The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1898-04-16
CHAPTER XIV.

TO say that Capt. Welsh was downstairs,
and that he was anxious to see him.
send him up" said Hendricks, and
he put the envelope into his pocket
He picked up a newspaper two or three
days old, and was hidden behind it
when the captain raped.
Come in" the detective called out.
~ am sorry to disturb YOU" began
Welsh, "but the truth is we are making
so little Roadway that the mayors peo-
pie are showing good deal of impa-
thence. Mrs. Roundtree says we are
entirely too slow, and she is laying it
all on me and my men. The mayor
himself has just left my Office, Of
course, could not tell him what you
suspected about his daughter. and"
~ should think not, captain, since
you yourself don't know what l do or
do not suspect" And Hendricks threw
his paper on the floor.
"Of course, of course; but aren't you
really going any further with your In
vestigations up there? l Thought when
| told you that spent the night in front
secure the revolver from the grass,
that"
Hendricks broke into low laugh,
bent forward and rubbed his hands be-
tween his knees.
"You didn't see me, captain, that
night. We were both pretty pair Of
fools. / recognized you in the flaming
disk of your cigar block away. You
looked like headlight, and made for
you as soon as I turned the corner.
knew the gate must be near where you
stood"
"What do you mean?" cried Welsh, in
surprise.
81 was in Mrs. Walters room from
half-past nine till ten o'clock that night
and made a thorough examination of
her belongings"
You could not have gone in at the
front, and my men were in the rear"
Hendricks smiled broadly.
81 never go in at back gate if can
help it. / was the driver of the cab
that took the mayor home from his
| office that night | overheard him ask
the fellow to wait for him. | called
the-man into barroom, explained who
was, promised him five dollars, eX-
changed coats and hats with him and
took his cab. Of course, wore my
whiskers. would not be without them
when / go driving on cool nights.
catch cold easily, and they protect my
throat.
81 pulled up when you waved me
down to tell the mayor you were watch
ing his house personally, on account OF
your special interest in his family, and
that you would see to it that they
were not disturbed through the night
When the mayor got out at the side
door of his house l took my fare, eX'
planned that piece of my harness had
given way and was tinkering with a
strap under the belly of the horse wher
the mayor went in to his supper. Then
ran my rig out of sight behind sort
of woodshed and went up the bacl
stairs to Mrs. Walters room. knew
it 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 and wanted
to see them. I thought they might be
treatises on hypnotism and things il
that outlandish line; but they were only
modern yellow-backed novels, transla
tons OF Emile Gaboriau and detectiv;
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
Ike mad. passed you at the carriage
gate and asked you the time. You tolc
me, and / said l had to catch traiI
and whipped up my horse"
81 remember. What blamed fool
was!" said Welsh. with a deep flush
what did you do next?"
Turned the cab over to its owne
and went and had private talk will
the family physician of the Roundtrees
After that, to use slang, kicked my
self soundly. and in 90 minutes wa
logging the footsteps of the distin
guished stranger of whom l spoke t
YOU"
"But don't you think Mrs. Walter
had anything to do with the murder?
: asked Welsh.
: Nothing at all. Here it is in nut
SHE'LL She will be mother in abou
three months. In her condition she
: always queerly imaginative and deceit
full. She lost child a year ago in chilf
birth, and for several months befor
it was born she almost ran her famil
+ wild with her strange fancies. She ha
e been reading sensational literature fc
e a long time, and when that murder o,
] Cured and ner father offered a rewar
e for the capture of the criminal it struc
I her that the murderer would be apt
t resent it. She tried to rouse the feal
a of her father and husband on this lin
Y but, as they failed to see it her wa
n she determined to make them do S
She invented the yarn about havir
/" seen man on the lawn the night 81
astonished them by going to the ga
l. with her husbands revolver, and, fc
( lowing the murderer's idea of using