Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-12-01

and of immense value. Wearing sucn
gem, then, she entered the fatal
aIcove, and, with smile on her face
prepared to employ her destinations
on whoever CHANGED to come within
their reach. But now something hap
pened Please let me tell 1t my owTk
way. A shout from the driveway, or
a bit Of snow thrown against the win7
dow, drew her attention to man
standing below, holding up a note
fastened to the end Of whiphandle.
do not know whether or not you
have found that man. II you have
The Inspector made no sign. Il judge
that you have not, so may go on
with my suggestions Mrs. Fair
brother took in this note. She may
have expected it and for this reason
chose the alcove to sit In, or It may
have been a surprise to her. Probably
we shall never know the whole truth
about 1t; but what we can know and
do, If you are still holding to oir COM
pact and viewing this crime in-the light
of Mr.. Durand's explanations, is that
1t made change in her and made her!
anxious to rid herself of the diamond.
1t has been decided that the hurried
scrawl should read, Take warning.
He means to be at the ball. Expect
trouble If you do not give him the
diamond or something to that effect.
But why was 1t passed up to her i11-
finished? Was the haste too great!
I hardly think so. I believe In ar,-
other explanation, which points with
startling directness to the possibility
that the person referred to IN this
broken communication was not Mr,
Durand, but one whom need not
name; and that the reason you have
| failed to find the messenger, OF whose
appearance you have received definite
information. is that you have not
| looked among the servants Of a Ger.
tain. distinguished visitor In town.
Oh" burst forth with feverish vo1u-
| bility, as saw the Inspectors lips
open in what could not fail to be q
sarcastic utterance, .T know what you
feel tempted to reply. Why should
servant deliver warning against his
own master? If you will be patient
with me you will soon see; but first I
wish to make it clear that Mrs. Fair
brother having received this warning
just before Mr.. Durand appeared In
the alcove,-reckless scheming wo-
man that she was! -sought to rid her.
self of the object against which 1t was
directed in the way we have tempor-
arily accepted as true. Relying on
her arts, and possibly misconceiving
the nature Of Mr.. Durand's interest In
her, she hands over the diamond hid
den in her rolledeup gloves, which he,
without suspicion, carries away with
him thus linking himself fndissolubly
to a great crime of which another was
the perpetrator. That other, or SO
!, believe from my very heart Of hearts,
was the man I saw leaning against
the wall at the foot OF the alcove; a
few minutes before passed into the
supper-room.
}, stopped with gasp, hardly able
J to meet the stern and forbfdding look
with which the Inspector sought to re.
strain what he evidently considered
the senseless rawlings of a child. But
81 I had come there to speak, and, I
, hastily proceeded before the rebuke
thus expressed could formulate itself
3 into words.
r II have some excuse for a dec1ara-
ton so monstrous. Perhaps I am the
only person who can satisfy you IN re-
j. gard to a certain fact about which you
i have expressed some curiosity. In
;. spector, have you ever solved the
y mystery OF the two broken coffee-cups
t found amongst the debris at Mrs. Fair.
t brothers feet? 1t did not come out
S In the inquest, noticed"
(" Mot yet" he cried, "but--you can
not tell me anything about them!
It Possibly not. But l can tell you
/ this: When I reached the supper
n room door that evening looked back
e and, providentially or otherwise only
s. the future can determine that-detect
8 ed Mr.. Grey in the act Of lifting two
d cups from tray left by some waiter
r. on a table standing just outside the
a. reception-room door. I did not SEE
r where he carried them; / only saw
h his face turned toward the alcove
;e and as there was no other lady there
q or anywhere near there, have dared
SO to think"
le Here the inspector found speech.
lie "You saw Mr.. Grey lift two cup
s. and turn toward the alcove at a mo
il ment we all know to have been crit
ID cal? You should have told me tht
re before. He may be a possible viii
n ness"
" scarcely listened. was too full
e. of my own argument.
t; There were other people In tn
d. hall, especially at my end OF 1t. Z
Id perfect throng was coming from tn
he billiard-room, where the dancing ha
ge been, and it might easily be that b
i'd could both enter and leave that 81
NJ cluded spot without attracting after
la ton. He had shown too early an
he much too Enthusiastically his lack OF ii
M. terest in the general company for hl
so every movement to be watched as 8
his first arrival. But this Is simpl
RS conjecture; what have to say next
evidence. The stiletto-have 70
ed studied it, sdr? have, from the pi
In lures. It is very quaint; and anon
the devices on the handle is one thu
lot especially attracted my attention
xn See! This Is what mean" And
ro- handed him a drawing which. hs