The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1924-04-09
= A Tale of the Flatwoods
By DAVID ANDERSON
Author of THE Blue Moon"
Copyright by The Bobbs- Merrill Co.

|
the old money-lender-dead
Texie was crying wildly in the arm!
of the housekeeper. The preacher
had just come from the parlor bed
room and stood stopped and trembling
peering through his huge spectacles IL
awed silence. But great as his haste
In dressing must have been, he had
found time to put on the frock coat
and high neck stock-demands of Gus
possible to deny.
Jack found the dead man still warm
He noticed that his night shirt was
| torn to shreds at the neck and sleeves,
and that his face was scratched and
streaked with blood, but there was no
wound apparent that could have
caused his death.
The room presented every evidence
of struggle. A chair was over
| turned; the cover on a small stand
had been brushed away; the rug was
dragged back a foot or two from be-
fore the dead bankers writing desk
where, for an instant the wo0dsman
bent a searching eye upon some faint
markings that, in the dim candle-light,
could barely be traced upon the dusty
tloor-boards thus laid bare.
The old mans sawed-off shotgun
was lying on the floor where it had
probably been wrenched from his hand
before he could use it,
Jack had only time to note these
particulars when rabble of people
from the village, alarmed by TeXie's
screams, came running up the yard
and stormed into the house. A mo-
ment later Jerry Brown, the town
marshal, hustled in and took charge
and the peaceful cottage passed into
the hands of the law.
The house was cleared Of all but
the preacher, the woodsman and two
or three women, messenger sent to
the city for the coroner, and deputy
put on guard at the door pending his
arrival
Seventy years ago the coroner's
office was in the saddle, the coroner,
then as now, always physician, usu-
ally of the "saddle-bags" type, race
of men staunch and true, who, next to
the minister and teacher, did most to
nurse the young republic to manhood.
Early the next morning the coroner
arrived. After short consultation
with Jerry Brown, he entered the
room where the tragedy occurred and
began his inquest.
Aside from the disarranged furni-
ture, the torn garment, the scratches
on the face, there was little evidence,
and no clue whatever to the person or
persons with whom the old man had
waged his fatal battle in the dark.
Not cent of money, or any article
of value, had been taken. The safe
was still locked, apparently just as
it had been left the day before.
Texie testified that she had heard a
struggle, and words strained and
muffled and indistinct-that she imme-
diately sprang out of bed and ran into |
the housekeeper's room-that they |
lighted a candle and hurried down
stairs-that there was no one else in
the room except her father, and he
lay back across the chair arm
Her voice choked into silence. 4
"Were the doors all closed?"
"All but the door of the settin'-
was open little bit"
"Was it closed when you went to
oed?"
II s'pose so-father never failed
% shut and lock It,"
"Was there more than one key t.
he door?"
mo, only one"
where was 1t kep?"
"Hangin blind the door"
Marshal" directed the coroner, twill
-ou see if that key is still hangin'
here?"
The marshal peeped behind the door.
Yes, it's thar .yit, Y'ur Honor" he
The coroner relaxed his gruif sever
ty long enough to offer the weeping
,irl word of kindly sympathy, and
hen dismissed her.
The housekeeper was next called.
Ter testimony agreed in every par
ocular with Texie's.
And then came the preacher. In his
eering jerky way, he testified that
e was a heavy sleeper-that he had
card nothing till Miss TeXie screamed |
that he had then hastily thrown on
he few articles of dress necessary to
lalke himself presentable before ladies
that he had opened his door and
urried across the parlor, across the
and into the Office, where
e was Mortified to find his dear friend
cad, and the room in its present dis
rray.
rs it true that you carry key to
he parlor door?'
1T is. Brother Colin placed it at
~ disposal the evening l came"
where is it?"
Here"
He drew it forth and held it toward
ne coroner, who waved it away.
did you lock the parlor door las
ight?'
81 did ,
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