Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1907-10-04
CHAPTER VI.

49, 49, ~ way
and walked over to the station OF the
Elevated for the trip uptown. The
story was written-lt would be the
feature Of the morning'c paper, and II
would be illustrated 'eXclusiyeiy'-but
he was not wholly satisfied with IT,.
He had accepted the explanation given
by Miss Croydon, yet ne felt inStiuc-
lively that II did not explain-that
there was much below the surface Of
which he had caught only the faintcst
glimpse and which he was utterly TN
able TO decipher. He did not at all be-
iievG-and he took care that the read
ers OF the Record houid have no
aus 90 belieye-that Miss Croydon
was in any way directly connected with
the crime. Indeed, there was every
evidence that she had, in that partiCu-
lar, spoken the nth
And in the other particulars? Well,
1t was hard TO separate the wheat from
the Chaff; hard TO tell where truth left
off and invention began. Some Ounda
ton OF truth the story must have had,
or 1t would not have been told so glibly
nor appear so plausible. Indeed, in
two details. II had been confirmed by
other evldence-they had found the
pipe with which the blow was struck
and the bullet from her pistol N
beddcd in the door.
Below it all, underlying 1t all, the
foundation upon which the mystery.
rested was Miss Croydon's motive in
making such an appointment, and,
above all, in keeping il. That was a
thing utterly opposed TO her social
training, 10 her maidcnly instinct-it
was wild, foolish, questionable She
would feel this more aCuteiy than a
mar could, and yet it had not been
sufficient to deter her, to hold her
back. What rcsistless motive was it
GInf hI1 s.-rsat Agv o. whit yEfpa Fha
secret contained in the papers she had
hoped TO get from Thompson? God
frey caught a dim glimpse Of some
thing dark, repulsive, terrible. What
was the sscTet2 All. he would have
known, If Goldberg had only been a
moment lateri
As TO Jimmy the Dude. Godfrey had
MAR aimed q careful reticence, while
commencing Slmmonds' promptncG5 in
nrreating him. Simmonds, no doubt,
believed him guilty; but then Sim
monis lacked imagination. 1t ntght
be, Godfrey thought q Little s~ayaGgly,
that he himself possessed too much OF
1t, but the theory which that ~grizzled
veteran had built Up so adroitly did not
in the least satisfy him. Ii was too
prosatc, too matter of fact: reasonable,
perhaps, but not convincing. II re-
duCed the mystery 10 a mere sordid
crime. Godfrey wanted color In his
mysteries-and right there, he re-
minded himself again, was his great
weakness. Yet Jimmy's manner had
not been that OF a guilty man; to be
sure, Ii had changed at the last mo-
men at the mention Of Miss Croy-
cons name. Why? What was this
widc-stretching net OF intrigue, woven
in the dark, Involving alike Fifth
emu and the "Tenderloin"--the Del
roy mansion, the Marathon, Magraw's
gilded saloon?
Pondtring this puzzle, with an in
tcnsity that had something poignant
and personal in il. he would have been
<Gr.iad past his station but for the
guard, who knew him, and who touched
him on the arm. He went mechanical
~ down the stair and turned up to-
ward the avenue. Still mechanically,
he mounted to his rooms and opened
the door. A man who had been sit
airg In a chair before the fire sprang
up ls he entered.
WHY, Jack!" cried Godfrey, waking
sudd My, and he held out his hand
/, with that fine h~Cartiness OF greeting
which Is sometimes seen between men.
'Th n, as ne caught the others eyes,
his face changed. sit down." he said
gently. "till / get out OF these damp
.togs. Then wen have a talk"
He disappeared into the inner room,
while the younger man a back into
chair and gazed gloomily into the
sire. Even strained by emotion as IL
at this moment, his face was
looking at-clear cut, square
iawed. alert-such as one has come
late years, to associate with the
stypical college bred American. But
face was more than merely hand
.sorne-it was open, ingenious, winning
and looking at Ii, one could under
stand without further explanation how
at happened that John Tolbert Drys-
dale had so many friends and SO few
enemies.
Godfrey was back In a moment, drew
up another chair, and got out tobacco
and pipes-for Drysdale a glossy briar,
consscrated to his service; for HIM
self, a meerschaum OF a deep n ten
der brown, ~bespeaking years OF. loving
usage. Not until the pipes were going
nicely dc Godfrey speak.
You've heard about IL, thcn?" he
asked.
II know thai something terrible has
happe ned said Drysdale, a little
hoafssly. II don't know wha.-lt's be-
You'd imagining, even-at least. beyond
my poor brain. Miss Croydon told me
10 come 70 you-'
All" commented Godfrey. did she
do that"
"Yes-she said you could tell me all
I wished TO know"
NflctC Qiu yOu SSG AiGi
"At Mrs. Delroy's. / came straight
here from there"
$50 you were at Mrs. Delroy's?"
and Godfrey unused for a moment, with
eyes intent or the fire. But come,
wen never get the thing Strengthened
out this way. Let's begin at the be-
ginning. Tell me what happened at
Mrs. Delroy's and hen I'll hll out the
story, IL / can Let me ave every de-
tail you can remember"
DrysSale waited a moment to be sure
OF his self control.
II called at Mrs. Delroy's about 9
o'clock" he began, and asked for Miss
Croydon"
wait a minute" Godfrey interrupt
cd. Il want to ask you a question,
which you mustn't be offended at. I'm
asking because I'll have 10 know IL
I'm really 10 help you Are you and
Miss CroydoE ENGAGED to be mar
.ried2"
Again a minute passed before the
answer came.
Yes" said Drysdale huskily. at las,
Godfrey silently held put his hand
and gave his companions fingers Q
warm pressure.
Now go on" he said.
II was shown. into the library
continued the other, while the maid
A..