Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1906-10-27

lin through the heart? That sayors
more Of wild beast than OF human
being"
lie paused a moment IN n sort OF
helpless perplexlty. then sat down alb
ruptly and turned TO me.
What were your pointsT' he asked.
THE hrst," I said. looking at him.
'will, ! fear. help 70 tip the scale
against Miss Croydon. She came here
the morning after the inquest and
tried 90 rent this apartment"
he stared at me. astounded. his cigar
IN the air. while ! repeated the story
Higgins had told me- When 1 had fin
ished. he sat gazing into vacancy, his
lips compressed.
7 see it puzzles YOU" I said ar last.
enjoying his perpieNity. 4 confess I
couldn't make anything ont OF IT,"
Puzzles mer' he repeated. getting
UP again and walking nervously about
the room. why. it's the most as
founding thing I ever heard. It's the
most uueXplainable feature Of this
whole uneXplainable case. I should
think she'd never want 10 enter these
rooms again But perhaps Higgins was
mistaken" he added. stopping short
THAT might De-" / admitted, though
he swears he wasn't"
"WeH. let's pass over it for a mo
ment What's the second polntf Is 1t
another staggererFr
"Not "a staEgercr. but another twist
90 the puzzle. I imagine Did Thomp-
son have any jewelry on himF"
"Jeweiryg Not bit He was practi-
cally in rags"
where was his body lyingTr
Fright here" and De indicated the
spot with his foot
And richt there" I said. 1.-TWO days
later I found this. pressed into the
carpet" and took little paper packet
from my pockctbook-
lie opened it carefully and looked
at what lay inside. Then he whistled
softly
"a diamond. by all that's wonder
fulr'
"Ten me what it came out Of" J
said.
cone OF q group. I should say: or
perhaps q border around a larger cen
trail stone"
Precisely nodded "And last
night I happened 90 notice that Mrs.
Tremalne wore "a pin with just such
an arrangement OF stones. one OF the
small diamonds IN the border was
missing"
Godfrey wrapped mp the tiny bit OF
crystal and handed 81 back 20 me with
an exceedingly thoughtful face.
That's a mighty pretty bit OF evil
dence." lac said az last. though. OF
course. IL may Doe only coincidence
Taken by itself 10 isn't worth a cent:
in connection with other evidence IL
would Dee worth great deal"
And there isn't any otherg"
Just one little blt. You say Ire
maine comes from Martinique. We'll.
among Thompsou's clothes I found a
peculiar nut called snake nut. which
grows only 10 the West Indies. When
YOU add 20 this that Thompson's cloth
ing was all such as Is worn IN the
tropics. tho presumption Is pretty
strong that he lived for awhile some
where ia Tremaine's neighborhood."
] nodded; then my face feli.
After AL" ! pointed out. "all that
amounts 20 nothing. Both Tremaine
and his wife can prove an alibi. They
weren't IN the building when the crime
was committed. You yourself saw
them coming back"
"V '' wen puzzle Il out In time. II
] only had a chance 20 study Tremalne.
to hear him talk. 20 watch him without
being seen. That would be worth more
TO me than all this theOrizing. Then
I'd have my feet on solid ground;
could-sh,-whO's thatY'
A door opened and step crossed the
hall. There came a tap at my door.
Godfrey shot me one electric glance.
then. lightly as panther be seized
coat and hat and disappeared into the
bedroom. leaving the door slightly aJar.