The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1907-10-25

fer really. 1t don't make no difference
The car stopped and he led the wa,
down the hall without troubling to FIN:
fish the sentence.
Here we are." he added. pausint
before q door and producing a bunch
OF keys. (Which reminds me that II
have t git q key fer you-the othel
tenant lost his-leastways, 1T WASH,
found OF him. Or mebbe you'd rather
I'd change TIL LOCKE"
"Oh, no." I assured him. Another
key will do" n we entered together
l examined the room with keen in.
terest. Evidently everything had beer
crime: only the body had been re-
moved. N 1t, l knew, was at the
morgue. waiting Identification. Hig-
gins was busy pointing out to me the
advantages Of the apartment, but
confess I did not zeal him. l recon
Godfrey's eye when he burst into the
room; / tried in vain to discern some
point of evidence which he had over
looked. The furniture was of the COM
monest kind and consisted of only the
most necessary articles.
Higgins led the way into the bed
room and opened the door of the bath
room beyond.
u ,shall bring my w furniture" !
said. But l haven't any carpets. Per-
haps ! can buy these. They seem pref
ty good"
They are, SIR" agreed Higgins.
They're good carpets and as good as
tn day they was put down. Itll make
1t lots easier for US If we don't have t
take EN- up"
what they're WORTH. When can YOU
have the rooms ready?"
He looked at me and scratched his
head again; then, remembering sud-
denly then nature of janitors. l took out
my purse and tipped him.
%ernoon," I said. Get a man to help
you. II necessary. I'll expect to be at
home here tomorrow night"
His face cleared instantly.
ri do 1t. sir" he agreed. as he
s eoekstsa the Rits I 10 ayi r,s e5tl see Yeu that hat
sign tn rent agreement tomorrow-th'
SCOT rents fer forty a month";"
Very WELL" I said, and followed him
into the outer room, smiling to myself
at tho ;thought that l had forgotten
to ask for this important detail.
took a smoke, while / decide how I'll
arrange my furniture?"
That's all right, SIR" he assured me
Instantly; and just then the elevator
bell rang. There" he added. its
them COMPOUNDED artists, too lazy t.
AAA " ooAh VI IL
minute. sir"
It took me but an instant to light my
cigar, tnen i whirled my chair around
TO the table before which 1t stood. The
table had a single drawer. l opened
It. Il was absolutely empty. l went
quickly to the bedroom and opened
thu closet, but not even a piece OF
clothing hung there. Then l turned to
the dresser. but its three drawers, too,
were empty. Evidently all Of Thomp-
SON belongings had been removed by
tho police. OF course they had searched
through every nook and Granny: 1t was
foolish OF me to expect to find any
thing now.
returned to my chair and looked
again about the room. There was the
cred. and from which she had shot at
Thompson's a%ssailant; there was the
spot whore Thompson himself had fall
len; he had lain extended on the car
pet. while the-what was that? A
tiny sparkle caught my eye. n reflec-
from my chair and stopped above the
place. but could see nothing. / re-
turned to my chair, and again caught
h reflection. This time. l marked 1t
exactly In the pattern of the carpet,
went to i carefully; put down my
pressed n the carpet. SO minute 1
could not pick 1t up. l moistened my
finger, and an instant later. under the
light. ! saw that I had found u dia-
mond!
I wrapped 1t carefully in q scrap of
paper and slowed 1t away safely in my
pocketbook. Then I went back to my
chair. How came the diamond there?
A stone so minute nus have been set
in q piece of jewelry; perhaps was
only one of many such stones forming
. cluster. or a border to a larger Jewel.
II one could only discover the piece
from which 1t had fallen. there would
be q cleW-
We'll, have y got it all hxed. sir?'
asked a voice from the door, and l
turned with q start to see Higgins
Eyes" answered, srousing myself
with an effort: and I gave him such
directions as occurred to me. HAS
anyone else been in the rooms?" !
asked.
when tn coroner brought his Jury t
look 'em over. They've been locked
since then"
II thought perhaps somebody might
have wanted to rent Them" I explained.
o. .ssy, n, that's ,a funny, he S cried IT.. I'D
normal they was Somebody wom-
IN" II . came close to me and dropped
his voice to a hoarse whisper. % v
snow who think 1t was? That Croy-
don woman!"
I stared at him in amazement.
Weren't you sure?"
mo: she had a veil wrapped around
her head an she was dressed different
But 1t was her-I know It,"
And what did she want?" I asked
more and more Sstonished.
"She wanted T. see tn rooms; but
told her they was closed. I tell you.
was dead afeard t. come up here with
her. How'd l know but she'd lake 8
shot at me? Then she wante t. rem,
'em sight unseen. an offered a month,
rent n advance-but I told hel
we didn't rent scots t single women
which IS true. Mebbe l wa kind o
rough. but I was a-skeered t. have hel
around, fer I kind O. believe she's crazy
10 purity soon, after some more talkin'
she give it up an went away
AS we went down in the elevator.
pondered this remarkable story. Coul(
1t really have been Miss Croydon? Blu
what possible reason could h hsv'
for wishing to rent the rooms? Hov
could. she nerve herself to enter then
again? Was 1t the rooms and not tn
man.that had brought her to the Mara
fh0n |? they hold the kew to tn