The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1912-02-23

voice-a voice he knew. Perhaps that !
was only a dream He must have !
been asleep some time, because the |
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
groan. He listened intently, but all
was still. The silence was uncanny.
Now thoroughly frightened, How
ard cautiously CROPPED his way about,
trying to find the electric button. He
had no idea what time it was. 1t
must be very late. What an ass he
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 a lesson to hint was the
last time he'd ever touch drop. OF
course, he had promised her the same
thing hundred times before, but this
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 he
stumbled over something on the floor.
1t was man lying PROSTATE. Stoop-
ing he recognized the figure.
"Why-it's Underwood" he ex-
claimed.
At first he believed his classmate
was asleep, yet considered it strange
that he should have selected so I'M
comfortable a place. Then it 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
my and wet. He held his hand up in
the moonlight and saw that it was
covered with blood. Horror-stricken
he cried:
MY God! He's bleeding-he's
hurti"
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 cleo
trio button and turned on the light
There, stretched out on the floor, lay
Underwood, with a bullet hole in his
left temple, from which blood haC
flowed freely down on his fulI-dress
shirt. 1t was CHASTITY sight. The
mans white, set face, covered will
crimson stream, made a repulsivt
spectacle. On the floor near the bod!
was a highly polished revolver, still
smoking. .s-..
: Towards first superstition was tina
$ burglars had entered the place an
Oh that Underwood had been killed Will
q defending his property. He remen
! bered now that in his drunken slice
!. he had heard voices in angry altercs
ton. Yet why hadn't he called TO
assistance? Perhaps he had and h
hadn't heard him.
He looked at the clock, and wa
} surprised to find it was not yet mid
, night. He believed it was at leas
, five o'clock in the morning. It wa
, evident that Underwood had neye
: 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, showin
: that it could only have been dis
t charged few moments before. Sud
> denly it flashed upon him that Under
= wood might have committed suicide
: But it was useless to stand Their
: theorizing. Something must be done
] He must alarm the hotel people O
S call the police. He felt himself tur
= hot and cold by turn as he realize
/ the serious predicament in which h
: himself was placed. If he arouse
}, the hotel people they would find hir
here alone with a dead man. Susp
e cion would at once be directed at hin
t and it might be very difficult for hir
i to establish his innocence. Who woul
+ believe that he could have falle
q asleep in a bed while a man kille
q himself in the same room? 1t sounde
: preposterous. The wisest course 70
q him would be to get away before any
, body came.
e Quickly he picked up his hat an
l. made for the door. Just as he wa
!. about to lay hand on the handle Their
d was the click of a latchkey. Thu
headed off, and not knowing what t
e do, he halted in painful suspense
e The door opened and a man entered
e 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 ser,
ant. All these details flashed befor
Towards mind before he blurted out
Who the devil are you?"
The man looked astonished at tn
question and eyed his interlocuto
n closely, as If in doubt as to his ident
t, ty. In a cockney accent he sal
d loftily:
e Il am Ferris, Mr.. Underwood's maj
J. sir" Suspiciously, he added: AR
" you a friend of Mr. JTnderwood's sir ?