The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1907-10-10
THE MARATHON MYSTERY
A STORY OF
BY BURTON e. STEVENSON 90
Author of "The HoIaday Case" Cadets Of GasconyI" Etc.

Drysdale sat for a momen staring
nto the fire.
II do appreciate her" he said slow
~, through and through. I'm APP
palled at the wonder of it. sometimes,
that she should really care for a fellow
like me. Pm not worthy
Godfrey was walking about
the room.
mo, you're not" he broke in abrupt
iy. Mighty few men would be. Luck
lily, women don't stop to look at that
side of it. Besides. she'll help you. II
you really try to live up to her-'
Il intend to- said Drysdale humbly.
Godfrey started to say something
more, Their shook himself impatiently.
"FIer appearance will help her. he
added in another tone. when she's
called before the coroner-she'l inn
press the jury in just the right way"
Drysdale got up quickly.
She'll have to appear before the
coronerw
"Of course-she's practically the only
witness. Your place is with her-more
especially since you say Delroy him
self is out of town"
Thank YOU" and Drysdale took UP
his hat. You've helped me a lot" and
with another warm hand-clasp he was
gone.
Godfrey turned back nto the room
End sat down again before the fire.
DrySdale's story had, indeed, furnished
him with new food for thought. So it
was 81 family secret that Grace Croy-
1on was guarding. She had spoken
the truth-she had scorned to lie. A
secret that affected the family honor.
Thai was co~nceivable-it furnished the
only possible solution of the mystery.
He felt that he could reconstruct the
drama with some degree of plausibility.
tie Sn1ilaI pYirn1V aS he drew q mad
Of paper toward him and got out his
pencil. Like all good tragedies, it
should pe in five acts.
ACT /.
The Croydon family possesses a skel-
eton, and one Thompson holds the key
70 the closet in the shape of certain
papers. He threatens to use them, to
display the skeleton to the world. He
writes to Miss Croydon, or perhaps to
Mrs. Delroy, demanding a price for his
papers. Mrs. Delroy is for letting him
do his worst: Miss Croydon, less SEN
sible lalso perhaps more sensitivel, is
FOR trying to buy him off. She over
rides her sister, makes an appointment
with Thompson, disregarding the risk
she runs Of compromising herself. (The
skeleton, then, must be a particularly
grisly one!)
ACT II.
Miss Croydon goes to the appoint
ment alone. but with the precaution of
taking a pistol with her. (Query-Was
she accustomed to using a pistol?) She
IS admitted by Thompson, who has
barely awakened from a drunken sleep.
A ten-minute parley follows, during
which he states his demands. She, Der
haps, finds them excessive, impossible
TO comply with, and tells him so. He
grows angry. abusive. perhaps attempts
some violence. She produces her pis-
tol, and at that moment a man steals
behind him from the inner room and
strikes him down. Then, standing over
him, he deliberately shoots him through
the heart. Miss Croydon. pe%rceiving
his intention, instinctively raises her
own pistol and fires at him. The shots
are simultaneous, which explains the
single loud report heard by the .ianitor.
The murderer calmly opens the door
and escapes.
Mrs. Delroy is at her library window,
%anxiously awaiting her sisters return.
She has been absent much longer than
she expected to be. and Mrs. Delroy is
growing alarmed. Enter Jack Drys-
dale, the sisters affianced. Mrs. Del
roy tries desperately to get rid of him,
even lies to do SO. in the effort to pre-
vent the discovery of her sisters alb
sence. AS he is about to go, Miss
Croydon returns, sees her sister. and
tells her that the interview has led to
~Thompson's death. Mrs. Delroy jumps
to the conclusion that her sister has
herself committed the rhine and col
tapses. Miss Croydon then, for the first
time, seeing Drysdale. warns him that
she is compromised. Exit. prysdale
ruShe off in search of lii explanation.
(That Mrs. Delroy should for an in
slant believe her sister guilty of such
a crime argues that the skeleton is so
horribly repulsive that only Thompson's
I-@ ,,.--. e - H. 4. l.
of course, is plausible, since he doubt
less knew the contents of the paperS.)
There" said Godfrey, laying down
mis- pencil, after the recognized fash
ion, three acts are devoted to deepen
Ing the complications; W mist now
be devoted to clearing them away.
That's the work for the future. Let us
see what We have to do"
He took up the pencil again and
turned to a new sheet.
l. To establish the identity, of the
murdered man. This may be done by
a more careful examination of his be
longingS. The calloSitieS on his hands,
his weather-heaten face. the cut OF his
clothes ali indicate that he was q sailor.
| should say hat he had seen better
days, but had been brought down in
the world by drink. (Note-In the
morning, send q man along the water
front With his photography
2. To disinter the skeleton. This, OF
course. will render. necessary an. exam
i~nation of the history of the
Croydoas, and should not be difficult
! (Note-ask Delaney TO look up the
family.)
3. To discover the murderer.
This last continued Godfrey, gaz-
ing contemplatively at his paper, lis
Of course, the most important: indeed
It is the object OF the other two. Now
let us see what we know about this
mysterious individual" and he turned
another page.
!. lie. must nave been in apartment
fourteen before Miss Croydon's ar.
rivnl, otherwise ne could not have
gained access TO TIC bedroom unseen
(This shuts out Jimmy the Dude.J
2. Therefore he was II friend or a
least an acquaintance Of Taompson's
since it is impossible that he coulc
have been there without Thompson!
knowledge.
8. But If Thompson consented to hi.
overhealing the interview. he mus
have expected some help from him.
j. Yet he was not in Tho apartment
I at {. o'clock when Higgins put Thonlp.
son to bed.
5. Bat Higgins says tina no one
entered after mat except Miss G.roy.
don. tHiggins may, Of course. be mis-,