THE LEAVENWORTH MURDER BY INNA KATHERINE GREEN, Authoress of "A STRANGE DISAPPEARANCE" AND "THE SWORD OF DAMOCLES."

XXXV. FINE WORK, No bingo nor loop To hang n doubt on 1 But yet tliepity of it, lugo I 0, logo, the pity of it, lano. —OTHEXLO. Bit" GIIYCE had told me enough of his plans before leaving It for me to understand that the clue he intended to follow was that glvon by tlie paper on which the confession wan written. " Kind ia whose posses .ion is the package of paper from which this sheet was taken, and you find the double mur derer," he had said.

I was therefore not surprised when upon visiting his houso co rly the noxt morning, I beheld him seated beforo a tabic on which lav a lad v'n writing desk and a pile of paper, till ho told mo the desk was Eleaooros. " What," said I, "are you not yet satisfied ot lii_r innocence ."

" 0, yes ; but one must bo thorough, .Nn conclusion would bo worth anything it' the investigation made was uot fall and complete. Why," lie cried, casting his eye* complacently towards the lav-tongs, " I have even been i'iinima»ing through Mr Clavering's .ffVcts, unknown (o him of com so, though the confession bears the proof iijiou its face that it could not havo beeu written by him. It is not eni)u_:ii to look for evidence where you ex pect io liud it; you nui.se sometime* -carcb for it where y~_ don't. N-rW," said lie, drawing the desk before bim, " I don't auticipiitti finding anything here that I want ; bnt it is among tbe possibilities I may, and that is enough for a detec tive."

"Did you see Miss Leavenworth this ninniiiiK V" I asked, as lie proceeded to fulfil his intention by emptying the contents of the de-k ttpiin the table.

" Vcs ; 1 was unable to procire what I desire I without it. And she behaved very hand.ome, uavo me tbe desk with her own haiidn and never rose an objection, To be sure she thought I wished it tor the purpose of s itisfyiug myself that she did not keep c ii.coaled in it tlio paper abnit which so mue^i ha* been said. But it would have nude but little difference if >ho had known the tiutli! There's nothing here sho need iire.vl having seen."

"Was Mis Leavenworth well?" I iu quiicd, unable to control my iiEX'ety, " And had she heard of Hauuah's sudden death?'' "Yes, and wa» in great agitation con cerning it. 1 should say ihat ber con vietioua in reference to her cousin were strengthened by it. But let us see what wc have here," pur&ued be, drawingjtho pack age of paper towards him with a liok of great expectation. "I found this pile, just as it if, in tbo drawer of tue library table in Miss Leavenworth's houso in Fifth" Avenue, If 1 am not mistaken, it is tbe thin 4 we want." " But—" " But this paper is square, while that of the confession is of the sizj and shape of ■ commercial noto '!' I know, btityou icme-~ bcr the sheet used in the confession was trimmed down. Let us compare the quality." ] Taking tho confession from his pocket aurlasli.o: from the pile before bim, be looked at them closely, thou held them out for my inspection. A glance showed they were of the -lime colour. "Hold them up to the light," said he. I did so; the appearance presented by l»th was precisely alike. " .Now lot us compare tho rnliug," And laying them both down on the table, he placed tlie edges of the two sheets together, Tbe lines on tbe one accommodated them selves to those on the oilier ; and that ques tion was decided. His triumph was assured. "I was con vinced of it," said be. " From the moment I pulled open that drawer and saw this mass of paper lying within so snugly, I knew the end was come." " But," cried I, in my old spirit of com bativeness, "isn't there any room for doubt V This paper is of the commonest kind. Every family ou tho block might ca-lly have specimens of it iv their library."

"That isn't so," ho said, "it is letter size, which has gone out. Mr Leavenworth used it tor liis manuscript or I doubt if it would havo been found in his library. But if you are still incredulous, lot us see what can be done," and jumping up, he carried tho confession to the window, looked at it this way aud that, and finally discover ing what ho wanted, came back and laying it beforo me, pointed out one ot the lines of ruling that was markedly heavier than the rest, and another which was so faint as to be almost indistinguishable. "Defects like these often run through a number of consecutive sheets,' said he, *• It we could find the ideutical half-quiic fiom which this was ta en, I mights how you proof thut would dispel every doubt," aud taking up ithc one tbat lay on top, bo rapidly counted the sheets. There weic but eight. "It might have been ttk.n from this one," said he ; but upou looking closely at tho ruling he found that it was uniformly distinct. " Humph ! that won't do I" came trom his lips. The remainder of the paper, some dozen or so half-quire?, looked undisturbed. Mr Gryco tapped his lingers on the table aud a frown crossed bis face. "Such a pretty thing!" exclaimed he, "if it could only havo been done !' Suddenly be took up the next half-quire. "Count the sheets,'' said hn, thrusting it towards me, and him self lifting another.

I did as I was hid. " Twelve." He counted bis and laid tbem down "Goon with the rest I" cried ho.

I counted tbe sheets in the noxt : twelve. He counted those iv the one following and paused. "Eleven!" " Count again," I suggested. He counted again and quietly put them aside. "I made a mistake," observed he.

But he was not to be discournged, Taking another half-quire he went through with the samo operation ;—in vain. With a sigh of impatienco he flung it down on the tabic and lookea up, " Halloo !" cried he, " what is the matter ?"

"There are but eleven sheets in this package," I said, placing it in his hand.

The excitement he immediately evinced was contagious. Oppressed as I was, I could not resist his eagerness. "O, beauti ful !" be exclaimed. "O, beautiful I see I the light line on the inside, the heavy one on the outside, aud both in positions precisely corresponding to those on this

.beet of Hannah's. ' What do you thiuk now? Do you wish ior any furtner proof?" "The veriest doub er could ask for no more," returned I. With something like a considerate regard for my emotion, he turned away. "1 am obliged to congratulate myself," said he, "notwithstanding tbo gravity ot the discov ery that has bee r made. It is so neat, so very neat, and so conclusive. 1 declare I am a*tonished, myself, at tl o perfection of the thing. But what a woman that is I" cried he suddenly, in a tone of the greatest admirntiOD. "what ao intellect she has what shrewdness! what skill ! I declare it is almost a pity to cutrap a woman wiio . has done as W--11 as this— taken a sheet trom the very but torn of the pile, trimmed it iuto another shape, and then, remembering tha girl couldn't write, put what sho had to say into coarse, awkward printing, Hannah-like. Splendid! or would have been if any other man than myself had had this tbing iv charge." And all animated and flowing with his enthusiasm, be eyed the chandelier abovo him as if it wero the embodiment of hi* own sagaciiy. Sunk i"i despair, I let him go on. "Could she have done any better?'* he now asked. " Watched, circumscribed as she was, could she have done any better? I hardly think so; the fact of Hannah's bavin" learned to writo af er she left hero was fatal. No, she could not have pro vided against that contingency." "Mr Gryce," I here interposed, unable to endure this any longer; "did you have au interview with Mi-s Mary Leavenworth tbis morninsc?"

" No," aaid he, " it was not my purpose to do so, I doubt, indeed, if she Knew I ivas in her house. A servant maid who has a grievance is a very valuablo assistant to a detective. With Molly at my side, I didn't need to pay my respects to the mistress."

"Mr Gryce," I said again, after another moment of silent self-congratulation on bis part and of desperate self-control on mine, "what do you propose to do now? You have followed your clim to the end and are sati-ficd. Such knowledge as this is the prtcursor of action."

" Humph! well,we will see,'' he returned, going to his private desk aud brioyiug out the box of papers which wc bad no oppor tunity of looking at while in R . " First let us examine these documents and see if they do not contain sonic bint which in iy be of service to us." And taking out the dozen or so loose sheets which had fceu torn from Eleanoro's Diary, he began turn in;; them over.

While be wa3 doing this, I took occasion to examine the other contents of tbe box. I found them to be just what Mrs Belden had described tbem. A certificate of mirriagc between Mary aud Mr Clavcring and a half-dozen or more letters. While glancing over the former, a short exclama tion from Mr Gryce startled me iuto look ing up. " What is itT" cried I. Ho thru-it into my hands the leaves of Eleanoro's Diary. "Boad," said he. "Most of it is a repetition of what you have already heard from Mrs Belden, though from a different standpoint; but thero is one passage in it which, if I am not mistaken, opens up tho way to an ex planation of this murder, such as we have not had yet. Begin at the beginning; you won't lino, it dull," Dull 1 Eleanoro's feelings and thoughts dining that anxious timo dull! Mustering up my self-possession, I spread out tho leaves ia their order and com menced. " It-—, July 6,—" "Two days after they got there, you percoive," Mr Gryce explained. "—A gentleman Was introduced to us to-day upon tho piazza whom I can not forbear mentioning: first, because he is the most perfect specimen of manly bpauty I over beheld, and secondly, because Mary, who is usually so voluble when gentleman are concerned, had nothing io say when in the privacy of our owu apart ment I questioned her as to the eff.ct of bis appearance and conversation made up in her. The fact that he is an Englishman may have something to do with this; Uucle's antipathy to every one of that nation b-ing as woll known to her at to me. But somehow I cannot feel satisfied of tbis. That expeiienC3 of hers with Charlie Soroorville bas ;made me suspicious, I fear. What if the story of last summer were to ba repeated hero with an Englishman for the hero I But I will not allow my. elf to contemplate such a possibility. Uncle will leturu iv a fow days and then all communi cation with one who, however elegant and pr-pos=essin__r, is of a family and raco with whom it is impo-sible for us ;to oily our selves, must of necessity cease. I doubt it I should havo thought twico of all this, if Mr Clavcring bad uot betrayed upon his introduction to Mary, such intense and un restrained admiration.

"July 8. The old story is to be repeated. Mary not only submits to the attentions ol Mr Claveriog but encourages them. To-day sho sit two hours at tho piano singing ov.r ta him her favourite songs, and to night-But I will not put down every trivial circumstance that comes under my observation; it is unworthy ef me. And yet how can I afford to blind my eyes when the happiness of so many 1 love is at stake I

"July 11. If Mr Clavcring is not ab=o lutfly in love with Mary he is on tho verge of ir. He is now hardly ever absent from ber side, making no disguise of his senti ments. Ho is a very noble-looking ruau, too much so to be trifled with ;iu this reck less fashion.

"July 13. Mary's boauty blossoms like the rose. She was absolutely wonderful to-night in scarlet and silver. I think she is the sweetest looking mortal I ever beheld, and in this I am sure Mr Clavering passionately agrees with me: he never looked away fi om her to-night. But it is one thing for a woman like Mary to be loved, and another thing for her to return the pas-ion lavished upon her, And yet t from certain right true womanly signs, I begin to think that if Mr Clavering were au American, Mary would not be indifferent to his fine appearance, strong sense, and devoted afl'ection. But did she not deceive us into believing she loved Charlie Somer ville? Iv tier case, blush and smile go for little, I fear. Would it not be wiser under tbe circumstances to say, I hope ?

'' July 17. -0 my heart I Mary came into my room this evening and absolutely startled me by falling at my side and burying her face iv my lap. " O Eleanore, Eleanore!' she murmured, quivering with what seemed to me very happy sobs. But when I strove to lift her head to my breast, she slid from my arms aod drawing her self up into ber old attitude of reserved prido, raised her hand as if to impose silence, and haughtily left the room. There is but one interpretation to put upou this. Mr Clavering has expressed his sentimsnts, and she is filled with that reckless delight which in its first flush makes one insensible to the existence of barriers which have hitherto been deemed impassable. When will Uncle come ?

"July 18. Little did I think when I wrote the abovo that Uncle was already in tbe house. He arrived unexpectedly on the last train aud came into my room just a9 I was putting away my diary. Looking a

little careworn, he took me in his arms and then naked for Mary. I dropped ray head andc >uld not help stammering as I replied that she wa< iv her room. Instantly his love took alarm,and leaving m.,be hastened to her apartment where I a1 turward- learned he found her sitting absiactedly before her dressing-tabl. with Mr Ciavenng'a family riog ou her fiager. Ido not know what fol lowed. An unhappy scene, I fear, for Mary is ili this morning and Uncle exceedingly melancholy aud stern.

"Atternoon, Wear. an unhappy family. Unci, not enly refuses to consider for a moment the question of Mary's atli.nce wi-h Mr Claveriug, but even goe« .o far as to demand from fur, bi*instant and uncon ditional dismissal on paia of his severest displeasure. The kno-ledge of this very piinful deiermination of his cime to me iv the most distressing way. Kecognizingthe S'ato of afl'airs.but secretly rebelling against the power of a prejudice that conl. allow itself to separate two persona otherwise fitted for each other, I sought Uncle's presence thii morning; after break Us', and attempted to plead their cause. But he almost in-dantly stopped rae with the re mark, ' Yon are the last one, Eleanore.tbat sboull seek to promote tbis nwri.ge. Trembling-with apprehension, I asked him why. ' For tbe reason that by so doing you work endrely for your own intere-t,' Moie and more trouble- I begged him to explain himself. ' I mean,'said he, ' that if Mary dsobeys me by marrying tbis Englishman I shall dMahe-it h.r and substitute your name in th-; place of hers in my wilt as in my affecion.' For a moment the world swam before my eyes. ' You will never make me so wretched,' exclaimed L ' I will make you my heiresn, if Mary persi-t. iv her present d.torminatS oil,' and without further word be sternly left tlie room. What could I do but fa'l on my knees and may. Of all this miserable house,l am the most wretched. To supplant her)! But I shall not ha called up-iu to do it, Mary will gtvc up Mr Cl-voiin^'." " There!" exclaimed Mr Gryce. "What do you think of that? Isn't it becoming plain r noU'.h wh-it was Mary's motive for this murder ? But g>on ; let us hear what followed."

With sin-inc heart, I continued. "The next ostiy is da.cd July 19, and runs thus : " 1 was tight. After a long struggle with Uncle's invincible will, Mary has consented to dismi-S Mr Clavering. 1 was in the room when she made known ber decision, and I shall never forget our Uncl.'s look of gratified pride as he clasped ber in his arms and called her his own True Heart. Be has evidently been very much exercised over tins matter, and I can not but feel greatly relieved that affairs have terminated bo satisfactorily. But Mary ? What is there in her manner that vaguely disappoints me ? What is there in ber action that sc.ms to draw a determining line between ns ? I cannot say. I only know that I felt a powerful shrinking over whelm mo when she turned her face to rae aud asked if I were sati-lied now. But I conquered my feeliues and held out my hand, she did not take it.

1' July 26. Bow long the days are ! The '> shadow of our late trial is upon me yet; I cannot sbakc it off. I seem to see Mr Claveriug's despairing face wherever 1 go. How ia it that Mary preserves her cheerful ness? If she does not love bim 1 should think the respect which she must feel for his disappointment would keep her from levity at least. . " Uncle has gone away again, Nothing I conld say sufficed to keep him, "July 28. It has alt come out. Mary has only iiominilly .separated from Mr Ulwering ; she still cherishes the idea of one day allying herself to him iv marriage. The fact was revealed to me in a strange way not.necessary to mention here; aDd has since been confirmed by Maty herself. ' I admire the man,' she declares, ' and haueuo intention of giving hia: up.' 'Theu why uot tell Uncle so ?' 1 asked, Her only ; answer was a bitter «mile and a short, —' I ' leave that for you to do.' " July, 30. Midnight. Worn completely out, but beforo my blood cools Jet mo write. Mary Leavenworth is a wedded wife. I have just returned from seeing her give her; hand to Henry Clavenng. Strange that I: can write it without quivering, when my whole soul is one Hush of indignation and revolt. But let me state tbe facts. JBC-viog left the room (or a few minutes this morn ing, I returned to find on my dressing-table a note from Mary in which she informed me lh »t she was going to take Mrs Belden for a drive and would not be back for some hours. Convinced, as I had every reason to be, that she was on her way to meet Mr ■_laveiin_j, I only stopped to put on my hat—" Ihe re the Diary ceased. " She was probably interrupted by Mary ot tint point," exclaimed Mr Oryce. " Bat we have heard all we want to know. Mr Leavenwoith threatened to supplant Mary with Eleanore, if she persistod in marrying contrary to his withes, and what other con clusion can we come to, than that he upon hearing some four or five weeks since that this marriage had been entered into by her, repeated bis threats and so drew down his fate upon him ?" " None," I returned, convinced at. last. "It is only too clear," Mr Gryce rose. " But tbo writer of these words is saved," I went on, trying to grasp the one comfort loft me. "bo one who reads this Diary will ever dare to insiuuate she is capable of committing a crime." "No," said he : "the Diary settles that matter effectually." 1 tried to be man enough to think of that aud nothing else. To rejoice in her deliver ance and let every other consideration go; but in tbis I did no* succeed. "But Mary, her cousio, almost her sister, is lost," I mut tered, Mr Gryce thrust bis bauds into his pockets and for the first time showed some evidence of secret disturbance. " Yes," he murmured, " I am afraid she is, I really am afraid she is." Then after a pause during which I felt a certain thrill of vague hope ;—" Such au entrancing creature too ! it is a pity, it positively is a pity I I declare now the thing is worked up, I begin to feel almost sorry we have succeeded so well. Strange but true. If there was the least loophole out of it," be murmured, " But there isn't. The thing is clear as A, B, 0." Suddenly he io.e and began pacing the floor very thoughtfully, casting his glances here, there, aud everywhere, except at me, though I believe now, as then, I was all he saw. "Would it be a very great grief to you, Mr llaymoud, if Miss Mary Leavenworth should be arrested on this charge of mur der ?" he asked, pausing before a sort of tank in which t,vo or three disconsolate looking fishes were slowly swimming about. " Yes," said I "it would ; a very great grief."

" Yet it has got to be done," said he, though with a strange lack of his usual decision. "As an honest official,trusted to bring the murderer of Mr Leavenworth to the notice of the proper authorities', I have got to do it."

AgaiD that strange thrill of hope at my heart induced by his peculiar manner. " Then my reputation as a detective. I ought surely to consider that. lam not sO rich or so famous that I can afford to forget all that a success like this may bring me.

No, lovely as she is, I h_vo got to push it through." But even as iv said this, hi bs o.me still more thoughtful, gazing do-vir into the murky depths of tbo wretched t ink before him, with such an intentness I half expected the fascinated fishes to rise from the water aod rctu'n his gaze. What was it? What was in his mind ? After a little while be turned, his Indecision utely gone. "Mr Raymond," said he, "come here again at threo, I shall then have my report ready for the Superintendent. I should like to show it to you first, at don't fail me." There wa* something s•> repressed in his expression, I could not prevent myself from venturing one question. "Is your mind made up !" I asked. " Yes," returned he, but in a pecnliar ton- and with a peculiar gesture. " And yon are going to make the arrest you speak of?" < " Come at three !"

XXXVI. GATHERED THREADS,

This is tho short and tho loo? of it. —Mebry Wives ov Windsor. PROMPTLY at the hour named, I made my 'appeariuice at Mr Gryc_~ door. I found him awai'iun me ou th« thresh dd, "I have met you," said ho gravely, "for the purpo-e of requesting you not tn speak duriogtbe coming interview under ahy cir cumstances whatever. lamto do the talk ing, and you the listening, neither a-e you to be surprised' at anything I may do or say. lamin a facetious rao"d "—he did not look so—"and may tak« it into my head to address you by another name than your own. If I do, doc't mind ir. Above all, don't talk, remember that." And without waitioc to meet my look of doubtful as'oni.-hment, he led me soltly upstair-. The room in which I had beeu accus tomed to meet him was at the top of the first flight, but he took me past that in'o what appeared to be the earret story,where after many cautionary siains he ushered me into a room so strance and weird iv its aopearance, that it produced something of the sams effect upon me that a prison cell' would have done, in the lirst place, it was darkly gloomy, being lighted r-iraply by a ' very dim and dirty skylight. Next, it was ] hideously empty ; a pine table aod two hard-backed chairs set f*ce io face at eaoh i end of it being the ouly articles iv the ' room. Las'.ly.it was surrounded by .-cveral ; closed doors with blurred a ul gh stly venti lators over their tops, which b.iog round, i looked like the blank eyes of a row ot j staring inummks. Altogether it was a lugubrious spot, and in the present state of . Imy mind, m_de me feel as if somethmg un- ! ' earthly and threatening lay'pouched in the i very atmosphere. Nor sitting there, cold ! and desolate, could I imagine that the sun ; shine glowed without, or that life, beauty and pleasure paraded the streets below. Mr Gryce's expression ,a3 he took a seat ond beckoned me do the same, may have had something to do with this strange sen sation, it was so mysteriously and sotnb ely ; expectant. " If ou'll not mind the room," said be in a ■ tone so low and muffled I could scarcely 1 hear him. " It's an awful lonesome spot I know, but folks with such matters as the-e to deal with mustn't be too particular as to the places in which they hold their consul tations, if they don't want all the_ world to know as much as they do. Smith?" and he gave me an admonitory shako of his fin ger while his voice tcok a more distinct tone, " I have done the business; the reward is mine; the assassin of Mr Leaven worth is found and in two hours will be in custody. Do you want to know who it is?" leaning forward with every appearance of eogerness in tone and exnression. I stared at him in great amazement. ' ll_d anything new come to light? any great change taken place in his conclusion* ? Alt this preparation could not be for th" , purpose of acquainting me with what I : already knew, yet— .-. He cut short my conjectures with a low expressive chuckle. "It was a long chase I tell you," raising his voice still more, " a tight go ; a woman in the business too; but all the women in tho world can't puU the wool over the eyes of Ebenezer Gryce when he is on a trail; and the assassin of Mr Leavenworth and—" here his voice be came actuHily shrill in his excitement— "and of Hannah Chester is fouod." " Hush 1" he went on, though I had neither spoken nor made any move, "you didn't know Hannah Chester was murdered. Well, she wasn't in one sense of the word, but in another she was, and by the same hand that killed the old gentleman. How do I know this ? Look here! This scrap of paper was found on the floor of her room ; it had a few particles of a white powder sticking to it; Those particles were tested last night and found to be poison. But you say the girl took it herselt and it was a suicide. You are right, she did take it herself and it was a suicide, but who terrified her into committing it? why the one who had the most reason to fear her, testimony, of course. But tho proof ? you say. Well sir, this girl left a confession behind her, throwing the onus of the whole crime on a certain party believed to be in nocent ; this confession was a forged one, known from three facts; first, that the paper on which "it was written was un obtainable by the girl in the place where she tneu was, second, tbat the words used therein were printed in coarse and awkward characters, whereas Hannah, thanks to the teaching of the woman under whose care she was, could write very well; third, that the story told in the confession was not that related by the girl herself. Now the fact of a forged confession throw ing the guilt upon an innocent party hav ing been found in tbe keeping of this ignorant girl, killed by a dose of poison ; taken with the f act here stated, that on the morning of the day on which she killed herself the girl received from someone manifestly acquainted with the customs of the Leavenworth family, a letter large enough and thick enough to contain the confession folded as it was when found, makes it almost certain to mv mind that the murderer of Mr Leavenwonh'scnt this powder and this so-called confession to the girl, meaning her to use tbem precisely as she did, for the purpose of throwing off suspicion from the right track and of des troying herself at the same time; for as you know, dead men tell no talcs." He paused and looked at tbe dingy sky light aboVe us. Why did the air seem to grow heavier and heavier? 'Why did I shudder in vague apprehension ? I knew all this before, why did it strike me, then, as something new ? " But who was this ? you ask. Ah,that is the secret ; that is the bit of know ledge which is to bring me fame and fortune. But secret or not, I don'_ mind telling you;" lowering his voice and rapidly raising it again. " The fact Is, I can't keep it to myself, it burns like a new dollar in my pocket. Smith, my boy, the murderer of Mr Leavenworth—but stay, who do the world say it is. Whom do the papers point at.and shake their heads over ? A woman, a young, beautiful, bewitching woman! Ha, ha, ha 1 The papers are right; it is a woman; young, beautiful and bewitching too. But what one 1 Ah, that's the question. There is more tban one woman mixed np [with this affair; which then of tbem all is it » Since Hannah's death I have heard it openly advanced that

sho *•»..__ g^typ^T 'yl^th^u c a ri,^ la bah ! othHr_oryit is the ni>oe that was a. unequally dealt with by her uncle .a hi,will! b-hlagam. jjuifolks, are not without sora. ju.tific-tloa for this latter assertion. Eleanore Leavenworth did know mor~ of this matter than appeared. Worse than that, Ele.nore Leavenworth - stands in _ position of positive peril to-day. If you don't think so, let me show you what tbe detec ive« have against her. "First; thor~ is the fact that a handker. chief, with h-r namo on it, was found stained with pistol-gre_*e upon the scene of murder; a place where she explicitly dented having been for twenty-four hows previouii to the discovery of tbe dead body. " Secondly; tbat she n-t only evinced terror whan confronted with this bit of circumstantial evidence, but manifested a decided disposition both at this time and others, to;mislead inquiry, sk iking a direct answer to' Boma questions and refuting all aoswer to otners. " Thirdly ; that an attempt was made hy hor to destroy a certain letter, evidently relating to this crime. " fourthly ; that the key of the library door wassecn in her posse -sion.

"All thi-, takeo with the fact tbat the fragment* of the letter which tbo same lady attempted t» destroy within an hoar after the (inquest, were afterward* put together and were {found tn contain- a bitter denun ciation of one of Mr Leavenworth's nieces, by a gentleman we will cull x —in other words an unknown quantity—make, out a dark case against her, especially as after invc-ttigatious revealed the fact tint a secret underlay the his! Dry of the Leaven worth family. That, unknown to the world at large, and Mr IjeaTenworth in purlieu!.*., a marriage ceremony had bern performed ;a year before in a little town, cal'od F between a Miss Leaven worth and this urns x. That, in other woids, the unknown gentleman who in tho letter partly destroyed by Mi~. Eleanore Leavenworth, complained to Mr Leaven worth of the treatment received by him from one uf his niec--. wis in fact the secret buiband of ihat nice;, -nd that, moreover, this same gentl.niaii, under hh assumed name, called at th. bouse of Mr Leavenworth and a»k-d for Mis-i E!ear.ore.

" Now yon see wirh all this against ber, Eleanore .Leavenworth i« lost if it cannot be proved, first, that the articles testifying against her, viz.: the handker chief, letter, and key pass.d after the mur der through other hands ~efor* reaching hers; and secondly, th -t some one else had even a stronger desire than sue for dtsiring Mr Leavenworth's dea'h at this time.

" Smith, my boy, both of these hypotheses have been established by me. By dint of mol.ing into old secrets and following up of nice clues, I have finally come.to the con clusion tbat nit Elcanoi. Leavenworth,dark as are the appearances against ber, but anoihcr woman, beautiful as she and fully as interesting,"is tho true criminal. In short, tbat her cousin, the rxquisite Mary, is th s murderer of Mr Leavenworth, and by inference of Hannah Chester also." >

He brought tbis out with such force and with such a look of triumph and appearance of having led up to it, tbat I was for the moment dnmfouhded, and started as if I had not koo wn what he was going to say. The stir. I made seemed to awake an echo. Sometiing like a suppressed cry was-in the air abut mc. All the room appeared to breathe ho-ror and dismay. Yet when in the excitation of this fancy I half turned round to look, I found-nothing but the blank eyes of those dull ventilators staring upon me. " You are taken aback 1" Mr Gryce went on. "I dou't wonder, livery one else is engaged in watching tbe movements of Eleanore Leavenworth; I only know where to put my hand upon tbe real culprit. You shake your head I" (Another fiction.) "You "don't believe me! Think I am deceived. Ma, Ka! Bbenezer Gryce de-; ceived after a month of hard work ! You are as had as Miss Leavenworth herself, who has so little faith in my sagacity that sheiias offered me, of all men, an enormous reward if I would find her out the assassin of her uncle ! But tbat is neither here nor there, you have your doubts and you are waiting for me to folve them. Well, nothing is easier; know first that on tbe morning of the inquest I made one or two discoveries not be found in the records,viz,, that the handkerchief picked up as 1 have said in Mr Leavenworth's library, bad, not withstanding its stafns of-pistol-grease, a decided perfume lingering about it. Going to the dressing-table of the two ladies, I sought for that perfume aud found it|in Mary's room, not Eleanore's. This led me to examine the pockets of tbe dresses res pectively worn by them the. evening before. In that of Eleanore lj found a handkerchief, presumably tbe one she had carried at that time. But in Mary's there was none, nor did I see any lying about her room as if tossed down on her retiring. The conclusion I drew from this was that she and not Eleanore had carded the handkerchief into her uncle's room, a. conclusion emphasized by the fact, privately communicated to me by one of the servants, that Mary was in Eleanoro's room when tbe basket of clean clothes was brought up with this handkerchief lying on top. "But, knowing the liability we are to mistake in such matters as these, I made another search in thelibrary and came across a very curious thing. Lying on the table was a - penknife, and scattered on the floor beneath, in close proximity to the chair, were two or three minute portions of wood freshly chipped off from tbe leg of the table; all of which looked as if some one of a nervous disposition had been sitting there, whose hand in a moment of self-forge tfulness had caught up the knife and unconscionsly whittled the table. A Uttle thing, you s.y, but when tbe question is, which of two ladies, one of a calm nnd self-possessed nature, the other restless in her ways and excitable in her disposition, was in a certain spot at a certain time, it is these Uttle things that become almost deadly in their significance. No one who has been with these two women- au hour,' can hesitate as to whose delicate hand made that cut in Mr Leavenworth's library; table.

'' But we are not done. I distinctly over heard Eleanore accuse her cousin of this deed. Now suchia woman as Eleanore Leavenworth has proved herself to be, never would accuse a relative of crime, without the strongest and most substantial reasons. First, she must have been sure her cousin stood in a position of such emergency, that nothing bnt the death of her uncle could release her from it; secondly, that ber cou-iu's character was of such a nature that she would not hcßitate to relieve herself from such an emergency by the most desperate of means, and lastly, been in possession of some circumstantial evidence against her cousin, seriously corroborative of her suspicions. Smith, all this was true of Eleanore Leavenworth, As to the character of her cousin, she bas bad ample proof of her ambition, love of money, caprice and deceit, it having been Mary Leavenworth and not Eleanore aa was first supposed, who bad contracted the secret marriage already spoken of. Of the critical position in which she stood, let the threat once made by Mr Leavenworth to substitute her cousin's name for hers in his will in case she bad married this x, answer to all who knew the tenacity with which Maty clung to ber hopes of fnture fortune ; while for the corroborative testimony of her guilt

STAR SATURDAY SUPPLEMENT, OCTOBER 14, 1882