The Oregon scout., December 31, 1891, Image 13

1
Ho Ards Itec Mystery.
A LEAF FIIOM THE ACTOBIOQItArilT Or
A POLICE OFFICER.
By EDWABD HEINE
TI)"Ard8 IIouso Mvsterv." ns it vena
called.,' mado 6omo noiso at the time, but
the circumstances aro now, I daro sav,
pretty" well forgotten, bo I may as we'll
ct uown nero what I know about the
fciattcr. This is, indeed, all that is to
Know, and moro than anybody else
knows, Mr I happened to bo intimately
Raised iiy in it.
"Tho Ards" is tho namo of a small cs
ate in the neighborhood of Ashbury,
idirro I was stationed for a number of
i firs, and Ards house, where the nro-
jrietor and liis family resided, a mod-
rate sized country mansion. w.i Ritunt.
Idlabout a hundred yards olf tho Lon-
oti roatl. When tho remarkable occur-
ehcea 1 am about to narrate took place
ho family consisted of Mr. Austin, tho
fou-o." us he was sometimes called bv
Styntry peoplo of the old fashioned type",
crouuson, n granddaughter and a more
istant relative, a young man to whom
lis. Willoughby, tho cranddauirhter.
as ruiHjrted to be engaged. Tho do-
esticycr of the family wero, aa
sptrtcts not thickly peopled,
etty weir known to their neiehbors:
ut uiuchof what 1 will litre mention bv
I !. . J
ay oi uin-uuuuiioii to my narrative was
mrned after events had brought mo into
oser contact with some of its mem-
lts.
Till within eighteen months of tho
too wnen uiese events occurred the
ustin family had consisted only of Mr.
ustin and Ins two grandchildren. Ilor-
bo Austin was the only son of an only
nnnd had lived with Mr. Austin from
lildhood as Ihe recognized as well as
htful heir toihoestate, lie had grown
;i amid country occupations, and might
vo 6at to n character painter as a
odel for the ideal country gentleman.
utlv niadu, a healthy, florid comnlox-
, merry urown eyes, a mass of light,
" " ' k
rly hair ami a I rank, pleasant smile
every one he met. Manners rather
ly than refined, and more given to
Id sports than what aro called "intel-
tual pursuits. His relations with his
ndfather had hitherto been under-
.1 ... i e .1
iorence wuiougnoy was tne chilil or
aughter who had married well, and,
o Horace, was now an orphan. She
s heiress in her own nirht toennsidpr.
l on the estate. hen 1 first 6aw her
was 19 (Horace being about half a
y than she was then I never clapped
s unon. nnd 1 Have Keen ii tow in mv
. Mr Austin's cherished wish was
t the two cousins should marry, and
engagement had seemed likely to
o ahotit bo lar as 1 could learn,
iln TTmvirn : I mr wt wrirslimrwl liiw vnimo.
beautiful cousin, on tho side of Flor-
V WJl-ll- UUW (fL-V-Jl IIILIU I i;illJI
the sentiuienl She liked Horace,
tify tho desire of her grandfather.
hit tho introduction into tho houso of
pv inniMlK ii 1 1 -(! 1 m:ittnrn pnrirolv.
erald Lowe was tho son of a distant
poor connection of the family, to
u n rimo iir .1mr111 noiinvori
had been under deep obligation. By
or repaying this debt ho had taken
rgeof Gerald's education, carried him
ion, and nist before startim; him on
l I o I
ndependent career had invited him to
a long visit at Arils house. His
ies had been prosecuted in London,
re his homo was, and this whs his
introduction to the family of his
ofactor. Handsome, rather refined
ppearance, and of insinuating ad-
1 in a short time tho good opinion of
and more esneciallv of tho vouiik
l-ss. i no dean wmcu uau sioou out
nsr T n uit I if I itwtritufir Iftrnpn Aliarin
ded to tho more attractive accom-
mentsof (Jerald Lowo. Iloracowas
and "fleshy;" (Jerald was dark, in-
stingly pale, anil spirituel (as they
in novels). Horace was neither liter
nor musical; Gerald was both, and
favorablo impression made by his
Tit ft v ririrt ii'im A i iirnti rt nn 111.
and sentiments. Whether Lowo
victim to the beauty of tho girl or
allured by the wealth of tho heiress
ard to tell, but he was soon Miss
oujrhbv's declared and accented
It could not but bo that iio
Id now fall in tho estimation, or ut
in tho favor, of tho two Austins;
ft Or ennui nnikAaiflrtn ntt I w ni ft tf
liumituuer, unu a "iasi appeal on
Ft ff It til ftAium Hut ItfkT(tn Mlfi irflO
fKPAfl In nnJ mi imirnnxiinnnt frrA 1 ) CTm
sanctioned.
"u ujho was, oi course, iiuuiiuuii
worldly sense for, tho young heires.3,
his liaving availed himself of tho
ficenco to entrap tho affections of
ouuuuugiiier was consiuereu uy
to provo liim unworthy of her in
respects. Mr. Austin, however, as
ed from a friend of Uia to wliom
in tho habit of unburdening him-
endcavored to tako -a moro favor-
viow of tho matter. "I am. of
e, deeply grieved by the turn affairs
wKen," ho said, "but Gerald be
to tho samo family stock. ha3 been
educated, is of good character w
l know, and slio has money
h for both. And love, you know,
-flio laws at least, nono but its
was how matters 6tood when at
rly hour one summer morninc (it
uly 2, 18) a man rushed into our
with tho Intelligence that Mr. Aus-
' IMUI V4W Vk UUItllK IMU o
ISVCS. win liml tit tliii uiiimi finitt
- . . . I. . I II V I'..... w "
u- . i .
(i iiv m i.i 1...11.
lowftnia Ard liotiw,
"rrlvtd ut lliu lioiuu alinot fcluml-
uJy wJUi Df. Uaylwi, to whwui
also a haiity suiiiiiinii.t had been dis
patched. Wo were ushered into the
room where the Ixxly lay a. it had Ix-en
found. A short examination assured
Dr. Gaylen that life was irrecoverably
gone.
"He has certainly died from violence."
ho said; "I should say from strangula
tion, by the grip of human hands; the
marksof the lingers are but tooapparent.
A blow has nlso leen given with some
iiiimt ...... .i. . . . i . .
un mi' lempio. lie has
been dead some hours You must com
municate with the coroner at once."
1 now proceeded to examine nnd ques
tion, and tho result, shortly stated, was
as follows:
The servant on going to call his master
at tho usual hour found the bedroom
door locked an unusual circumstance,
it appears and, failing to obtain a reply
after roeatedly knocking, had given the
alarm. Access having leen obtained
another way, Mr. Austin was discovered
as we saw him; his eyes glazed and star
ing, his hands clenched and the marks
alluded to by the doctor on his temple away
and neck. The window was up. and a ,lav nV'lnS
search proved that a cold watch with
valuable appendages, and two silver cups
with inscriptions, which had stood under
glass covers on a side table, had been car
ried away These were the only valu
ables missing, but it seemed enough to
suggest burglary.
I thoroughly scrutinized the room, the
window, the doors. It was a largo room,
which Mr. Austin had used for an even
ing sitting room. The door which had
been locked insido opened on the corri
dor, the other, by which entrance had
been gained, communicated through a
dressing room with another bedroom, in
which Horace Austin slept. Tho house
keeper, a jKirtly dame, who seemed half
dazed by the horribleoccurrencc, thought
the doors between the two bedrooms
usually stood unlocked. The dressing
room was shared between the two men,
and had been so since Horaco was a
boy. Horace was in the habit of
locking his bedroom door, the one that
opened on the corridor, but thought ho
had found it ocn that morning, still
could not lie certain. No one, she told
me, had heard any noise during the night,
nor had any suspicious characters, so
far as she knew, been lately noticed
prowling about the premises. Tho win
dow, she thought, was usually fastened
by Mr. Austin when he went to bed sho
had often found it so next morning but
ho certainly might forget it sometimes.
Sho sometimes found it open in the
morning. Sho supposed it must havo
been left unfastened the previous night,
as there were no panes broken. Wo
next went outside, measured tho height
of the window, which was not great, and
.might easily have been scaled, and care
fully examined the ground underneath.
1 was puzzled.
Leaving Simpkins below I re-entered
the bedroom and took another look at
the window sill Neither there nor on
the ground below were there any marks
to indicate entrance or retreat. Musingly I
I approached the bed where the dead
man lay, and in an absent manner lifted
ono of the clenched hands. Something
dark, but hardly visible, protruded be
tween two of the t'mgers. It had evi
dently escaped notice hitherto. With
gentle and patient endeavor 1 opened
the fingers a little, and released from
their grasp a small piece of silk, which,
after looking at it attentively, I placed
carefully in my poeketbook.
It had evidently escaped notice hitherto.
In another room the three relatives
wero anxiously awaiting the result of
my inquiries. When I entered Miss
Willoughby was half extended on n6ofa,
and Gerald Lowo (whom I knew well
enough by sight) was bending over iier. '
Young Mr. Austin came forward hur
riedly. "What do you mako of it, Mr. ,
Mr. ?"
'Denham.''
"What do you make of this horriblo
business, Mr. Denham?"
"1 can't say 1 make much yet."
"The villain or villaius cannot yet have
got far away. Thero must bo no timo
lost. Offer a reward any ainountr-rf
necessary. Sparo no money."
"Not a moment will bo lost, sir, you
may depend, in following up whatever
clow wo get tho end of."
"Nothing can bo plainer," broke In
Lowe impetuously. "Some scoundrels
havo got in by tho window and my dear
old friend liaving awaueneu wuuo hwj
wero getting hold of their booty, has
been silenced in mo way j ou
I looked at each alternately boforo
answering, and then merely said I would
like to see the servants.
I sat in a room, and tho domestics wero
n l.r one sent In to me. I made a show
of questioning them; they could tell mo
no more than I had already learned, but
my object was hardly information. Tho
factwostluitlsusjiectedtliUjob hadiiot
been done from tho outside ut all, and I
wished to we if any of the underling"
were likely persons to bo implicated in
such an affair. As thejast went I nhook
my head and aid to mywlf. "Nothing
there, Denham."
I next announced that wo would Jook
over tho hoiue,
Doyounieuiillioprivuiuuiuii"."""'
n&kud the lady.
'Yes. ,
'What!" fetthl U'we, wllll wlm I
fOUldnt Ufclp Uimbii'Jf tf-HlcU t"kt
"do you mean you will search my Miss
Willoughby's dressing room nnd and
bedroom?"
"lam suro they are quite at liberty,"
said she,
"Certainly, they are quite at liberty tc
search any room in the houso." said Hor
ace Austin.
"What is your object?" asked Lowe,
"Do you suspect any one here?"
"Well." 1 said, evasively, "it lauimal
in such cases."
We went over the servants' apart
ments hurriedly, but 1 lingered long in
Horace Austin's, turned over every
thing, had boxes unlocked, and ward
robes ocned. Miss Willoughby's I mere
ly scanned, but again lingered in Lowe's.
Here I thought once 1 had found some
thing a silk cravat of a particular pat
tern. I furtively compared it with the
scrap in my pocket book, nnd laid it
down again with a sigh. At the close of
the search I had really found nothing.
"Well." said Horace as I was going
to communicate at
present, .Mr. Austin; be suro you will
hear from me as soon as 1 have. Here
is my private address, in case you should
want mo."
On getting back to town I took one of
my colleagues into counsel (Simpkins
always agreed with mo, so was of no
use). We agreed that there was room
for suspecting that tho crimo had been
committed by somo inmate of Ards
Houso, but not sufficient ground to go
upon for an nrfU; that It was ossiblo
I was mistaken that tho window might
have been left unfastened, nnd that a
catlike burglar might have crept in and
out without leaving any marks behind
him: and that thero was no presump
tion against any, one in particular the
servants I had settled to bo out of the
question. Miss Willoughby was equally
60, and Gerald Lowo had absolutely
nothing to gain by the old man's death.
Horaco, who alone seemed to have ac
cess at night to his grandfather's room,
came into his fortune of course, a year
or two sooner but no, it would not da
Accordingly, no time was lost in com
municating to tho polico over the coun
try the facta of tho case, nnd a descrip
tion (which 1 had taken down from Miss
Willoughby) of tho missing articles. In
due time the coroner held his inquest,
but nothing new was brought out. What
I and others had to tell really bore hard
against Horaco Austin.
For one thing, tho housekeeper was
made to recollect having heard high
words in her master's room as she passed
the door on the evening beforo the mur
der, and having seen Horace conio out
some time thereafter. It would not have
surprised me though ho had been com
mitted; but an open verdict was re
turned of willful murder against some
person or persons unknown. 1 did not,
for obvious reasons, produce on this oc
casion the rag of sill: I had found In tho
dead man's hand. It could servo no pur-
I)ose then, and to bo of future use my
possession of it must remain a secret
All efforts on the part of the police in
London and elsewhere to get on the track
of tho culprit or stolen articles proved
vain. There wero ono or tw,o arrests on
suspicion, only to bo followed by libera
tion of tho suspects. This kept public
expectation on tho strotcn, and very soon
tho usual'impatient and nevere remarks
on the "inefficiency of our polico of
ficials" Iwg'an to be made. Tho "Ards
Houso Mystery" formed a 6taplo para
graph in all the papers, and somoof them
hinted, in terms that could not bo min
understood, that Horace Austin should
be brought to trial.
An official came down from London to
investigate, and went away agreeing that
a prosecution in tho present state of our
information would only lead to a dis
graceful breakdown.
Going backwards and forwards to tho
, house, 1 became in a sort of way inti-
mate, and wns treated by no ono with
I moro appearance of friendliness than by
Gerald Lowe. 1 must confess, howover,
, that it was on this last mentioned per
j son that my suspicions had from tho
. first turned. Looks and words, of littlo
valuo when reported to a third party,
' had turned my attention in this direc
I tion. And 1 niust'further confess on my
I own account I had, him watched from
tho first, and his doings quietly noted.
Horace was thoonly ono who had gained
anything by tho old man's death, yet I
felt Bomeho'w that ho was innocent.
Two or three weeks had gouo past,
and nothing had resulted from tho
watch. Gerald had wandered a good
deal about, had taken to diving Into tree
clumps, and standing gazing dreamily
into a little stream which ran through
tho grounds, but had never gono many
miles from tho house. Horaco had rid
den out occasionally for exercise; and
Miss Willoughby had only left tho houso
twico, when she called at my private
office for "news."
Things wero in this position when It
was the day after the London man had
been down 1 had occasion to call at tho
Ashbury bank on a pieco of business
which necessitated a prolonged Inter
view with tho manager. At tho closo
our talk turned, as a matter of course, on
tho "mystery."
"Mr. Austin was here only ono day be
fore it happened," tho manager ro-
marketL
"Ahl ho was an exact man of business,
I believe."
"Yes; but do you know i thought I
observed some falling off on that occa
sion some confusion of mind not usual
to him. In checking his account he ob-
j. to ono draft was positive ho had
,)0t tmt day, unj Biipjwrted him-
y rcIerenco to his noto book. I
Bi,owed him tho check. On Jooklug at
jt flnt no lurcd jt waa n forgery, but
ttfterwards drew in his words and adralt-
j,lmw;f tI1i8uikeii.
My t.ar- fct Jko growing wjuer overy
worJ ,J0 uUerea,
"May 1 ask you," I said, "to glvo roo
(Jj0 )lirtcujuril of u,at Intervluw'r"
"That U all," he answered) "when I
t0,(j Mm wJl0 nri!W.nU.i n j,0 j,0
must have made u iiiutako, and went
way abruptly, making liU preparation
In u burred, nervous muuiier,"
"And who present It'r1'
"His young relative, who had been his
messenger often before"
"Horace Austin'"
"No. no Mr liwo "
"What w the amount, please?"
"Two hundred, nnd it was paid in four
fifties "
1 noted the date on which the check
was cashed and thenumler of the notes,
with which the manager readily fur
nished me. Chunked him and took my
leave.
Had 1 at last got hold of ono end of
the clew? What should I do next? After
thinking the matter over 1 wrote to
them in tendon to find out among the
law iK-ople what were Gerald Lowe's
j character and habits, who were his asso
I ciates. when be was last in town, nnd if
j he had then paid away nny money. 1
' could not trust our people to find out ns
' much ns that easily. 1 was not disap-
jKiinted. In two days I learned that
Lowo had Ixt'ti "fast" in a sly way, had
been engaged in liettiiig transactions,
had associated much with one Dennis
Dubois, had been last in London on Juno
15 (the check had leen presented on tho
14th), and had then paid money to said
DulKiis
1 determined to go up to town myself,
nnd while preparing for the journey waa
Btartlinl by a visit from Horace Austin.
His looks were gloomy and depressed in
the extreme.
"Denhnih." he said, "I am going to
demand to be put on trial."
"No, no; don't do that, sir."
"I must. 1 know what is being said,
and I will bo tried and cleared. I would
not have hurt a hair of his head my
dear grandfather," nnd ho fairly broko
down.
"1 believe you, Mr. Austin" and sol
did "nnd 1 leseech yon, do nothing in
that direction."
"1 must." he repeated.
"Promise me at least that you will de
lay for a few days. 1 have good reasons
for insisting."
Ho looked at mo wistfully and Inquir
ingly "1 can say nothing more." 1 said: "but
you must promise."
After a little he acquiesced, and went
away.
I was not long in London before 1 was
in the presence of Mr. Dnlvois. I found
him in a stable yard, and nothing loth
to share a quart of lieer. Ho was a
small, swarthy, dapper follow, markedly
"horsey."
"You know one Gerald Lowo?" was a
question J soon put.
"Oh, yes, 1 know Lowo."
"He paid you some money on Juno 15
last?"
"1 don't know ns to the date, but ho
paid me about that time what I had a
deuced deal of troublo to get out of
him."
"How did you manage to get It out of
him?"
"1 threatened to blow'litm up with his
fine friends."
"And that did it?"
"Well, not at first. Ho staved me off
with talk about a rich marriage coming
on. Hut 1 didn't believo him Lowo was
always n shuffler and I couldn't wait,
being pressed myself. So 1 wroto him to
pay up at .once, or next post 1 would ap
ply for tho money to Mr. Austin. In a
couple of days bocaiuo through and paid
me the money.''
"Would it be too much to ask you to
namo tho sum?"
"Not at all two hundred."
"How. paid?"
"In four fifties."
"Did you take (lie numliers of tho
-1 ...,'3"
I Ho laughed at that, saying notes didn't
usually stay so long with him as to ro
q ll ire such precautions.
I looked disappointed,
"Ilut I'll tell you what," ho said, after
n pauso; "I shouldn't wonder but tho
skinflint to whom I passed them over
does that kind of thing. Ho's tho 6ortof
fellow. Comeover to hisofllcoand see."
Tho "Skinflint" was n mlddlo aged,
cadaverous individual, seated behind n
desk, with Beetnolei on his noso, over
which ho looked at us scrutinizingly ns
wo entered. My business being stated,
and seomingly pronounced inwardly not
to bo dangerous, a book wns turned over
and the uumliers of tho notes read off
without hesitation. Thoy coincided pre
cisely with those in my noto book.
So far, so good. As I traveled home
ward I cogitated my next stop. Tho
check had evidently been forged, nnd
Mr. Austin had known it to bo bo, though
ho had withdrawn his statement to that
effect nt the bank. Hut how to provo
that? Lowe might say ho got tljo monoy
from Mr. Austin to pay tho debt. What
took place ufter Mr. Austin got homo on
Juno 80? Did he tax Lowo with the
fraud? What was tho secret of tho loud
words, heard by tho housekeeper on tho
following night, proceeding from Mr.
Austin's room? Lowe might havo left
and Horaco gono In while she was away
from tho door. Lowo, I said to my
self, must have scaled tho window in
tho night, murdered the old man to
prevent exposure, und taken away tho
valuables to throw overybody off tho
scent. But how did ho get out and In at
tho house doors without being seen or
heard? Stop ho might have gono Into
Mr. Austin's room by tho door, which,
by all accounts, stood usually unlocked.
But how did ho get out again? Ho might
havo got through tho dressing room and
Horace's bedroom, but hardly without
, detection. I had it all pretty distinctly
set out in my own mind, but whore wero
the probative facts? It looked pretty
dark as yet. An unexpected light was
to bo thrown on tho matter that very
ovCnlng.
I was sitting at tea enjoying tho sensa
tion of rest after exertion, when 1 had
again a visitor from Ards House, This
timo it was not Horace, but Miss WIN
loughby.
Hince tho event which first brought tne
In contact with this lady I had seen and
i soken to her several tunes. Ou tho llrnt
or tho flrt two occasions tho neenjfd
merely prostrute with grief mid horror,
but afWwanU had exhibited a nervous
excitement, painful to wltneM, Tim
burden of Iter talk with niu had Leent
I "Mail no trace been ytt got of the crimi
nal or tlte HoUn if HcM Wtui I not um
row that HometHjdy must have broken in
by the window? What wero tho peoplo
saying?" and so on.
When she lifted her veil as I entered
the room into which sho had been shown
I was shocked to see how ill sho looked.
Cheeks pale and sunk, lips contracted aa
if in pain, eyes weary like nnd yet rest
less. Sho rose and laid n morocco bound,
brazen clasped volume on the table.
"There," she said. "1 cannot hido It
longer, let the worst come of it." ,
"My dear young lady," 1 said, laying
my hand uoii the Inxik, "what is this?"
"1 will tell you. A few days after
after that happened, I found it in ono of
my grandfather's private drawers. 1
recognized it at once as what he called
his diary, in which he was in the habit
of jotting something almost every night,
I knew it well, for 1 often saw him writ
ing in it, and he frequently referred to it
when any question nrose as to the date of
particular domestic occurrences. 1 took
it to my own room, promising myself a
sad sort of pleasure in looking over somo
of his sXnpIo entries. It opened, when I
uncliiicd it, at tho last written page. It
was dated at top July 1, tho very night
before his hit death. I turned back n
leaf to June DO, nnd began to read.
What 1 read shocked mo very much, but
it was not for a day or two that I
began to connect it with my grand
father's end. Gradually, howover, tho
horrible idea of this connection crept
Into my mind, nud then legan n strug
gle which has nearly torn me to pieces.
You wonder at my speaking thus to
you. almost n stranger, but I havo no
ono else to speak to. except Horaco,
and 1 could not speak on this matter to
him. Twenty times I havo had that
book In my hand to destroy It, but al
ways seemed withheld by nil unseen
power. As often havo I resolved to glvo
it up to you, but my limbs as well ns my
heart failed mo, I bogau to havo terrible
dreams nightly. It was always my grand
father urging me to something, nnd al
ways some ono else, whom you will find
named there, struggling with him and
dragging him nwny. At length I could
bear it no longer. Thero it is, let tho
worst come of it. I cannot help It. Read
It; perhaps," sho added, wistfully, "you
may think thero is not much in it after
nil."
1 opened the book, and this is what I
found:
opened the book, and this is what I found,
''Juno HO I havo received a great
shock today. It is always painful to dis
cover that you havo been deceived by
thoso you have trusted and bonofited. In
any caso it would havo been n great
grief to mo to find that Gerald Lowo won
a baso fellow; as it is, tho grief is perhaps
moro, but it is tempered by tho feel
ing of a danger escaped, I was
about to give him my dearest Florence
What a mercy that ho is found out bo
foro and not afterl I never liked him
from tho heart. When at tho bank this
morning I found that my namo had liccn
forged to a check for 200. I repudiated
tho transaction, but after hearing it was
Gerald who prcsonted it I drow back,
pretended to recollect myself and ad
mitted a mistake. But it waa no mis
take. Tho check was from my book nnd
tho signature was well imitated, but it
was not mlfio. Horaco and Gerald aro
tho only persons who havo access to my
desk, I know it could only bo Gerald.
"In tho courso of tho afternoon I made
up my mind what to do. I took an op
portunity of speaking to him privately.
I told him what I had discovered. Iio
mado nn nt tempt at denial, but I showed
him it was useless. Ho then pleaded for
forgiveness, said it was to pay n dobt of
honor and savo him from disgraco, and
that ho had intended to pay it back (with
Florence's monoy). I said that I would
not only refrain from prosecuting him,
but fulfill my promlso of starting him in
business, if ho would relinquish Florenco
and dlsapjiear at onco from Ards Houbo
for good and all. Iio flatly refused
to do this. Florenco loved him and
ho would not glvo Jior up. Sho
would 'stick to lilm,' whatever I did.
I told him Florenco would never marry
him when his conduct waa mado known
to her. I gavo him n day to think of it,
and ho left mo in sullen sllcnco. This is
a long entry; it Is not often I have any
thlpg so disturbing to wrlto about I
am tired and must bo off to bed.
"July 1. Gerald is still stubborn. IIo
seems to think that in tho nifection of
Florenco ho has a mainstay of safety. In
pressing that point ho showed himself in
a worse light than ever. Ills past life
must havo been different from what I
thought. I tried to show him that her
lovo was founded on a delusion; that
when alio saw him as ho waa my prohi
bition of tho mnrriago would bo unnec
essary. I again put tho alternative bo
foro him -to glvo up Florenco or bo pub
licly prosecuted for forgery. I am afraid
I lost my temper and spoko loudly; ha
did tho same. At tho end he asked an
other day und I consented. Florenco
Inust bo saved at nil hazards. It is her
wealth, und not herselfho Is so much In '
lovo with. Horace has just been In to
iuy 'good night.' I was strongly moved
to tell him all, but refrained,"
Thu luiportuncu of this uvldenco In the
handwriting of thu deceiibeil (which ,
sould no doubt tie sworn to) I wtw at
Mice, but to hootlia Miss Wllloiiliby's
fouling" I umlu wuiiuwlmt light of It. I
My dear young My," I wl'li
"1 muni of i-4rw ntfalH uk
evidence of the forgery was, in
fact, in London today about It so, wha
ever happens, you need not look on your
self as having materially contributed to
tho result."
"1 do not caro what happens now," sh
saiii wearily.
"You are still interested In Mr. Lower
"Not in the way I was. I will never
marry him now."
"Have yon told him so?"
"No; hut ho sees I am changed."
"Does he suspect the cause?"
"Not in the least."
"Pardon me for using tho freedom;
but do you still love him?"
She shuddered "I feel instead a sort
of repulsion whenever he approaches mo."
"Then I have less hesitation in asking
you not to oppose another effort I intend
making to get nearer tho truth. Whero
is Mr. Lowo now?"
"1 left him preparing to start on a long
ride with Horace."
"Then do not oppose our forcing rin
entrance into his room during his nb
sence." She ngreed In tho samo weary tone,
and in less than half an hour Simpkins
and 1 wero once more in Lowe'6 rooms'
turning things out nnd over ns only pro
fessionals can. I had learned, a few days
beforo, through cautiously questioning;
ono of tho domestics, that Lowo, sinco
tho murder, took tho key of his apart
ments with him when ho went out,
which ho was not previously In tho habit
of doing, and folt convinced thero was
something 6till thero to find out which,
had escaped us on our former visit, Tho
sitting and dressing room, entered from,
tho passage, was a largo, old fashioned,
looking apartment, with a wido fireplace
and narrow window. Tho bedroom led
from this nnd had no other outlet In,
thoso two rooms our business lay.
Wo overhauled tho bedroom first,
without result, and returned to tho outer
room. Hero we examined overy holo,
corner and receptacle.
"I'm blowcdl" said Simpkins, "ho
must havo hid them outsido."
"1 don't think so," 1 said, nnd waa
crossing tho room to make another dlvo
into tho wardrobe, among somo looso
gloves, ties, etc., when I felt my foot
sink slightly on a plank of tho ilooring.
"Confound it!" 1 exclaimed. "What
aro wo thinking of?"
In a few moments wo had tho carpet
fastenings torn up and I, thought thoy.
camo away astonishingly easy tho car
pet rolled back, nnd tho flooring bnro.
In front of the hearth wo found a Bmnll
round hole, into which, when I put my
hand and pulled, a trap door.roso easily
on hinges. It was such a contrivanco as
I had seen beforo for stowing away con
veniently n small supply of coals. L
learned afterwards that such, in fact
had been tho purposo of this construc
tion, tho rooms having been for many
years occupied by an old nnd valued re
tainer of the, family. On looking in L
saw nothing but a heap of black dust;
but Simpkins thrust his hand in, groped,
about, and pulled out a watcli and chain.
My heart bounded we had him now.
Tho reproach would bo taken nwny from,
my order nnd its character vindicated.
IIo noxt brought out ono silver cup, then,
another, nnd finally a silk uecktio. I
seized on Jltis last, shook it free from,
dust, nnd held it up. A small pieco had.,
been torn off from ono end; that piece I
had in my poeketbook. 1 had seen a tio
of tho samo pattern on my first visit,
but it was intact he had had n pair of
them, Wo had just gathered our.
prizes togother when a koy was
thrust Into the door, which wo
had fastened within. I quietly un
did the fastening, nnd Gerald Low
enmo in. It wns now dusk, nnd ho did
not nt first obsorvo tho state of his room.
He camo in nnd closed the door. We had
conio prepared for all contingencies.
"You are my prisoner," 1 said, laying
my hand upon Ids shoulder, and Simp
kins quietly slipped n pair of handcuffs
on his wrists. By this timo his cyo had
caught the open trap, and he sank on a
chair speechless. He volunteered no re
mark,' nnd wo nsked him no questions,
but took him away quietly In a machina
belonging to tho house which was placed
at our service
I need not prolong my story; tho result
many will remember. Lowo asserted his
innocenco till after the trial, at which tho
ovidenco was strong enough to obtain a
unanimous verdict of "willful murder,"
but, unllko many of his class, against
whom tho only evidence Is circumstan
tial, ho did not persist in falsehood to tho
cud.
By his own nccount ho had gono into
Mr. Austin's room nt n Into hour to mako
a final appeal, nnd had found dim partly
undressed, preparing for bed. Mr. Aus
tin had ordored him out of the room,
when in a gust of passion lie struck tho
old man on the head, and to prevent hint
crying out had grasped him by the neck
and throttled him. After killing uk
victim ho had coolly undressed him, put
on his night clothes and laid bin
in bed, had then locked tho door In
ldo, opened tho window and car
ried off tho watch and cups to throw
Inquiry off tho scent Making him
self certain that Horaco was asleep, ho
had (as I surmised) stolen out tliat way.
leaving of necessity tho door ot Horace's
bedroom unlocked. When ho reached
his own room tho question how to dlv
poso of his booty presented itself, and
after a littlo ho remembered the box in tho
floor. He hud discovered it one day dur
ing houso cleaning operations. He tooh
out tho carpet fastenings carefully, uad
after depositing tho articles replaced
them as well as ho could without using"
a hammer. Ills cravat, which had got
torn Bomohow in tho short struggle, h
threw into the hole along with tho other
tilings. Ills design was to remove them
us soon as possible and hido them awuj
ttomowhero else, but day after day went
just, und lie never could summon coim
age to take them out, or fix ou u sultabl
place for diaoslug of them safely
lie died profiNwIiig to have r')'iiti-d of
tils crime, ami h year afterwards It
nmrriatftf wan announced of llofav
Autln, Ksq.i of AnU, w Mihvwo,
ilHUKhu-r of the lat Mr WHMKltUy VYH
loughby, Wart