The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1907-10-17

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y ing tobacco. There's one thing about
the clothing. t~hough--have you noticed?
It's all summer clothing: see these
linen trousers, now"
Godfrey nodded. with drawn brows.
Whats this?" he asked suddenly,
holding up a swart object, shaped k
n clam-shell and halving In the same
way along the sharp-edge.
II don't know. A curio picked up at
sea s~omewheres, perhaps. l have a
theory that Thompson was a sailor"
"Why2' ..
"Well, .he bag in the first place-only
a sailor would carry his clothes that
way. Then, put your head down in 1t
and, under the tobacco. you'll smell the
salt"
Godfrey shifted n nodded again.
Then he got out his knife.
Lets take a look at the inside of
Mr.. Thompson's curio," he said, and
inserted the blade.
A twist and the sides Enclosed. Sim
monds sprang back with n sharp cry
OF surprise as he saw what lay within,
and even Godfrey's heart gave a sud-
den leap.
For there. coiled thrice upon itself,
lay a little viper, with venomous, tri-
angular head.
Then, in an instant, Godfrey smiled.
Its not alive" he said. Don't you
see, It's some marvellous kind of nut"
Simmonds approached cautiously
took another look.
"a nut?" he repeated. "A nut? Well?
that beats met
And well 1t might, for in every detail
the form was perfect. Godfrey looked
at 1t musingly.
This may give us a clew." he said.
II shouldn't imagine q nut like this
grows In many parts OF the world.
Though, OF course. a sailor might pick
It UP anywhere-from another sailor, in
a slop-shop. even here In New York,
perhaps
He closed the shell together again
and placed II I'm the bag, stufing the
rest OF The clothing in after 1t.
Thompson had no very exalted idea
OF cleanliness he remarked. His
clothing needs a visit to the laundry.
And this Is all?"
"Yes-he'd rented his furniture from
a store down the street, He hal to pay
his rent In advance because he had so
little baggage. That receipts the only
thing that's got his name on it-oh,
yes: there's a letter tattooed on his left
arm, but It's not a TITS a J."
Which goes to show that his name
wasn't Thompson. / think you're right,
Simmonds. In putting him down as a
sailor. / thought go last night-in fact,
I've already got two men making a
o of the docks trying to ind some
body who knew him"
"Hnve your said Simmonds, smil-
ing. That's like you. There's anoth-
err curious thing, though. about the
clothing he had on .
What Is that?"
Some OF it's marked with one initial,
some with another. No one piece is
marked with his"
That Is queer" commented God
frey; but II isn't half so queer as
~. I-.A
drunkard, without a decent suit OF
clothes. rent IL apartment that costs
him forty dollars a month, when he
could get a room 70" O dollar a week
down on the Bowery. his natural
stamping ground?"
Simmonds nodded helplessly.
That's So" he said.
Unless" added Godfrey. "he thought
he had to have some such place to
work from. He could hardly have
asked Miss Croydon to meet him in a
Bowery lodging house.
mo-" agreed Simmonds; but he
needn't have blown in forty dollars,
either. He could "a got a nice room
most anywhere uptown for Ave a
week
Al tap at the door interrupted him.
Come in,' he called.
The door opened and the c%oroner's
clerk entered.
.Mr. Goldberg sent the exhibits back
to you" he said, holding u a parcel
to Simmonds.
simmonds opened it and took Out a
pocket-book, a pipe. a knife, and some
silver money.
''All right" he said. and signed a re-
ceipt.
Godfrey waited until the door closed.
then he rose and came over to Sim
monds's side.
tt ttqrharato cnpnathin0 hnra fbaf n1iphf
help u.s. he said. picking up the
pocket-book. Those clippings-why,
they're not here"
Simmonds smiled drily.
That's another thing l wanted to tell
you. The clippings have been re-
moved
''Removed? BY whom"
That's a question. They were re-
moved some time between the moment
we looked at them n the m the
coroner too charge"
Godfrey stared at him with startled
eyes.
You remember Slmmonds con-
tinued, that after we looked at the
p~ocketbook. / put it back in Thomp-
sons pocket
..Yes-I saw you dc that"
I'VE then went into the bedroom, and
had a look around. leaving the body
alone
with Miss Croydon" said Godfrey,
completing the sentence.
Precisely. Goldberg arrived a min
ute or two later. Then he and 1
searched the body again. When he
Opened the pocketbook there was moth
ing In 1t except the rent receipt"
Godfrey sat down again in his chair.
The inference was obvious, Irresistible.
The clippings had been removed by
Miss ~Croydon--they were the papers
she had risked so much to get pos
session of. Simmonds and he had the
secret under their hands and had
missed it! 1t was not a pleasant re-
Election.
His thoughts few back to Miss Croy-
don, and he found himself again admir-
Ing her. To have taken the clippings
demanded a degree of bravery, OF self
control. amounting almost to ~callous-
ness. It seemed incredible that she
should nave dared approach the body.
open the coat. =
Then he remembered her half-faint-
ing attitude hen he had returned from
the inner room. At the time, he had
thought the collapse natural enough.