Year: 1879

thing was done, Snd snow you now TIE
murderer will be taken.'


While be. was eating j examined him
curiously. He was man apparently
about fifty, with clearly cut features and
projecting forehead, with hair ofan iron
gray color,4 and "a square chin, under
which was a crisp, gray beard, He was
dressed fashionably, aud with good ma
terials, but not comfortably, and his
overcoat was buttoned closely, just show.
ing the collar of the coat beneath. The
only thing which showed him not to be
a gentleman, apart from his rudeness,
was pair of sprawliug, chubby and red
hands, with closely cut nails-the little
finger of the right one garnished with
cheap rings.


Yes" said he finishing the last spoon
ful of his stew, the thing is plain enough
to q man who looks into such matters
closely. Now, nothing escapes my OBJ
selvation. For instance by the manner
in which you occasionally carry your
hand to the inside pocket of your over
coat, you have q large sum of money
there"


/ started.


ooh, that's all right. That was very
easily to be SEEN"


l found it necessary to say something,
though my mouth was dry and my throat
CONSTRUCTED so that l could scarcely
speak. At length jerked out:


"Since you can find out everything,
wish you would tell me how got this
scratch on my hand, for | cannot make
it out"


"Oh," said be, looking at me curious
ly, that is easy enough; I'll explain that
presently. l want to give you my theory
of the murder.


"You see the business had been laid
for some time. The man who did it was
shrewd man, but not practical hand
He is not common thief-he did moi
rob the till-nor take the velvet rib
bons, nor anything but the money on the
woman; he laid for that, and he got it
That's a confounded good overcoat o.
YOURS" he said feeling it. 81 think
know its make. You bought it at?
and he named firm.


"Ye-es," ! replied.


'I felt sure of it. Well, as I said, the
thing was put up. He knew that the ole
girl kept the money about her, aud was
watching; so as soon as the shop-gir
stepped out he stepped in. Now, if he
had been common ruffian, the old wo
man would have ordered him out, and i
he hadn't gone she would have alarmed
the neighbors. But though he was shah
billy dressed, he was gentleman in man
ners. He inquired about bonnet for
lady. None OF those in the front shor
suited him. There were come in band
boxes on the shelves in back rooms
Miss Lawson went to get down one O
these. The back part is only partitioned
| by curtain which was partially looped
up. The counter extends quite up to The
curtain. A bonnet stand was on il. He
picked that up and as she reached to the
shelf her head was thrown back, and he
dealt her blow which finished her. He
took the money from her bosom and
walked out. That was the way it was
DONE"


sat there half petrifed. At length
said:


"But he was short man with hump
back-she was tall woman and"


"Oh! the hump made no difference
It was artificial, and he stopped. Now
as to that scratch-you did it against a
pin in the old woman's dress when you
drew the money from her bosom"


My first impulse was to knock him
down, while with another effort | under
took to reason the matter with him; but
he went on too quickly.


at was neatly done. When you went
out this evening ] dogged you, and my
companion entered and searched your
room. He found the bundle of curled
hair that you used to stuff out the back
of your coat. He found piece of rib
bon, not an inch square, in one of your
old shoes. 1t matches some in Miss
Lawson's shop. The money-all you
haven't spent-is in your pocket now
Do you know how / was set on your
track? You bought suit of clothes
the one you have on-yesterday. You
gave a hundred dollar bill to the tailor,
and got the change. On the day that
Miss Lawson was killed gentleman
paid her an account with that bank note.
He always marks his money with his
own initials. and the name of the person
he gets it from. The paper was little
thin, aud the tailor asked this very man
if it were good. He recognized it and
CAV US information. You have had no
money scarcely until recently-having
run through everything. These are
handouts" he continued, drawing them
from his pocket. "My companion is
waiting at the bar there. The game is
up-you had better come quietly. / am
armed


All! If I had gone directly home
from the theater, and they had come tor
me there, l could easily have killed them
both. Or if / had left the city st once
But it is useless to think now on what
might have been; for here set in the
condemned cell, and tomorrow | am to
die.