Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1907-10-03
higgins gasped and choked. staring

lheFe - Il damn Scoundrel hidin' 'rOunC
here some'rs.' and he glanced excitedly
Wy and down the hall.
The police will find him II there is
said Godfrey reassuringly. "What hap
pened after you reached the room
Well" continued Higgins. quieting
down a little. but still keeping one eye
over his shoulder. .as l was sayin',
j hrowed open tn door. an there was
tn girl leanin' agin tn wall an Thomp-
son on tn floor with a big blood-spot or
his shirt front. l jest give one look
three at n time an owe t tn station.
l tell you. 1t purity nigh done me up
He was interrupted by d tramp of
feet that came down the stairs. 1t
was Stmmonds and the coroner, closely
attended by the crowd of reporters.
who Immediately surrounded Godfrey.
In threatening admiration.
How did you happen to be here 80
demanded Rankin OF the Planet.
Just luck" explained Godfrey. look
Ing around the group with a pleasant
smile.
Does 1t mean another SCOOP"
oh. no: not at all, l dare say you
1 do"
"Oh. of course we do" assented
Rankin dryly. amid derisive laughter.
AT least" Godfrey added" Mr.. Gold
berg has all the facts and is probably
willing to help you out"
Yes. agreed the %oroner; but it's
getting late. and I'm i'll Il hurry-I'l
give you ten minutes at my office and
he started toward the door.
A right" said Rankin: come on
boys" and they trooped out OF the
building together.
Simmonds waited until the last of
them had disappeared.
'NN..ll Un cnn ~atnI tlo l@,,- ~ l.. H.
gan.
Nobody there" asked Godfrey.
Not Il living soul. l didn't really ex-
pect to find anybody; but we went
through every room-even to the suites
which are occupied"
Higgins opened his mouth suddenly:
then as suddenly closed 1t.
Did you find the doors all locked"
Every one; the hall windows bolted
on the inside and the trap in the roof
hooked in place. There's only one way
our man could get out-that was by
the front door yonder," and Simmonds
looked sharply at the ~janitor.
Higgins grew red in the face.
Il amt got nothin' more t. say he
burst out ~explosively. You'll be sayin'
l did it, next"
"Oh. no. retorted Simmords coolly,
you didn't 10 it. But I'm not quite
sure you've told US all you know
Higgins sprang from his chair. fairly
foaming at the mouth with rage. but
Simmonds calmly disrcgarded him.
I've left a man on guard In H." he
said. Goldberg wants to bring his
jury around in the morning to look at
things. Here's your keys and he
handed the jinsling ring back to the
~janitor.
There's a man coming up from h
Office to take a iash-light of It," said
Godfrey. N objection to that. 1
Cuess?"
NO: that's all right. Come around in
the morning to talk it over ] think I'll
hav some news for YOU" and he went
on out into the street.
Higgins sat down again. still nursing
his wrath.
lid v hear him?' he demanded.
Why. he as good as called me a liar!"
Oh. you mustn't mind him." said
Godfrey soothingly. It's his business
TO be suspicious. He doesn't really sus-
pect you"
Well. they amt no cause t. suspect
mel amt one nothin'." returned the
his keys. which he still held in his
hand. Funny" he murmured; funny.
l don't know when they went out"
Godfrey said nothing. but contem-
plated him through h~alf-closed eyes.
AT that instant the street door opened
ana a mar and woman entered.
There they come now" cried Hi1-
gins. springing to his feet. Good even
In. MI. Tremaine."
Good evening" returned the
stranger. in a voice s~ingularly rich
and pleasant.
Il was jest a-sayin' t my friend
here, added the %janitor. that 1 hadn't
see y go out"
Godfrey. for an instant. found him.
self gazing into a pair Of the keenest
eyes he ever encountered.
You wished to see me % asked Ire
maine
'Oh. no.. no." interrupted Higgins:
but t pltce was goin' through TIL
buildin'-"
THE police?"
"Oh. 1 fergot-you don't know-that
mar Thompson's been murdered-he
had tn soot right acrost tn hall from
YOU"
"Murdered!" echoed Tremaine. MUIR
dered! Why. that's terrible! Who did
It? How did 1t happen?"
Higgins retold the story with some
JUNCTION. evidently enjoying his listen
er's horror. But Godfrey did not even
glance at him. He vas gazinE-per.
maps a a too %intently for polite-
ness-at Mrs. Tremaine. And. indeed.
was a woman to hold any mans
eyes
A'S.'''e uIcW q oeep breath When
the story was finished.
The house a been s%earched?" he
asked. THE scoundrel couldn't be hid
den"
"Oh. no. Higgins assured him; 9TH.
plice went all through it-even through
your rooms"
I'm glad of that-then we can sleep
in peace"
Godfrey rather wondered that Mrs.
Tremaine took no part in the discus
sion. She stood listening alphabetically.
not even noticing his stare.
"When they told me they'd zone
through yeur rooms" added Hi.sfn:
Il was kind o. surprised. l thought yci
WAS 1t home T. night"
md that We stayed In our rooms