Evening capital. [volume] (Annapolis, Md.) 1922-1981, 1922-11-23
CHAPTER I
The Crime In The library

III was about SIX O'CLOCK one Satnr-
day morning. ia the city OF Washing
ton, that / was awakened from a pro-
found sleep by Barry, M valet, who
was obviously in q state OF great ex-
citement. Being aroused on a morn
ing when usually slept late IN or
der TO make up for my early rising
on other days. was not IN the very
best Of tempers. Il was stiH quite
dark, but could sec that Barry'a
face was unnaturally pale.
well, what Is it?' ! questioned
sharply, drawing the covers closer
about me, for being the first Of Feb
ruary Il was very cold
Come, quick. sir please. sir,
hurry" and Barry picked up my bath
robe and held II ready for me. There
was something IN his tone rather than
his words that caused me to get up
Immediately without questioning him
further. knew Barry so we'll that
] was certain he would not have dis
turbed me unless he felt he was alb
solutely justified in doing so When
] was ready he said:
1T is Mr. whitmore, sir-I-I think
he Is dead"
Dead ! gasped, and not waiting
for his answer rushed down the
hall in the direction Of Whitmore's
room.
Not there, sir" Barry called from
somewhere back of me, Not there
In the library"
However, / opened the door and
turned on the electric lights A brief
glance showed mo that the room was
vacant, and that the bed had not
been slept in. so now thoroughly
aroused / followed Barry down the
dark stairs to the library, the door
OF which was partly open entered
while he switched on the lights.
II was large room. old fashioned
and high ceilnged and comfortably
though not extrayagantly furnished.
Two sides OF the room were filed
with bookshelves, while an immense
fireplace, three windows and a variety
of curiosities from all parts OF the
globe gave TO il cozy appearance one
would scarcely have expected TO find
in the home OF two bachelors. But
as rushed into the room that sat
urday morning / noticed as If in
dream, that III spite Of the cold one
of the wi&lows was open. and that
the wind had blown some papers
about the floor. 4 big armchair had
been drawn close TO the iireslde, and
it WAS upon the occupant Of this
chair that my gaze fastened. For sit.
ting there, one hand hanging Imply.
over the arm OF the chair, was my
law partner, Leonard Whitmore. Sc
calm was the expression of his face,
one might have thought him sleeping
had not the dagger buried to its hilt
in his back borne witness to the aw-
full crime that had been committed
sank into the nearest chair with
out word and hid my head i'm my
hands. How long | remained thus
do not know, but | was aroused by
the remembrance that the proper pro-
cedure in such case was to tele-
phone for a doctor and notify the
police.
call Dr. Woods" | directed Barry
though I could not see what n doc
tor could do except to discover the
cause OF death which. however. was
quite apparent. and to ascertain as
nearly as possible how long Whit
more had been dead. And / sup
pose you had better call the coroner
and the police.
/ knew. OF course. that under such
circumstances the body ought moi to
be touched until after the arrival OF
the coroner. but | thought it would
do no harm to make brief examina-
ton OF the room in the hope of find
ing some clue TO the murder. That
II was murder. premeditated murder.
I had not the slightest doubt for no
man who had met with the profess
sional success that had come TO Leon
ard Whitmore would have had any APP
parent cause TO take his own life. Sc
l dismissed the idea of suicide. and
began my examination of the library
Not that | considered myself gifted
with those powers which 20 to make
a successful detective, but | was nat
urally DESTROYS 10 unearth any evil
dence which might serve to identify
the murderer,
walked to the open window and
looked out upon the heavily falling
snow. That the window had been
forced was evident BY the various
screws which lay scattered about the
floor thought that il the midnight
intruder had entered that way ne
must necessarily have left footprints
in the soft snow outside. that is un-
less the heavy fan OF the early morn
ing had ohliterated them. l leaned
further out. bat not a mark could be
seen on the smooth white carpet. I
shivered slightly and drew the dress
ing gown tightly around me. for /
did not wish to close the window un-
til the coroner came. and il was ex-
tremcly cold.