Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1906-12-11
CONTINUED


no; fancy 1t was only the begin
ming. Now tell me how you happened
10 be with Mrs. Tremaine last night"
"Vremane had an important bust.
ness engagement" l said. which he
couldn't break. He'd promised to take
her to the theater and had secured
seats. Rather than disappoint her he
asked me to take his place"
| "And she didn't Ohject?"
"She made the best of it, l guess"
"She seemed to be getting good
deal of fun out Of It"
"She was. She's the most unconven-
| tional creature | ever met. Shed inter
est you. Godfrey"
81 don't doubt 1t In the least. But
| Tremaine interests me too. You don't
happen to know what this business eu-
gasement was" and he looked at me
with n queer smile.
mo. suppose that it had some
thing to do with his railroad"
'His railroad?"
1 related briefly the project in which
Tremaine was engaged.
"Well. perhaps it was connected with
that" Godfrey said when had finish
ed, "but indrectly-very indirectly. He
spent the evening in Dickie Delroy's 3
box at the opera"
1t was my turn to stare.
Godfrey" l said suddenly. there
are two points I'd like to submit to
you-both rather important ones, | fam
cy. But first want you to tell me the
Story of the crime. just us 1t occurred.
| suspect there were some details that
didn't get into the Record. Start a
cigar first"
He took Il cigar anu struck match.
"Thcre We're" he aSscnted. with a
smile, "a number OF details that didn't
get before the public. Most of them
have IN unfortunate tendency to impli'
cate Miss Croydon"
He got up ana walked across the
room and placed his finger over Il little
hole in the woodwork Of the bedroom
door
There's where the bullet from her
revolver struck" he said. There's no
doubt about that. 1t was taken out
and found to fit. I'd give Il good deal
| to know who it was she fired at and
why she fired. tell you, Lester, the
more one thinks about that affair the
more inconlprehensible it becomes,
there are so many questions which
seem unanswerable. Who was Thomp-
son? How did he get in condition to
receive her? Was the murderer q
friend of Thompson's? II not, how did
he get into the rooms2 Above all, why,
after he had knocked Thompson down,
should he stand over him and shoot
him through the heart? That savors
more of wild beast than OF u human
being"
He paused a moment in q sort OF
helpless perplexity. then sat down alb
ruptly and turned to me.
what were your POINTS," he asked.
"The first" said, looking at him,
will, fear. help to tip the scale
against Miss Croydon. She came here
the morning after the inquest and
tried to rent this apartment"
He stared ut ME, astounded, his cigar
in the air, while l repeated the story
Higgins had told me. When l had fin
ished, lie SIT gazing into vacancy, his
lips compressed.
II see it puzzles you," l said ut last,
enjoying his perpleXity. II confess
couldn't make anything out OF It,"
Puzzles mel" he repeated, getting
up again aud walking nervously about
the room. why. it's the most as,
founding thing | ever heard. It's the
most unexplainable feature OF this
whole unexplainable case. l should
| think she'd never want to enter these
rooms again. But perhaps Higgins was
mistaken" he added, stopping short.
"rhat might be-" admitted, though
he swears he wasn't"
well, let's pass over 1t for q mo
ment. What's the second point? Is II
| another staggerer!'
Not u stasgerer, but another twist
| to the puzzle. | imagine. Did Ihonp'
son have any jewelry on him|
"Jewelry? Not bit. He was practi
cally In rags"
"Where was his body lying?
Fright here" and he indicated the
spot with his foot.
"And right there" l said. two days
later | found this. pressed Into tue
carpet" ANA | took little paper packet
from my pockctbook.
He opened 1t carefully and looked
at what lay inside. Then he whistlet
softly.
~ diamond. by all that's wonder
full"
"rc!l me what 1t came out Of"
said.
"One Of group. should say; ol
perhaps n border around a larger cen
trail stone"
"Precisely." nodded. And las
night I happened to notice that Mrs