Year: 1873

ever remote, with the tragedy. Being an
intelligent, unmarried, and unbelieving
person, he naturally decided that the ap-
parently disconsolate widow was the most
probable culprit, if Mr.. Anderson's death
was the fault of any one but himself. He
therefore made her the first subject of his
Investigations.


Mrs. Anderson was not over twenty
three years of age, and was undeniably
very pretty woman. She had been mar
ried about two years when her husband
died, and in the opinion of all their ac-
quaintances at Mrs. Burntash's, where
they had resided ever since their mar
riage, was exceedingly devoted to him,
while he was passionately fond of her.
They had no children, aud Mr.. Anderson
was evidently in the possession of consid-
cradle fortune (his will showed that it
amounted to some eighty thousand dol
lars). Everybody spoke we'll of Mrs.
Anderson as quiet, well-bred woman, of
rather strict, but scarcely puritanical
principles. Could this woman have stab
bed her husband?


Mr.. Pryor soon satisfied himself that
she had not directly driven the dagger in
to his heart, for he found no reason to
doubt the alibi which she had proved at
the inquest. Had she employed or ins,i-
gated some one to perpetrate the crime
There was no motive perceptible which
could have led her to play so Infamous
and hazardous a game as that Of hiring
assassins. Her husband treated her with
all the devotion that Il woman could de-
sire, and his death could in no apparent
way improve her position. Had she a
lover. and was his the hand that carried
out her secret murderous desires? Not
breath of a scandal attached to her name,
even in a large boarding-h house. She
knew but few gentlemen, and never went
out except in company with her husband
or his brother Mr.. Pryor sadly relin-
quished his hope that this exemplary
woman might be the murderess, and con-
tented himself with chasing her under the
head of ''factors eliminated from his prob
lem,


Next he turned his attention to Mr..
Banks, the man who had quarrelled with
Mr.. Anderson. He was Young broker.
quite handsome and elegant young fell
low, engaged in profitable business, and
a general favorite among women He
was hot-tempered man, fond of billiards
and champagne. He could hardly be
called dissipated man, though he was
not by any means ''serious-minded"
person. A very little study of this easily
gagged character convinced Mr.. Pryor
that he was not the sort of stuff of which
murderers are made, and he was about to
class him also as an eliminated quantity
when he accidentally learned that a com
municative chambermaid had entered the
parlor in the evening to search for some
thing she had mislaid, and found it unoc-
cupied. She told this not to cast suspicion
upon the young man, but out OF dislike to
Mrs. Stein, whom she agreed in cordially
hating, chiefly because of her persistence
in demanding pitcher of ice-water every
evening.


Here was certainly a clew at last A
witness at the inquest had committed per
jury. What could be more suspicious?
She evidently had some powerful motive
in proving an alibi, either for herself OF
Mr.. Banks. In either case there was
reason to suspect that one or the other
was in some way concerned in the trag-
edy-or murder, as the amateur detective
was now nearly ready to call it. Greatly
encouraged by this first apparent trace of
the criminal or criminals, he immediately





ance with Mrs Stein into terms of as close
intimacy as possible.


She was a handsome, accomplished wo-
man OF the world, anywhere from twenty
eight to thrty-tive years of age She had
no relations that ever made themselves
visible, and was apparently quite alone in
the world 1t was not long before Mr.
Pryor came to the opinion that she was a
woman OF unusual GOODNESS and nerve
precisely the sort Of person to play dan
gerous and difficult game to a successful
end He grew very much interested in
her as a curious study, and while moth
ing was further from his thoughts than
the least idea of sentiment in connection
with her, he paid her such close atten-
ton that the boarders one and all settled
into the conviction that he was desperate
ly in love.


She often showed rare ability in con-
versational fencing, and could ward off
subject which she did not wish to discuss
with infinite skill. Yet she never showed
the slightest hesitation in talking of Mr..
Anderson's mysterious death, and she did
not hesitate to express her opinion that
he had been murdered This rather puz-
zled Mr.. Pryor. Had she any guilty
knowledge of the affair, as her deliberate
perjury would seem to indicate, she
would naturally be averse to discussing
it, and would, at all events, endeavor to
foster the idea that it was case of sui
eide. With all his efforts he could draw
nothing from her which in any way aided
him in the task he had assumed when he
entered the house. By closely watching
her, he had, however, learned something
OF her capacities as an intriguer Latterly
he had been attacked, so he announced.
with insomnia and in his restlessness fire.
quently took a turn up and down the hall
at all hours of the night. These mid
night walks had not been altogether fruit
less, and when after three weeks of care
tul intimacy with Mrs. Stein he found that
he had not advanced his purpose a single
step thereby, he determined to try the
worth of weapon that he had hitherto
held in reserve.


One evening when he was sitting alone
with her on the little balcony upon which
the parlor windows opened. he led the
to the subject of sleepless-
ness. and mentioned his habit of noe
turnal prowling.


''It has led me-" he continued "into
several curious situations. What do you
say to my having been met in a dark hall
long after midnight by beautiful wo-
man, who, mistaking me for darling
Harry embraced me and told me that /
had left my watch in her room? have
never yet decided whether ought to have
her or not"


He looked straight into her beautiful
eyes as he told this story, and she returned
his gaze steadily and without changing
color. When he had finished, she said:


'That is hardly fit story to tell to a
lady, and think you owe me an apology
for venturing to tell it."


Her wonderful GOODNESS astonished even
him, who had already learned to admire
the perfect command in which she held
her nerves. He was not, however, the
man to permit the aesthetic to interfere
with the practical, so he drew handsome
watch from his pocket and replied:


81 certainly apologize if | have unin-
tentionally offended you, and I likewise
apologize for having 50 long detained the
watch. Shall l return it to you or to Mr..
Harry Banks ?''


She knew that she was in his power,
and surrendered with the sama cooIness