The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1907-05-03

a StEkeN0 a A-~E-t"N@-~ =
Remember. that would explain
something which admits of no other
reasonable explanation" went on my
companion: The Barred windows and
the behavior OF the prisoner"
1t would explain that. certainly. l
theory did not appeal to ME. You be-
lieve. then, that Miss Holiday was
foreibly abducted?'
Undoubtedly. Ii her mlnd was go
ing TO give way at all, it would have
done SO at once, and not Two weeks
after the tragedy"
But if she had brooded over it," 1
objected.
"she wasn't brooding-at least, she
had ceased to brood. o nave Mr..
Royce's word and the buffers word
that she was getting better, brighter.
quite like her old self again. Why
should she relapse?'
Il don't know l said helplessly.
The more l reason about 1t. the more
unreasonable it all seems. Besides that
affair last night has upset me so that
1 can't think clearly. l feel that l
was carelesS-that l wasn't doing my
duty
L shouldn't worry about it; though,
of course" she added a little severely,
you've realized by his time that you
alone are to blame for Martigny's pres
ence on the boat"
But l had to go to the J~ourdains." 1
protested, and l couldn't help their go
ing to him-to hav asked them to not
go would have made them suspect me
at once"
ooh, yes, but, at least. you needn't
have sent them. They might not have
gone at all-certainly they wouldn't
have gone so promptly-if you hadn't
sent them"
Sent them?" I repeated. and stared
NJ - tn y1,n ~ g T
had heard Alright.
Yes, sent them" she said again, en-
phatically. Why do you uppos they
went TO the hospital so early the next
morning."
81 supposed they had become sus-
piciouS of me-
Nonsense. What possible reason
could they have for becoming sus-
picious of you? On the contrary, it was
because they We're not suspicious of
you, because they wished to please you,
to air your room for you; because, in a
word, you asked them to go-they went
after the key to those padlocks on the
Window-ShutterS. OF course, Martigny
had it,"
Fol a moment, l was too nonplussed
to speak; for l could only stare at her.
Then I found my tongue.
We'll, l was a fool, wasn't II" I de-
manded, bitterly. To think that 1
SllOulQll l nave loIGSeeu UIllL. IL was
so worked up over my discovery that
night 1 couldn't think of anything else.
OF course, when they asked for the key,
the whole story came out"
II shouldn't blame myself too Sc
verely," laughed Miss Kemban. as she
looked at my rueful countenance. II
myself think it's rather fortunate that
he's on the boat"
Fortunate? You don't mean that"
Precisely that. Suppose the Jour-
dams hadn't gone to him: he'd have
left the hospital anyway in two or three
days-he isn't the nan to lie inactive
when he knew you were searching for
then, to his apartment next to yours;
your landlady would nave told him that
you had sailed for Europe. and he had
only to examine this boats passenger
list to discover your name. So o see
there wasn't so much lost, after ALL
But, at any rate" I pointed out, 'he
would still have been in America. He
couldn't have caught us. We'd have
had a good start of him."
HE couldn't have caught you, but a
cablegram would nave passed you in
mid-ocean, warning his confederates.
If they have time to conceal their pris-
oner, you'll eve find - only
hope is in catching them unprepared.
And there's another reason-since he's
OF the boat. you've another opportunity
why not go and have a talk with
him?"
I'D thought of that" I said; "but
Tn afraid 1 couldn't play the part"
THE part?"
"Of seeming not to suspect him, of
being quite ank n open with him,
of appearing to tell him all my plans.
I'm afraid he'd see through me in the
first moment n catch me tripping.
It's too great q risk"
t.Sr1n nd Sto,,fn pa -N,,1 ha $500
side" she pointed out; you could tell
him SO many things which he already
knows, n which he a no reason to
suspect you know he knows-it sounds
terribly involved, doesn't it? But you
understand"
"Oh, yes: l understand"
And then. it would be the natural
thing for you to look him up as soon as
you Learned he was i'll. To avoid him
will be to confess that you suspect
him"
But his name isn't on the passen.
ger list. If L hadn't happened to see
him as he came or board, I'd probably
not have known it at ALL"
Perhaps he saw you at the same
time"
Then the fats in the fire." 1 said
IF he knows l kno he's on board
then he also knows that L suspect him
if he doesn't know, why. there's no rea
son lCI nun 10 l!lIlk ludl III llnQ !
out. unless he appears in the cabin
which doesn't seem probable"
, She sat silent for a moment, looking
ont across the water.
! Perhaps you're right" she said a
: last; there's no use taking any un
necessary risks. The thing appealed t
/, mel think I should enjoy a half our
: talk With him. matching my wit
. against his
, 'Eut yours are brighter than mine,
! 1 pointed out. you've proved it prett,
: effectually in the last few minutes"
. N 1 haven't; I've simply shown yo,
!. that you overlooked n little thing
And l hin you're right about the dan
ger of going to Martigny. Our frs
duty is to Miss Hollad.y; we must res
cue her before he can warn his con
federates to place her out of reach"
+, The unstudied way in which she sal
our filled me With with an unreason
ing happiness.
But why should they bother with
prisoner at all? They didn't shrin.
from striking down her father"
AND they may not shrink from striE
ing her down. at a favorable moment.
n she answered calmly. 1T will be easie
in France thar in New York-they
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