Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1907-01-15
n Story of Manhattan
By BURTON E. STEVENSON
Author Of "The Holiday Case"


upon MIN.
The next instant l was down on my
hands and knees tearing away the car
pet, my blood singing in my ears. I
had found them-the clippings-it was
here they must be hidden. But for
those chance lacks driven by the jan
itor Tremaine would have had posses
sion of them long ago, and perhaps we
should never have penetrated the mys-
terry of Thompson's death. Now it
would be laid bare before us : the
whole secret. What a little thing it
was that had saved us!
I had the carpet loose-I turned it
back, and there they lay, that little roll
Of clippings, just as they had been
taken from Thompson's pocketbook
They were to tell us the whole story
we could not again be led astray. I
was quite calm again. picked them
up carefully and laid them on my desk.
Then washed my hands and filled my
pipe. There was a certain exquisite
pleasure in holding myself back from
them, in tantalizing myself, in defer
ring for moment or two the revela-
tion which was to come.
But at last sat down and spread
them out on the desk before me. There
were twelve Of them, some only few
lines In length, others Of half column.
OF one there We're four copies, but of
the others only one apiece. They were
tattered and stained from long carry
ing; some were in English and some
were in French, and they We're dated
from places as far apart as Dieppe,
New York, Sydney.
piled them carefully beside me and
started hopefully on the task of de-
ciphering them-of piecing together the
story they had to tell me. But the
farther l proceeded the more my
spirits fell, for they told no story, they
seemed to have no relation to each
bther-no common thread. Apparently,
they had been gathered aimlessly at
haphazard to satisfy the within of the
moment. One chronicled wreck at
sea; another bank robbery; third
nm escape from prison; fourth was
merely marriage notice; fifth told
of row in sailors dive, and so on
down the list. They We're about differ
.ent people-friends of Thompson's, per-
haps; none Of them had any connec-
ton with Tremaine; they told no story,
furnished no clew, shed not ray of
light on the mystery-they were abso-
lutely worthless.
laid them down in despair. Yet if
they were worthless, why had Miss
Croydon taken them? Why had Ire
maine sought for them? Were they
mistaken too? Had they imagined the
clippings told secret which in fact
they did not tell? But perhaps they
did tell it-perhaps had overlooked it.
They must have some connection with
the tragedy? Why could 1 not per-
ceiye 1t?
I ran through them feverishfy again,
but with no better result. At last l
laid them down and took up my pipe.
must submit them to a keener brain
than mine. If Godfrey We're only here!
l heard step come down the hall,
stop at my door. Some one knocked
I hastily stuffed the clippings into
my pocket and opened the door. But
it was not Tremaine who stood there.
1t was Godfrey.
"Well. of all things!" 1 cried. 81 was
just wishing for you. Come in"
With that quiet smile of his he step
ped over the threshold.
"That must mean you've got some
N 10 cfiiI
smiling.
Il have; the worst yet; impenetrable
US the countenance of the sphinx. But
first give me your coat and hat
They were dripping with water, and
for the first time heard the rain beat
ing savagely against the windows.
II happened to be across the street
talking with Simmonds," he said, land
thought I'd run over and see you a
moment"
when did you get back from Wash
ington?'
'Just this evening, and I've got to
put in tomorrow at Boston, worse
luckv'
handed him cigar and took one
myself. l confess that the match with
which l lighted it was not wholly
steady.
Come" said Godfrey, smiling in
sympathy with my excitement, what's
the great discovery? Some news from
the house party?"
mo. haven't heard a word from
the house party"
"What is it, then? Out with it,
Godfrey" cried, 1--WE found the
clippings" And plunged my hand
into my pocket and drew them forth.
He was out Of his seat in an instant.
"The clippings! Not the ones
"The very ones!' 1 nodded trium-
phantly.
"Let me see them. But wait" and
he held himself back. 81 confess you
surprised me, Lester. / wasn't expect
ing such bomb. This is great luck.
Where did you find them?"
told him Of Higgins chance remark
that had put me on the track, and in
the same breath related what Cecily
had told me of Tremaine and his en-
counter with his zombi.
"Good boyw Godfrey commended
when l had finished You're worth
all the rest Of us put together. You
see, we're beginning to get the threads
IN hand. Now bring the clippings over
here to the desk under the light"
+. I laid them on the desk and he sat
down before 1t.
y But, here" he said, starting up
again, you'll want to see them too