Year: 1878

IN the same room, Ol course He was I'o h''oe
party to do so; and so off they went togeth
er, and in due course of time l went home
too.


Next day was Sunday, and quiet enough
day it always was in Combestead. Younge
men might have thought it dull, but it suitee
me. had lived fifty years in London, ane
did not object to the steady-going ways of tn
little town in fact, took to going to church
and all sorts of things. Well, the day passed
by without anything in particular, and wa'
really thinking of going to bed. although il
was only $50, for l felt sleepy and tired, wher
heard somebody run hurriedly up our from
garden, and then followed very loud double
knock at the door. lived, / should mention
at nice house in Church street, which was 6
turning that led from the High street into Or
chard street, where, as have said, Miss Park
way lived. l was just about to drink glass
of egg-nog, which is thing I am partial te
whea have cold, and this was Winter time
but put the tumbler down to listen, for wher
such a hurried step and knock came, it was
nearly always for me ; and sure enough IL
another half-minute the door was opened, and
heard voice ask if the Superintendent was
in; then, without any tapping or waiting, my
door was thrown open, and saw young gir
whom | knew as servant to Mrs. AmbIiss.
The moment saw her knew something Sc
rious was the matter; long experience ena
bled me to decide when anything really Sc
rious was coming. ......


"Now, Jane" said, "what is it ?"


ooh Mr.. Robinson" she exclaimed. q
e. nnr
my name is Robinson, but such is the fact)
"come round at once to missus, for we have
found poor Miss Parkway stone-dead and
murdered in her room."


And with that, as is matter OF course
with such people, off she went into Mysteries
l couldn't stop with her so opened my door
and equally, as matter of course, there
found the landlady and her servant listening
go in and take care of that girl" said
"and one of you bring her round to Orchard
street as soon as she can walk" l didn't
stop to blow them up, and they were too glad
to escape to say word so of l went and
found little cluster of people already gath
cred around the gate of the house wanted.
"Here is the Superintendent !" heard them
say as they made way for me. [ hurried on,
but had no occasion to knock at the door, for
they were on the watch for me. Mr.. and Mrs
Ambliss were in the passage, and neighbor
from the next door; all looked as pale and
furried as people do under the circumstances


"This is most terrible affair, sir" says
poor old Ambliss, who was feeble, superan'
nuated bank clerk. "We have sent for you
and the doctor, sir, as being the best we could
do. But perhaps you would. like to 60 into
her room at once ?"


I said I should, as matter of course, and
they led me to her room. There was light
there, and they brought more up, so that eve.
rytling was plainly visible. The people had
not liked, or had been afraid to disturb any
thing, so the room was in the same state as
when they had entered it. 1t appeared that
they had not been surprised at Miss Parkway
not coming down in the morning, for this was
not uncommon for her; but when the after.
noon and evening had passed away and she
did not appear, and no answer was returned
to their rapping at her door, they grew alarm
ed, and at last forced an entrance, where they
found the furniture in confusion, as though a
struggle had taken place, and poor Miss Park
way, in her night dress, lying on her face,
quite dead. They had lifted her on the bed,
and from the marks on her throat had judged
that she died by strangulation. AS | could
do no good to her, noticed as closely as |
was able the appearance of the room, and es.
pecially looked for any fragments of cloth
torn from an assailant's clothes, which often
remain after struggle; a dropped weapon,
or any unusual marks. But could see moth
ing. There was no difficulty in deciding how
the assassin had entered the apartment and
how he had left it, for the room was on the
ground floor, and the lower sash of one Of the
windows was thrown up, although the blind
was drawn fully down. The furniture was
knocked over and upset; the wash.stand,
which was large and somewhat peculiar one,
of clumsy and ld-fashioned description
had been everthrown and had fallen into the
fireplace, where it lay resting on the bars in
a very curious manner; while the jug had
fallen into the CRATE, deluging the fire place
with water, but, extraordinary to relate, with
out being broken not broken to pieces, at
any rate, although badly cracked. A great
deal of noise had probably been made, and
cries for help uttered; but Ambliss and his
wife were both deaf, and they and the servants
all slept at the top of the big house in the
front, while poor Miss Parkway slept at the
bottom, in the back, and in a room which was
built out from the house ITSELF


I had time to hear and notice all this be-
fore the doctor came and his attendance was,
of course, a mere matter of form. No one
could help or harm the poor woman now; so,
with the information [ had gained, went
to the house of the nearest magistrate, a
very active gentleman and solicitor
ought to have mentioned that the drawers
in which Miss Parkway kept her money and
iewelry were forced open and every valuable
distracted, the only trace of them being a
few links of slight chain Of a very unu'
usual pattern, which, with curious stone
the lady generally wore round her neck. This
chain had evidently been broken by the vio-
lence used, and parts Of it scattered about
the stone was gone.


Information was Of course sent to Miss
Parkway's relative, who came sometimes to
visit her. And the result of all the inquiries
was to make things look suspicious against
young Lytherly, and so much stress was laid
upon his quarrel with Miss Parkway upon
her refusal to lend him money-which seemed
known to everybody | was obliged to
apprehend him. l didn't want to hurt his
feelings so l went myself with a carriage,
although his lodgings were not half mile
from the town hall, so as to spare him from
walking in custody through the open streets.


found him at home looking very misera-
bic, and when he saw me said: II have
been expecting you all the morning, Mr..
Robinson !; I am very glad you have come"


"Well, I'm sorry" l answered. "But you
NAV as we'll remember that the least said is