ZE SUNDAY OREGOXIAN, PORTLAND, MAY 19, 190T.
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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.)