Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1906-10-27
CHAPTER VIII.
lsI / |
L&nSl


and Mr.. Royce happened TO be out az
the time. so that had the inner room
20 myself. and I directed that Godfrey
be shown In az once.
Il WAS expecting you" I said. rising
20 shake hands with him. That stare
Of yours last night warned me that
you'd De around 10 demand an explana-
ton"
Demand is hardly the word" he
corrected as he sat down. "Beseech
would be nearer It. I confess I was
never more surprised in my lie than
when I saw you sitting there calmly
chatting away with Mrs. Tremalne."
Then you have met herr She
thought she was mistaken"
You mean she knew meT' he asked
quickly
"She asked who you were; she fan
cied she'd met YOU somewhere"
Godfrey laughed a little dry laugh.
"She has" he said. "but it's strange
she remembers II. for III swear she
never looked at me. or perhaps" he
added, knitting his brows. "she has
some special reason 20 remember. 7
happened 70 be ina the hall Of the Mara
thon apartment house talking with
Higgins. the janitor. when she and her
husband came in from dinner the night
that man Thompson was killed there.
Perhaps you remember about itT'
i nodded smiling.
EYES. ] remember"
Something in my face caught his at
teution
you mean you know something
about itf' he asked quickly But "a
movement OF feet across the floor out
side Interrupted him. I'VE can't talk
here" he said. "Wu you be ut home
tonlghty'
"Yes."
Then IN look you up" and he turn
Cd 20 go.
wait minute" I said I'm not
with Mrs. Fitch any more"
Aren't yout"
"No. I'm Quartcred at the Mara
thon."
AT the Marathon
ayes. suit fourteen. Higgins viii
show you up"
He stared az me an instant with
starting eyes. Then the door opened
and Mr.. Royce came ia. followed by
two clerks
"Tn look for you this evening"
added, hugely enjoying his stupefac-
ton.
He nodded mechanically and turned
away, walking like a man In a dream.
We'll" began Godfrey as he settled
back Ga his chair aud looked around
the room. "thls is about the last place
on earth I'd have expected 20 dnd
you"
And yet it's not so wonderful"
pointed out. Il had 10 change my lodg-
ings and found that these would suit"
ITS 10 your blood" he went on.
smiling. 1T has been ever since that
affair Of Miss Holiday. You'u never
get IL out But I'm glad you're here
I've an idea that were just on the
threshold OF a very remarkable mys-
tery. and you can help a lot"
''Then the murder wasn't the endG"
''NO; ! fancy IL was only the begin
ming. Now tell me how you happened
10 be with Mrs Tremaine last night"
''Tremaine had an important busl-
ness engagement" ] said. which he
couldn't break. He'd promised 20 take
her 10 the theater and had secured
seats. Rather than dissppoint her he
asked me 10 take his place"
"And she didn't obiectT'
''She made the best OF IL. guess"
'She seemed 10 be getting a good
deal OF fun out OF IT,"
"She was. she's the most unconven-
tiOnal creature ever met. she'd inter
est yOu, Godfrey"
81 don't doubt IL in the least. BIT
Tremaine interests me too. You don't
happen 10 know what this business en-
gagement wasT" and he looked at me-
with a queer smile.
mo. I suppose that IL had some
thing 20 DO with his railroad"
His railroadg"
/ related briefly the project IN which
Tremalne was engaged.
We'll. perhaps IL was connected with
that" Godfrey said when had finish
ed. "but indirectly-very indirectly. He
spent the evening In Dickie Delroy's
box at the opera"
II was my turn 10 stare.
Godfrey" / said suddenly. there
are two points I'd Ike TO submit TO
you-bOth rather important ones. fan
cy. But first I want you 10 tell me the
story OF the crime. just as 1t occurred.
suspect there were some details that
didn't get into the Record. Start a
cigar first"
lie took cigar and struck a match.
There We're" he assented. with
smile, "a number OF details that didn't
get before the public. Most OF them
have an unfortunate tendency to impI-
cate Miss Croydon"
He got up and walked across the
room and placed his finger over a little
hole in the woodwork of the bedroom
door.
There's where the bullet from her
revolver struck" he said. There's no
doubt about that 1t was taken out
and found TO fit. I'd give a good deal
10 know who IL was she fired at and
why she fired. / tell you. Lester. the
more one thinks about that affair the