The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1907-09-12
"Tnompson.. repeated simmonds.
a lot OF clippings Can YOU read
Erorrh xodfrcr, M,

mover. Inc coroner can WreSu0 Win II
il he thinks 1t worth while
He replaced the clippings IN the
purse, which he slipped back into the
pocket from which he had taken It.
Now" he added, rising to his feet,
we'd better get the girls story"
DO you know who he Isl, asked
Godfrey, in q low voice. AZ he glanced
at her, he was startled to note her at
titude OF strained attention. which. ~
he turned, lapsed instantly to one OF
seeming apathy.
II heard you call her Miss Croydon"
"Yes-she's the sister Of Mrs. Rich
ard Delroy."
Again Simmonds whistled.
The deuce you say! Dickie Delroyi
Well. that doesn't make any differ-
ence." and he turned towar her reso-
lutely.
Miss Croydon" he began abruptly.
though perhaps in a gentler voice than
age suspect. were you in the room
when this man was killed."
Yes. sir"
You know him?"
Only slightly" h answered coolly.
~dfsregarding Godfrey's stare of amaze
son."
You had an engagement with him
here?"
Yes. sir: on a private matter which
cannot concern the police"
simmonds passed that over for a mo-
ment.
will you kindly tell us just what
happened? p he asked.
Il drove here in a cab" she said,
speaking rapidly, which I told to wait
for me. In the vestibule. I met the
janitor, n asked to be conducted to
suite Il. He brought me up here where
MINI. Thompson was waiting. I
entered and closed the door. We were
talking together when the door OF the
inner room opened and q man came
out. Before I realized what he was
doing, he raised a bar OF iron he held
upon the head. Then. standing over
him. he drew a revolver and ared one
shot at him. I a shrunk away into
the r but thinking him a mad
man. believing my own life in danger.
l Grew my pocket pistol and nred at
him. Without even glancing at me. he
opened the outer door and disappeared.
The janitor rushed in a moment later"
Did your shot hit him Z" asked Sim
monds.
Il don't know: l think not; he showed
no sign of being wounded"
Simmonds stood looking at her; God
frey turned to an examination OF the
opposite wall.
Miss Croydon't shot went Wild" he
said, curiously elated at this cenfrma.
ton OF her story. Here's the bullet"
and he pointed to 1t, embedded in the
woodwork OF the bedroom door.
Simmonds took a look at it. then he
returned to the inquiry.
Did o know this Intruder" he
asked.
mo, sir: I'd never before seen him."
she answered steadily.
will you describe him 2"
She closed her eyes, seemingly In an
effort at recollection,
He was a short, heavy-set man.
she said. at last. with a dark face and
dark mustache which turned up at the
ends. That is all / can remember"
And dressed howY
In dark clothes: he wore a SLOUGH
hat, I think. drawn dow over the
eyes. I didn't see the face clearly"
The answer came without hesitation,
but It seemed to Godfrey that there
was In the voice an accent Of forced
sincerity.
VIVA did he do with the bar OF
iron?" asked Simmonds.
AS soon as he struck the blow, ]
think he-he threw 1t down. 1 re-
member hearing 1t fall"
Yes-here 1t Isl said Godfrey tri-
umphantly, and 1shed 1t out from un-
der a chair which stood near the WALL
But see, Simmonds-it's not a bar, it's
a pipe"
simmonds examined it. 1t was an
ordinary piece OF iron piping. abou
fifteen inches in length.
Her story seems to be straight" he
said, in an undertone to Godfrey
What do you think about it?"
Il think she's perfectly innocent Of
any crime" answered Godfrey, with
conviction. He had his doubts as to
the absolute straightness of her story
but he concluded to keep them to him.
self.
We'll, there's nothing more to b.
learned out here" remarked Sim.
monds, after another glance around
Suppose we take a look at the Other
room" and he led the way toward tn,
inner door.
1t was an ordinary bedroom OF moo
crate size and with a single closet, IL
which a few soiled clothes were hang.
Ing. The bed had been lain upon, ant
evidently by a person fully dressed, TO,
there were marks Of muddy shoes upor
the Counterpart, fresh marks as O
one who had come In during the even.
ing's storm. An empty whisky bottl,
lay on a little table near the bed.
Il guess Thompson was a boozer.'
+, observed Simmonds.
t Yes" agreed Godfrey, his fac,
showed that pretty plainly"
, We'll, the man we're after amt 1,
Z here; We'll have to search the house'
Cant we let Miss Croydon go home
l She won't run away-TH answer 70
that. Besides. there's nothing agains
her"
: Simmonds pondered a minute.
2 Yes, l suppose So" he said, at last
"Of curse, she'll have to appear a
F., the inquest. DO you know her ad
dress?"
t "Yes-twenty- lone East Sixty .nint]
t street"
Simmonds jotted 1t down in his note
book
"All right" he said. You'd bette
take her down to her cab"
' (Contirued Next Weekly
No Other Way Out.
From the Youths Companion.
There is a story often told to ill,strat