The record. [volume] (St. Maries, Idaho) 1913-1918, 1914-02-06

carpeteu stairs, stirring the Gust OF
years into a choking cloud
"'Tain't no sight for a woman"
protested Constable Ben as he paused,
with a hand on the knob Of the front
chamber door.
awful tender with wimmen all Of
a sudden sneered Alvina. Every
body knows it sickens you to kill
chicken, and you let your wife do it,
but she never eats chicken because
she has to kill 'em. l guess l can
stand anything you can. Ben Dale"
Somebody Uttered and Ben Dale
opened the door and entered the ROOM
Billy Breen had reported truly.
In one corner Of the dusty room was
handsome four post bedstead whose
silken covers had been tossed back as
If the bed had been recently slept in
Beside the empty fireplace was a
large chintz covered chair. and In this
chair was the dead body OF white
haired man. His head dropped to one
side as If he slept but there was
rlgidity about his attitude that limited
at something else.
One hand hung over the arm Of the
chair, and the outside Of the hand
was streaked with blood. On the
door was a little wet spot
Constable Dale touched his finger to
the spot
Blood" he whispered hoarsely:
wet blood! 1t was done last nightF
A shudder ran through the crowd.
Then the postmaster nudged some
body, and they all turned and looked
Mt Alvlna Petty, who was trembling
like a leaf and staring at the face OF
the dead man.
Il said 1t want no place for vim
men, calculated Ben Dale as he
Strengthened himself
'Who is it?" whispered Alvina
weirdly. "Who do You say IT is Ben
DaleY
For the first time the constable look
ed closely at the man In the chair.
Then the color forsook his fresh face,
and he almost reeled.
Good heavens, boys-it's-it's old
PhilO Blatcher himselfw
$50 tisr breathed the postmaster.
"But we buried him twenty years
igor protested somebody.
Then Alvina's voice. curiously re.
pressed to a whisper, caused them all
to turn and stare at the little spin
ster who once had been known as the
prettiest girl In Lyndhurst, but now.
with her white hair and her pale, wrin-
killed. face. looked older than her forty
ave years.
''This isn't old Philo hatcher" whis-
pered Alvina, still staring at the man.
1T is young Philo. his SON"
Young Philo? You're crazy" cried
Ben Dale. pushing forward "Why.
young PhilO had black hair and"-
1T is young Phllo grown Old" broke
in Alvina. 81 ought TO know"
Silence followed her uuthurst. One
man whispered to another that Alvina
had once been engaged to young Philo
Blatcher and ever since his disappear
ance twenty years before she had act
ed queerly. Young Philo could not be
more than fifty now, and this man
looked much older.
Alvina was speaking again.
'He had come back home again aft
er years Of wandering. and on the very
first night-see. the bed had not been
slept in for many years, but he was
going to use it--on the very first night
he was killed-killed by an enemy.
Some Chinese tracked him home and
killed himw
You're crazy as a loon, Alvinap
cried Ben loudly, as he grasped her
shoulder.
"Tm not. I've got eyes and common
sense and a hearth cried Alvina pas
sionately. "See the blood on his hand.
There is a wound in his shoulder here.
In the side OF the chair is a knife.
See the carved ivory handler It's a
foreign knlfel Where has he been
lately-China? Maybe it's a Chinese
knife! Look out in the snow for the
tracks Of Chinese shoes. Find out IL
anybody has seen a Chinese around.
Hurry, Ben Dale, or he will get awayr'
So great was Alvina's energy that all
within the room were imbued with her
enthusiasm. In a moment they had
scattered and left Alvina alone with
the man IN the chair
When she was alone Alvina went
and knelt there and said little hushed
words that no one could hear. that no
one ought to hear save the man for
whom they were intended, and she
thought his ears were closed to her
voice forever.
But suddenly he sighed deeply.
.Alvina screamed. but no one heard
her.
Again he sighed. and this time Al
vina did not scream. She bent close
to him and saw his eyelida dutter
Then she few for restoratves. 1t IS
doubtful II any one save Alvina knew
where old PhilO Blatcher had kept his
Scotch whisky and Holland gin and
Jamaica rum I'm the little corner cup
board in the west parlor.
Alvina knew. and she brought a bot
tie and n crystal glass and gave the
man In the chair to drink Of the fiery
liquid. holding his gray head against
her breast as she coaxed him.
Presently he opened his eyes and
smiled at her
Il almost knew you'd be waiting f0l
me. Alvina." he said weakly, for II
was fndonF s-ouno nhfIo oor,o hornr