Year: 1873


sonal effects and was surprised to find
among them WILL with her signature at
tached to it. Rather amused at his discov-
cry, he sat down to read it, and found that
she had, in case of her death, bequeathed
all her real and personal property to her
brother, Morris Opdyke.


Her property, when she had none to be-
queath? She was as poor as church
mouse Ito use homely but quite forcible
phrase) when he married her. Where,
then, was this legacy to her brother from
her to come from?


Thus reasoned the widower when he
read the document, but presently the truth
flashed upon his brain. The latter had
been made in the expectation that she
would survive him, then she and her
brother would revel in his wealth, and
after her death all would be his.


Was this a conspiracy against him? was
his mental question. Had they calculated
confidently on his demise? If so, is it not
probable that they meditated using means
to accomplish the desired object? Horrible
thought.


He turned to the will to see the date
1t had been written six months previous to
her death; the witnesses names were not
familiar to him.


He communicated his discovery to his
legal adviser, and mentioned the suspicion
that had entered his breast. The attorney
Il To- ,aI vat
still they might have meant no harm. The
attorney addressed, also said:


"If such plot did exist it does so no
longer at least it cannot affect you; for
what would Morris Opdyke gain by your
death ?''


"True," replied Simonds, 81 need not
fear anything from him."


Yet in two weeks from this conversation
Charles Simonds was found sitting in his
chair in the library, stone dead. He had
been shot through the heart, the ball enter
ing his back.


He must have been dead many hours
before the servant discovered him, and the
strangest part of the affair was none of
them heard the report of the pistol or gun.


He entered his library after supper, and,
as was his usual custom, sat there reading
until the hour for retiring, which was
eleven o'clock. They discovered his dead
body in the morning, and at once gave the
alarm.


All these particulars Mr. Croft related
to me- and he had little faith in my ability
| to make more out of the affair than he had
done.


l reached the mansion, and at once
entered upon the business that brought me
there. l examined the room where the
murder had been committed, and discov-
cred that Mr.. Simonds had been sitting
with his back toward the window at the
time he was shot, and SO true had been the
aim that the ball sped through the heart,
completely severing it in two, as was as
certained by q post-mortem examination.


A broken pane of glass in the library
window attested from whence the shot
came. The library was on the second floor,
and situated in the north wing of the
mansion. To gain access to this window
the only one the room contained-the mur-
derer must have encountered great diff
Guilty, unless he used ladder to reach it.


There was one other way, which was to
climb to the window by the leaden water
spout. l examined the ground beneath
the window, and could see no sign of
ladder having been placed there not
trace of footsteps was visible, and came
to the conclusion that recourse was had to
the spout.


procured ladder and placed it beside
the water-spout and made careful exam
ination of it from the ground up to the
library window.


/ was soon assured that the murderer
had made use Of that means to reach the
window. The lead was soft and yielding,
and it bore the finger marks Of the assassin,
each finger having made an impression on
the metal.


When had finished this part of the ex-
animation, sat down and pondered well
over the matter. l had made two very i'm
portant discoveries one was, the assassin
must have fired the weapon with his left
hand, for was perfectly convinced that no
man could have held himself by the water
spout with his left hand SO as to enable him
TO fire at an object in the middle OF the
room, where Mr.. Simonds invariably sat
while reading, and where he was found
seated when discovered In the morning. -
Now, what could deduct from this cir
cumstance but the fact that the assassin