United States or Tanzania ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
And the other woman came forward to face the coroner and his jury, and was sworn. "Mrs. Morse says you found something of importance. What was it?" "It was this, Mr. Busby," and the woman held out a sheet of note paper. "I came across it on the stairs leading to Miss Langmore's room. Shall I read it?"
Now she is dead, I wish to look out for any share of the estate that may be coming to my brother Dick and myself. Isn't that natural? It was foolish of me to run away as I did, but well, I was nervous. This tragedy has completely unnerved me, and I hardly know what I am doing." "How about this bit of wrapping paper?" and Adam Adams brought forth the piece he had found under Mr. Langmore's safe.
"You know that all detectives get on the wrong trail at times I have made a mess of more than one case you know that, even if the general public doesn't." "Then he is suspected of these murders?" she said boldly. "If you must have the whole story, I'll tell it to you. It is certainly a curious situation. At first suspicions pointed to Mr. Langmore's daughter; now they appear to point to Mrs.
"She does not seem to care much about her stepmother." "Have you discovered anything unusual, Mrs. Morse, that had to do with this tragedy?" "Well, I don't know. I have looked around a bit, and among other things I found this. It was in Miss Langmore's dressing case." As she spoke the woman held up a small bottle. It was marked chloroform and was empty. "Anything else?"
More interested than ever, the detective, just avoiding Mrs. Morse, who was passing through the hallway, slipped Into the adjoining room, and finding, as he had imagined, a door between the two, applied his eye to the keyhole. This might mean nothing, and it might mean everything. He saw Mrs. Langmore's son moving around the dressing room precisely as he had moved around the library.
Langmore leaves her money to her sons, one-fourth to Dick, the spendthrift, and three-fourths to Tom. I have also rooted out some papers among Styles' effects, which will give Tom Ostrello his patent back, and also give some patent rights to Mr. Langmore's estate. I can tell you, Matlock Styles was a deep one. It was only once in a great while that he drank and bungled."
Langmore's daughter, Margaret, and a servant, Mary Billings." "Wait a moment. You said Mr. Langmore's daughter. Was she not Mrs. Langmore's daughter also?" "No. You see Mr. Langmore was a widower when he married the present Mrs. Langmore, who was a widow. There are two sets of children." "I understand. When did the tragedy occur?" "At some time between eleven and twelve in the morning.
"Down at the brook you had a pair of Miss Langmore's shoes. What were you doing with them?" "Did you see me with the shoes?" "I did, and I saw you with the silk shirtwaist." "Ah! Anything else?" "I saw you at the safe in the library of the mansion." "When, now?" "Now and some hours ago. You may as well make a clean breast of it." "I will, If you will tell me who you are."
"The only marks I found were two scratches on the right arm of Mrs. Langmore, right above the wrist, and a scratch on Mr. Langmore's left cheek." "Finger nail scratches?" "Possibly, or else they may have been made by a ring or bracelet if there was a struggle." "Hum! Have you anything else to tell, doctor?" "I have not. I am willing to tell all I know."
"With the empty bottle I found the half of a big silk handkerchief. It was wrapped around the bottle and had Miss Langmore's monogram in the corner. I went on hunting around the house and I found the other half of the handkerchief in a dark corner of the upper hallway, not far from where Mrs. Langmore's body was found." At this announcement there was a buzz of excitement.
Word Of The Day