The Hattiesburg news., 1913-06-17


don't want to talk about him now, nor
about anything else"
Acting on this hint, Sedgwick let his
companion severely alone, until a
hustle from without warned him that
the crowd was returning. Being
aroused, Kent accosted one of the viii
layers who had just entered.
Body coming back?" he asked.
"Yep On its way now"
what occurred in the house where
they took it?"
Search me! Everybody was shut
out by the sheriff and the doc. They
had that body to themselves nigh
twenty minutes"
At this moment the sheriff entered
the hail. followed by Doctor Breed,
who escorted the coffin to it's support
ing sawhorses. The meager physi-
clan was visibly at the fag end of his
self-control Even the burly sheriff
looked like a sick man, as he lifted
aside the coffin lid and spoke.
There was reasons, neighbors,"
said he, why the corpse wasn't suit
able to be looked at. Nobody had
seen it since last night. We've fixed
it up as good as we could, and you'll
now please pass by as quick as pos
sible."
In the line that formed Kent got a
place behind Elder bennett, who had
decided to take another look for good
measure, as he said. The look was a
productive one. No sooner had it
fallen on the face of the dead than
bennett iabbed an indicatory finger in
that direction and addressed the sher-
III;
Hey Len! What's this?"
whats what?" growled Schlager.
why, there's a cut on the lady's
right cheek. 1t wasn't there when l
seen the corpse last night"
'Ah, what's the matter with your
eyes?" demanded the sheriff savage
ly. You want to hog the lime-light,
that's your troubled"
This was evidently shrewd lash at
a recognized weakness, and the Elder
moved on amid jeering comments.
But Sedgwick, whose eyes had been
fixed upon Kent, saw curious express
sion flicker and fade across the long
jawed face. 1t was exactly the ex-
preston of a dog that pricks up its
ears. The next moment a litter ran
through the crowd as a pumpkin in a
rear seat called out;
THE dudes eyes amt matesl"
Chester Kent, already conspicuous
in his spotless white flannels, had
made himself doubly so by drawing
out monocle and deftly fixing it in
his right eye. He leaned over the
body to look into the face, and his head
jerked back the merest trife Bend
ing lower, he scrutinized the unman-
acled right wrist. When he passed
on his lips were pursed in the manner
of one who whistles noiselessly.
He resumed his seat beside Sedg-
wick. His eyes grew dull and melan-
choly One would have thought him
sunk in a daze, or doze, while the
procession filed past the unknown
dead. His monocle, which had
dropped from his eye as he turned
from the coffin, dangled against his
hand. CHANGING to look down at it,
Sedgwick started and stared. Kent
knuckle, as seen through the glass,
stood forth, monstrous and distorted,
every line of the bronzed skin show
ing like furrow.
The monocle was a powerful mag
nifying lens.
The sheriff's heavy voice rose. ANY
one here present recognize or identify
the deceased?" he droned, and, with
out waiting for reply, set the lid in
place and signaled the medical officer.
"Feller citizens" began the still
shaking physician. I'VE don't need any
jury to find that this unknown drowned
woman"
"The deceased was not drowned"
Emerging from his reverie, Chester
Kent had leisurely risen in his place
and made this statement.
"N-n-not drowned" gasped the med
ical man.
Certainly notl AS you must know,
II you made an autopsy"
mo autopsy was necessary" replied
the other quickly. There's plenty of
testimony without that. We've heard
the witnesses that saw the drowned
body on the grating It washed ashore