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About The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) 1881-current | View Entire Issue (May 19, 1907)
ZE SUNDAY OREGOXIAN, PORTLAND, MAY 19, 190T. I J I: rw II -" ' ' " S K f umm&&u new - Mi i i i i P I .. -J j : PtaSSMIMii' If.' Ii' It 4 i&r"nftwM ? I , I f i fe pf ! yi i ' mmmmi- ' 111 ! P ' I 1 i f . .lii.alli L...i....i.iJ..i .. ti-lsMm'ilisJHdisiBimi TUB Chief of the Centervllle police raised his head in astonishment. Just at the moment when he had settled down in his chair for a morning nap the door of the little office swung open with a crash and a great hulk of a man stag gered 1n, collapsing on the settee. The Intruder's hands were pressed to his aides, the breath whistled in his throat, his face burned a violent red through a heavy dark beard, and, leaning with orfe ' shoulder hunohed against and back of the settee, head hanging, mouth drooping, he presented alarming signs of physical ex haustion. "Hi hi thre. Bill!" cried the chief ,rec ! c-gnlzing him at once. "What's th' mat ' ter?" "Ma-matter! Ma-matter enough! Its murder!" gasped Bill. "What?" The dreadful word scared the officer : Into activity as If it had been a bodily ' danger. He darted around the railing which Inclosed his desk and shook the big man, raising his chin roughly and staring into his face. "It's old woman Snowman and Ed. too. Both on 'em," the man' gasped, recovering a little breath. "I run all th way." The officer blinked his eyes rapidly, as if trying his best to concentrate his fac ulties. It plainly was a difficult task. Out of the chaos In his mind only one thought, as being related to familiar things, evolved Itself, and he asked per tinently: "Why didn't ye hariess up and ride. Bill?" "Harness up!" exclaimed Bill. "Why, gcshamlty. Hazekiah, I didn't have no time. I had f git here!" If Bill's notions of time-saving on a two mile Journey struck the chief as peculiar, he gave no sign of the fact. The word harness had sugges ted the first step in his mode of procedure, and In great excite ment he rushed to the stable and hitched up his own rig. All of the four members , ilia oinii o nMj uu Lntur oean, so that a legitimate substitute to leave In charge of the police station was lacking, but that was bo obstacle to the chief. He cried out to his only prisoner, a vagrant, who could be seen behind the bars in an Inner room: "Hi, you! If anybuddy calls tell "em I'm over to old woman Snow man's!" And the next moment, with the reanimated Bill beside him, he was rat tling along the dusty road Into the coun try toward Bpuzz's hill. Then, Invigorated In body and somewhat brightened In mind by the sunlight and fresh air of a clear Autumn morning, he began to question his companion about the facts of the case as far as he knew them. These were few, but to the point, and. divested of Bill's peculiarities of narration and speech, were as follows: Mrs. Snowman, an aged widow, who was considered as wealthy as she was miserly, and her bachelor son, Edward, lived In a little house on their extensive farm oil Spuzz's hill. ,With them stayed a middle-aged woman. Susan, a distant connection, who worked around the place for her board. This woman, who was looked upon as somewhat soft in the head, and seemed of a mild and colorless dispo sition, had come running In her night gown that morning at daybreak to the nearest neighbor, a Mr. Henshaw, who was the narrator's father, and with an appearance of great fright declared that Mrs. Snowman and her son had been mur dered. She said that she slept In the same room with her mistress; that hear ing her screams suddenly in the night she Jumped up, and, seeing a big man striking her with a club as she lay In bed. ran from the house and hid in the yard. In about five minutes" the door opened and two men came hurrying out and went to ward the woods. One was a very large man. the other rather small. That was all the description she could give of them, for, although there was a candle burning In the kitchen, where the son slept, Its rays were dim, and when the two men came out the morning was only Just breaking and their features -ere invis ible to her in the uncertain light. Not daring to venture back to the house she had finally decided to arouse the Hen shaws, a quarter of a mile away. By the time the story was finished they had arrived at the scene of the tragedy. Bight or ten neignbors were already there, and the chief, springing to 'the ground, made his way through them with dignity and entered at the door. The case called for tactics entirely new In his experience. He had not the least notion of the proper course to take, but he was a man of great confidence of manner, and as he stood on the threshold surveying the grewsome spectacle he seemed to the eager watchers to be perfect master of the situation. The lines of wisdom and command In his face were much more plainly marked than they are in the countenances of Alexander and Caesar as they have come down to us on medals and statues. Stepping In and closing the door behind him, he said to the elder Henshaw, a little, old man with a bushy white beard, who stood frightened and helpless In the middle of the floor: "Put out that candle! We "don't need candles now; it's daylight." Wsiereupon the light was extinguished and It became dark as night In the room, owing to the fact that there were shut ters on the windows,, which seemed to be nailed up and could not be opened. "Wall, why didn't ye say so afore ye blowed the candle out?" said the chief magisterially, when he learned this. "Light her up agtJffi. Now, le's see what all this ia aoout." The kitchen contained a cot bed, end on this was huddled the body of the son, frightfully bruised about the head. The bedding was twisted, torn, and stained with blood, part of it on the floor, and one of the two pillows hung over the edge of the sink ten feet distant. Open ing out of the kitchen was a door into another room, and in this the mother lay, also In bed, and battered in the same dreadful manner. The bed was so nearly the width of the room that there was scarcely space enough la which to walk between ft and the wall, but there seemed to be a considerable vacant area at one end. beyond the high headboard. Candle in hand, the chief advanced and found another cot bed on the floor, and in a corner a small bureau. He stood a moment regarding the scene speculatively. Then he looked toward the elder Henshaw, who was peering timidly through the doorway. "Whereabouts'd Susan, say she wul when she see him dubbin" her?" he asked in a whisper. "Why, she wuz Hz up In bed," re sponded the old man. edging back from too close proximity to the ghastly body. "If she wuz In' there," pointing, "how In natur" could she git by htm a-standln' here?" demanded the chief. "She could n't climb up over that there headboard, leastwise I never see a woman yit that could climb like that. An' even if she hed she'd a flopped down on the bed right plumb In front of him. an" he'd a' hed her sure. She couldn't git by him, for th' ain't room enough. Look at here, Henry. I take up the whole width. Could any body git by me now?" "No. they couldn't. An" I told Susan so, too. But she says he leaned over on the led when he seen her comln' and let her scoot out." ' "Now, Henry, that don't stand f reason." exclaimed the chief, turning on him suddenly. He stood a moment shaking his head dubiously, and then continued: "There's somethln' almighty cur'ous about this anyways. So near's I can make out the' ain't been nary a thing stole from this house, an' it's mighty strange " "No, th' ain't!" interrupted the old man, eagerly. "Everything's here Just 'a twuz afore. Why, there's Ed's watch an' chain that cost his father a clean hun d'ud dollars " , "Where?" The chief started back into the kitchen. The dead man's 'clothes hung over a chair, and there in plain sight dangled a valuable gold chain and charm from the vest. In the pocket the chief found the heavy gold watch. But this was not all. A quick search disclosed several dollars In silver In the trousers and In tHe coat a long pocketbook containing a consider able sum In bank bills. The appearance of wisdom deepened on the chief of police's face as he eyed these discoveries. He did not, however, com municate to the old -man the elucida tion of the mystery which, to Judge by his expression, was so plain to himself. He merely began to tie up the various valuable articles in his handkerchief. In this occupation he was Interrupted by a timid knock at the door. uome in, ne cauea enarpjj, luuRiug UD. A woman, one of the neighbors, ad vanced hesitatingly toward him, holding a small tin box in her outstretched hand. "W;al. what is It?" he asked, glancing at the box Impatiently. '.'This is what she used to keep her will In." said the woman, offering ft. "And I found It out by our house, in the path that leads to the woods. There was these pieces of burnt paper there, too, and I thought " "How do you know she kept her will In It?" he asked, taking it and turning over the bits of paper In his hands. "She told me so. And I've seen it often, too. It used to stand right there on ths bureau, behind her bed. See, her name Is scratched on it with a pin or -something." The chief stood In profound thought, his chin In one hand and the- box In the other, the handkerchief bundle on the floor between his feet. "Ah!" he exclaimed suddenly. "That's It! It wasn't done for robbery, not to get money that way. They left all' the money behind and took the will and then burnt It up. Now the question Is. Who is her heirs? "Who gits her proppurty now the will is gone?- Them is the ones that done it." That's so that's so," cried the old man. excitedly. "It's plain as the pike road. And it's them two scallawags in " He stopped suddenly, his mouth hung open, and he shifted uneasily on his feet. "Whv don't ye go on, man?" said the chief sharply. "Do you know 'era? Or what was you goin' to say?" "She'B only left three relations," an swered the old man, "and two of 'em 's In the city. Wlllum Henry's boys, drinkln", shif'less critters they be, and she wouldn't have noth'n' to do with 'em. And t'other one is is wal, she'B Susan." I The reluctance with which the old man offered the latter part of this statement was fully equaled by the alacrity with which the chief received It. All was plain to him now. He al lowed himself a grim flicker of a smile as he thought of the weakness of that evasion, when, confronted by the indis putable fact that a person could not pass another in that narrow space, she had foolishly claimed that the man leaned over on the bed to let her by. A curious sort of murderer that would be, thought the elated chief. Even If he hadn't wanted to put her altogether out of the way he would have grabbed and bound and 'gagged her, to pre vent her from escaping and giving the alarm. And then, after she had es caped, as she claimed, the criminals had stayed on in the house five min utes longerl A likely story, with her running to have them nabbed! The truth plainly was that. If two men had anything to do with It, they were the nephews from the city, and she was their accomplice. It was still more probable that she herself had done the deed, and alone. She had had every opportunity, was one of the heirs, and has Hed about the facts. Besides, she was half crazy. 'Therefore, wlthlnlo minutes he was on his way to the police station with his prisoner, Susan Clemmons, a charge of willful murder against whom he was laboriously formulating in his mind, it is true that he had neglected to summon a physician to view the re mains and find whether or not the persons she was accused of murdering were dead. Dr. Furnival answered "Enter" to a tap s at his office door, and a young man ap peared on the threshold: "I have not come to consult you, doc tor," he said, advancing with hesitating step. "The truth Is. I hardly - know flow to to state my er-rand." He stood nervously eying the doctor. Perhaps 24 years of age, he was of good appearance, with large black eyes and thick, dark hair, tall and slim of build, and well balanced on his feet. His clothes were fashionable and immaculate. He took the chair to which Dr. Furnlval motioned him, and continued with some what more confidence: "One of my chums who Is studying medicine has told me of your remarkable hypnotic powers, which, I am given to un derstand, have more than once been em-i ployed in the detection of criminals who were about to escape, leaving the Inno cent to suffer. Now, a very old and highly valued friend of mine Is suffer ing unjustly, accused of a crime which she was as unable morally to commit as t am physically to carry this house away on. my ehoulders. And If money I I shall have a great deal by and by, though now " "Wouldn't It be well for you to Intro iliiill ! m mm 11 pr. w' ' ipp The. WpxnaJiiAt-o-yG-Atid C-aanGIowzzcf Tj'miclly . duce yourself, since we are going Into a matter of such Intimate Interest?" "Oh, pardon! I forgot let me give you my card." He produced a modest bit of engraved pasteboard, which the doctor examined. "Now, tell me the story Mr. Sewell," he said". He reclined in his chair and dis posed himself to listen comfortably be hind the thick colored glasses. "It Is very good of you. Dr. Furnlval, to accept the case so generously. I wish to speak of the crime yesterday In Centervllle. Perhaps you have read the newspaper stories regarding It?" "Yes." "Then I have little to add to them, ex cept that the woman Is entirely guilt less, and the two nephews, for whom they are searching, as well. But the police In that little last century town are hope less .imbeciles, and as somebody must be caught, and they've caught somebody, they will listen to no other view of the matter." "Are these nephews the young toughs they are described as being?" The visitor smiled deprecatingly. "Nobody Icould ib further from It. Their reputation was given tbem by their aunt. Of course," he continued, with another movement of deprecation, "one doesn't like to make charges in such a case. But the truth. Is their father left all his money to her in trust for his twin sons she was quite a different woman in her younger days and one night, when they visited her with the smell of wine on their breath, coming straight from their class supper, she was horrified or pretended to be. She never sent them a dollar afterward, and gave dissipation as the reason. They didn't know this at the time, for Susan, this woman they have arrested, kept up the remittances in the aunt's name kept them up until all she had was gone, all she had saved and all she had Inherited. Then they found out, for their college course was not com pleted, and after writing and writing for money In vain one of them went home, and soon learned the true state of af fairs." A choke came Into the speaker's voice and he paused. Then, with flushed face, he went on energetically: ''I'll save that blessed woman if it Is in the power of man to do It- Why. she was only sec ond cousin to them, and she gave them her all. And it left her a jjauaar. e the life she was obliged to live with those skinflints on account of it. And there never was a word of complaint from her, not anything but gladness for doing it." "They never took the case to court?" "No, sir; they have not done so yet." "Have you seen the house the rooms where the crime were committed?" "Yes. doctor." "Is It true what Is said about that pas sageway between the bed and the wall? Is it so narrow?" "Ah!".' cried the young woman, shaking his head. "There's where the- rub comes. She stoutly maintains that her story Is true. She fled past the murdered, and he, in order to give her exit, bent over on the bed. It seems impossible. But she doesn't know how to He. and If she Is In her right mind and didn't Imagine that part, I must believe her." "How do you account for the fact that so many valuables were left untouched, only the will, was taken and then burned up?" The visitor threw out his hands. "It Is the mystery of 'mysteries!1 he almost groaned. "I don't pretend to ex plain It In the least. One thing' only I em sure of. and It Is that the deed was never done by any of those who would benefit under the law by destroying the will." Dr. Furnlvall removed his spectacles and looked the young man In the eye. "Mr. Sewell," said he, "tell me why you do not believe In hypnotism?" The youth started and flushed. "Why, doctor, I I " he stammered, "why that is why I am here." His eyes, which had shone with some ex citement, took on a calmer expression, and gradually assumed a look 'of in tentness, as If he were deeply studying something within rather than outside of them, though they were fixed on the doctor. "If you had believed In it you would not come to me In Just the way you have. You do not believe In hypnotism In the least, do you?" "No, sir." "The answer this time waa calm, matter-of-fact, perfectly assured. 'Tell me why.V "Because t have studied the matter from both sides, at times as the hyp notist and at other times as the sub ject, and It is only a delusion. When I was at college and in need of mon ey, I hired out to a number of differ ent hypnotists at $2 an evening. There were eight of us who did that fre quently. Some of the professors were honestly In pursuit of science, and these we used to fool. Two dollars an evening was a good deal to us. Never did any one of us feel the slightest Influ ence of hypnotism, though we pretend ed to be helpless. We practiced diffi cult feats In order to do them at com mand, and suffered a good deal of pain sometimes In the experiments rather than give up our Jobs as good subjects. But other so-called hypnotists never attempt ed anything occult with us at all. They were simply showmen who taught us funny stunts and paid us for going through them before spectators or before a camera. We were often distributed around through an audience, and at the call for volunteers came up as green horns and did the tricks." "You have looked at the matter on all sides, then, haven't you? And all that you have ever seen of hypnotism has been pure fake?" "Yes, doctor. Either one side or the other Is always fooled." "Why did you come to me?" "Because I trusted your detective abil ity and benevolence." "Why did you say that you believed in my hypnotic powers?" The youth shook his head slightly with surety. "I did not say that." "What did you say?" "I I can't seem to think." "Perhaps it was only that you but had heard of my remarkable powers?" "Tes. doctor, that was it." "Why did you mention hypnotism at all?" "Because I thought I should gain your interest that way. Every scien tist Is an- enthusiast on his specialty, and la easily led by It almost any where." "You do not think I could hypnotize you?" "No, air, you could not." "You don't think there may be a phase of psychology entirely outside and different from the lines with which you are familiar, and which may be true hypnotism?" "Oh, I would not say as to that. I only maintain that there is no such thing as thought transference in the commonly accepted sense. I have seen a hundred cases which seemed to be pure hypnotism beyond dispute, but al ways there was a trick, either by the operator or the subject, or both, which made a farce of the exhibition." "But you must admit the hypnotic sleep?" "There is undoubtedly some truth, perhaps a great deal of truth. In that. A person may be Induced Into a sort of half-conscious state, possibly, through sight or pressure. I think I have seen that done, but there are so many things to consider that I would not take my oath on It. What I deny Is the possibility of a reception of a thought, projected mentally by another, while the subject is In that state. The thing Is absurd. It would be equally against the laws of 'the soul and those of physics, as unjust as unscientific," Dr. Furnivall resumed his glasses with a decided movement. "I do not see that you were far wrong-, Mr. Clemmons," he said, quiet ly, "In coming to me under a false name. Of course, I recognized you im mediately as one of the nephews by the description In the newspapers and the subject which you opened. Your appearance and words struck me favor ably, and I did not wish to pry Into your private reasons. All these things we will talk over later. In the mean time I shall hasten to Centrevllle. The case Interests me extremely, on one point at least, and I am sure it will In terest you and all psychologists when that point Is made clear. Will you go along with me?" At the beginning1 of this speech the visitor turned pale and looked swiftly around as if about to flee. But as the doctor proceeded he became gradually more quiet, until at the end the chief expression on his face was that of mild perplexity, and he said hesitatingly: "Jt's most curious I r feel a sort of of dual personality, as If I were here and yet not here. And I am sure I had no Intention of telling as much as I have told you." "Oh, that's common enough," said the doctor, lightly. "We all of us have a double personality, because one lobe of the brain Is educated and the other Is a sort of vagabond dunce. And most of us talk too much. But, come," ris- 'f THE W X "J lng, "will you accompany me to Centre vllle? We may dip into psychology some other time." "You have a theory?" cried the young man, eagerly. "Certainly. But it is In a fluid state, so to say, as yet, and may materialize in either one or three different forms. The structure requires still a block or two of solid fact.' So far It Is a sort of arch, with that Impossible passage as the corner stone, and the tin box as the keystone, and I must see that woman at once." "I shall be glad to go, but they'll recognize me there arrest me " The doctor passed him a motor mask. "Put that on when we arrive In the vicinity, and don't leave the automobile unless I call you." Five minutes later they were rushing toward Centerville as fast as the law permitted. "Wal," said the Centervllle Chief of Police, when Dr. Furnivall had Introduced himself and made known his business, "I got the criminal all right, that's sure. An' I guess you can see her. if you want to, but 'twon't do no good. She sticks to that tomfool story spile of all Jtcan do. I've showed her plain enotighlhat 'twas onreasonabls an' only made It wuss for her a-stlckin' to It. for everybuddy knows It's nothin' but a lie, an' If she that was there present '11 lie about the facts, then she must be guilty some way. Put here ye be." 1 (e halted before a cell, ' through the grated doo- of which, on a cot in a corner, a woman could be seen seated. "Susan," he called, "here's a big doc tor frum the city come to see ye. Mind what ye say to him, now, fer everything ye tell '11 be used agin ye. All ye gut t' do Is speak the truth. I ain't gut no right to gin ye no orders, an' I won't, neither, but tli I say Is. you drop that fool yarn, an' If ye must He, why, do It reasonable. Nohuddy ain't ever gonter take any stock In that one." The woman arose and came forward timidly. Her figure was very tall and gaunt, and perfectly straight, so that her gait as she walked would have given her a majestic air but for the mild helpless ness and bewilderment of her face. That neutralized the effect and resulted In cari cature. .Her' brown hair, turning gray, was parted in the middle, brushed tight ly back and piled on the crown of her head, with an old-fashioned net over It, which did not prevent a stray lock from dangling into one of her dim, light-hued eyes. She. was wetting her finger and trying to tuck this Into place as she ap proached the cell door., Dr. Furnivall reached through the bars and grasped her hand, shaking It . encouragingly. The chief went back to his desk. "I wished to ask you," said the doctor, "If those men said anything that night? Did not either one of them utter a single word that you could hear?" "Land's sake! I dunno." she answered, with the monotonous inflection of voice peculiar to the simple minded. "6 he's screeching so I couldn't hear nothin" else. An' I sorter didn't hear that till arter wards. I wus so frightened an' haired up." "There was a window over your bed why didn't you open that and crawl through? Why did you run toward the man? You knew you couldn't pass him, didn't you? "Oh, I dunno. I dunno!" she moaned, helplessly. Then her eyes fixed on the doctor's, a shade of intelligence flicker ing Into her face, she added: "Th' win ders is all screwed up nights, 'frald o' thieves, an' I couldn't git out that way. I didn't know what I wuz doln' I jest put her fur th" door." "The only light In the room shone from ths candle In the kitchen, through the doorway?" "Yes, that wuz all th' wuz. An" 'twa n't no great. Jest enough t' make dark ness vlBlble." "How were you able to see the man at all?" "He wuz agin th' light. Sorter like a shader on th' wall.' "Could the rays strike you as you came around the headboard? Or did they go the other way, toward the foot "of the bed?" "I dunno, the' wa'n't much light. Ho took It all up, "cept a little on the bed." "Did you scream as you ran toward iilmSJ' "My Bakes! No, I guess not. I was too skeered. I couldn't open my mouth to save my life." "Did he bend over to let you pass he fore you touched him? Did you come against his body at all?" "I dunno. I run against a good many things: My night gown wuz all tore, an' the' wuz Borne whitewash on It. I dunno what I got that off of. But I didn't seem to feel nothin' I bit against till arterwards." "Whitewash! Is there anything white washed around the place?" "The chicken coops Is. ,an' the side fence, but I didn't go nowheres near them. I run out the front way." "You say the man was very large. "Was there anything else you noticed about him?" "I duhno-'s th' wuz. He run kinder cur'ous when he come out the house. Ha was lame I guess. His feet seemed kinder funny, th" way he used 'em." - "Should you say he might have been club-footed?" "Maybe he wuz. I couldn't tell. 'Twui the kinder Jerky way he run. P'aps he had a wooden lalg. 'Twuz dark, an' I only see th" man quick-like." Dr. Furnivall took her hand again bo tween the bars and pressed It. "Cheer up. We shaU have you out of here very soon," he said. She watched him as he walked down the short corridor to the office, the un wonted Intelligence In her face slow ly giving way to her normal fatuous ex pression. "Is there a negro in the town who does whitewashing?" the doctor asked ths Chief. "I dunno of none," he answered. "Can't ye git none in the city?" He was grind ing tobacco between his horny palms ard looked up in some surprise at the ques tion. . "I should like to find one here." re turned Dr. Furnivall in a matter-of-fact tone. x "D'ye know where th's a con white washer, Jim?" asked the Chief oblig ingly of one of his men who was work ing about the room. Jim spat, scratched his arm thought fully and came forward. "I guess th's one over in Sol W'eather by's shanty," he answered. "I see a darky there this mornin', an' he looked like one hed on white overalls an' his Jumper was kinder daubed. Might a' been lime, though. P'aps he makes mortar fer th' masons." "You don't know him then he's a, stranger?" asked Dr. Furnivall. "No, I don't know him myself," the man returned. "But th' Weathersbys could gin ! pints on him, I guess. He's In their shanty. Joe "Weathersby wuz with him when I pee him." "Joe Is Sol's nephy used 't work In th' city. He ain't been back, long," volunteered the chief for Dr. Furn lvall's enlightenment. "What kind of a man Is this Joe?" the doctor asked. "If he shguld rec ommend the negro to me, could I take bis word?" "Wal." The chief knit his brows. "I don't wanter say nothin' agin any o' Sol Weathersby's folks. He's a good man and' ' gut propurty. An' Joe ain't never made us no trouble. He ain't lived 'round here much since he wuz a boy." The doctor hastened out to the auto mobile In front of the door. "I am going to drop you up here In the woods, where vou'll be out of sight Tor a little while," he said to Its occu pant. "In which direction Is the shanty belonging to the Weathersbys?" And when they were started he con tinued: "I accept the woman's story In toto, and must base my theory on it. What kind of a character must be Lhls who, in the circumstances, would allow her to pass what could be his reasons? I have - settled on what seems, so far, the only possible fact, and am looking for a man who Is large, for she so described him; brutal, because of his methods; densly ig norant, for reasons that will appear In his confession, probably a foreigner or negro of the lowest stamp. I In cline to the negro, because the woman noticed that he had an odd gait so many of them have great feet and wear ungainly shoes run down at th-j heel, and walk with visible effort and also for the reason the she found traces of whitewash on her nightgown. Many whltewashers are negroes. His companion doesn't matter now, for, the big man once found, the other can't escape. The only point that Is not clear to me Is why the will was taken and burned and the money left behind. , But that will appear in the sequel. You would better al'.gli:. here and hide In the bushes. I shall go to the station for help, whicli the chief will readily give me If he thinks wo re after Susan's accomplices. When we come back from the shanty you can join us If we stop at this spot. But if we drive straight by our expedition will have failed, and you'll have to wait until I return for you." A half hour a"rwai'd the automo bile containing Dr. Furnivall, the chief snd one of his men, approached th Weathersby shanty. It was a small, unpainted, weatherbeaten structure, sitting a little back from the road on the edge of the dark woods. In use only in haying time, for the occupancy of such itinerant laborers on the Weath ersby place as were not desired nearer the farmhouse. Trees and underbrush crept closely up to It on two sides. In front was a small clearing with a well In It, and on the remaining sldo ran the county road under .the for bidding shadows of a forest crowned cliff. The spot was cheerless, sordid, uncanny. Its very countenance sug gested vice and crime. The two officers descended from the machine some rods from the building and crept through the woods toward it, while Dr. Furnivall drove Into tne clearing. There were shutters on the windows, the door wis closed, and nj signs of life were visible anywhor about. The premises seemed utterly deserted. But as the doctor rapped loudly on the door a sadden scream of mortal terror arose within, snd in a long drawn chattering and j-ibbertng shuddered away into alienee. Finding the door fastened, lie rattled the latch noisily and called out, "Hello." Again the anguished cry sounded, hut this time In tones as If the voice were muffled. And Anally when, putting his shoulder to it, the doctor burst in he found a burly form shaking and screaming on a pallet In a dark corner. Its head burled In the rags which answered for bedding. As Dr. Furnivall threw open one of the shutters, letting in a stream of daylight upon the bed, the occupant started up, disclosing a terrified black face, which quickly took on an expres sion of relief, and he exclaimed: "'Fore God, man, I'se glad yo' come; oh, I'se glad yo' come. Git me oufn yere, w'ere ah cain' see hit. -an' 'Ah doan keer w'ere yo' puts me." Ho crept forward on his hands and knees, groveling at Dr. Furnlvall's feet. "Ah done hit, mister. Ah aln' gwtne deny dat, an' Ah sees hit eber sence. Joe he claim 'twuz de earven' gal, b't Ah doan know 'bout dat. Ah sees hit eber sence. Ah done t'ought yo' wuz hit" "Sit up here, take this chair. There, now tell me all about it." He placed a chair facing the light that entered the doorway, and mo tioning the policemen, who now stood at the open window, to remain where .Concluded on Fag ii.)