to find 1t was not yet mid
night. He believed 1t was at leas
five o'clock in the morning. 1t wa.
evident that Underwood had never
gone to bed. The shooting had oc
Cured either while the angry dispute
was going on or after the unknown
visitor had departed. The barrel o
the revolver was still warm, showing
that it could only have been dis
charged a few moments before. Sud
denly it flashed upon him that Under
wood might have committed suicide
But it was useless to stand ther,
theorizing. Something must be done
| He must alarm the hotel people O
call the police. He felt himself turf
hot and cold by turn as he realized
the serious predicament in which h,
himself was placed. If he aroused
the hotel people they would find hin
here alone with a dead man. Suspi
, cion would at once be directed at him
I and it might be very difficult for hin
! to establish his innocence. Who woul,
believe that he could have fallel
q asleep in a bed while a man kille,
a himself in the same room? 1t sounde
: preposterous. The wisest course fo
! him would be to get away before any
body came.
E Quickly he picked up his hat an
: made for the door. Just as he wa
:. about to lay hand on the handle ther
d was the click of latchkey. Thu
headed off, and not knowing what t
e do, he halted in painful suspense
e The door opened and a man entered
e He looked as surprised to see How
ard as the latter was to see him. H
was clean-shaven and neatly dressed
yet did not look the gentleman. Hi
appearance was rather that of a ser,
ant. All these details flashed befor
Howard's mind before he blurted out
who the devil are your"
The man looked astonished at tn
question and eyed his interlocuto
n closely, as if in doubt as to his ident
t, ty. In a cockney accent he sal
d loftily:
e Il am Ferris Mr.. Underwood's mar
J. sir" Suspiciously, he added: "Ar
# you friend of Mr.. Underwood's, sir?