The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1907-10-24

~ A---N
The ear stopped and he led the way
down the hall without troubling to I'm
ish the sentence.
Here VIC are" he added, pausing
before a door and producing a bunch
OF keys. which reminds me that I'll
have Z git a key fer you-the other
tenant lost his-leastways. 1t wasn't
found on him. Or mebbe you'd rather
ia change tn lock?" r
"oh, no. | assured him. Another
key win do" and we entered together.
1 examined the room with keen in
terest. Evidently everything had been
left Just as 1t was on the night OF the
crime; only the body had been re-
moved, and ii, | knew. was at the
2 gins was busy pointing out to rne the
advantages OF the apartment, but /
confess I did not hear him. ! recon-
structed the picture which had met
Godfrcy's eye when he burst into the
room: | tried in vain to discern some
point OF evidence which he had over
looked. The furniture was of the COM
rnonest kind and consisted Of only the
most necessary articles.
Higgins led the way into the bed
room and opened the door Of the bath
room beyond.
II shall bring my own furniture" !
said. But L haven't any carpets. Per-
th~RD NaiA Sey ~'~@S' @A~S 49, PA~N
"They are. SIR" agreed Higgins.
They're good carpets n as good as
tn day they was put down. It'll make
It lots easier for us If we don't have t
take EN- up"
fAn right" / agreed. Find out
what they're worth. When can you
lave the rooms ready"
He looked at me IN scratched his
head again; then. remembering sud-
denly the nature of tanitors, / took out
my purse and tipped him.
Have then ready by tomorrow aft
ernoon," said. Get a man to help
you. il necessary. I'll expect to be at
home here tomorrow night"
His face cleared instantly. -
.Tll do IL. sir" he agreed, as he
pocketed the money. I'll see that
everything gifts I'm all right. You kin
sign tn rent agreement tomorrow-th'
SCOT rents fer forty a month"
Every WELL" l said. and followed him
into tho outer room, smiling to myself
at the thought that / had forgotten
70 ask for this important detail.
Would you mind if l sat down and
took n smoke, while ! decide how I'll
arrange my furniture"
That's all right, sir" he assured me
Instantly: and just then the elevator
bell rang. There" he added, its
them COMPOUNDED artists, too lazy t.
walk downstairs. I'll be back In a
minute. sir"
IL took me but an instant to light my
cigar, then I whirled my chair around
70 the table before which IT stood. The
table had a single drawer. l opened
II. Ii was absolutely empty. / went
quickly TO tho bedroom and opened
the closet. but not even q piece OF
clothing hung there. Then / turned to
the dresser. but its three drawers, too,
were empty. Evidently all of Thomp-
sons belongings had beer removed by
the police. OF course they had searched
through every nook and Granny; 1t vas
foolish of me to expect to find any
thing nov.
( returned to my chair and looked
again about the room. There was the
corner where Miss Croydon had cow
cred. and from which h had shot at
Thompson's assailant; there was the
spot where Thompson himself had fall
len: he had lain extended ion the car
pct, while the--what was that? A
tiny sparkle caught my eye, a reflec-
ton of the light overhead. / sprang
from my chair IND stopped above the
place. but could see nothing. / re-
turned TO my chair, and again caught
the reflection, This time, ] marked 1t
exactly in the pattern of the carpet,
went to IL carefully; put down my
Observation-Disclosures. a little hard point
pressed into the carpet, so minute l
could not pick 1t up. l moistened my
finger, and an instant later, under the
light, ! saw that l had found a dia-
mond!
l wrapped it carefully in q scrap of
paper and slowed II away safely in my
pocketbook. Then I went back to my
chair. How came the diamond there?
a. stone so minute must have been set
in a piece of jewelry; perhaps was
oplv ma NJ FnanU aIlch ctnpas farming
a cluster. or a border to a larger jewel.
IL one could only discover the piece
from which 1t had fallen, there would
be a ciew-
We'll, have y got it all fixed, sir p"
asked a voice from the door, and !
turned with O start to see Higgins
standing there.
"Yes." L answered, rousing myself
with an effort; and / gave him such
directions as occurred to me. Has
anyone else been in the rooms?" l
asked.
mot since yesterday mornin'. sir.
when tn coroner brought his Jury {
look 'em over. They've been locked
since then"
II thought perhaps somebody might
AVE wanted to rem them" / explained.
SAY, that's funny" he cried. I'D
purity night forgot it. Early this
mornin' they was somebody wom-
4liks Et - N1hlO SloCS " tiit III hIOpDCu
hts voice to a hoarse whisper. ID v
know who / think 1T was? That Croy-
don womant"
I stared at him In amazement.
Weren't you sure?"
mo; she had a veil wrapped around
her head an she was dressed different.
But IL was her-I know IT,"
And what did she ?" l asked,
more and more astonished.
she wanted t see tn rooms: but l
told her they was closed. / tell you. I
was dead Rfeard t come up here with
her. How'd 1 know but she'd take a
shot at me2 Then she wanted L rent
'em sight unseen, an offered a months
rent I'm adyance-but / told her
we didn't rent scots t single women,
which Is true. Mebbe l was kind o.
rough. but I was a-skeered Z have her
around, Ter / kline o. believe she's crazy,
so purity soon, after some more talkin'
she give 1t up an went away"
AS we went down In THE elevator, I
pondered this remarkable story. Gould
II really nave been Miss Croydon? But
what possible reason could h have
for wishing to rent the rooms? How
could she nerve herself to enter them
again? Was IL the rooms and not the
man that had brought her to the Mara