Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1906-01-10
take such an interest-you will par
don me IL | weary YOU"

take such an interest-you will par
don me If weary you"
weary me? But you don'tv'
'Then will make bold to ask you
have you made any-what you call
theory of the crime?"
NO." l answered-"that is, none be-
yond what was in the newspapers-the
Legitimate daughter theory. suppose
you saw it. That seems to fit the case"
He nodded meditatively. yet l like
to imagine how NJ. LecoQ would ap-
proach it. Would he believe it was
murder simply because it SO appeared?
Has it occurred to you that Mees Hol-
laday truly might have visited her IA
Their and that his death was not muir
der at oil, but an accident?"
IAN accident?" l repeated. "How
could it be an accident? How could
man be stabbed accidentally in the
neck? Besides, even If it We're an &C.
cident, how would that explain his
daughters rushing from the building
without trying to save him, without
giving the alarm? If it wasn't MUIR
der, why should the woman, whoever
she was, be frightened? How else can
you explain her flight?"
He was looking at me thoughtfully.
"All that you say is YER true" he said.
at shows that you have given to the
case much thought. believe that you
also have a fondness for crimes of
mystery" and be smiled at me. SIS it
not so, Mistair Lester?"
~ had never suspected it." laughed,
until this case came up, but the mi
crobe seems to have bitten mo-"
"4Ah, yes," he said doubtfully, not
quite understanding.
"And I've rather fancied at times"
admitted, shat should like to take u
hand at solving it-though, of course,
never shall Our connection with the
case is ended"
He shot me a quick glance, then
lighted another cigarette.
Suppose it We're assigned to you to
solve it," he asked, show would you
set about it:"
I'D try to find the mysterious wo-
man."
But the police, SO understand, at
tempted that and failed" he objected.
GLOW could you succeedy'
"Oh, dare say shouldn't succeed"
laughed, his air striking me us a little
more earnest than the occasion de-
manded. II should probably fail, just
as the police did"
In France" he remarked, ut is
not in the least expected that men OF
the law should
Nor is it here" explained. "Only
Of course, Il lawyer can't help 1t some
times. Some cases demand more OF
less detective work and are vet too del
icate to be intrusted to the police"
ut is also the fault Of our police thai
it is too fond of the newspapers, o.
posing before the public. 1t is faul
of human nature, is it not?'
You speak English SO well, Mr.
Martigny," l said. that l have won
aered where you learned it."
Il was some years in England-th
business Of wine-and devoted mysel
seriously to the study of the language
But still find it sometimes very diff
cult to understand you Americans
you speak SO much more rapidly thai
The English and SO much less distinct
~. You have way of running you
words together, of dropping whole syl
lables"-
YES" smiled, land that is the yer,
thing we complain of in the French"
"Oh, our elisions are governed b,
well defined laws which each one com
prehends, while here
every man is n law unto himself
Remember it is the land of the free
And the home of the license, is /
not" lie added, unconscious of irony.
Yes, l decided, was very fortunat
in gaining Ma:;igny's acquaintance
OF course after lie orened his business
he would have .ess time to devote t
me, but nevertheless we siloa.d hav
many pleasant evenings together, am
| looked forward to them With consid
; cradle anticipation. He was intcres,
ing in himself-en entertaining, with tina
. large tolerance and good humor whic
have already mentioned and whic
was one of the most striking character
istics of the man And then-shall
t admit it'll was lonely, too, some
times, as l suppose every bachelo
must be, and welcomed a companion
r .
1t was Monday, the fourteenth da,
OF April, and we had just opened til
office, when clerk hurried in with
message for Mr.. Royce.
There's n man out here who want
to see you at once, SIR he said. "H
says his names Thompson and thu
he's Miss Frances Holidays butler"
Our Junior half started from his chat
in his excitement; then he controlle
himself and sank back into it again.
'Show him ill.," he said, and sat wit
his eyes on the door, haggard in a.
pearance. ptiful in his eagcrncss. Nc
until that moment had noticel lo
the past week had aged him and wor
him down. His work of course migl
account for part of it. but not for al
He seemed almost Ill.
The door opened in a moment I'm
t gray haired man of about sixty el
{; tered He was fairly gasping fc
breath and plainly laboring undo
strong emotion.
2 "Well, Thompson" demanded NJ
Royce, whats the trouble now?'
"Trouble enough, slrv' cried the oil
l er. my mistress has been mad
away with. sir. She left town jus
ten days ago for Belair, where W
2 We're all waiting for her, and nobod
has set eyes on her since, SIR"
fro EE Continued