The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1907-04-11
The HoNaday Case
1URToNE. sTEvEHsoM
copyrIsht 1903 HenFy Holt -
BY BURTON STEVENSON.

this moment commencing the search
for her. My cheeks Redeemed at the
thought OF my indiscretness; yet he
was man to command confidence.
Who would have suspected him? And
an old proverb which he had repeated
one evening, flashed through my mind:
'Folle est la brebis Qui au loup Sc
confesse." n
"Silly is the sheep who to the wolf
herself confesses." had translated 1t,
with that painful literalness character
istic OF the beginner. Well, had been
the sheep, and silly enough, heaven
knows!
had reached Broadway, and at the
corner paused to look at q display OF
mems furnishings in a window. Far
down the street. on the other side, al
most lost In the hurrying crowd. Mar
tigny was buying a paper of news
boy. He shook 1t out and looked quick
ly up and down its columns. like a
man who is searching for some special
item of news. Perhaps he was a spec
ulator; perhaps, after all, was deceiv-
ing myself In imagining that he was
following ME. had no proof OF It; 1t
was the most natural thing In the world
that he should be in this part OF the
town. 1 must test the theory before
accepting it. 1t was time grew wary
OF theories. ....
ChNSLCu IAC blOEGp dHu 5pChL lGi
minutes looking at some neckties. When
came out again Martigny was just
getting down from q bootblack's chair
across the street. His back was toward
me, and / watched him get out HIS lit
tie purse and drop dime into the boot
blacks hand. went on UP Broadway,
lettering sometimes, sometimes walk
ing straight ahead; always away be-
hind me, lost in the crowd, was my
pursuer 1t could no longer be doubted.
He was really following me, though he
did Ii so adroitly, with such consum-
mate cunning that / should never
have seen him, never have suspected
him, but for that fortunate intuition
at the start E...
A hundred plans flashed through my
brain. had this advantage, he could
not know that suspected him. If could
only overmaster him in cunning, wrest
his secret from him-and then. as I re-
membered the strong face, the piercing
eyes, the perfect self-control, I realized
how little possible 1t was that 1 could
accomplish this. He was my superior
in diplomacy and deceit; he would not
pause, now, at any means to assure
the success of his plot. ....
Yes, could doubt no longer that
there was plot, whose depths had
not before even suspected; and drew
back from the thought with a little
shiver. What was the plot? What in-
trtcate, dreadful crime was this which
he was planning? The murder Of the
father, then, had been only the first
step. The abduction OF Frances Holla-
day was the second--what would the
third be? How could we prevent his
taking 1t? Suppose we should be un-
cessful? And, candidly, what chance
OF success could we have, fighting in
the dark against this accomplished
scoundrcl? He had the threads all In
his fingers, he controlled the situation;
we were struggling blindly, snarled in
net OF mystery from which there
seemed no escaping. My imagination
clothed him with superhuman attrib-
utes. For moment, a. wild desire pos
sessed me to turn upon him, to confront
him, to accuse him, 20 confound him
with the very certainty of my knowl-
edge, to surprise his secret, to trample
him down!
But the frenzy passed. No, he must
not discover that 1 suspected him: I
must not yield up that advantage. 1
might yet surprise him. mislead him,
set trap for him, get him to say more
than he wished to say. That battle of
wits would come later on--this very
night, perhaps-but for the moment. I
could do nothing better than carry out
my first plan. Yet, he must not sus-
pect the direction of my search-I must
throw him off the track. Why, this
was, for all the world, just like the
penny-dreadfuls OF my boyhood-and I
smiled at the thought that I had be-
come an actor in drama fitted for a
red-and-yellow cover! .....
My plan was soon made. I crossed
Broadway and turned UP Courtlandt,
sauntering along 1t until the elevated
loomed just ahead; heard the roar
of an approaching train, and stopped
to purchase some fruit at the corner
stand. My pursuer was some distance
behind, closely inspecting the bric-a-
brac in peddler's cart. The train
rumbled into the station, and. starting
as though had just perceived it, I
bounded UP the stair, slammed my ticket
into the chopper, and dived across the
platform, The guard at the rear of
the train held the gate open for me an
instant, and then changed 1t shut. We
were off with jerk; as looked back, I
saw Martigny rush out upon the plat
form. He stood staring after me for
an instant; then, with sudden grasp
ing at his breast, staggered and seemed
to fall. A crowd closed about him, the
train whisked around a corner. and I
could see no more.
But. at any rate, I was we'll free of
him, and / got Off at Bleecker street,
walked on to the Square, and began
my search. My plan was very simple.
Beginning on the east side of West
Broadway, 1t was my intention to stop
at every house and inquire whether
dodgers were kept. My experience at
the first place was a pretty fair sam
pie of all the rest. .....
A frowsy-headed woman answered
my knock ..- -.. ....# ..
You have rooms to let?"I asked.
"Oh. yes, monsieur" she answered,
with an expansive grin. Step zis way"
We mounted a dirty stair. and she
threw open the door with flourish
meant to be impressive.
"Zese are re rooms. monsieur: zey
are YER fine"
looked around them with simulated
interest, smothering my disgust as well
as 1 could.
How long have they been vacant?"
l asked.
"Since only two days, monsieur: as
you see. 2ey are YER fine rooms"
That settled 1t. If they had been va
cant only two days. l had no further
interest in them. and with some SIX
cuse made my way out, glad to 1es-