Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1912-03-15

The House of the
Whispering
Pines

and. kneeling down before my dead
, betrothed. I kissed her cold white
hand with sincere conjunction before
attempting the CARRIED and probably
totally incoherent story with which I
endeavorcd to explain the inexplain-
| able situation.
They listaned-I will 90 them that
much justice-but it was with such
an air Of incredulity that my words
fell with less and less continuity and
finally lost themselves in q confused
stammer as I 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 what? asked myself then
Il ask myself now. I cannot under
stand it-or those glasses yonder-or-
or those marksw They were black by
this time-unmistakab to be ig-
nored by them or by me.
I'VE understand those marks. and
you ought to-" came from the second
man, the one / did not know.
My head fell forward. My lips re-
fused to speak the words The vision
Of the one woman bending over the
other was a maddening one. I shook
myself free from it by starting to my
feet. 'Tt's-it's"- 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
telephone and ask for three more men.
am going into this matter thorough
~. Perhaps you will tell Us where
the telephone tsp he asked. turning
my way.
The second man left the room to 60
to the telephone. As he did 50 Hex
ford Lit the candle. Idly watching,
for nothing now could make me look
at the lounge again. noticed the can.
dlestick. 1t was Of brass and rare In
style and workmanship candlestick
to be remembered. one of a pair. per-
haps. I felt my hair stir as took In the
details of its shape and ornamental
ton. II its mate were in her house
No. no. no! I would not have It so.
could not control my emotion II
let my Imagination stray too far. The
candlestick must be the property of
the club. I had only forgotten. 1t
was bought when2 While thinking.
planning. was conscious Of Hex
ford's eyes fixed steadily upon me.
did you go into the kitchen In
your wanderings belowY" he asked.
NO." began, but seeing that l
had made a mistake. I bungled ana
added weakly, Eyes: after matches."
"And did you get themY'
"Yes."
I'm the darki You must have had
trouble In finding themT
"Not at all Only safety matches
are allowed here. and they are put in
. receptacle at the side Of each door.
had but to open the kitchen door.
feel along the jamb. find the recep.
tacle and pull the box out. I'm well
used to an parts of the house"
"Where did you light your nrst
matchY'
"Upstairs."
"Not in the .kitchenT
mo. sir"
That's pity. I thought you might
be able to tell me how so many wine
and whisky bottles came to be stand
ing on the kitchen table"
stared at him, dazed. Then I re-
membered the two small glasses on
\ the little table across the room and
1nstinctively glanced at them. But no
whisky had been drunk out Of them.
The odor Of anisette Is unmistakable.
you carry the key to the wine cell
larT' he asked.
I considered q moment. / did not
know what to make Of bottles on the
kitchen table. These women and bot
tlesi They abhorred wine: they had
reason to. I remembered the dinner
and all that had signalized 1t and felt
my confusion grow.
The keys were given up by the
3anitor yesterday" I managed to STAN
mer at last. But did not bring them
here tonight They are in my rooms
at home"
I finished with a gasp. l had sud-
denly remembered that these keys
were not in my rooms. had had
them with me at Miss Cumberland's
and. being given to fooling with some
thing when embarrassed. I had fooled
with them and dropped them while
talking with Adelaide and watching
Carmel l had meant to pick them up.
but forgot and
You need say nothing more about
It." remarked Hexford. II have no
right to question you at all Let Us see
what there Is in here" stepping into
the adjoining small room. into which
had simply peered in my own In.
vestgation Of the place.
As he did so keen blast blew in:
Z window in the adjoining room was
open. He cast me a hurried glance
and. with the door in his hand. made
the following remark:
/. "Your ladylove. the victim here.
could not have come through the snow
with no more clothing on her than we
see now. She must have worn q hat
and coat or furs or something Of that
nature. Let US look for them"
As I followed him into the closet he
pushed the door wide. pulling out an
electric torch as he did so. BY its
light we saw almost at first glance the
coat and hat he professed to seek. ly-
ing in corner Of the floor. beside an
overturned chair.
'Good!' left my companions lips.
That's all straight. You recognize
these garmentsr l nodded, speech
less.
CHAPTER III.
A SCRAP OF PAPER
HORTLY after this fresh re-
- lay OF police arrived, and I
could hear the whole house be-
inc raDSocko1 ha6 Nnuud