The Detroit times., 1913-01-18


Z found the one that fitted the lock;
/ he opened the door and entered the
house, the undertaken following him.
A second oticer stationed himself
at the door and kept back the crowd.
Their preparations were soon made
and the two men reappeared on the
porch.
It's all right" the undertaken
said, and four men raised the stretch
er again and carried the old mer-
chant into the house.
AT this juncture Colonel HARRISON,
followed by his nephew and Gilmore,
made his way through the crowd be-
fore the door. Gilmore, even. gave
an involuntary shudder as they en-
tered the small hall lighted by the
single lantern. while the colonel could
have wished himself anywhere else
he had come from a sense OF duty;
he had known Mcbride as well as
any one In Mount Hope had known
him, and II had seemed a lack OF re-
spect TO the dead man TO leave him
To the care OF the merely curious; but
he was painfully conscious OF the still
presence III the parlor; he felt that
they were unwelcome intruders In
the home OF that austere old man.
who had made no friends, who had no
ihtimates. but had lived according
TO his choice, solitary and alone. The
colonel and Watt HARRISON followed
the gambler into what had been the
old merchants sitting-room, There
were two lamps OH the chimneypiece,
both OF which Gilmore lighted.
That's whole lot better" he said.
Anything more We can do, gentle
mem asked the undertaken, coming
into the room.
Nothing, thank you" answered
the colonel In tone OF abstraction,
and he felt a sense of relief when the
officials had gone their way into the
night, leaving him and his two com
panions to their vigil.
Now for the first time they had
leisure and opportunity to look
about them. 1t was a poor enough
place, all things considered; the fur
niture was dingy with age and neg
lect, for Archibald Mcbride had kept
no servant: a worn and faded carpet
covered the floor: there was an en-
craving O washington Crossing the
Delaware and few old-fashiofled
| woodcuts on the wall; at one side OF
the room was a desk, opposite 1t a
| rusted sheet-iroL stove in which Watt
HARRISON was already starting a hre;
! there was q scant assortment or un
comfortable chairs, a table, with one
leg bandaged. and near che desk an
old mahogany davenport.
This wouldn't have suited you, eh.
COLONEL" said Gilmore at last.
He could hardly be said to live
here. he merely came here TO sleep,
answered the colonel.
mo. he couldn't have cared for
anything but the one thing" said Gil
more. Were you ever here before.
Colonel" he added.
Never"
II don't suppose half dozen peo-
pie in the town were ever inside his
door until tonight" said Watt Har-
bison, speaking for the first time.
Gilmore turned to looked at the
colonel's nephew as IL he had only
that moment become aware OF his
presence. What he saw did not i'm.
press him greatly, for young Watt,
save for an unusually large head, was
much like other young men OF his
class. His speech was soft, his face
beardless and his gray eyes gazed
steadily but without curiosity on,
what was for him, an uncliented
world For eighteen months that he
had been an attorney and counselor
at law" the detail OF Office rent had
been taken care OF by the colonel.
Sort OF makes the game he play
ed seem rotten poor sport" com
mented Gilmore. replying to the
nephew but looking at the uncle.
The colonel was silent.
Rotten poor SPORT" repeated Gil
more.
Who'll come in for his property"
asked Watt HARRISON.
"Oh, some one will claim that,
said Gilmore. They were saying
down at the store, that once. years
ago, a brother OF his turned up here.
but Mcbride got rid of him..
Suppose We have a look around
before we settle ourselves for the
night" suggested Watt HARRISON.
Twill you join us, Colonel? ask
ed the gambler.
But the colonel shook his head. Gil,
more took up one Of the lamps as
he spoke and opened door that led
into what had evidently once been
dining-room, but it was now only
partly furnished; back OF this was
kitchen, and beyond the kitchen
woodshed Returning to the front OF
the house, they mounted to the moor
above. Here had been the old mer-
chants bedroom; adjoining II were
two smaller rooms, one OF which had
been used as a place Of storage for
trunks and boxes and broken bits
OF furniture; the other room was
empty. y
1--WE may. as we'll go back down
stairs said the gambler. hating,
lamp In hand, in the center Of the
empty room
HARRISON nodded, and leading the
way to the floor below, they rejoined
the colonel in the sitting-room, where
thew made themselves as comfortable
as possible. :,
The colonel and his nephew talked
in subdued tones, principally OF the
murdered man; they had no desire to
exclude their companion from the
conversation, but Gilmore displayed
no interest in what was said. He sat
at the colonels elbow, preoccupied
and Thoughtful. smoking cigar after
cigar. Presently the colonel and his
nephew lapsed into silence. Their
silence seemed TO rouse Gilmore 10
what vas passing about him. lie
glanced at the elder HARRISON.
"You look tired. Colonel he said