Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-01-06
EPISODE VI.
THE CASE OF THE M'w1NTER
FAMILY,

McWinter did odd jobs at the chemical
laboratory in the village. He was an
expert in certain departments, and oc-
casionally the chief chemist rlsked the
chance Of sending for him. 1t was
noticeable that the derelict worked faith
fully on these days. with the hope of
continuous employment. When afternoon
came telephone call arrived with II
and McWinter hurried off to the labora-
tory, rather pleased, too, to find himseN
temporarily placed over the man he
hated so heartily. The same amiablity
he had shown to his wife he now eE-
hibited in lesser degree toward Smith,
who was rather astonished at the sud
den turn of affairs.
Pm sorry / lost my temper, Smith,"
said McWinter, rather solemnly. But
my nerves have gone to smash. and I'm
imagining all sorts of things
Don't let that worry you" replied
Smith, only too glad to bury the hatchet
1--WE all lose our tempers once in a while
But you ought to be little more care
full OF that wife of yours"
II know it," humbly all the while
black murder In his heart. wen let
bygones be bygones, and go out some day
for a hunt like we used to- There's
nothing better than n good rabbit stew,
and Sally knows how to cook it,"
"I'd like nothing better" said the other
man, believing in his heart that this new
friendly attitude would aid In making one
poor woman a little happier.
1T said something about you going on
Saturday night. You just forget it,
IAN right" said Smith.
At o'clock McWnter left the labora-
wandpd his wny IN tbe rnVgtari-
Gus shack in the woods. For an hour he
experimental with peculiar sort of
contrivance and from time to time gave
vent to a diabolical chuckle, The man
may have been n monomaniac, but that
was never to be proved,
The thick door seemed TO please his
fancy immensely. An enormous spring
was adroitiy hidden by the hinges. such
as would close the door violently and
make II difficult to open without physical
eXertion. The concussion was bound to
shake everything in the shack. Near the
ceiling was small platform about six
inches square. He propped open the door.
took an empty bottle from his pocket. 4
and placed 1t upon this platform. When
he liberated the door the slam of it top
pied the bottle from its perch and it broke
into a thousand pieces on the stone slab
below.
"I guess that'll fix you; 7 guess thatn
show you whose house you're pohfulhs lh'
you snake!"
McWipter loosened the spring so as to
open the door and passed out.
The following morning the clerk in the
laboratory whose business 1t was to ac-
count for all the deadlier concoctlons, i'm
making his daily inventory found bot
tie missing. and this bottle contained one
of the deadliest fumes In existence. He
was greatly perturbed. He asked Smith.
but Smith denied that he had touched
the bottle. That seemed to be the end
of the affair.
on Sunday Mrs. McWinter's face was
brighter than II had been In weeks. Her
husband seemed to be an entirely differ
ent man. He had softened so far as 10
tell a comic story and you may be sure
that Smith and Mrs. McWlnter laughed
heartily over II.
The two men shouldered their guns, |
whistled for the dog. and set off on their
hunting trip And only one of them re-
turned alive. Smith came back and was |
rather surprised 10 find neither McWin- |
ter nor the dog. They had separated in |
the woods near the shack of which |
Smith apparently knew nothing. McWin- |
ter was missing all the next day. Tues |
day morning they found him In the |
shack, strangely dead,
A very peculiar case confronted the local |