Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1906-12-21
== IF TIE ~
Marathon Mystery
n Story Of Manbaffan
By BURTON E. STEVENSON
Aather Of -Ths Holiday Case"
coeyrssAs. 1909. By Henry Hoit and Company
n Story eff Manbaffa,,
By BURTON e. STEVENSON
copyrssAs. 1909. Henry Company
CHAPTER VIM.

1
MY WAS scarcely surprised when
I8l j Godfrey's card was brought
09NSoy In to me at the Office next
9xS morning. Both Mr.. Graham
and Mr.. Royce happened to be out at
the time, so that had the inner room
to myself, and directed that Godfrey
be shown in at once.
II was expecting you," said, rising
to shake hands with him. "That stare
Of yours last night warned me that
| you'd be around to demand an explana-
ton"
Demand is hardly the word" he
corrected as he sat down. "Beseech
would be nearer 1t. I confess I was
never more surprised in my life than
when saw you sitting there calmly
chatting away with Mrs. Tremaine."
'Then you have met her? 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 little dry laugh.
"She has," he said, "but it's strange
she remembers 1t. for I'll swear she
never looked at me, or perhaps" he
added, knitting his brows, "she has
some special reason to remember I
happened to be in 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 IT."
nodded, smiling.
Eyes, remember"
Something In my face caught his at
tention.
"You mean you know something
about it?" he asked quickly. But a
movement of feet across the floor out
side interrupted him. 1--WE can't talk
here" he said. "Will you be at home
tonighty
eyes,"
"Then I'll look you up," and he turn
ed to go.
wait minute" I said. "I'm not
with Mrs. Fitch any more"
"Aren't your
mo. I'm quartered at the Mara
thon."
"At the Marathon?"
Eyes. Suit fourteen. Higgins will
show you up
He stared at me an instant with
starting eyes. Then the door opened
and Mr.. Royce came in, followed by
two clerks. M s.
"I'll look for you this evening"" /
added, hugely enjoying his stupefac-
ton.
| He nodded mechanically and turned
away, walking like man in dream.
| WELL" began Godfrey as he settled
back in his chair and looked around
the room. this is about the last place
on earth I'd have expected to find
you"
"And yet it's not SO wonderful"
pointed out. II had to change my lodg.
ings and found that these would SUIT
tits in your blood" he went on.
smiling. cit has been ever since that
affair Of Miss Holiday. You'll never
get 1t out But I'm glad you're here.
I've an idea that we're just on the
threshold of very remarkable mys-
terry, and you can help lot"
'Then the murder wasn't the endY
mo; fancy it was only the begin
ming. Now tell me how you happened
to be with Mrs. Tremaine last night"
"Tremaine had an Important bust
ness engagement" I said, which he
couldn't break. He'd promised to take
her to the theater and had secured
seats. Rather than disappoint her ht
asked me to take his plaoa."
"And she didn't ob3eotT''
.tSha made the best Of 1t, guess"
"She seemed to be getting good
deal Of fun out Of it,
"She was. She's the most unconven
tional creature I ever met She'd inter
est you, Godfrey" sj.sis IS
II don't doubt 1t in the least. But
Tremaine interests me too. You dom,
happen to know what this business en-
eagement was?" and he looked at mi
with queer smile.
mo. suppose that It had some
thing to do with his railroad"
Ellis railroadf"
I RELATED briefly the project In whic
Tremaine was engaged.
"Well, perhaps 1t was connected wit
that" Godfrey said when had finish
ed, "but indirectly-very indirectly. n
spent the evening in Dickie Delroy'
box at the opera"
It was my turn to stare.
Godfrey" / said suddenly, ether
are two points I'd like to submit t
you-both rather important ones, l far
cy. But first want you to tell me til
story Of the crime, Just as it occurred
I suspect there were some details tina
didn't get into the Record. Start
cigar first"
He took cigar and struck a match.
There were," he assented, with
{ smile, "a number Of details that didn
get before the public. Most Of ther
have an unfortunate tendency to impl
cate Miss Croydon"
He got up and walked across til
room and placed his finger over a littl
hole In the woodwork Of the bedroo1
door.
There's where the bullet from he
revolver struck" he said. There's n
doubt about that. It was taken on
. and found to tit. I'd give a good doi
to know who 1t was she ared at an
n why she fred. tell you, Lester, tn
more one thinks about that affair til
L | yoora fncnmprah on oihJo ~ honoy,,o