Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1907-01-01
NUMBER |.

"Yes," | said, "and | have cudgeled
my brain in vain trying to Imagine
| what that message could have been"
well" remarked Godfrey, while
we can't, of course, give its actual
txt, / don't think 1t very difficult to
Tess its general tenor. We know
what Tremaine came here to do-he
came to blackmail Mrs. Delroy. It's
pretty safe, then, to suppose that the
message told him that she was black
mailable-in other words, that she had
married rich man. No doubt Ire
maine's money was running low, and he
| jumped at this chance Of replenlshing
his purse. Thompson was working his
way toward st. Pierre to join him, and
| actually reached there on the Parma
| Just as Tremaine was leaving. Per.
haps Tremaine had tried to play
Thompson false a second time.
| Now" lie continued, "let Us see how
nearly we can reconstruct the scene
which occurred in this room. Ire
maine supplies Thompson on the voy.
age up with whisky and agrees to
keep him supplied, believing that he
may be useful-not daring, ut any rate,
to make an open enemy Of him lest he
spoil his game here Thompson had
only TO speak word to the police to
| put Tremainc back in Sing Sing to
serve out his uncXpired term. Arrived
at New York. lie establishes himself In
that suit across the hall and spends a
week or two in looking over the
ground, ostensibly boosting his railroad
scheme. Thompson, who has been In
Jail, joins him and takes these rooms.
| "At last Treinaine is ready-or per-
haps his lack of money forces him to
act He writes Il note to Mrs. Delroy
telling her that he's alive and wishes
TO share in her prosperity. He de-
mands that she meet him In these
rooms, asking for Thompson. That
leaves him free from suspicion should
she show the note to her husband and
should he attempt to have the writer
arrested for blackmail. But she isn't
so sensible. Perhaps she disregards his
first note: perhaps she's unable to de-
eide what to do. She has, OF course,
been thrown into panic. He writes
again. In despair she seeks the advice
of her sister, and Miss Croydon. who
Is by far the stronger Of the two. OF.
fers to come here herself, see the man
and find out what he proposes to do.
"Tremaine has secured ThOmpson's
key, given him some money and sent
| him out 10 get drunk. But for Jimmy
| the Dude he would probably have stay
ed away-probably in the lockup-but
Jimmy hdngs him home. Tremaine
has 10 make the best Of II, since there
| isn't time TO get Thompson out OF the
way again. Anyway. he's so dead
drunk that Trematnc anticipates no In
terfcrence from him He shuts him In
the bedroom and sits down to wait for
Miss Croydon.
"She arrives promptly, despite the
rain, ali,i We can imagine that the dla-
logue which followed was not OF n
milk and water kind: both Of them are
full Of fire. ana they made the sparks
fly.
Thompson Is aroused by the voices
or perhaps wakes naturally. comes into
the outer room and interferes. He Is
still half drunk; perhaps he threatens
Tremaine. At any rate, Tremaine
picks up the iron pipe and knocks him
down; then in Il sudden black frenzy
of anger. remembering Australia. see.
ing how Thompson will always stand
in his way. h. draws his revolver ana
shoots him through! the heart. That
done. he walks ont. closes the door
goes TO his room and 1t Il fayoraae
moment leaves the building"
He leaned back IN his chair and ap-
piled fresh match to his cig.r.
~ hat" he concluded. 'iS ny idea OF
the st0ry. There's one person who can
ill in the "details. I'm going 10 apply
to he. Il; soaI lis get back from B0s.
tom
, "You mean Miss CroydOn"
yes" he nodded: "and think Ire
maine is prr,y y near the end Of his nd.
| ventlrouS career"
There's one thing" remarked after
n moment" that diamond ! found on
the floor here diGi;'t come from Ire
names pin. t.ied II last night. and
it didn't it."
Godfrey smiled rs be placed the clip.
pings carefully in his pOckctbook.
81 know it. he said. Il meant to tell
you. 1t came from Il ring helongiug II
Jimmy the Duie. ! saw him tonight
across the street. Simmonds had hhr
| I'm for another sweating - Simm0nds
isn't quite convinced yet that Jimmy's
innocent-and | noticed ring on his
finger contained cluster Of lit,.e d!a-
monds. One Of them was gone. und
when | questioned him he said he'd
lost it somewhere the night Thompson
was killed. He probably dropped II
here as he was helping ThOmp Oh to
bed"
That's It, no doubt" agreed. But
II breaks one thread Of evidence"
"We don't need it, declared God.
frey confidently. as he arose to 90.
We've got chain about Tremalne.
Lester. that lie can't break. and We'll
compel Miss Croydon to forge the last
rivet."
But in my dreams that night l saw
him breaking the chains. trampllng up
OH them, hurting them from him.
tried to hold them fast with al my
puny strength, for fancied that once
free he would sweep over the earth
like a pestilence. Then. suddenly, Il
was not Tremaine. but Ceclly. was
holding. She turned to look ut me with
countenance so terrible that 1t pal.
sled me. Her eyes scorched me with q
white heat, burnt me through and
through. Then she raised her hand and
struck me heavy blow upon the head
-again-again-till, blindly. In agony.
loosed my hold of her and fell.
tro BIZ ooHrDUu.l