Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1913-07-17

she did not know.
AT first there came the idea Of hir.
ing the girl as a servant and inveig.
ling from her the deed to the land. 1t
was given up, and the girl sent away.
leaving her address. That night Mrs.
Brent saw the stars fade and the white
light Of morning break over the city.
She was struggling with temptation, a
temptation of an ordinarily good won.
an who had allowed greed to enter her
heart and stifle all else.
"She began to visit the little room,
and to work around the various
charitable institutions in order that
she might cover her action. One day
in the laboratory at the city hall
where she had gone on some char.
table quest there came the opportu.
nifty to steal culture tube containing
typhoid fever germs. In an instant 1t
was in her handbag, the decision was
made, and she was Fastening to Ell.
leens room.
THE girl was playing, or was at
tempting to play, on the dulcimer,
when her aunt arrived. The instru.
ment had been one much loved by her
father, and lonely days spent in the
city had reminded the little girl many
times of when fortunes were better
and when she had listened to the
strains Of the instrument as played by
her father.
This was q sentiment In which
Mrs. Brent had INDUCED her, and she
had given her the money wherewith to
buy the plaything.
Eileen looked up with q smile OF
happiness on her face as the woman
she believed to be only charity work.
er entered the room.
81 am thirsty the aunt said, after
the first greeting. Gould you get me
q glass Of water?'
"She wanted time in which to make
her plans. The girl laid down
the dulcimer and left the room. In
flash it came to the aunt. The girl
loved to play the instrument, and to
turn the pages Of the music as she
practiced. She must now and then
touch her fingers to her lips to moist
en- them. Hastily Mrs. Brent drew
forth the culture tube and applied
some OF the germs to the strings. Ten
minutes later she was chatting with
the girl over her chances OF obtain.
ing employment, and two weeks later
she was sitting by the bedside Of
fever ridden patient watching the first
effects Of her work.
Eileen was out Of the way now, ty-
phoid was doing its work. Soon the
eyes which cleaned with fever would
be glaring in the stiffness Of death.
That gold bearing land In the west
was hers. Hers at the cost OF hu.
man life.
Mrs. Brent had finished the story,
and Williams and | standing there
by the bed, wondering at the Unsuitable
greed which could drive woman to
take the life Of child that she might
gloat over the money which would
come to her through her death.
The woman had sunk back on her
pillow. She seemed unconscious.
Williams strobe few feet away and
stood looking at the floor.
"'Tell me how you guessed all this
she said feebly.
81 didn't guess It, was my answer.
1t simply worked out I knew that
Grimes had nothing to do with 1t. For
| learned that he acted in that way
with every case. The physician was
out OF the question. Then was left
by the simple system OF elimination.
one person. This woman who had
seemed to have taken so much OF an
interest In this little girl. who could
be nothing to her.
There are hundreds Of such cases
In the city. Why should this one be
singled out for such marked atten.
ton? determined to learn the rea-
son. obtained her description from
the janitor and In the guise Of book
agent l sought among the charity
workers until found her. l went to
her house as a book agent. but !
talked to her OF many other things.
And of two in particular-money and
death.
II noticed her eyes CLEAN at the
mention OF one subject, then her lips
paled at the other. In my brain was
fashioned the conviction that there
was some connection between this
woman and the girl, and that Mrs.
Brent had killed Eileen for money.
That Is all l knew, Williams, and that
was all l knew this afternoon when
you and came
"A wild scream interrupted. and we
whirled toward the bed, just in time
to see the woman who had murdered
her niece plunge forward, the blood
streaming from her throat. where she
had pierced 1t with q penknife. No
further explanation ever came from
her, for ten minutes later a physician
looked upward with a queer little ex.
preston and uttered the one little
word which has caused so many sor.
rows in this world and ended so much
suffering-'Dead.'
A blatant orchestra was sounding
strain of late Broadway ragtime as
Miss Clement concluded her story. For
a moment she sat there in meditation,
then reached for the carte dc jour
nearby.
Charity covers multitude Of SINS"
she said. simply.
WANTED TO MAKE IT SQUARE