Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1912-09-04
TODAY s INsTALLMENT.
Copyright, 1911, Street G. Smith,
r,on1riphf 1911 by Dodd Mead e Co

tCopyright 1911, Street G. Smith,
Downright, 1911, by Dodd, Mead 6, Coz
Not vet. Mr. Hammond insists upon
waiting for the coroner. eMr, Hammond
uas the proprietor of the hotel) She is
living on one of the big couches near
which she fell. If you like, I can give
YOU a glimpse of her. She looks beauti-
mi. It's terrible to think that she is
dead
don't know why we consented We
we're under a spell, I think. At all events,
ue accepted his offer and followed him
ND a narrow staircase open to very few
that night At the top, he turned upon
us with a warning gesture which I hard
" think we needed, and led us down a
narrow hall flanked by openings CORE
sponding to those we had noted from be-
low. At the farthest one he paused and,
beckoning US to his side. pointed across
the lobby into the large writing room,
which occupied the better part. of the
mezzanine floor.
We saw people standing in various at
titudes of grief and disnay about a couch,
one end of which only was visible to
us at the moment. The doctor had just
Joined them, and every head was turned
toward him and everybody bent forward
In anxious expectation. l remember the
face of one gray-haired old man. shall
never forget 1t. He was probably her
father. Later, knew him to be so Her
face. even her form, was entirely hid
den from us, but as we watched Il have
often thought with what heartess Gu
riosity) sudden movement took place in
the whole Rroup-and for one instant a
startling picture presented itself to our
gaze.
Miss Challoner was stretched out upon
the couch. She had dressed as she came
from dinner, in a gown Of ivory tinted
satin, relieved at the breast by a large
bouquet of scarlet poinsettias l men,
ton this adornment because it was what
first met and drew our eyes and the eyes
Of every one about her, though the face,
now quite revealed, would seem to have
the greater attraction. But the cause was
evident and one not to be resisted. The
doctor was pointing at these poinsettias
in horror and with awful meaning, and
though we could not hear his words, we
knew almost instinctively. both from his
attitude and the cries that burst from
the lips of those about him, that some
thing more than broken petals and dis
ordered laces had met his eyes; that blood
was there-slowly oozing drops from the
heart-which for some reason had es-
taped all eyes till now.
Miss Challoner was dead, not from un-
suspected disease, but from the violent
attack of some murderous weapon. AS
the realization of this brought fresh pan
c and bowed the old fathers head with
emotions even more bitter than those of
grief, | turned a questioning look up at
Georges face.
1t was fixed with a purpose had no
rouble in understanding.
81 Know the Man"
Yet he made no effort to detain Mr.
Slater, when that gentleman, under this
renewed excitement, hastily left us. He
was not the man to rush into anything
impusivey, and not even the presence
Of murder could change his ways
Il wa@t to feel sure of myself" he ex-
planned Can you bear the strain of
waiting around little longer, Laura? I
mustn't forget that you tainted just
now"