The Chanute times., 1911-06-09

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
a 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. IL
must be very late. What an ass ne
was to drink so much! He wondered
what Annie would say when he didn't
return. He was 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. VI
course he had promised her the same
thing hundred times before, put thls
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 ne
stumbled over something on the MOOR
1t was man lying prostrate. 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 1t 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 1t clam
my and wet. He held his hand up IN
the moonlight and saw that 1t 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. It 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 bullet hole In his
left temple, from which blood hat
flowed freely down on his full-dress
shirt. 1t was ghastly sight. The
mans white, set face, covered witt
a crimson stream, made a repuisivt
spectacle. On the floor near the body
was a highly polished revolver, still
smoking.
Howard's first supposition was tina
burglars had entered the place ant
that Underwood had been killed while
defending his property. He remem
bered now that in his drunken sleel
he had heard voices In angry alterca
tion. Yet why hadn't he called fo
assistance? Perhaps he had and HI
hadn't heard him.
He looked at the clock, and wal
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 neve
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 1t could only have been dis
charged few moments before. Sud
denly it flashed upon him that Under
wood might have committed suicide
But 1t was useless to stand ther
theorizing. Something must be done
He must alarm the hotel people o
call the police. He felt himself turl
hot and cold by turn as he realized
the serious predicament in which h
himself was placed. If he arouse,
the hotel people they would find hin
here alone with a dead man. Suspi
cion would at once be directed at hin
and 1t might be very difficult for hin
to establish his innocence. Who woul
believe that he could have fallel
asleep in a bed while a man kille
himself in the same room? 1t sounde,
preposterous. The wisest course TO
him would be to get away before any
body came.
Quickly he picked up his hat an
made for the door, Just as he wa
about to lay hand on the handle ther
was the click of a latchkey. Thu
headed off, and not knowing what t.
do, he halted in painful suspense
The door opened and a man entered
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 sery
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
closely, as If in doubt as to his identi
ty. In a cockney accent he sal
| loftily: