The legislator had never married, but
his roof sheltered a lovely girl who bore
his name. His nephew, a young Geor
gian named Parke Moultrie, resided
with him. The youth was reading law
under the Colonel, as Mr. Rhett was
called throughout the State, and it was
he who had found him dead among his
books and legal papers.
. When the student entered the room
at 8 o'clock on the fatal morning, he
found his nncle bowed upon the desk,
very like a person napping. He did not
manifest any surprise at this, for the
Colonel often rose at four ; read or
write till seven, to fall asleep again in
the position I have, in a word, de
scribed. Moultrie I am writing from
his testimany elicited at the inquest
took a legal volume from the book ease
and threw himself into a chair near one
of the southern windows, the sash of
which was raised. He opened the vol
ume at a page where several slips of
paper had been placed by some one,
and a sudden breath of southern breeze
lifted them from the book. One piece
alighted directly beneath the Colonel,
and the youth thought to recover it
without discommoding his relative. He
left the chair and was putting his hand
beneath the fauteuil when he noted a
dark red spot on the carpet.
As it looked like blood, he started
and tried to waken the Colonel. Fail
ing to do so by gentle shaking, he
raised his head and saw the unmistak
able stare of death in his eyes. There
was a red stain on his well-ironed shirt
front it was the wound of the life-destroying
dagger. The Colonel had been
dead several hours. Parke Moultrie
could see this at a glance.
