Perth Amboy evening news., 1911-05-18

Dy the discovery,
I I 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 a foremost
place in my mind, I faced these men,
and with real feeling, but as little dis
| play of it as possible l observed:
"You have come to my aid in a crit
zeal moment. This is my betrothed
wife-the woman l was TO marry
and l find her lying here dead in this
closed and lonely house. What does
it mean? I know no more than you do"
The two men eyed me quietly; then
Policeman Hexford, whom l 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 1 almost broke down.
I was In a position much more dread
u NoNA A-g
should be allowed to.
Their silence led me to examine
their faces. Hexford's mouth had
settled into a stiff, straight line, and
the other mans wore a cynical smile
l did not like. At this presage of the
difficulties awaiting me ] felt n
strand Of the rope sustaining me
above this yawning gulf Of shame and
ignominy crack and give way. But
the courage which had served me In
lesser extremities did not fail me now,
and. kneeling down before my dead
betrothed, l kissed her cold white
hand with sincere conjunction before
attempting the garbled and probab bly,
totally fncoherent story with which /
endeavored to explain the inexplatn-
able situation.
They Lstened-I will do them that
much ~justice-but 1t was with such
an air Of 1neredulity that my words
fell with less and less continuity and
finally lost themselves in a confused
stammer as l reached the point where
l pulled the cushions from the couch
and made my CHASTITY discovery.
"You see-see for yourselves-what
confronted me. My betrothed a
dainty, delicate woman-dead, alone,
in this solitary, faraway spot, the
victim of whatf l asked myself then
Il ask myself now. l cannot under
stand it-or those glasses y~onder-or-
OF those marksy' They were black by
this Observation-Disclosures to be ig-
nored by them or by me.
"We understand those marks. and
you ought to-" came from the second
man, the one I did not know.
My head fell forward. Ny lips re-
fused to speak the words. The vision
Of the one woman bending over the
other was a m~addentng one. l shook
myself free from 1t by starting to my
feet. "It's-it's"- I gasped.
"She has been strangled," quoth
Hexford ~doggedly.
"a dogs DEATH" mumbled the
other.
"You had better sit down." Hex
ford suddenly suggested. pushing a
chair my way. Clarke, look up the
lcicpuoHo duu doh W thiSC ~ 40
I am going into this matter thorough
ly. Perhaps you will tell US where
the telephone tsp he asked. turning
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
ut the lounge again. I noticed the can
Giestick. 1t was of brass and rare In
style and workmanship-a candlestick
to be remembered, one of a pair. per-
haps. l felt my hair stir as | took In the
details of its shape and ornamental
ton. If its mate were in Der house
No, no, no! l would not have 1t so.
/ could not control my emotion II |
let my Imagination stray too far. The
candlestick must be the property OF
the club. l had only forgotten. 1t
was bought whenf While thinking,
planning. ! was conscious of e
ford's eyes fixed steadily upon me.
IBID you go into the kitchen IN
your wanderings belowf" he asked.
NO." l began. but seeing that |
had made a mistake. l bungled and
added weakly. eyes; after matches"
"And did you get themT'
"Yes."
an the darkf You must have had
trouble in finding themf'