Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1921-01-02
Il BewIdening
Detechue Story

r.,
cusslng the Lorne family affairs with
Odcll.
Usual reason?" asked odelI. n
Titheredge nodded
"A woman. Naturally, neither bis
stepfather nor wished to SEQ hi,
fortune dlssipated, and we reasoned
with him. We even went to the
length OF limiting that wc would take /
legal steps TO keep the control OF the
money out Of his hands. Sheer blur
or course. for he was perfectly nor.
maj mentally. with no settled vices.
and we shouldn't have had leg IN
stand on. But he took It scriou.lv
and threatened in an outburst or
temper to kill himself rather than be
kept in leading strings. There was
nothing to II. OF course; but you know
when the papers get hold of a
thing"
Flo paused. and the detective asked,
Did any of the family suggest
that 1t might have been suicide?"
NO. None OF them know of thar
| absurd threat except Lorne, and tho
idea has never entered his mind. ue
| and have been busy settling JulIan's
estate: the terms OF his own fathers
VIII decree that II be divided equally
among the living children. since he
| died unmarried.
That is how happened TO be
| there last night, when / learned 'front.'
/ 10 mil,
OF the children have felt sort of
supcrstitious fear ever since Julian,
death that there was something more
than coincidence in the two TRACE
dies. or accidents. or whatever you
choose TO call them.
NO one had mentioned 81: but T
| gather that the cripple. Randall. made
| SOME sort OF outburst about IL at III,
dinncr-table last evening. and that
BORT OF brought the matter to a head
In Lornc's mind. Anyway. when II
arrived littlo later Tor a conference
with him he told me OF his suspicion
that those so-called accidents might
have been deviIishiy planned.
He couldn't suggest any one who
might be guilty. nor motive. and 7
laughed at him; but while we were
talking something occurred that
seems to pat solid fact behind his
| wild theory"
lie told OF the fall OF the picture ,
ana Genes escape. and the young ser
seant listened with the keenest at-
| tention.
| You are sure about those wjrcs
being hacked apart" he INQUIRED
when the attorney had finished. "The
portrait has been hanging there for
years. you say? Couldn't they havea
worn through"
| impossible. The strands hadn't&
parted from age: their tips wercy
| bright where they had been severed 4
/ wasn't you 10 come UP and have 81
look at them for yourself; but nrsM
let me tell you OF n further afraiA
this morning. which to my mind
leaves no doubt that some one, eitherS
inside the house or with a confed-
crate there. Is trying deliberately to
eNterminate tho whole family! That
sounds ridiculous l know. in these
days and right here In the henri OF
the city; but i have seen what I be-
licve to be the evidence of II with
my own eyes
lie proceeded to describe the events
OF the night and early morning; and
the detectives merry twinkle van
ished in vacant, narrow lidded stare
OF concentration.
You did not hear the footsteps?"
NO 1 was so stubbornly conf
dent that no further attempt would
be made on any OF the family for a
few days at least that ] thought poor
Iorne was the victim of his own
nervous apprehension" Titheredge's
usually dry tones were filled with
contrition. II only wish that we had
| gone out then and Investigated, but
l was afraid that we would awaken
the rest OF the family and there
would be another scene.
II did hear the gnawing. grating
sound very distinctly. and 1 was per-
fectly sincere when told Lorne that
thought II must be caused by rats
or mice in the walls. Lorne said that
he could have sworn 1t sounded loud
er than any rat. hut paid no atten-
ton. Now, looking back. ! realize
} that Il might we'll have been saw
cutting through the solid oak of the
top step of the stairs
You haven't had a chance to ex-
anime it yourself"
NO. but It won't be touched until
we get back there" The attorney
halted as a sudden memory gripped
him. ''Bv George. I'm not so sure OF
that. after all! We had better hur-
ry."
Sergeant odeIl rose. AS they made
their way from the building no gave
moro than one keen sidelong glance
at his companion.
1t was not until they we're speeding
, uptown in the taxi. however. that
Titheredge mentioned the thought
which had come to him.
Sergeant. as I was leaving the
house this morning to run down here
came upon two workmen arguing
with the butler In the hall. They
said that some one had telephoned
J, tn the shop yesterday to have them
, come and rehang a large picture.
= Yesterday, mind you. and the portrait
4 only fell last night! II you can find
8 out who telephoned from the
9 house"
t Did they say that the call had
n come from the house itself. Mr..
n Titheredge?" the detective interposed
quietly.