The House Opposite

I had already noticed grew still more overpowering, and the lady herself appeared. And an exceedingly pretty little woman she proved to to be, too, with golden hai

d her. Her tiny, dimpled fingers were covered with glittering rings, which, however, scarcely outshone her small pink nails. She beamed coquettishly at me,

e that a poor man has been killed in the building, and I am so terrified at havi

st," I replied, sm

with me, won't

ur servants are also ready we had

nearest man were her indisputable right, and, followed by the two servants, we proceeded in this fashion down-stairs. Mr.

elt the hand on my arm grow suddenly rigid. She neither screamed nor fainted, but stood s

?" inquired

ncapable of

d, a little louder, "do y

r grey lips. At last, with a visible effort, she slo

murmured, in a

ctive said, fixing his eyes on her. "One of the elevator boys has identif

to ward off a blow, and m

ow the man,

called on you on

nswered, in a

I made up my mind that I had misjudged the little woman. Und

on that evening?" She glanced hastily

ee a gentleman

a moment: "A

indly tell

have him mixe

he deceased has been murdered,

o," she gasped, her

y that there is

she demanded, in

esday

her face, and she repeated with great composure, "Oh,

ectly startling. She seeme

ed how he was murd

he heart by an instrument no l

laimed; "do you know w

tkins, I ask you again if you are quite sure

e answere

ling to testify

es

boy has positively identified t

s a nigger's," she said, wit

d address of your friend we could look him up and be able to assure the police o

ently this possibility had not occurred to her, and she gla

en murdered who has been identified, rightly or wrongly, with your visitor. Now, no one saw your friend le

: "My friend left me at a little after eleven; he was going to take the mi

nd what is Mr. Brown

n't k

is address

e I don'

in any b

swered, sullenly, with

gularly ignorant about you

m for some years. He's

is hi

" she answered

r, Mrs. Atkins?" inq

N

ot! And where do

ica

r. Merritt continued, in a conversational tone. "

," she answ

Chicago you kn

mitted, with

ure he didn't

estions about him? I've told you his name and where he's

find him would be much more serious for you

er, "can you say in what particular M

e,-"only Mr. Brown's younger, and not so heavy, and his nose is different. Still, the man does resemble Mr. Brown surpris

us what you d

ning and I came home a

doing during

called on some friend

has been out o

es

he leave

sday mo

id he r

t ni

hat t

-past

id he co

sto

ets in a good deal earlier tha

ng to a slight accident on the l

tkins oft

town every week or

, politely. But the lady was not so easily appeased, and flo

e maids, as he explained, but it was five or s

he girl was asked whether she had ever seen the

n your mistress on

ay, sir; I

ime did yo

quarter to

did you

a party at m

you mean

ok and

cook went

s,

ally go out

, s

pen that you di

, so Mrs. Atkins she sai

often away from

s,

oft

e a fortni

allowed you both to go

, s

sister live, and

rty, 300 Th

o scribble down the

id you get back

embarrassment. "It might have been af

st, half-past?" he suggest

most half-

urned, did you se

yes,

she a

girl answered, w

e anything unu

n crying, and I never

rs. Atkins

ing so late," the girl

t all sh

s,

r mistress whe

the sofy in her be

s. Atkins do

eakfast and didn't com

seem when s

and she just lay quiet a

Atkins get alon

loving," she answered w

y discretion, and I asked: "Did you he

d at me, but said

, "me and Jane did think

saw Mr. Merritt indulge i

a scream," sai

w for sure;

ime did yo

sir; some tim

u do when yo

ing,

being cross-questioned at some length, did no more than corroborate the waitress's s

was a man or woman who scre

woman's vo

s one of the members of my Club, whose name I had never known. On being asked if he had ever seen the dead man before, he

woman about thirty years old, with a good deal of that coarse Southern beauty, which consists chiefly in snapping black eyes, masses of dark hair, and good teeth. On catching sight of the corpse, she threw up her han

ur name?" h

ndrine Argot,

the employ o

with Mr. Stuah, six a y

ll me if you have ever seen him befo

, s

ered. He was a tall, vigorous man, with large hawk-like eyes, apparently a good deal older than his

name?" inquire

in Mari

k for Mr

am Meester St

f you can identify it as that of an

But the expression was so fleeting that I could not be sure of it, and when he raised his hea

s been murdered, and that it is your duty to give us any information that might lead to his ide

hought he had hesitated an

detective remarked; "especially in this hot weather, when you must be ob

lance at Mr. Merritt, and replied quickly: "Yes, sar; ze

epeated the

hatically. "No vone, excep' ze butchair, z

to open the kitchen door?

, perhap-Madame Argot, she

e do you

but some time eleven o'cloc

d you go to b

leven

een doing durin

a restaurant wi

n did yo

t half-p

ome in the

s,

d you g

she open

nobody as y

ar," he answered. But I was now convin

oroner. The fellow bowed himself ou

but the workmen," he continued, wearily, mopping his forehead. "I don't believe one of them knows a th

uiet, respectable young men. After looking at the dead man intently for s

king here anybody who might have taken the key, kept it for some hou

ngers," the foreman

foreman was evidently p

Joe, and Tony, Mr. McGorry, Miss Derwent, and the Fri

e Frenchman

s, and he come again about three; but he didn't stay long. I

ons at the time stri

cknowledged

went; when di

towards one of the men,-"he saw her look in as she was waiti

e say a

the paint and papers

roner, addressing the man whom the forem

ding just ins

and on the

't noti

ung lady sa

at her, she just said: 'H

either of their girls, since you have been wo

nnumerable reporters, trying to force their way upstairs, and who were only prevented from doing so by the infuriated McGorry and two or three stalwart policemen. On catching sight of