In St Louis, next morning, he read this brief telegram papers--dated at Dawson's Landing:

Judge Driscoll, an old and respected citizen, was assassinated here about midnight by profligate Italian nobleman or barber on account of quarrel growing recent election The assassin will probably be lynched

" twins ! " soliloquized Tom "How lucky ! knife that him this grace We never know when fortune is trying to favor us I actually cursed Pudd'nhead Wilson in my heart for putting it out power that knife I take it back now "

Tom was now rich and independent He arranged planter, and mailed to Wilson the new bill of sale which sold Roxana to herself; then he telegraphed his Aunt Pratt:

Have seen the awful news papers and am almost prostrated with grief Shall start by packet today Try to bear up till I come

When Wilson reached the house of mourning and had gathered such details as Mrs Pratt rest crowd could tell him, command as mayor, and gave orders that nothing touched, but everything left as until Justice Robinson should arrive and proper measures as corner He cleared everybody room but the twins and himself The sheriff soon arrived and took the twins away to jail Wilson told them heart, and promised best in their defense case should come to trial Justice Robinson came presently, and Constable Blake They examined the room thoroughly They found the knife sheath Wilson noticed that there were fingerprints knife's handle That pleased him, twins had required the earliest comers scrutiny hands and clothes, and neither these people nor Wilson himself had found any bloodstains upon them Could there be possibility twins had spoken the truth had said they found the man dead ran house in answer cry for help ? He thought mysterious girl at once But not the sort of work for girl engaged in No matter; Tom Driscoll's room examined

coroner's jury had viewed the body and its surroundings, Wilson suggested search upstairs, and he went along The jury forced an entrance to Tom's room, but found nothing,

The coroner's jury found homicide was committed by Luigi, Angelo was accessory

The town was bitter against he misfortunates, and first murder they were in constant danger of being lynched The grand jury presently indicted Luigi for murder first degree, and Angelo as accessory fact The twins were transferred city jail county prison to await trial

Wilson examined the finger marks knife handle and said to himself, "Neither twins made those marks " Then manifestly another person concerned, either own interest or as hired assassin "

But it be ? That, try out The safe was not opened, the cashbox was closed, and had three thousand dollars Then robbery was not the motive, and revenge was Where had the murdered man an enemy except Luigi ? but that one person with deep grudge against him

The mysterious girl ! The girl was great trial to Wilson motive robbery, the girl might answer; but there wasn't any girl want this old man's life for revenge He had no quarrels with girls; gentleman

Wilson had perfect tracings finger marks knife handle; and among his glass records he had great array of fingerprints of women and girls, collected fifteen or eighteen years, but he scanned them in vain, they successfully withstood every test; among them were no duplicates prints knife

The presence knife stage murder was worrying circumstance for Wilson week previously he had as good as admitted to himself that he believed Luigi had possessed such knife, he still possessed it notwithstanding his pretense stolen And now here knife, and with it the twins Half the town had said the twins were humbugging claimed they had lost their knife, and now these people were joyful, and said, " you so ! "

If their fingerprints handle--but useless to bother any further ; the fingerprints handle theirs--that perfectly

Wilson refused to suspect Tom; for first, Tom couldn't murder anybody--he hadn't character enough; secondly, if murder person he wouldn't select his doting benefactor and nearest relative; thirdly, self-interest was way; for while the uncle lived, Tom was sure of free support and chance the destroyed will revived again, but uncle gone, that chance was gone too true the will had really been revived, as was now discovered, but Tom aware of it, or spoken of it, native talky, unsecretive way Finally, Tom was in St Louis murder , and got the news morning journals, as was shown by his telegram aunt These speculations were umemphasized sensations rather than articulated thoughts, for Wilson laughed idea of seriously connecting Tom murder

Wilson regarded the case twins as desperate-- , about hopeless For he argued that if confederate was not found, an enlightened Missouri jury would hang them; sure; if confederate was found, not improve the matter, but simply furnish one more person sheriff to hang Nothing could save the twins but the discovery of person who did the murder sole personal account--an undertaking which had all the aspect impossible Still, the person the fingerprints sought The twins no case , but they certainly none without him

So Wilson mooned around, thinking, thinking, guessing, guessing, day and night, and arriving nowhere Whenever he ran across girl or woman not acquainted with, he got her fingerprints, on one pretext or another; always cost him sigh when he got home, for they never tallied finger marks knife handle

mysterious girl, Tom swore no such girl, and remember ever seeing girl wearing dress like the one described by Wilson He admitted that always lock his room, sometimes the servants forgot to lock the house doors; still, opinion the girl must but few visits or she discovered When Wilson tried to connect her stealing raid, and thought she the old woman' confederate, the very thief disguised as an old woman, Tom seemed stuck, and also much interested, and said keep sharp eye out person or persons, although afraid that she or too smart to venture again into town where everybody would now be watch for good while

Everybody was pitying Tom, he looked so quiet and sorrowful, and seemed his great loss so deeply playing part, but not all part The picture alleged uncle, as he had last seen him, was before him dark pretty frequently, when away, and called again dreams, when asleep He wouldn't go room where the tragedy had happened This charmed the doting Mrs Pratt, who realized now, "as she had never done before," she said, what sensitive and delicate nature her darling had, and how he adored his poor uncle

CHAPTER 20

The Murderer Chuckles

Even the clearest and most perfect circumstantial evidence is likely at fault, after all, and therefore received with great caution case of any pencil, sharpened by any woman; witnesses, she did it with knife; but take simply the aspect pencil, say she did it with her teeth

--Pudd'nhead Wilson's Calendar

The weeks dragged along, no friend visiting the jailed twins but their counsel and Aunt Patsy Cooper, day of trial came at last--the heaviest day in Wilson's life; for with all his tireless diligence he had discovered no sign or trace missing confederate "Confederate" term he had privately accepted person--not as being unquestionably the right term, but as being the least possibly the right one, though never able to understand why the twins vanish and escape, confederate had done, instead of remaining murdered man and getting caught there

The courthouse was crowded, , and would remain so finish, for town itself, but country for miles around, the trial one topic of conversation people Mrs Pratt, in deep mourning, and Tom with weed hat, had seats near Pembroke Howard, the public prosecutor, and back sat great array of friends family The twins had but one friend present their counsel in countenance, their poor old sorrowing landlady She sat near Wilson, and looked her friendliest "nigger corner" sat Chambers; also Roxy, with good clothes on, and her bill of sale in her pocket her most precious possession, and she never parted with it, day or night Tom had allowed her thirty-five dollars month into his property, and had said the he and she grateful twins for making them rich; but had roused such temper in her speech that repeat the argument afterward She said the old judge had treated her child thousand times better than he deserved, and had never done her an unkindness life; so she hated these outlandish devils for killing him, and shouldn't ever sleep satisfied till she saw them hanged She was here to watch the trial now, and was going to lift up just one "hooraw" over it county judge put her in jail year She gave her turbaned head toss and said, "When dat verdic' comes, I's gwine to lif' dat ROOF, now, I TELL you "