10 THE OMAHA DAILY IJETiJ : SIT27DAY , MARCH iiC , 1809 ,
Auniou
OF
"The AGATHA WEBB ,
Leaveiw/oftli / ( I )
Case , " li j < AXXA KAT1IARIXE QREEN. 0
Hiioili | nf I'recL-illiiK
Just nftr n bnll at thn Sutherland man
nlon ApHtha AVViib nnd hep servant are
fount ! ileil , nnd 1'hllemon Wubb , ARnthn'B
hUDlmnd who for > i'ars nan been frowlng
dumntitcd. Is discovered n l ( l > nt the din
ner table A tiaro of blood on his sl < eve
j > olnl to him ns the murderer. Mr. Built-
prtnntl nnd the local marshal , renton , In-
vwUrnlc. AfinthaVebb I * known to but
few as n rlrb woman. Tim Uey to her
monev drawer IB found c'utched In her
) innd. Miff * Page , in * niece of Suther
land's housekeeper , persl ts In remaining
nljout the Webb im mlso8 nnd discovers
blood on the grnss. Tht- money drawer li
found to bo empty ami robbery U added to
tha mystery 1'rederlrk Sutherland , n
waytvard youth , enlls hla father to wlino M
lilH determination to be a bettor man nnd
promises not to mnrry Mist Page , by whom
lie ha * ban fascinated. MHs Page telh
Frederick Hint she. followed him the Jilsht
of tb murder nnd knew whern ho had sc-
croted a thousand dollar * . Slit- Rives him
a week to decld" whether to nmrrv her or
be proclnlmed ni the murderer of Acatna
Wobb. The vvholo town Is Btlrrcd up bv the
double murder and every one telln of tlio
roodne-B of Mri , A\Vbb Slchlldron had
liccn born to her nnd nil died In Infnney.
It In .earned that the money wa * In new
bills nnd the keeper of a small itoro tiro-
ducc- > one that n strance mtin uavo mm
Itvt * the nlBht of the murder Tor a loaf of
bread A detective arrives from rtnston anil
reports "Slmiile rase. Murd' red for money ,
rind the man with a llowlnc brard Sus-
Dlclon falls upon ono of the Xubol brothers ,
Kroderlck visits HIP hollow tree I he
money H gone. Wattle * , a IJo ton gambler ,
nrrhes and domain * S-KO - of rrederlek In
payment of a cnmlillnB debt KrederleU fe-
amount from his
cun-it a check for the
father and that night as he ! < "boiit to
I.MVI homo ho Is stopped bv Mls Page.
The Babel brothers are found dead of
Htarvatlon , ono of them clutch Ing the el -
tnlo loaf , the other a blood-stnlncil knlfp.
Tha Uoitnn doteollve declnrcs the. mystery
Rolved , but young Swcetwnter j ? " " ' ' 10 ?
the company by a new chain of evldonio
polntlnK to another perpetrator of the tor-
rlblo crime.
cii.vrrKti AVI.
the room resumed Its
The lantern gone ,
former appearance.
Abel , who had been much struck by
Swcotwatcr'n mjsterlous maneuvers , drew
near nt. Talhot and whlhrored In his ear :
"Wo might ihavo done \\Uluwt that fellow
from lloston. "
To which the coroner replied
"Perhaps eo and perliaps not. Swcetwater
1'aa not jet jyrovctl his case ; let us wait till
iho explains himself. " Then turning to the
constable ho sliowert him an old-fas loned
jnlnliUuro wihlch ho had found lying on
Jamcfi' breast when "ho " made his lirst ex
amination. It was set with pearls and
backed with gold and was worth many
meals , for the lack of which Its devoted
owner had perished.
"Agatlia Webb's portrait , " explained Tal-
" rather Agatha Ollchrlst's , for I
lot , "or. ,
presume this was painted when she and
James were lovers. "
"Sho was certainly a beauty , " commented
t'ciiton , ns ho bent over the miniature In
Iho moonlight. "I do not wonder she
qUeoned it over the whole county. "
"IIo must have worn It where I found It
( or the last forty years , " mused the doctor.
"Anil yet men say that love is a fleeting
passion. Well , after coming upon this
proof of do\otlon I find It Impossible to be
llovo James Zabel accountable for tier death.
Sucetwater's Instinct was truer than
' " <
Knapp's.
"Or ours , " muttered Fcnton.
"Gentlemen. Intcrpcsed Abel , pointing to n
bright spot that just then made Its appear-
itnco In the dark outline of the shade before
nlludod to , "do you see that hole ? " It was
the sight of that break In the shade which
bent Swcptwater outside looking for foot
print. : . See ! Now his eye Is to It , " ( as
the bright spot became suddenly eclipsed )
"Wo are under examination , sirs , and the
next thing wo will hear Is that he's nol
thu only person who's been peering Intc
this rcom through that hole. "
' Ho was so far right that the first word ;
nf Stteetwater on his re-entrance were'
"I''s nil 0. K. , sirs. I bave found mj
missing clew. James Zobol was not the
only person who came up here from UK
"Webb cottngo last night " And turning tc
Knapr , who was losing some of his super-
cllloui manner , lie asked , with significant
omiilmsls : "If , of thu full amount Btolet
f'.om Agatha Webb , you found ? 20 In tlii
possession of ono man nnd $1ISO In tha pos
session of nnotihcr , upon which of the tw (
would jou fix as the probable murderer o :
this good woman ? "
"Upon him who held the lion's share , o
course. "
"Very good ; then it Is not in this cottagi
jou will find the person most wanted. Yoi
must look Hut there , first let me give yet
a gllmpso of the money. Is there any oni
hero ready to accompany mo In search of It
I shall hnvo to take him a quarter of i
mile further up hill. "
"You have seen the money ? You knov
where It Is ? " asked Dr. Talbot nnd Mi
Teuton In one breath.
"Gentlemen , I can put my hand on It li
ten minutes. "
At this unexpected nnd somewhat sturtlln
ntatcmcnt Knapp looked at Dr. Talbot run
Dr. Tnlbot looked at the constable , but enl ;
the latter spoke.
"That Is saying a good deal , nut no mat
tcr. I am willing to credit the assertion
Lead on , Swcetwater ; I'll go with you. "
Sweetwotor seemed to grow on Inch n
least , "And Dr. Talbot , " ho suggested.
Hut the coroner's duty held him to thl
IIOUBO of death and ho decided not to accom
pany them. Knapp nnd Abel , howovei
yielded to the curiosity which had bee
aroused by thcba extraordinary promise
nnd soon thcbo four started on their smal
expedition up the hill.
SuocUator hcadud the procession. Ho ha
admonished slluuco and his wish lu thl
regard was so well carried out that the
looked more llko a group of specters mov
ing up the moon-lighted road than n part
of eager and Impatient men. Not till the
turned Into the oiialn thoroughfare did an
ono Epenk. Then Abel could no longer re
strain himself nnd he cried out :
"Wo arc going to Mr , Sutberland'i. "
"I liavo uietl lour % * lu blo CAM'A-
KB'JTK and Und thum perfect. Couldn't Uc
without them I ha\o Ubrd thorn for xome time
forludtgeiillun tiiilblllouincsiandumuon coin
plctuly cured KecommenO them , to ctcry ono
Once tried , YOU will nerer be without tliem It
the family. " Kl T. A MAHX , Albany , N. V.
IMentnt. Palatable. I'otent , Taito peed n ,
QeoO , J Tor blckeuVf ktuor Qrlpe , 10o,2ic.Wc
. . . CURE CONSTIPATION. . . .
gl rll r lltiit < y t niij , ( Unco. lrt l. ti T t > . t
jjf ) Tfl Rip tfoldnnj iMinruntoed br RllUrug
HUnIUBAu dvn ' .
ulna to 'robacco llablt.
Ilut Swectwater quickly undeceived him.
"No , " sold he. "only into tha woods op
posite his houso. "
Ilut at this Mr. Fenton drew him back.
'Aro you sure of yourself , " ho said. "Hnvo
you rcn\ly \ econ this money nnd Is It con
cealed In this forest ? "
"I have scon the money , " Swcetwater
solemnly declared , "and It Is hidden In these
woods. "
Mr. Fcnton dropped his arm nnd they
moved on till their way was blocked by the
huge trunk ot a fallen tree.
"U la here wo nro to look , " cried Sweat-
water , pausing and motioning Knapp to turn
his lantern on the spot where the shadowa
lay thickest. "Now , what do you see ? " he
asked ,
"Tho upturnwl roots of a great tre.c , " said
Mr. Fenton. ,
"And under them ? "
"A hole , or , rather , the entrance to ono. "
"Very good ; the money Is In that hole ,
Pull It out , Mr. Fenton. "
The assurance with which Swcetwatei
spoke was such that Mr. Fenton at once
stooped and plunged hU hand into the hole
Ilut when , after a hurried search , ho drew
It out ngaln , there -was nothing In It ; his
hand was empty. Swcetwnter fctared al
t'hat ' hand amazed.
"Don't you find anything ? " ho asked
"Isn't there a roll of bills In that hole ? "
"Xo , " was the gloomy answer , after
renewed attempt nnd a necond disappoint
ment. "There Is nothing to bo found here
Vou are laboring under some misap
prehension , Sneetwatcr. "
"Ilut I can't be. 1 saw the money ; saw
it In the hand of the person who hid 1
there. Let me. look for it , constable. :
will not give up the eearch till I liavi
niDd the place topsy-turvy- "
Kneeling down In iMr. Fenton's place hi
irust his hand Into the hole. On elthe ;
do of him peered the faces of 'Mr. ' Fentoi
nd Knapp. ( Abel had slipped away at t
hlsper from Swcetnvnter. ) They were 11
Ith a similar expression ot anxious In
orest ntul growing < lou'bt. ' His owi
uuntcnanco was a study of conflicting nnt
y no means cheerful emotions. Suddenl
aspect changed. Wlt'h ' a quick twist o
It lithe , If awkward body , he threw him
elf lengthwise on the ground and begai
cm Ing at the earth inslJo iho hole. Ilk
burrowing animal.
' 'I cannot bo mistaken. Nothing will mak
10 believe It U not hero. .It has slmpl ;
cen burled deeper than I thought. Ah
VhiU vlld I itell you ? See here ! And ee
ere ! "
Bilnglng hU hands Into the full blaz
f the light , he showed two rolls of new
risr > foil's
"They were lying under half a foot <
arth , " said he , ' but If they had been burle
s deep as Giannlo Fuller's well , I'd bay
nearthed them. "
Meantime Mr. Fentonwas rapidly countln
'no ' roll and Knapp the other. The resu
\as \ an aggregate sum of $980 , Just tl
.mount Swcetwater hud promised to Bho
hem.
"A good stroke ot business , " cried M
'enton. ' "And now , Sweetwater , vvhos
i the hand that burled this treasure
Vothlng is to bo gained by preserving s
enco on this point any longer. "
Instantly the young man became vci
grave. With a quick glance around , whlc
seemed to embrace the secret recesses of tl
'orest lather than the eager faces bcndln
ovvard him , ho lowered his voice and quletl
> ail
' 'Tho hand that burled this money undi
the roots cf this old tree Is the same whlc
you saw pointing downward at the spot i
) lood In Agatha Webb's front yard.
"Vou do not mean Amabel Page , " cri <
M.Fenton , with natural surprise.
"Yes , I do. I am glad It is you who ha'
named her. "
CIIAI'TIJH XVII.
A half ho-ur later these men were o
closeted with Dr. Talbot In the Zab
kitchen. Abel had rejoined them ai
Sweetwater was telling his story with gre
eagerness and no little show of pride.
"Gentlemen , when I charge a your
woman of respectable appearance and coi
nectlons with such a revolting crlmo i
murder , I do so with good reason , as I bo ]
presently to make plain to you all , "
'Gentlemen , on the night nnd at the hoi
Agatha Webb was killed I was playing vrli
four other musicians In Mr. Sutherland
hallway. From the place where I sat I cou
&eo what -went on In the parlor and all
have a clear view of the passageway leadli
down to the garden door. As the dancli
was going on In the parlor I natural ;
looked that way most , and this Is how
came to uoto the eagerness with -whlc
during the first part of the evening , Krei
crick Sutherland and Amabel Page came ti
gether In the quadrilles and country dance
Sometimes she spoke as she passed him ai
sometimes ho answered , but not always , a
though ho never failed to show he w ,
pleased with her orwould have l > cen
something perhaps It 'was ' his lack of coi
flilcnco in her , sirs had not stood In tl
'way ' of a perfect understanding. She sccmi
to notice hn did not always respond , ai
after a w hllo showed less inclination
speak herself , though eha did not fall
watch him and that Intently , nut shedldr
watch him any more closely than I did he
though I llttlo thought at the time wh
would como of my espionage , She wore
white dress and white shoes and was as e
qucttlsh and seductive as the evil ono mak
them. Suddenly 1 misled her. She was
the middle of the dnnco ono minute and ei
tlrely out of it the next , Naturally I e :
pectcd that Bho had slipped nsldo with Fre
crick Sutherland , hut no , he was still
' 'light , but looking so palo and so abstract !
I was Buro the young tolas was up to son
sort of mischief. Hut what mischief ? Watc !
Ing and waiting , hut no longer confining n
attention to the parlor , I presently espl
her stealing along the passageway. I hn
mentioned carrying n long cloak which si
rolled up nnd hid 'behind ' the open doc
Then she came back , humming n gay lltt
song which didn't deceive mo for a in
mont. 'Good ! ' thought I , 'she and that cloi
will BOOH join company' And they did , ;
'wo were playing the Harebell mazurka
again caught sight of her stealthy white ft
uro in that distant doorway. Seizing t !
clonlc , Bho wrapped It round her , and wl
just ono furtive look backwards , seen , I wa
rant , by no one hut myself , she vanish' '
In the outsldo dark. 'Now to note who fo
lows her ! ' thought I But nobody follow
her This struck mo as strange , nnd , hnvli
a natural love for detective work , In uplto
my devotion to the arts , I consulted t
clock at the foot of the stairs , and , notli
that it was 11,30 , scribbled the hour on t :
margin of ray music , with the Intention
seeing how Jens my lady would linger ou
side alone. Gentlemen , It was two hou
before I saw her face again. How she g
buck Into the house I do not know. It w
not by the garden door , for ray eye soldo
loft It ; yet at or near 1:30 : I heard her vol
on the etalr above mo and saw her desce
and melt lute the crowd ns If she bad n
been absent from It for raoro than ft
minutes. A half hour later I saw her wl
Frederick again. They wore dancing , but
not with the same spirit an before , and
even whllo I watched them they separated.
Now , where was Miss Page during these
tw > long hours' I think I know , nnd It Is
time I unburdened myself to the police.
"nut first I must Inform you of a small
discovery I made while the dance was still
In progress Miss Page had como dorn
fttnlrs , as I have said , from what I now know
to have been her own room. Her drcrs was ,
In all respects , the snmo ns before , with ono
exception her whlto slippers hnd been ex
changed for blue. once. This seemed to
show that they had been rendered unservice
able , or at least unsightly , by tha walk oho
had taken. This In itself was not remark
able , nor would her peculiar escapade have
iailo more than n. temporary Impression
pen my curiosity if she had not afterward
hewn In tny presence such an unaccount-
blo and extraordinary Interest lu the inur-
er which hod taken place In the tow'n below
urlng the very hours of her absence from
Ir. Sutherland's ball. This , In considera-
lon of her sex , nnd her being a stranger
o the person attacked , was remarkable , and ,
hough perhaps I hnd no business to do
what I did , I no sooner saw the house
mptlcU of master and servants than I stole
oftly back nnd climbed the stairs to her
oom. Hnd no good followed this
ntruslon , which , I am quite ready to
icknowlodgc , was a trlflo prwuinptuoue , 1
hould have heM Tny peace in regard to It ;
> ut ns I did make n discovery there which
ms , as I believe , nn Important bearing
in this affair , I have forced myself to men-
ton It. The lights In the house having 'been
oft burning , I had no difficulty In finding
icr apirtmcnt. I knew it by the foMerols
cattcrod about. Hut I dM uot stop tc
ook nt thorn , I was on a search for hot
Uppers , and presently I came upon them ,
hrust behind an old picture In the dimmest
corner of the room. Taking thorn down , 1
examined them closely. They were not only
oiled , gentlemen , but dreadfully cut nntl
rubbed. In short , they wore ruined ; and
hlnklng that the young 'woman hersell
vould be glad to bo rid of them , I quletl ;
nit them Into my pocket , and carried there
0 my own home. At > el has just been foi
.hem , so you can eco them Tor yourselves
nnd , if your Judgment coincides with mine
ou will discover something more on then
.hnn mud. "
Dr. Tnlbot , though ho stared n llttlo at UK
young man's confessed theft , took the slip
iers Abel -was holding out and carefull ]
.urncd them over. They iwcrc , ns Sweet
water had said , grievously torn nnd soiled
and showed , besides several deep earth stain ;
mark or two of n 'bright ' rod color qulti
tinmlstakaJblo in character.
"Blood , " declared the coroner. "There l <
no doubt about It. iMI s Page was whcri
blood was spilled last night. "
"I have another proof against her , '
Swecitwatcr went on , In full enjoyment o
Ills prominence amongst these men who , U ]
till now , had barely recognized his. exist
cnce. "When , full of the suspicion that Mia
Page had had a 3iand In the murder of Mrs
Wcibb , I hastened < lown to the scene of th
tragedy , I met this young woman Itsulni
from the front gate. She had Just > been .mak
Ing herself conspicuous ( by pointing out ;
trail of blood on the grnss plot. Dr. Talbot
who was there , nvlll remember how sh
looked on that occasion ; but I doubt If h
noticed 'how Abel hero looked , or so muci
as remarked the faded flower the silly too ;
had stuck In his button hole. "
" me , if I did ! " ejaculated the coronei
"Yet that flower has a very importan
bearing on this case. Ho had found It , a
ho will tell you , on the floor near Daisy'
skirts , and as soon as I saw it in his coa
1 bade him take it out and keep It , foi
gentlemen , it was a very uncommon flowci
the llko of which can only bo found In thl
town in Mr. Sutherland's conservatory ,
remember seeing such a one in Miss Page'
hair , early In the evening. Have you the
flower about you , Abel ? "
Abel < iad , and , being filled with Impor
tance , too , showed It to the doctor and t
Mr. Fenton. It was withered and faded I
hue , but it was unmistakably an orchid c
the rarest description.
"It was lying near Daisy , " explained Abe
"I drew Mr. Fenton's ntlonllon lo it nt th
time , but ho scarcely noticed It. "
"I will make up for my indifference now ,
said that gentleman.
"I should have been shown that flower ,
put In Knapp.
"So you should , " acknowledged Sweei
water , "but when the detective instinct
aroused it is hard for a man to bo Just 1
his rivals ; besides , I was otherwise occuploi
I had Miss Page to watch. Happily for ir
It had been decided that she should not t
allowed to leave town till after the Inques
and so my task became easy. This who !
day I have spent in sight of Mr. Suthci
land's house nud at nightfall I was r <
warded by detecting her end n prolongi
walk in the garden by a hurried dash inl
the woods opposite. I followed her an
noted carefully all that she did. As she ha
Just seen Frederick Sutherland and Mil
Halliday disappear up the road togethi
she probably felt frep to do as she liked , f (
she walked very directly to the old tree v
have Just como from , nnd , kneeling dow
beside it , pulled from the hole undcrneal
something which rattled in her har
with that peculiar sound wo assocla' '
with fresh banknotes. I had npproaehi
her as near as I dared and was peerii :
around a , tree 'trunk , when she stoopt
down again nnd plunged both ham
into the holo. She remained In this pot
tlon so long that I did not know what I
make of It. Hut she rose at last and turm
toward home , laughing to herself in a wicki
but pleased way that did not tend to nial
me think any nloro of foer. The moon wi
shining very brightly 1 > y this tlmo nnd
could readily perceive every detail of hi
person. She held her hands out before hid
0
and | hook them more than once as she tn
by mo , so I was sure there was nothing I
them , nnd this Is why I was so confide ]
t wo B'honld ' find the money still in the hole ,
"When I saw her enter the house I Bout <
a
out to find you , 'but ' the court house roe
was empty , and it was a long tlrao befoi
3
I learned where to look for you. Dut i
last a fellow at Brighton's corner said 1
saw four men go .by on tholr way to Kabel
cottage , nnd on the chauco of finding yc
amongst them I turned down here. Tl
shock you gave me in announcing that yc
had discovered the murderer of Agatl
Webb knocked 010 over /or the moment , hi
now I taope jou realize , as I do , that 1
could never have had an active hand In hi
death , notwithstanding the fact that 01
Q
of tbo stolen 1 > llls has ibeen found to hai
Q
been in that wretched man's posscsslo
For , and foere la my great point , the pro- -
Is not wanting that LMIfH Page visited th
houbo as well as ( Mrs. Wobb'fl during In
famous escapade ; or at least etood undi
the window beneath iwfolch I have Just bet
searching. A footprint can too eeen ther
sire , a very plain footprint , and if D
Talbot will taka the trouble to compare
with the slipper ho holds In bis hand , 1
will find it to tmvo IXMU : made by the fo
that wore that slipper. "
d The coioner , with a quick glance from tl
slipper in hla hand up to Sweotwater'a oag
° face , fchoweil a decided disposition to mat
the experiment thus suggested. Ilut JJ
Fenton , whose 'mind iwa full of the Zab
tragedy , interrupted thorn with the quretloi
"Hut how do you explain by this hypoth
1 sis the fact of James Zabel trying to pa
one of the $20 bills stolen from Mrs. Webl
a cupboard ? Do you consider Miss Page gc
it erous enough to give htm that money ? "
.8n "You ask me that , Mr. Fenton. Do yi
.8o wish to know what I think of the coi
o nectlon between these two great trag
d ; dies ? "
ita "Yes ; you have earned a voice In tl
ith matter ; speak Swcetwater. "
h "Wellthen , I think Miss Page has ma
nn effort to throw the blnmo of her own
misdoing on ono or both of these unfortu
nate old men. She Is sufficiently cold
blooded nnd calculating to do so. nnd cir
cumstances certainly favored her. Shall I
show how ? "
Mr. Fonton consulted Knnpp , who nodded
his head. The lloston dotectlvo was not
without curiosity as to how Swcotwnter
would prove his case ,
"Old James Zabol had seen his brother
sinking rapidly from inanition ; this their
condition amply shows. He wns weak him
self , but John was weaker , nnd in a moment
of desperation ho rushed out to ask n crumb
f bread from AgathaVobb or po lbly
or I hnvo heard gome whispers of nn old
ustotn of theirs to Join Philemon nt his
early merry-making and so obtain In n
atural way the tolto for himself nnd brother
10 pci-haps had not the courage to nk for
utrlght. Hut death had been lu the Webb
ottago before him , which awful clrctim-
tnncc , noting on his nlrendy weakened
icrvcs , drove him half Insnno fioni the
ouso nnd sent him wandering blindly about
ho streets for n good hnlf hour before ho
puppenred In hla own house. How do I
now this ? rrom ncry simple fact. Abel
jero lifts boon to Inquire among other
hlngs If Mr. Crnno remembered the tune
\o were plnjlng nt the great house when
ho came down the main street from visiting
Id Widow Walker. Fortunately ho does ,
or the trip , trip , trip In It struck his
ancy , nnd ho has found hlmdclf humming it
jver more than once since. Well , that wnlt7
vas plnjcd by us nt n quarter after mid
night , which ll\es the time of the cncoun-
er nt iMrs. Webb's gateway pretty nccu-
ntcly. Ilut , as you will soon see , It wa
2 50 before Jnmcs Zabel knocked nt Loton's
door. How tlo I know this ? Dy the same
netuod of reasoning by which 1
lotcrmlneil the time of Mr. Crane's
encounter. Mrs. Lolon was greatly
) lcased with the music played that night ,
and had all her windows open In order to
icar It , and she says wo woto playing
Money Musk' when that knocking cnmo to
listunb her. Now , gentlemen , wo played
Money Musk' just .before wo were called
out to supper , and aswe went to supper
promptly nt 1:45 : you can see Just how my
calculation was made. Thirty-five minutes
hen passed between the moment James
Zabel was seen rushing from Mrs. Wobb'e
gateway and that In which he appeared at
Loton's bakery , demanding a loaf of bread
and offering In exchange ono of the bllle
which had been stolen from the murdered
woman's drawer Thlrty-flvo minutes ! Anil
ho nnd his brother were starving. Does II
look , then , as if that money was in his
possession when ho left Mrs. Webb's house'
Would any man who felt the pangs of hungei
ns ho did , or who saw a brother perishing
for food before his eyes , allow thlrty-flvi
minutes to elapse before ho made use of tin
monuy that rightfully or wrongfully hai
COIUQ into his hand ? No ; and so I say thai
ho did not have It when Mr. Crane met him
That , Instead of committing crlmo to ob
tain it. ho found it in his own home , lylnf
on Ills own table , when , after his frenzlei :
absence , he returned to tell his dreadful
news to the brother he had left behind him
Uut how did it como hero ? you ask. Gentle
men , remember the fotoyrlnts under thi
window. Amabel Page brought It. Havliif
seen or perhaps met this old man roani'm '
in or near the Webb cottage during tin
time she was there herself , bhe conceived thi
plan of throwing upon him the onus of th <
crime she had herself committed , ami wit' '
a slyness to bo expected from her btolc uj
to his home , made a hole In the shade hang'
ing over an open -window , looked into thi
room where John sat , saw that ho wa !
there alone nnd asleep , laid on the tabh
beside him the $20 bill and the bloody dagge :
with which she had just slain Agatha Webb
Then she stole out ngaln and In twont ;
minutes more was leading the dance agali
in Mr. Sutherland's parlor. "
"Well reasoned ! " murmured Abel , expect
lug the others to echo him. Dut , though Mr
Fenton and Dr. Talbot looked almost con
vlnced , they said nothing , while Knapp , o
course , was qulel as an oyster.
Swectwater , with a quiet smile calculate !
to hide his disappointment , went on as i
perfectly satisfied.
"Meanwhile John awakes , sees the dagge
and thinks to end his misery with it , bu
finds himself too fceblo. The cut in his vcsl
the dent In the floor , prove this , but If yo
call for further proof a llttlo fact , whlc
some , if not all of you , seem to have over
looked , will amply batisfy you that this on
at least of my conclusions is correct. Ope
the bible , Abel , open it , not to shako it fc
w'hat will never fall out from between it
leaves , but to ilnd in the bible itself th
lines I have declared to you ho wrote as
djing1 legacy with that tightly clutche
pencil. Have you found them ? "
" " Abel's perplexed retort "
"No , was ;
cannot sco any sign of writing on flyleaf o
margin. "
"Aro these the only blank places in th
sacred hook ? Search the leaves devoted t
the family recoid. Now ! What do you fin
there ? "
Knnpp , who was losing some of his Indli
fcrenco , drew neaier and read fet hlmsc
the scrawl whlcih now appeared to every ey
on the discolored page which Abel hei
turned uppermost.
"Almost illegible , " ho Bald ; "one can Jus
make out these words : Forjrlva no , JJIIK
tried to use dagser found 1 > Ins but han
wouldn't dying without don t grieve fu
men haven't disgraced ouwolvoa Go
\lless \ ' . That is nil. "
"The effort must tinvn over.-omo him ,
resumed Swectwnter , In a voiro from v hie
he carefully excluded all signs of secret tr
umpli , "nnd when James returned , ns he d ]
a few minutes later , ho was evidently unab
to answer qiicstlons , even If John was In
condition to ask them. Hut the fallen il.i |
ger told Its own story , for James picked
up and put It ( back on the table , nnd It wi
nt this mlnuto ho saw , what John had no
the | 20 hill l > ing there with Its proinisi ) <
llfo and comfort , Hopn revives ; ho catclu
up this bill , llles down to I.oton's , procure
n loaf of bread nnd "omcs finiitlnlly bad
gnawing It us ho runs , for his own hungc
Is moro than ho can nurture , rte-entciln
his brother's pretence , ho rushes forwnr
with llhij hr ° il H'lt the u-llif bos com
too Into ; John has died in his absence
and James , dizzy with the shock , reels bac
and succumbs to his own misery. Gentle
men , have you anything to say In contra
diction of these various suppositions ? "
For a moment Dr. Talbot , Mr. Fenton an
oven Knapp stood silent ; then the lattc
said , with pardonable dryners :
"iAll this Is ingenious , but , unfortunate ] ;
it Is upset by a llttlo fact which you youi
celt have overlooked , Have you examine >
attentively the dogger of which you hai
so often spoken , Mr. Sweetwater ? "
"Not as I would like to , but I noticed
had blood on its edge , and was of the eha ;
and Blzo necessary to inflict tbo wound fror
which Mrs. Webb died. "
"Very good , but there Is Eomethlns eh
t of interest to bo observed on it. Fetch i
Abel. "
Abel , hurrying from the room , BOH
brought back the weapon In questlo :
Swectwater , with a vague sense of dlsai
polntment disturbing him , took it eager ]
and studied It very closely. Hut ho on !
shook his heud.
'I ' "lirlne it nearer to the light , " suggestc
i Knapp , "and cxnmlnn the llttlo scroll ne :
the top of the luindle. "
is I Swcetwater did BO , and at once change
s color. In the raWst of the scroll were tw
i- very small but yet perfectly distinct lettere i
they were J. Z. .
"How did Amabel Page como by a JagRi
marked-with the Zabel initials ? ' ' questlonc i
! j Knapp "Do you think her foresight wei
I so far as to provide herself with a daggi
Is ostensibly Belonging to one cf ihcse brother !
And then , imve you forgotten that when M
o Crane met 'he old man at Mrs. Webb' '
gtilewny ho w tn his hand something that
glistened ? Now , what > * as that It not this
awcotwater was more disturbed than he
cared to noknow lodge ,
"That Just shows my lack ot experience , '
ha grumbled , "I thought 1 had turned this
subject so thoroughly over In my mind that
no ono could bring an objection against It , '
Knapp shook hU head nnd smiled
"Yoimii enthusiasts llko yourself nro great
at forming theories , which well seasoned
men llko myself nvust regard na fantas.tlr.tl ,
However , " ho went on , "there U no doubt
that Miss Page was n witness to , wen If
she has not profited by , the murder we hnvo
been considering. Hut , with this p.ilpablo
proof of the Zabols' direct connection with
ho affair , I would not recommend her nr-
cat ns yet. "
"She phoiiljtt bo under surveillance ,
hough , " intimated the coroner.
'IMost certainly , " acquiesced Knnpp.
As for Swcetwnter , ho remained silent till
ho opportunity cnmo for him to whisper
pnrt to Dr. Tnlbot , when ho said :
"For all the palpable proof of which Mr.
Cnapp speaks the J , Z. on the dogger and
ho possibility of this being the object ho
vns seen cnrrylng out of Philemon Webb's
gate I maintain that this old man In hla
norlbund condition never struck the blow
hat killed Agatha Webb. He hadn't strength
nough , oven If his lifelong love for her had
not been sufficient to prevent him. "
The coroner looked thoughtful.
"You are right , " said ho ; ' ho hadn't
trongth enough. Hut don't expend too
nuch energy In tnlk. Walt nnd sco what n
ow direct questions will elicit from Mlsa
Page. "
Sixty new Snlvntlnn Army corps were
pened In Great Drltaln last year , nnd opera-
Ions commenced In 136 now villages.
Christian Kndeavor and Kpworlh league
meetings have already been held in H.u-nnn
nnd they hnvo been attended by crowds of
lonplo.
The last Year UooU of the Anglicnn church
gives the voluntary offerings of the chnr.-'h
as 7,031,778. The new Year Hook shows n
argo Increase , making a total of7.nOG,331. .
The American Sunday School union Is pro-
wing to celebrate Its diamond anniversary
n Philadelphia In May. Over 100,000 Sun
day schools have been organized by the
mlon , and It is still doing n good work.
The now theater now In process of con
struction at Oherammer.iau for the Panslou
: 'lay Is to bo completed by 15)00 ) and will nc-
commodato a vcrv large number. It Is mated
that mere than 100,000 listen to ( ho old btoiy
of the cicss when it is slven.
It Is stated In a recent address bv Hov. Dr.
Wood of Boston that the First llnnllbt
church of Boston two nnd a half ccutuiles
old made the first nerslsteut an I victorious
stand for religious liberty lu the colony of
Massachusetts Hay , and that In her the first
missionary society in America was formed ,
nnd that the first primary SuutHy erhool In
the world was established.
At 90 years old , and with n pontificate of
.wenty-ono yema. Leo XIII comes near to
jrcaklng the papal recoid. The wcrnga
reign of popes has been only about five years
and of the 2G3 who have worn the triple
crown only four have done so longer than
Leo XIII. to wit : Hadrian I , twcnty-thrco
years ; Plus VI. twenty-four years ; Plus VII ,
twenty-three ycais , and Plus IX , thirty-two
years. It Is quite within the limit ot possi
bility that Leo XIII will surpass the ucord ;
of all except his immediate picdecessor.
The Rov. Dr. Willis P. Odcll. pastor of the
largest Methodist church In Now Yoik , sug
gested nbout a month ago that women of his
congregation should be required to remove
Ihelr hats while in church nnd the boaid of
trustees liking the idea posted this notlco
last Sunday : "AH persons worshiping in
Lhls church are requested to remove tl-elr
head coverings. " Only nine out ot reveral
hundred women complied with this request
nnd this number will probably bo further In
creased. One woman , who refuses , quctes
St. Paul's injunction. In First Corinthians :
"But every woman that prayeth or propho-
sleth with her head uncovered dlshonoreth
her head ; for that Is even all ono as if she
were shaven. "
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CONSU
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That Consumption is Curable.
THOUSANDS HAVi
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annihilator of Consumption , coughs , colds ,
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drives out of the human system every death-
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brings the throat and lungs into active ,
hcaltliy use. ,
( ? hkue t ' - ' Krffltch illamouit Xlr&Bfl.
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making up the complete Slooura Sybtem , ns
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CURE YOURSELF !
Uio lllglj ! for unnatural
illaclmrgM , IntiumumtluuJ ,
IrrlttttloiiB or ulccratlona
of in 11 coll8 iiicinliradri
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Neuralgia , Weak Back , Pain
HOT-OIL Steam * ; on Chest Croup
The Pain
RELIEVED OVER NIGHT.
Away
ONE APPLICATION RELIEVES.
& Wo nsk you not to wait weeks or months for relief. Ono
r fy slnglo application of Hot Oil will dolt. Wo ask your confidence !
ft ej to try it just onco. Isn't this fair ?
tWo do not ask you to spend dollars on our remedy. Wo have
BO cent bottles nnd 25 cent bottles , 'If you hu\o notconlldeiico
p to Invest In either , tlien write us und wo will scud you n tuinplo
k g # bottle entirely frrf
r A Wo know tlmt thousands do not believe In patent medicines
Are you ono of tlium T Hut w 111 you deny the wondei f ill i lire *
| * tlmt heat docs. A hot bottle on the ptomach , euros crumps. A
d * ! * hot bottle at your feet , cures colds , Isn't this the best argument
r t § for Hot Oil ?
fjfa It Is called Hot oil , because it must bo heated bcforo used.
V , H Is called Herculean Hut Oil on account of Its power and
Z * strength , It drlvei out thr ptitn ,
d * 2 * Home think an external remedy cannot euro Itlicumutlim.
e r * Isn't the proof of the pudding the cntlnir of It ? Hot Oil linn
JL ouredItboumuthmof 0eHr8'Btniidlng. Itlmscnroil XenralKiiiln
It JL tUl worst forms. It has cuied Weak Hacks In thousands of CHSCH.
10 HfsUlrJ , It docs it quick. It does not inuko you vrult. It
o ' $4 relieves ovei night.
ri Some pills will euro Hhctimutlsm but they ruin the Etomiith.
ia noes It pay to euro ono thliiir und kill imotburV Try Hot Oil.
tt Ini cat In ono bottle , Tlmt is nil \vo ink. It is tbo greatest Uu-
ry ) tovery In the medical world in years.
Why Bpcnd weeks and months Bulferlnir when the famous
discovery Hut Oil uillrollcvo jou instantly ? So anxious nro wo
tOLOiivineoyou of Its wonderful muiIts , that to these \rlio will
wrlto us wo will send iibamplo bottle by mull , entirely frto.
Hot Oil does not imio otoiytlilnir , but it does positively cure
all dteutsfs derived fiom a cold , und ns nlnc-tcnthu of our Hick ,
nessujurocauiflitiii that way , you should not bo without u bottlo.
Wo positively Kuurnnti o tlmt Hot Oil will euro Itheiimatlsm ,
Neuralgia , Told on Lmms , Ilrontliltil Troubles , Weak Hack , Sldo
Ac'hes , I i ( Jrlppo , Plist Symptoms of Pneumonia , Tonsilltls ,
Mumps , Croup , Asthma , Hpinlnx , Ilrulsos , Hums , etc.
Motlieis , yotibhould never bo without Hot Oil In your house.
Your child h npt to cutcli cold , hnvo croup or tonsllltls , or any of
the numerous thlnm tlmt befall olilldicn. Hot OH will relieve
them Instantly. Will euro over nitiht.
Tlioprkolsbut 5 cents for it small bottlo.nnd COccnts font
litrKu bottle , but wo will bend you a sumplo bottle entirely frcu
If you will wrlto us.ns wo want to piovo to you Its wonderful
merits. It is ciirlnir thousands , and It will ciiru y on ,
Wo hnvo hundreds of U-gtlmonliils , which no will Kindly send
you. If youiirusuircring , wrlto in. Don't dohty. Jiun't suffer
hours of iiKony. K\ory luiyMulmi fai hut ticntmcnt PUDSUMCS
superhuman Influence < noipmnsmid Itilluuiiuutloiis.
Tiy Hot Oil ,
inn. n.i " STEAMS THE PAIN AWAY. " ONE BOTTLE TELLS.
iir STRAIGHT TO THE DONE-SOOTHING , STRENGTHENING.
ir If you have not confidence to Invist M ) cents fora lariru lint tin , tliun buy a iS5 ri-nt trial bottlo. Ono bottle tells the story ,
HOT OIIj has now been placed with ) our drutfKlst In your city , or w 111 bo sent prepaid diimt by tliocnmpanv.
( When irrltloi ; please mention thla paper ) IIHIU'I l.U.l.V IHT ) oil , CO. , KIMIIM , N , \ ,
[
ir Hy bpiciul iimiiijiciiioiii v\itli this jaicr | , wo will scud
n sample bottle of Herculean Hot Oil Ircu to renders who
will wrlto us nnd cciul tliclr jwjiolllro address. Jt will nol
cost you ono cent , as wo jmy postnjro iintl cveryllilng. Jt
is merely donu to piovo lo > ou tlio conlldcncu wu Imve in
our remedy , nnd I" nil ilii'iiinuthm or oilier BulTercrs who
* will writuus , v\u v\ill mull the bottle ut once. / not thii
fair ? Adtlrets
it TO REKDERS OF THIS PAPER , Tim Huicui.KA.N HOT OIL Co , , * fc >
3r ( Mention this p.iper ) Klinlra N Y W
r i ? ' v f- wi
SAM' 11V SIIiilMA.V A. .MoCO.N.Mil.l , DIIK ; ( U. , ( ( .MAII.V , Mill ,