Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1907-01-15
CHAPTER XXI.


door next evening she told ME CURLY
that she was not feeling we'll and in
tended going early to bed. So 1 went
back to my room, rather glad of the
chance of an evening to myself.
Besides, Cecily was u good deal like
the highly favored dish-to be fully
enjoyed only at intervals. And, too,
there was only one point as yet unset
tled-where she and Tremaine had been
the night of the murder. That, I felt,
could be cleared up without much diff
fculty the first time she received me,
which would probably be not later than
tomorrow. 1 had 4 premonition that
that line of inquiry, too, would lead
nowhere, that Cecily would prove by
a word that neither she nor Tremaine
had been anywhere near the Marathon
at the hour Of the crime. In any event
I had plenty of time, and could spend
this evening very profitably in weigh
ing and classifying my discoveries, in
getting fresh start
AS opened my door noticed it
scraped on the carpet, and an examina-
ton showed me that the carpet had
come loose along the sill I stepped to
the speaking tube and blew down it,
"Hello!' called up voice in mo-
ment.
"Is that you, Higgins?"
Eyes, SIR
"This is Mr.. Lester. Come up after
awhile, will you? I've a little job up
here / want you to do"
Cali right, sir. Will half an hour
do?'
"Oh, yes! Any time this evening""
l got out pipe, tobacco and matches
and sat down in my most comfortable
chair. was no longer so discouraged
as had been the evening before. On
the whole, 1 told myself, I had pro-
crossed. had succeeded in forging
the chain more tightly about Tremaine,
in strengthening 1t in many places. I
could show certainly:
First-That he knew Thompson and
had lied about it.
Second.-That he apparently hated
him.
Third.-That he had come to New
York on the same boat with him and
probably on the same errand.
Fourth.-That Thompson had Joined
him as soon as released from Jail.
On paper, had to admit, the chain
appeared good deal weaker than
had thought it. There were many
gaps; indeed, now that looked at it,
It seemed to consist largely of gaps.
Objections to the theory of Tremaines
guilt doomed larger and larger. One
of the weightlest was Miss Croydon's
attitude toward him. That seemed I'M
explainable. The man she described
as the murderer was quite unlike Ire
maine in appearance. Was she, then,
shielding him? But why should she do
that? Above all. if he were guilty Of
such crime, would she have consent.
ed to his admission to the Delroy fam
lily? And, again, If she feared him
why not denounce him to the police,
or at least threaten to do SO? That
would remove him from her path once
and forever.
This last question seemed so unan-
swerable that paused to look at it
again, for it was evident that one
really insuperable objection must in
validate the whole theory. By the
commission of crime, especially Of
crime so serious as this one, would
he not place himself as much in Miss
Croydon's power as she could possibly
be in his? If she We're still in his
power, then he had committed no
crime, and II he had committed no
crime, why, Of course he had not killed
Thompson. But In that case who had?
Where had that diamond come from?
l knocked out my pipe and filled it
again. l felt a good deal rs though I
was wandering around and around in
maze. l was getting little dizzy.
If Tremainc had not killed Thomp-
son, asked myself again, who had?
Not Miss Croydon! To suppose that
delicately reared girl would smash
man over the head with a piece Of pipe
was TO descend to the ridiculous. Yet
if he had attacked her she might have
nerved herself to do it. But that was
absurd. too, since admittedly she had
pistol in her pocket and was not
afraid to use 1t. Who else, then?
Jimmy the Dude? But he had already
proved an alibi; besides, motive was
wanting.
Then 1 thought of Cecily. Could she
have been the assassin? Certainly it
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 it Cecily
who possessed the secret? Was there
some connection between them? re-
membered the other famous case i'll
which had been engaged-must look
for the same solution here? Was there
blood relationship between Cecily
and Miss Croydon? Clearly such a
thing was possible. even fancied that
one, knowing them both, might be able
to detect q 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
A knock at the door brought me out
Of my thoughts. opened it and found
the janitor standing there.
Its nothing very much, Higgins" l
said, shut l thought you'd better fix it
before it got any worse. The carpet
has come loose hero along the door.
Three or four lacks are all it needs"
He stepped over the threshold and
looked at it.