Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-11-10

clutched my uncleS arm.
Where shall we go?" asked.
The drawing-room is too large. In
this hall my eyes are for ever travel
ing in the direction of the alcoye.
Don't you know some little room7
Oh, what, what can he want OF me?"
Nothing serious, nothing import |
| ant" clustered my good uncle. Some
triviality such as you can answer In
know one, there, under the stairs
Why did we sever come to this
| wretched ball?"
had no answer for this. Why
indeed!
My uncle, who is very patient
| man, guided me to the place he had
| picked out, without adding word to-
the ejaculation in which he had just
allowed him impatience to expend III
| self. But once seated within, and out
of the range of peerintg eyes and list
ening ears, he allowed a sigh to esq
cape him which expressed the full
ness of his agitation.
"My DEAR" he began, and stopped
| II feel" here he again came to q
pause" that you should know
| "What?" I managed to ask.
"That do not like Mr.. Durand anG
| that others do not like him"
rs it because of something YOU'D
knew about him before tonight"
| He made no answer.
"Or because he was seen, lik@
many other gentlemen, talking with
that woman some time beforeaa
| long time before-she was attacked
| for her diamond and murdered?"
Pardon me, my dear, he was the
last one seen talking to her. Some
one may yet be found who went I'M
! after he came out, but as yet he IL
| considered the last. Mr.. RamsdelH>
himself told me So"
ut makes no difference" I ex4
claimed, in all the heat Of my long1
suppressed agitation. IT am willing
to stake my life on his integrity and
honor. No man could talk to me as
he did early this evening with any
| vile intentions at heart. He was inA
terested, no doubt, like many others.
| in one who had the name Of being al
captivating woman, but"
paused in sudden alarm. A looH
had crossed my uncle's face. which
assured me that We were nos longer
alone. Who could have entered sd
silently? In some trepidation &
turned to see. A gentleman was
standing in the doorway, who smiled
as I met his eye.
us this Miss Van Arsdale?" he
asked.
Instantly my courage, which had
threatened to leave me, returned and
I smiled.
II am" said I. "Are you the ins
spector?"
Inspector Dalzell," he explained
with bow, which included my uncle.
Then he closed the door.
81 hope I have not frightened you,"
he went on, approaching me with a
gentlemanly air. "a little matter has
come up concerning which mean to-
be perfectly frank with you. It nlay|
prove to be Of trivial Importance; i'll
so, you will pardon my disturbingl
you. Mr.. Durand-you know him?' /
am engaged to him." l declared
before poor uncle could raise his
hand.
"You are engaged to him. Well,
that makes it difficult, and yet, in
some respects, easier for me to ask al
certain question"
| It must have made it more difiS
|
to put this question Immediately, but
1 went on:
"You know that Mr.. Durand visited
Mrs. Fairbrother in the alcove little
while before her death?"
II have been told So"
He was seen to go In, but I hava
not yet found any one who saw him
come out; consequently we havd
been unable to fix the exact minuteI
when, he did so. What is the matterA
Miss Van Arsdale? You want to saN
something's"
"No, no." protested, reconsid ering
my first impulse. Then, as met hisi
look, HE can probably tell you that
himself I am sure he would not
hesitate"
1--WE shall ask him later" was the
inspectors response. Meanwhile,
are you ready to assure me that
since that time he has not intrusted
YOU with a little article to keep
No, no, do not mean the diamond, =
he broke in, In very evident djsmays
as fell back from him in irrepresl
sible indignation and alarm. The
diamond-well, We shall look for that
later; it is another article we are In
search of now, one which Mr.. Durand
might very well have taken in his
hand without realizing just what he
was doing. AS it is important for u.s.
to find this article, and as it is one
he might very mutually have passed
over to you when he found himself I'M
the hall with it in his hand, have,
ventured to ask you if this surmise Isl
correct"
ct is not" retorted fiercely, glad
that could speak from my very
heart. "He has given me nothing tai
keep for him. He would not"
Why that peculiar look in the ins
spector's eye? Why did he reach Out
for a chair and seat me in it before
he took up my interrupted sentence
and finished it?
would not give you anything I'd
hold which had belonged to another
woman? Mss Van Arsdale, you do
not know men. They do many things
which a young, trusting girl like
yourself would hardly expect from