New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1903-04-01
EQUAL PARTNERS !
By HOWARD FIELDING :
Copyright, 1901, by Charles W. Hooke.
By HOWARD FIELDING

that she was there very close to the
moment of the crime, not to put it any
stronger"
"What do you mean2'' demanded
Kendall.
"You have heard of the mysterious
woman in the case?"
eyes. She was seen by DR.. Blair
| leaving the house. But there's always
something Of that sort in every affair
of the kind. 1t will be explained
II wish Miss Maclane would explain
it," said Elmendorf, "for she was the
woman. DR.. Blair knows it beyond
shadow of doubt"
eff he knows it," returned Kendall,
"why hasn't he said so 2"
"Would you? Put yourself in his
| place. Would you throw that rope
around woman's neck before getting
q little more light on the matter? AS
a man of the world and doctor who's
learned in his business the value of
keeping his mouth shut, would you do
it? No. And DR.. Blair feels just the
same way. He wasn't born yesterday.
When the time comes, he can give his,
evidence"
Kendall laid his hand upon his hair.
perhaps to satisfy himself that it was
not beginning to stand on end.
"Do you believe that he will testify
against herT' he demanded. "Elmen-
dorf, this is deadly serious"
"Well, 1 should think it was,' said
the detective, land the longer she keeps
quiet about it the more serious it gets"
1t was Kendalps turn to walk the
foor and he did it. ,v4 s.. .ss.zs
t'There are a thousand chances to
one," continued Elmendorf, that if
the story she tells you is true she can't
prove it. Suppose she was in a store.
Who's going to remember her or. the
time of day? Take her motive, take
| her admissions to you if they were
made in court, combine them with
Blair's evidence, and what do you sup
pose the result would be?'
"You cannot have seen her with Miss
Miller" said Kendall, land still sus-
pect her of this crime . -. #
Elmendorf hesitated, as if he could
hardly bring himself to destroy the
last refuge. !.
''There's one way to look at that" he
said at last. "Miss Maclane goes to
that house wild with rage after her
scene with Alden. She has the fixed
idea that's more in crime than even
you doctors think it is. She gets in
without seeing anybody because of the
defective catch of the lock. She walks
into that room. Miss Miller is on the
balcony. Right on the table, where the
devil must have put 1T, Is that knife.
open perhaps, for the envelope that
held that note was cut Miss Maclane
takes that knife. and on the instant
Miss Miller comes in through the win
dow, the other girl shrinking back to-
ward the closet. She is behind Miss
| Miller She doesn't see her. You know
| how it would be with the girl entering
| from the balcony. the bright light be-
hind her. My friend. it's all over in a
second, and Brenda Maclane doesn't
know what she's done until she comes
| creature as different from the woman
| she supposed she had struck down as
God could make"
Kendall's forehead was dripping wet.
But the money! he gasped.
"Who knows anything about the mon.
ey?' demanded Elmendorf. "It may
have lain out of sight until Neale and
his men got there, and one of them may
have lifted it. This is not for publica-
ton, DR.. Kendall. It's between our.
selves"
tits nightmare" said Kendall. 81
don't believe d word of it,
IF you don't like the way I've put it,
let me give you another view," replied
the detective. Miss Maclane goes to
| the house - heaven knows why, per-
haps from curiosity. She goes up the
steps and sees through the glass panel
Of the outer door Alden in the hall.
With the door of Miss Miller's room
open this would be possible. Eve tried
1t. Seeing Alden, Miss Maclane hur-
ries away. She doesn't know what AL
den has just done, but she doesn't want
to meet him. DR.. Blair sees her, but
does not see Alden, who comes out aft
erward. This would be natural, for Of
course Blair's back was turned after