Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1897-06-22
copyright. 1895. by J. 3. L,ppIneos Col

When the mayor got out at the side
door of his house took my fare, ex-
planned that piece of my harness had
given why and was tinkering with q
strap under the belly of the horse when
the mayor went in to his supper. Then
ran my rig out of sight behind sort
OF woodshed and went up the back
stairs to Mrs. Walters room. l lznew
II by her dresses in the closets"
what were you looking for?"
Books, chiefly. had found out that
she had purchased box of them in
New York the other day aud wanted
to see them. ] thought they might be
treatises on hypnotism and things in
that outlandish line; but they were only
modern yellow-backed novels. transla-
lions of Emile Gaboriau and detective
stories by Doyle and Anna X. Green.
They put me on new scent. A new
light broke on me. felt like fool.
went down, got on my cab and drove of
like mad. passed you at the carriage
gate and asked you the time. You told
me, and said had to catch train
and whipped up my horse"
II remember. What a blamed fool
wasl" said Welsh, with q deep flush
''What did you do next?"
Turned the cab over to its owner
and went and had a private talk with
the family physician of the Roundtrees.
After that, to use slang, kicked my
self soundly. and in 20 minutes was
logging the footsteps Of the distin.
guished stranger of whom I spoke to
you"
"But don't you think Mrs. Walters
had anything to do with the murder?'
asked Welsh.
Nothing ut all. Here It is in nut.
shell: She will be mother in about
three months. In her condition she ID
alwaysequeerly imaginative and deceit.
full. She lost child year ago In child
birth. and for several months before
IL was born she almost ran her family
wild with her strange fancies. She has
been reading sensational literature 70,
a long time, and when that murder &C.
CURED and her father offered reward
for the capture of the criminal it struck
her that the murderer would be apt to
resent it. She tried to rouse the fears
OF her father and husband on this line
but, as they failed to see 1t her way
she determined to make them do so
She invented the yarn about having
seen a man on the lawn the night abe
astonished them by going to the gate
with her husbands revolver, and, fol.
lowing the murtlerer's idea of using 6
typewriter. she wrote the threatening
letter to her father and enjoyed the ex
element 1t caused. Later, fearing thai
some one would see through her littl.
deception, she determined to make The
circumstances more convincing. The
detective stories she had read gave hel
the idea Of pretending to be shot at
As I have shown you, she dampenet
the clay with the watering can, made
the footmarks by wearing her father.
slippers. shot hole through her sleeve
hid the revolver in the grass and ha.
had lot of fun out of our careful in
designations. If she had dreamt, how
ever, that she herself would be suspect
ed of that murder she would have shown
the white feather long ago."
what are you going to do now?'
asked Welsh. completely crestfallen.
II am on quite another line, and an
at standstill. hardly know what
shall do"
Can aid you in any way?"
II think not. now. Ishall come round
as soon as I find out anything tan
| gible."