Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1907-10-18

Atit 1ipAiihiHs Ilod w W. N'I@N
It's all summer clothing; see these
linen trousers. now"
Godfrey nodded, with drawn brows.
What's this%" he asked suddenly
holding up a swart object. shaped like
"A Clam-shell and halvlng in the same
way along the sharp edge.
II don't know. A curio picked up al
sea somewheres, perhaps, / have a
theory that Thompson was a sailor"
"Why?"
Wen, the bag In the first place-only
a sailor would carry his clothes that
way. Then, put you head down i'm IL
and, under the tobacco, you'll smell the
salt
Godfrey shifted and nodded again.
Then he got out his knife.
Lets take a look at the inside OF
Mr.. Thompson's curio," he said, and
inserted the blade.
A twist and the sides Enclosed. Sim
monds sprang back with a sharp cry
of surprise as he saw what lay within,
and even Godfrey's heart gave a sud
den lean.
For there. colled thrice upon itself.
lay a little viper, with venomous, tri-
angular head.
Then, in an instant, Godfrey smiled.
It's not alive" he said. Don't you
see, it's some marvellous kind of nut"
Simmonds approached cautiously n
took another look.
"A nut?" he repeated. "A nut? Well?
that beats met"
And well II might, for in every detail
the form was perfect. Godfrey looked
at il musingly.
This may give us a clew," he said.
II shouldn't imagine a nut like this
grows In many parts OF the world.
Though, OF course. a sailor might pick
IL up anywhere-from another sailor, in
a aInn-1hnn aUan hara IN Maui Vprly
perhaps
He closed the shell together again
and placed II in the bag, stuffing the
rest OF the clothing In after 1t.
Thompson a no very exalted idea
of cleanliness" he remarked. His
clothing needs a visit to the laundry.
And this is all?"
a store down the street. He had TO pay
his rent in advance because he had so
little baggage. That receipts the only
thing that's got his name on it-oh,
yes; there's a letter tattooed on his left
arm, hut it's not a TITS a j."
Which goes to show that his name
wasn't Thompson. I think you're right,
Simmonds, In putting him down as a
sailor. ! thought so last night--in fact.
I've already got two men making a
tour OF the docks trying to find some
body who knew him"
Have your" aid Simmonds, smil-
ing. That's like you. There's anoth-
er curious thing. though, about the
clothing he had on"
What Is that?"
Some OF It's marked with one initial,
some with another. Not one piece is
marked with his"
That is queer" commented God
frey; "but II isn't half so queer as
another thing. Why should a sailor, a
~drunkard, without a decent suit of
clothes. n an apartment that costs
him forty dollars a month; when he
could get a 90 for a dollar a week
down on the Bowery, his natural
stamping ground?"
Simmonds nodded helplessly.
That's So" he said.
Unless" added Godfrey. "he thought
he had co have some such place to
work from. He could hardly have
asked Miss Croydon to meet him i'm a
BoweEy lodging house"
Ne" agreed Simmonds: but he
needn't have blown In forty dollars,
either. He could "a got a nice room
most anywhere uptown for five a
week
A tap at the door interrupted him.
Come an" he called.
The door opened and the %coroner's
clerk entered.
Mr.. Goldberg sent the exhibits back
to you" he said, holding out a parcel
To Simmonds.
Simmonds opened II and took out a
pocket-book. a pipe. a knife, and some
silver money.
"All right" he said, and signed a re-
ceipt
Godfrey waited until the door closed.
then he rose m came over to Sim
monds's side.
There's something here that might
help u.s. he said. picking up the
pocket-book. Those clippings-why,
they're not here"
Simmonds smiled drily.
That's another thing / wanted to tell
you. The clippings have been re-
moved
Removed? BY whom?"
That's a question. They were re-
moved some time between the momen
we looked at them and the moment the
coroner took charge"
Godfrey Stared at him with startled
eyes.
'sYou remember" Simmonds con-
tinued, that after we looked at the
pocketbook. l put 1t back In Thomp-
sons pocket"
..Yes-I saw you do that
We then went into the bedroom, and
had a look around. leaving the body
alone"
WIN MISS &TOHuOn, SdlQ GO01rey,
completing the sentence.
Precisely. Goldberg arrived a min
ute or two later. Then he and /
searched the body again. When he
opened the pocketbook there was moth
ing In IL except the rent receipt"
Godfrey sat down again in his chair.
The inference was obvious, Irresistible.
The clippings had been removed by
Miss Croydon-they We're the papers
she had risked so much to get pos
session of. Simmonds and he had the
secret under their hands and had
missed it, II was not a pleasant re-
lection.
His thoughts few back to Miss Croy-
don. and he found himself again admir-
ing her. To have taken the clippings
demanded q degree OF bravery, of self
control. amounting almost to c~allous-
ness. tt seemed incredible that she
should have dared approach the body,
open the coat.
The he remembered her h~alf-faint-
ing attitude when he had returned from
the inner room. At the time, he had
thought the collapse natural enough.
Now, IL took on a new meaning.
There's another thing continued
Simmonds. after a moment. Here's
the piece of pipe we found on the floor.
Do you know where IL came FROM"
Mol was going 10 look that up"
A# . AA-LL -. - HA