Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1912-07-16

\ Y
AZ His Invitation We Had Taken Tea
ut tho viearass.
. few questions. Mr.. Mortimer Tregen.
MIS-"
The other had been silent all this
time. but had observed that his more
controlled excitement was even great
er than the obtrusive emotion Of the
clergyman.
ASK what you like. Mr.. Holiness"
said he, eagerly. ut is bad thing to
speak of, but / will answer you the
TRUTH
Tell me about last night"
We'll, Mr.. Holmes, supped there,
as the vicar has said, and my elder
brother George proposed game Of
whist afterwards. We sat down about
nine o'clock. It was a quarter.past
ten when I moved to go. l left them
all round the table, as merry as could
be-" :.
who let you out?"
Mrs. Porter had gone to bed, 20 I
let myself out. shut the han door
behind me. The window Of the room
in which they sat was closed, but the
blind was not drawn down. There
was no change in door or window this
morning, nor any reason to think that
any stranger had been to the house.
Yet there they sat, driven clean mad
with terror, and Brenda lying dead Of
fright, with her head hanging over the.
arm Of the chair. I'll never get the
sight Of that room out Of my mind SO
long as live"
1.-THE facts, as you state them. are
certainly most REMARKABLE said
Holmes. II take it that you have no
theory yourself which can In any way
account for them7"
+ ITS devilish, Mr.. Holmes; devil.
ish!" cried Mortimer Tregennis. 1T
is not Of this world. Something has
come into that room which has dashed
the light of reason from their minds.
What human continuance could do
that?"
''r fear" said Holmes, shat il the
matter is beyond humanity it is GER
tainly beyond me. Yet we must ex-
haust all natural explanations before
We fall back upon such theory as
this. As to yourself, Mr.. Tregennis. l
take It you were divided in some way,
from your. family, since they lived to-
gether and you had rooms apart?"
THAT is SO, Mr.: Holmes, though
the matter is past and done with. We
were family Of tin.miners at Red
ruth, but we sold out our venture to .
company, and SO retired with ensugh
to keep us. I won't deny that there
was some feeling about the division Of
the money and it stood between US for
a time. but 1t was all forgiven and for
gotten, and we were the best Of
friends together"
Looking back at the evening which
you spent together, does anything
stand out in your memory as throw.
ing any possible light upon the trag-
edy? Think carefully, Mr.. Tregennis,
for any clue which can help me-
There is nothing at all. sir.''
'Your people were in their usual
spiritsr'
''Never better"
Were they nervous people? Did
they ever show any appreciation OF
coming danger!''
Nothing Of the kind"
"You have nothing to add, then,
which could assist met"
Mortimer Tregennis considered
earnestly for . moment.
There 10 ono thing occurs to me-"
said he at last. "As we sat at the
table my back was to the window, and
my brother George. he being my part.
ner at cards. was facing it. saw him
once look hard over my shoulder. 80
I turned round and looked also. The
blind was up and the window shut,
but could Just make out the bushes
on the lawn. and lt seemed to mo for
q moment that saw something NOV.
Ing among them. I couldn't even say
II 1t were man or animal, but Just
thought there was something there.
When asked him what he was look
ing at, he told mo that he had the
same feeling. That Is all that can
say"
did you not investigator"
No; the matter passed az unim-
portant."
you left them. then. without any
premonition Of evil1''
None at an"
Il am not clear how you came to
hear the news SO early this morning."
i am an early riser, and generally
take walk before breakfast. This
morning had hardly started when
the doctor in his carriage overlook
me- He told me that old Mrs. Por-
ter had sent boy down with an ur-
gent message. sprang in beside him
and we drove on. When. we got there
we looked into that dreadful room.
The candles and the hre must have
burned out hours before, and they lad
been sitting there In the dark until
dawn had broken. The doctor said
Brenda must have been dead at least
six hours There were NO signs Of vi0-
lence. She just lay across the arm Of !
the chair with that look on her face.
George and Owen were singing snatch
es Of songs and gibbering like two
great apes. Oh. it was awful to see!
Ecouldnst ;stands It, and the ,sioctur swxs,l
a. white as sheet. Indeed. He fell