Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1915-08-04
In the Old
ClOCkCaSe
The Discovery of the
Guilty One.
By CLARISSA MACKIE

humming busily, and stream of
morbidly curious men, women and
children passed to and from the file
old house at the head of the street.
In the dining room of the house the
chief of the town police force inter
viewed the dead mans two servants.
The chief was an eagle eyed man of
fifty, stern Tipped, with grizzled hair
and beetling brows.
Now, Amanda" he said to the house
keeper, "tell me just what happened
last night
Amanda Smith pressed a handker-
chief to her wet eyes and smOothed
down the folds of her lavender cam
brio dress. She was a wholesome look
ing woman, and her mother had kept
house for Gabriel and his father many
years ago.
cit was this way, Mr.. Lane" she
began nervously. Mr.. Morse had his
dinner at Z as usual and afterward
went into the library.
AT s o'clock the front door bell
rang, and Professor House came In.
He was quite a crony of Mr.. Morse's
and sometimes came every night for
a week and then for a spell he would
not come for a month.
Il ushered him into the library and
heard Mr.. Morse greet him. Later,
about 10 o'clock, the library bell rang,
and Mr.. Morse told me l could close
up the house. He would let Professor
House out himself
so I closed and locked all the doors
and windows excepting the front door,
which ! left for Mr.. Morse to do.
IT went up to bed and didn't hear a
sound until Peter came up this morn
ing and knocked at my door, saying
that Mr.. Morse was dead"
Chief Lane turned to the man, coach
man, gardener and house servant.
"Well, Peter?" he prompted
Its all as Amanda has said, SIR"
said Peter soberly. 81 helped her lock
up the house. and then / went out to
my room over the carriage house and
awOke about this morning.
81 had a pass key to the kitchen
door, so ! went in and started the
fires in the kitchen stove and the Gel
lar furnace. Then / went into the
library to start up the fire on the
hearth. Mr.. Morse always had his
breakfast in there. s
81 found the room in great cOnfu-
sion and the body Of Mr.. Morse hud-
died in his armchair. He was quite
dead, could see that, but 1 tele
phoned for DR.. Gray. and l guess he
sent for you"
Lane dismissed the two servants and
went into the library. He locked the
door on the inside. and, pulling down
the window shades to shut out the
curious faces peering in from porch
and veranda. be lighted the lamps
and made a careful survey of the rich
" furnished room.
What a struggle there must have
been there in that quiet room! Chairs
were overturned, pictures were hang
ing askew. books were scattered about.
And he was found choked to death
in his easy chairI' unused the officer.
Some one was fumbling at the door
knob. and he crossed the room and
opened the door.
"Oh. it's you. Grayr' he said as he
admitted the physician. Il was wish
ing you would come down. Well,
what do you make of it all?"
Dr. Gray. who had been Gabriel
MOrse's most intimate friend. sadly
shook his head.
Its a bad business. Lane. Murder,
of course. But why?"
Money suggested the other.
Nothing missing His gold watch
was untouched. and look here" He
unlocked a drawer in the great ma
hogany desk and. pulling out a tin
box, displayed it filed with crisp
banknotes and gold double eagles.
II found the drawer unlocked and
possessed myself of the key" he said.
''The contents were undisturbed.
Eliminate robbery as a motive. what
next?"
Revenge promptly answered the
other
did Gabriel have an enemy?
Not that we know of. but he might
have had one-ahI'
What is it?' asked Lane.
What about Professor House? Where
is hep
'"The professor was suddenly called
away this morning. His landlady said
he was summoned by telegram"
LET US interview Mrs. Quayle, then"
Locking up the library, the two men
left the house. Pushing their way down
the steps. avoiding the eager questions
OF the increasing crowd. they walked
over toward Phoebe Quayle's house
Professor House. a quiet. unobtru-
sive man Of middle age. had boarded
with Mrs. Quayle for two years. ever
since he had come to assume the du-
ties of principal of the Hampden High
school.
Mrs. QuayIe met them at the door.
silent. dark eyed. thin faced woman
possessed of a melancholy spirit.
1--WE would like to see Professor