Jasper County Democrat, Volume 2, Number 5, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 May 1899 — AUNT HANNAH'S SECRET. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

AUNT HANNAH'S SECRET.

By H. E. Scott.

y CHAPTER IV. \ To two of the ladies from the floor y above Sellars consigned his charge, and / speaking a few words in a low tone to Hannah, he re-entered the library, while )tltaijegress returned to the kitchen and daughter. “It sJjams incredible, Sellar#,” observed Dr. N| •*m, “that Robert Campbell should htßrfe committed this murder.” “Many t mungs seem incredible at first glance,” said? the detective. “The probability is.” remarked Herman, “that liny uncle informed him that he desired mis daughter to become my wife; that life utterly refused to sanction his suit, and* that in a fit of rage, Robert Campbell plunged the blade of the sheath knife to his meart. He doubtless thought no one else Knew of his presence in the house. Perhaps he was appalled at the bloody deed he had committed. I doubt not, but tha J we heard my uncle’s cries and hastened! down, in another moment he would have fled, and this murder might long have remained a mystery.” “Perhaps, 1 ’ assented the detective, “and then some iunocent party might have been suspected. Why, even yourself, Herman Craven! It is fortunate that your uncle’s cries aroused you.” Herman's pale face became paler yet, - ahd he glanced uneasily at the detective, ’ as he ran th » fingers of one hand through his black hair. “Fortunato, indeed!” he exclaimed. “My poor uncle has been like a father to me, and I have always tried to merit his affection. You know, gentlemen, my mother was his sister.” “By the way,” observed Sellars, “I would like to go through the house. Yon know, of course i that the question will arise as to whether the premises were searched. It is best, on your account, Craven, that the fact should be established that a thorough search was made. You know, Campbell claims that he brought a bag of gold . coin here. He can undoubtedly establish the fact that he procured it at the express ' office.” r * “He may have done so,” said Herman, * with a troubled look that he could not , avoid, “but assuredly he did not enter this house with it in his possession.” L “How, then, did he obtain that note and Induce your uncle to cancel it? Had he | paid it at the bank during the day you : must have known of it.” E "Oh, he did not pay it at the bank. He must —I cannot understand that.” | “Perhaps he brought the coin, secured your uncle's indorsement on the note and had possession of it before he struck the ; blow. He may have planned to secure the v note and retain his money also. He may I have secreted the coin here in the house. B Again, he may have had a confederate I and tossed the bag out of the window to | him.” I * “You forget," said the doctor, “that he | was bending over the body of my expir- | ing friend with the bloody weapon in his | hand when Herman entered the room. He could not have had time.” H “Scarcely,” said Heyman. “I cannot think he had the gold,” he continued, “and how he obtained that canceled note I canI not surmise. You can examine nly uuclfi’s desk.” J” Here Htrman pulled open every drawer, praised the lid, opened the folding doors, ’land it was thoroughly examined. So also was the entire library, chamber and bath ' room, but no bag of gold was revealed. “We will go through the other rooms,” | said the detective. K They were taken one by one—the double parlors, pantry, storeroom, kitchen, ser- ■ vants’ rooms at the rear of the house, | passage under the stairway, etc., but no bag of coin. “I believe there is no basement to this house?” said Sellars. I “None,” was Herman's response, fc “Well, we will ascend the stairs.” I “ oh - ie could not have ascended them," j said, "after having committed the murder.” “This search is in your interest.” said the elective. “Have you ns<-ended the' Stairs since you accompanied Miss De- " Rosette below?” h’“l have not,” replied Herman. “As I Informed you. I had retired and was roused from sleep by my uncle’s cries. I Should know his voice—l can swear those cries were not those of another. I sprang from my bed, was joined in the hall by ■ my cousin, and together we descended the ■stairs.” ■KBy this time the two men were in the ■tall above. and female voices were emanating H|rom the room of the banker's daughter, W'as a front chamber on the east Hude of the house, ami a door opened into ■it near the head of the stairs. ■P'This is my room,” said Herman, “diH|etly back of my cousin's. The door yet His standing open as I left it.” ■ The two men entered the room. It was ■finely appointed, for a gentleman’s apartKnent. True the furniture that it eoutain-to-day be considered somewhat ißKmbersome and considerably out of date. room was fully twelve feet square, high-post bedstead occupied a posi■Eon in the northeast corner of the room, Mfihead being against the east wall of the ■house, while one side pressed against the that divided the room from that Mffthe bantap daughter. ■Exes, undoubtedly someone had occupied Kjebed that night. The clothing was Hast aside just as it naturally would have had its occupant leaped suddenly out ■frbed. One of the large pillows indicated HHmre the head of the aroused Herman ■BjHaneing over the back of a chair, near of the bed, was Herman's dress |Uhirt, with a solitary diamond stud glis|Hpng on its white bosom. hy, you see,” he said, “I yet have Hr night shirt on.” MMhdlars had noted that his hands and BMpyes bore no stains of blood. Those of Campbell did. ||KA larjfc bureau stood between the two s windows, a trunk to ihe south of the and a door led to the closet, in the

A Brussels carpet covered the floor, while here and there rested Oriental rugs, one lying across the brickwork that extended out from the fireplace. Sellars took in everything at a glance, then closed and locked the door. “We must not be interrupted,” he said. Herman Craven looked annoyed, and bit his lips in evident perturbation. •'You wish to search my room?” he asked. “The whole house.” said Sellars, “not your room alone. I wish to place all members of this household beyond the pale of suspicion—and in doing so the coil around Robert Campbell tightens.” “I—l see.” said Herman. “We will commence here,” observed Sellars, nnd be seized the qnilts and bedding and dragged them from the bed. removed the pillows, overturned the mattress, and felt it through and through; moved the bedstead out and examined the walls—next turned to the bureau, and withdrew every drawer, which he rumaged over. Herman in the meantime had raised the lid of his trunk. “In any way I can I wish to assist you.” he said. Surely there was no evidence of alarm in his voice or manner. “You can remove the contents of your trunk,” said Sellars. “I will observe.” Herman did so, and down to the last article. Next the closet underwent inspection. The rug. before the fireplace, was removed. A single glance at the even surface of the brickwork told the experienced detective that there had been no hasty tampering with the brickwork. The other rugs were overturned, the casing of the windows and door examined —no bag of no blood-stained garment, was revealed. “Now you see," said Sellars. “I am able to testify that 1 have thoroughly inspected your room, and that not a single evidence of guilt on the part of its occupant could I discover. Robert Campbell will doubtless undertake to shift his crime to your shoulders. You now see how important to you that I instituted this search before leaving the house.” “The dastard!” exclaimed Herman. “I think he could make no one believe that I would murder my dear old uncle. Why, where would have been the motive?” “The bathroom.” observed Kellars. “At the end of the ball, on this floor.” “We will take that next." “No coin here, and everything as clean as a pin,” Sellars said five minutes after having entered it. “Where next?” asked Herman. “These rooms, on the west side of the house.” “There are but three, and none of them occupied at this time. This rear room next the bath room on the east side, is occupied by Millie, my cousin's maid. She is below with her mother, and will hardly return to it to-night. Hattie has always kept her near her on this floor." "We will look at it," said the detective,, as he turned the knob of the door. The room was tidy, but the bed tumbled. “Millie had also retired when the murder was committed?" said Sellars. “Evidently!” observed Herman, “and the commotion below brought her down. Strange, too, for 1 have often heard my cousin remark that it was almost impossible to arouse her.” The west rooms were next visited. “There are no other apartments on this floor, save this room of Miss De Rosette’s.” said Herman, as they passed out the door of the last one, the one opposite that of the banker's daughter. “I will not disturb her,” said Sellars. “It is unnecessary. Now for the rooms above.” “The third-floor rooms are not even furnished.” said Herman, “and not one of them has been occupied. You know, my uncle built this house but four years ago. There are no lights above.” “Oh. well, we- will glass up and take a walk through them,” observed Sellars. "Bring your lamp.” . They did So, but there was nothing but the bare Walls to be seen. “This narrow flight of stairs. I suppose, leads to the left,” Sellars said, as they passed to the end of the hall. “Yes,” replied his companion, “to the attic —one large, low room. It contains nothing, I understand, save old family relics, trunks and various kinds of plunder; though I have never been in it. Hannah has the key. In rainy weather she hangs her washing there to dry. Now I think of it, my cousin asked her for the key at the breakfast table yesterday morning. She stated that she found some old letters that interested her. and that she wished to search for more. I doubt not she has it now. It will be necessary to arouse her to obtain the key, if yon wish to visit it.” Sellars glanced at his companion. He stood, the lamp in one hand, looking in the direction of the stairs they bad ascended, as if Contemplating returning for the key. “It is useless," said Sellars. “1 will merely step up and try the door to make sure it is locked,” and be scanned the steps closely as he made the remark. “The servants take excello* care of the house,” he saidhere is no dirt here, even on the stairs.” “Hannah is a foe to dirt in any form,” replied Herman. Sellars deliberately walked up the stairway and tried the door. "Yes, it is locked.” he said. “Let us descend.” Five minutes later the two men re entered the library. The parlors were lighted, and there were pt least a dozA of Wilmington's leading citizens present, including the old bank attorney. “Ah, Sellars,” he exclaimed, “a terrible blow this community has sustained. I am glad to see you here; but is it possible that young Campbell can have committed this crime? I can scarce believe a son of my old friend, Duucan Campbell, a murderer.” “Sheriff Cobb has him in custody." was the reply, “and circumstances would indicate that he has the right man.” ; v

“Perhaps he has," said the old attorney, “but remember that bat ter you be would have hnng the wrong man on one occa•ion.” “I think,” Sellars said, calmly, “that I may promise yon that he shall not bang the wrong num this time; neither will the wrong man, in my opinion, stand on the gallows trap and in the very shadow of death.” The detective’s keen eyes were fixed on Hetman Craven as he uttered the words. He alone saw a perceptible start, and a deeper pallor overspread the young man’s countenance. The fingers of his hands closed convulsively, but in an instant be was himself again. “I have every confidence that Mr. Sellars will bring this crime home to the guilty wretch who perpetrated it,” he said. “I have little doubt, nor do I think he has, that tfie murderer of my dear nncle now occupies a cell in Wilmington jail.” “Dr. Norcum has stated the facts to me as far as he was able,” the attorney said, “and it certainly looks very dark for Robert Campbell, but this bag of coin? I cannot understand that. Here is Angel, the express agent who delivered it to him. It is certain that he left the express office with it.” “He undoubtedly did, gentlemen,” said Angel, “after having receipted for it.” “There is no evidence,” observed Sellars, “that he brought it here. He may have done so, nnd after driving the blade of the sheath knife home have cast it out the window in the darkness, to where he expected to recover it when he made his exit from the house. Again, be may have had an accomplice, who bore the gold away. There is nothing further that I can do here to-night. The inquest may develop many facts. It is set for 10 o’clock to-morrow. Good-night, gentlemen.” “I will accompany you to the door,” said Herman. “Remain with these gentlemen,” the detective said. “Yau will have arrangements to make for your uncle's funeral. Good-night,” ami fie stepped from the library and closed the door. A dark form stood sobbing at the rear end of the ball. “Hannah!” “Follow me from the door.” Arrived there, the detective asked this question: “Who drove the blade of that sheath knife to your master's heart?” "I don't know that, Mars Lang,” sobbed the negress; “but I does know who rung de door bell, an’ da was in de house.” “Is the back door unlocked?” asked Sellars, “and can you enter the house from the rear?” “Yes, Mars Lang.” “Then follow me.” ' The detective nnd the negress crossed the threshold, and Sellars, not very softly, closed the door. (To be continued.)