Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1907-01-01
delicately reared girl would smash

Jimmy the Dude? But he had already
proved an alibi; besides, motive was
wanting.
Then l thought Of Cecily. Could she
have been the assassin? Certainly 1t
was not impossible. That last savage
/ act. that shooting Of an unconscious
man, fitted in somehow with my esti-
mate of her character. She might have
done that But why should Miss Croy-
don seek to shield her? Was 1t Cecily
who possessed the secret? Was there
/ some connection between them? re-
memhered the other famous case in
which had been engaged-must | look
| for the same solution hero? Was there
a blood relationship between Cecily
and Miss Croydon? Clearly such Il
| thing was possible. l even fancied that
one. knowing them both. might be able
| to detect Il subtle resemblance. closed
my eyes and endeavored to recall the
features Of Miss Croydon's portrait;
her face had much IN common with
| Cecily's. Both were dark, both were
\ knock ut the door brought me out
Of my thoughts. l opened it and found
the janitor standing there.
Its nothing very much, Higgins" l
said, "hut thought you'd better fix 1t
before 1t got any worse. The carpet
has come loose here along the door.
Three or four tacks are all it needs"
| He stepped over the threshold and
looked 1t II.
".tll right sir" he said. "l'll fix 1t in
tn mornm'. Them fcllers what put tn
| carpet down didn't half do their work.
I tackled Il loose place down over there
by tn wall jest afore you moved in."
where was til" I asked as calmly
as 1 could.
Right here by this angle" he said.
Indicating the place with his foot u
think maybe I'd better so all around
tn walls t'norrer."
Perhaps 1t would be best" said.
Than; you" And closed the door
upon linn.
The next instant was down on my
hands and knees tearing away the car
| pet, my blood singing IN my ears. l
had found tlcm-the clippinss-it was
here they must he hidden. But for
those chance tack; driven by the jan
| itor Trcmaine 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 he laid bare before us - the
whole secret. What little thing 1t
was that had saved us!
l 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.
was quite calm again. picked them
up carefully and laid them on my desk.
Then washed my hands and filed my
pipe. There was a certain exquisite
pleasure in holding myself back from
them, in tantalizing myself, In defer
ring for q moment or two the revela'
ton which was to come.
But ut last l 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 were 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 were 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 / proceeded the more my
spirits fell. for they told no story. they
seemed to have no relation to each
other-no common thread. Apparently,
they had been gathered aimlessly at
haphazard to satisfy the whim Of the
moment. One chronicled wreck at
sea; another bank robbery; third
an escape from prison; fourth was
merely u marriage notice; fifth told
of row In sailors dive, and SO on
down the list. They were 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 a ray OF
light OH the mystery-they were abso-
lutely worthless.
I laid them down In despair. Yet II
they were worthless, why had Miss
Croydon taken them? Why had Tre'
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 ! not per-
ceive It?
I ran through them feverishly again
but with no better result. At last
laid them down and took up my pipe
| I must submit them to keener brair
than mine. II Godfrey were only here
heard step come down the hall
stop ut my door. Some one knocked.
hastily stuffed the clippings Into
my pocket and opened the door. Bu
It was not Tremaine who stood there
1t was Godfrey.
"Well, Of all things!" cried. ~ wal
Just wishing for you. Come in"
With that quiet smile Of his he step
ped over the threshold.
~rhat must mean you've got some
new problem to solve" he said. Still
smiling.
81 have; the worst yet; impenetrabl'
! as the countenance Of the sphinx. Bu
first give me your coat and hat"
They were dripping with water. ant
for the first time heard the rain beat
ins savagely against the windows.
II II happened to be across the stree
talking with S,mmOnds." he said, "ant
Il thought I'd run over and see you
moment"
"When did you get back from Wash
ingtOnT
p "Just this evening". and I've got t
} | nut In tomorrow at Boston. wors'
!. luck"
handed him cigar and took on
myself. / confess that the match Wit
which lighted 1t was not who'll
J steady.
"Come," said Godfrey. smiling Il
sympathy with my excitement, what