Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1907-10-31

fer really. 1T don't make no difference
The car stopped and he led the way
down the hail without troubling to fin
ish the sentence.
Here we are" he added. pausine
before ii door and producing Il bunch
of keys. Which reminds me that III
have t git u key fer you-the othe.
tenant lost his-leastways. 1t wasn't
found on him. Or mebbe you'd rather
Id change TIA lock-"
on, no | assured him. another
Key will do" and we entered together.
| examined the room with keen in
;erest. Evidently everything had been
left just as 1t was on the night of the
crime: only the body had been re
moved. and it. ! knew. was at the
morgu waiting identification. Hig-
gins was busy pointing ou to me the
advantages Of The apartment. but /
confess l did no; near him. recon
Htructed the picture which had met
Godfrey's y when he burst into the
room; ! tried In vain to discern some
point of evidence which he had over
cooked. The furniture was of the COM
:nonest kind and consisted OF only the
most necessary articles.
ligSir' led the way into the bed
room and opened the door OF the bath
room beyond.
! shall bring my own furniture" I
said. But l haven't any carpets. Per
hapS | can buy these. Thy seem pret-
ty good"
They are. sir" agreed Higgins.
"They'rc good carpets and as good IL.
tn day they was put down. It'll make
1t lots easier for us If we don't have t.
take en- up"
A right" / agreed. Find out
hove the rooms ready"
He looked nj me n scratched his
mead again; then. remembering sud
denly the nature of jani;ors. ] took out
my purse and tipped him.
Have them ready ~ tomorrow aft
~rhoon. ! said. Get n man tn help
you. If necessary. III expect to be at
acme here tomorrow night"
His face cleared instantly.
IN do II. sir" he agreed. as he
pocketed the money. IN see that
everything gifts in all right. You kin
sign tn rem; agreement tomorrow-th'
SCOT rents fer forty IA month"
Very we'll" | said. and followed him
mt" the outer room. smiling to myself
AT the thought that | had forgotten
I" ask for this important detail.
Would you mind II 1 sat down and
took a smoke. while l 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 law T.
walk downstairs. Iii be back in a
minute. sir"
III took me but an instant to light my
rigar, then ] wairled my chair around
20 the table before which 1t stood. The
table had a single drawer. l opened
IT. 1t was absolutely empty. 1 went
quickly to the bedroom and opened
the closet. but not even a piece OF
clothing hung there. Then l turned to
the dresser. but it's three drawers, too.
were empty. Evidently all of Thomp-
sons belongings had been removed by
the police. or course they had searched
through every nook and Granny; it was
foolish OF me To expect to find any
thing now.
returned To my chair and looked
again about the room. There was the
corner where Miss Croydon had cow
cred. and from which she had snot at
Thompson's assailant; there was the
spot where Thompson himself had fall
len. ne mad lain extended on the car
pet. while thc--what was that? A
tiny sparkle caught my eye. a relec-
ton OF the light overhead. j sprang
from my chair II stopped above the
place. but could see nothing. l re-
turned to my chair. and again caught
the reflection. This time. | marked 1t
exactly In the pattern of the carpet.
went TO 1t carefully: put down my
hand-nothing IL little hard point
pressed INTO the carpet. so minute l
inger. and an instant later, under the
light. i saw that | had found a dia-
mond'
wrapped it carefully i'm a SCRAP OF
paper and slowed it away safely in my
pocketbook. Then I. went back to my
chair. How came the diamond there?
"A stone :" minute must have been set
in a piece OF jewelry; perhaps was
only one Of many such stones forming
a cluster. or n border to a larger Jewel.
II one could only discover the piece
from which II had fallen, there would
he a clew-
We'll. have y got It all fixed. sir??"
asked "A voice from the door. and 1
turned with a start to see Higgins
standing there.
Yes" answered. rou.ing myself
with an EFFORT: and I w him such
directions as occurred to me. Has
anyone else been in the rooms" I
asked.
Not since Yesterday mornin'. sir.
e tn coroner brought his jury T.
look en- over. They've been locked
since then"
Il thought perhaps somebody might
have wanted To rent them." l explained.
Say. that's FUNNY" he cried. I'D
purity night forgot 1t. Early this
mornin' they was somcbody-a wom-
an" He came close to me and dropped
his voice To a hOarse whisper. ~ "
know who think II wRs? That Croy.
don woman!"
stared at him in Amusement.
Weren't you sure:"
Mo-: h had a veil wrapped around
her head an h was dressed different.
But 1t was her--I know It,"
And what did she WANT" / asked.
more and more astOnished.
"She wanted 4 ice TIL rooms: but I
told her they was closed. tell you. I
was dead afeard Z come up herewith
her. How'd ] know but shed take .
shot at me-? Then she wanted 4 rent
ON sight unseen. an offered \ months
tent advanceEbut l told her
We didn't rent scots Z single women.