Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-02-12

looking from one photograph TO the
other, very we'll He was Il quiet,
well behaved chap: had been captain
of little tramp steamer, | believe. He
had Il perfect mania for cutting pieces
out of newspapers and FASTING them
in a scrapbOok. He spent all his lei
sure time that way. oh. yes: remem
Der. too. he tried to escape. but his
pal went back on him and left him lay
in out yOnder by the wall. His pal
was Il bad one. he was; he got away
and I've often wondered what become
OF him. Here he is
He swung open another compart-
ment, and | found myself staring ut
Tremaine.
Not until was quite near New York
did l recover sufficiently from the
effects of this discovery to heed the
cry of the train boy rs he went through
the coaches with the evening papers.
'All about tn Edgemere murder"
he was crying. and the name caught
my ear.
"Edgcmcre," I repeated to myself
''Edgemere. I've heard that name
somewhere"
Then in flash | remembered. and in
Il moment more the whole story of the
tragedy Of the night befOre-the muir
der of Graham and the theft of Mrs
Delroy'S necklace-lay before me.
With what intensity of interest read
it can be easily imagined. WAS
shaken. nervous horror stricken. That
there was some connection between
this second tragedy and the one in
suit fourteen | did not doubt, and |
read and reread the details with the
greatest care. in the effort to find
where that connection lay
But il was impossible to see how
| Trcmaine could be implicated in the
Edgemere mystery evon in the least
deGree-his alibi was perfect On the
| other hand. the evidence against young
| DrySdale seemed complete in every
| link. Certainly none of the papers
| doubted his guilt. and they handled his
| past career and his family history with
| Il minUtenesS and freedom which must
| have been most trying to his friends.
| Coroner Heffelbower came in for the
| lions share of praise-every one agreed
| that he had conducted the case with
| rare skill and acumen. OF course the
! Record had his photograph, as we'll as
! those of his wife and six children and
| as I looked at his round face fancied
! him Strutting back and forth in his
| saloon, inflated with pride and listening
| approvingly to the constant ringing
| Of the cash register. Its an i'll wind
! but certainly there was no denying
that he had handled the case adroitly
Drysdale. it appeared, had been lodg-
ed in the Jail at Babylon and stead
tasty refused To make any statement
! or to explain his absence from the
| house. No reporters had been admit
ted to Edgemere. though that fact did
not prevent two or three of them from
writing minute descriptions of the con-
dition of affairs there and publishing
interviews with the members of the
family. Marvellous accounts were Civ
en- of the exquisite beauty and i'm
mense value Of the missing necklace
and the Record published u drawing
of it from description by Tiffany"
We pulled into the station. and
took a car down to my rooms. turning
this latest enigma over and over in
my mind, looking ut it from every an
gle, trying in vain to discover some
fact that would implicate Tremaine
At my door l paused a moment. Then
l crossed the hall and knocked at Ire
names door Perhaps Cecily had for
given me. and in an evenings talk
| nh to hn nh t1 finl
something more.
But it was not Cecily. 1t was Ire
maine himself who opened to me.
''Oh. Mr.. Lester" he cried with
hand outstretched. chow are YOU? |
wanted to see you. I've been listening
for your step. You must join us here
this evening
1T Shall 6e glad to- I said, return
ing his clasp, all my suspicious melt
ing away. reduced to absurdity at sight
Of him. But why so particularly this
evening"
Because we've planned a little cele
bration. CeciIy is going away
Going away"
"Yes-back to St Pierre ITO get my
house in order. But I'll tell you at din
ner. It's to be served here in an hour.
You will Gomez"
Certainly | will assured him and
FASTENED over to my room to dress.
He was awaiting me when | knock
ed an hour later A table had been set
with three places.
"Come in he said. Dinner will be
here directly. | thought it safer to
have the celebration here because
WELL" and he nodded significantly to-
ward the inner room.
"Cecily?' l questioned.
"Yes. She takes it to heart more
than you'd believe. but she'll get over
l 1t in a day or two"
when does she leave?"
''In the morning early. by the fruit
; boat And, by the way, l want you to
| go down with me to see her off She'll
, appreciate it,
hu A,yt I,,,t I.