Bronson, business manager at the Liberty Theater, Mr. Ladley had attacked Mr. Bronson with a chair, and almost brained him. [Page 150] CHAPTER XI ELIZA SHAEFFER went back to Horner, after delivering her chicks somewhere in the city. Things went on as before. The trial was set for May. The district attorney's office had all the things we had found in the house that Monday afternoon -- the stained towel, the broken knife and its blade, the slipper that had been floating in the parlor, and the rope that had fastened my boat to the staircase. Somewhere -- wherever they keep such things -- was the headless body of a woman with a hand missing, and with a curious scar across the left breast. The slip of paper, however, which I had found behind the base-board, was still in Mr. Holcombe's possession, nor had he mentioned it to the police. Mr. Holcombe had not come back. He wrote me twice asking me to hold his room, [Page 151] once from New York and once from Chicago. To the second letter he added a postscript: "Have not found what I wanted, but am getting warm. If any news, address me at Des Moines, Iowa, General Delivery. H." It was nearly the end of April when I saw Lida again. I had seen by the newspapers that she and her mother were coming home. I wondered if she had heard from Mr. Howell, for I had not, and I wondered, too, if