The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1907-09-19

Il ought / know. I told 'em they
wasn't nobody there. Aain't ! been
VI run acrost tn streeI? Nobody In nor
out. 'cept tn girl-nrt since Z o'clock
That was about tn time that there
/ blamed Thompson come In, too drunk
Z stand. He'd v "a got home In
tn world by hisseif, but they was q
Teller with him, a-holdin' him up"
Godfrey was listening with strained
attention. There were many questions
he wished to ask, but he dared not In,
terrupt. ( :
Well, we got him upstairs atween
US. An then, when / went through his
pockets, l couldn't find his key, an l
had Z come down an git mine afore l
could git his door open. We laid him
on his bed an left him there, a-snorin'
like a hog. That Teller who was with
him was certainly a good sort. He set
down here T. talk Z me a while-it was
rainin' so hard he couldn't go-an' he
said he'd run acrost Thompson dow at
Pete Magraw's place on Sixth
Thompson was treatin' everybody an
actin like a fool ginerally; then he got
mad an started T. clean out tn saloon,
an Pete was goin' Z call a cop, but
this feller said he'd bring him home
an so he did"
Higgins stopped to take breath, and
Godfrey ventured to put a question.
Did you know him?"
mo; / never seed him afore."
What sort OF a looking fellow was
her"
"a good-lookin' teller, we'll dressed
no bum, / kin tell " that. He was short
an heavy-set, with a little black
moustache hat turned UP at tn ends"
Godfrey's heart gave a sudden leap
so Miss Croydon had told the truth,
IA N A n ID a. wxAA
tect anybody. And the case was going
to prove q simple one-he had been
reading a mystery into IL that 1t did
not possess; hat was Away the
danger with your theorist, he told
himself, a little bitterly-he was
forever looking for hidden meanings.
for abtruse clews, for picturesque solu-
tions, instead OF following the plainly
evident, of accepting facts at their face
value. Well, Simmonds certainly would
not make that mistake; he would have
little difficulty in finding his man.
And then what h~appened?" he
away?" ~
''Oh, yes; he stayed here talIin' quite
a while--he started e go once or twice,
but tn rain was too bad. But about
8 o'clock he said he couldn't stay no
longer, rain r no rain, an was jest
buttonin' up his coat, when a cab drove
up an a woman got out. She had a
thick veil On. sos i couldn't see her
face, but from her style I judged she
was a high flyer. h come up Z me
an she says, I want { go t apart
ment fourteen-Mr. Thompson Mad
am says !, I wouldn't IL l was YOU
'Why?' she asked, quick like, amt he
there?' He's there says i, but he
amt in no condition t see a lady
Never mind say she, I'll go up
All right says I. IN be back in a
minute. I added I my friend. No.
he says, I can't wait; ] must be goin','
an he started toward tn door. well,
good night / says, a~n'stepped into tn
car an started 1t.
II showed her tn door O. fourteen,
an she knocked. I was waitin' at tn
elevator. fer I knowed Thompson was
too dead drunk t hear her an I'd have
t. take her down ag'in; when blessed
If the door didn't open an in she
walked. Well, sir, I was so d~umfound-
ed / couldn't believe my own eyesl
But In she went, an I come on down,
tryin' Z hgger 1t out. 1t was mebbe
ten minuter later that 1 heard a pistol
shot an ] knowed in a minute what d
happened. That drunken brute had got
too familiar, an she'd put a bullet
in him. Though" he added, reflective.
ly, why, IL she's straight, she'd go T.
his room at all Is more'n / kin see.'
Wa there only n shot?" asked
Godfrey.
"Only one answered the tanitor;
but 1t sounded like a small cannon.
It didn't come from no sech little pop
gun as that which Mr.. Simmonds picked
UP in tn corner 1 rushed up tn stairs
an threw open tn door
Wasn't 1t locked?"
mo; an that's funny, too" he added,
fer I remember hearin' the lock snap
after tn girl went in. Somebody must
"a throwed 1t back ag'in. Mebbe tn
girl did II, tryin' T. get out, an Thomp-
SON got o hold Of her an then she lei
him nave It,"
Godfrey nodded. with an appreciation
seemingly very deep.
That's 1t no doubt" he said. II
see you're a close r~easoner, Mr.. Hig.
gins"
why" SAT- Higgins, with a smile OF
self-satisfaction, 1T alters have been
able t put two an two t'gether. They's
thing, though. / can't explain. Aa
l was rushin' up tn steps, I heard thu
openin' an shuttin' OF a door,"
"Ah,' said Godfrey thoughtfully,
And there was no one in the hall?"
Not a soul; not a soul in sight"
Are sure of that?"
Sure! o. course / am. There's a
light in tn hall-an'. anyway. they
amt no place anybody could hide"
HE might have gone into one of the
other rooms, mightn't he?"
They Were all ~locked-I'm certain d
Godfrey took a thoughtful pun OF
two.
at was tn girl shot him-y' kin bank
ca that" added Higgins with emphasis
but then" objected Godfrey, "you
said h report you heard couldn't have
come from her pistol"
(Continued Next Weekly
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