The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1907-10-11
prysdale sat for a mn s,arin;

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. I'm not worthy"
Godfrey was walking n%ervously about
the room.
No, you're not" he broke in abrupt
ly. Mighty few men would be. Luck
lily. women don't stop to look at that
side of it. Besides. she'll help you. if
Il intend to-" said Drysdale humbly.
Godfrey started to say something
more. then shook himself impatiently.
Her appearance will help her. he
added in another tone, when she's
called before the coroner-she'n i'm
press the jury in just the right way"
Drysdale got up quickly.
She'll have to appea before the
coroner"
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
I with another warm lland-clasp he was
4 gone.
& Godfrey turned back into the room
md sat down again before the fire.
& Drysdale's story had. indeed. furnished
I him with new food for thought. So it
was q family secret that Grace Croy-
poH WIS SuaFdlus. SHe Iad spoken
the truth-she a scorned to lie. A
secret that affected the family honor.
That was c~onceivable-it furnished the
only possible solution OF the mystery
He felt that he could reconstruct the
drama with some degree of plausibility.
Of paper toward him and got u his
pencil. Like all good tragedies, it
should be in five acts.
ACT l..
The Croydon family possesses a skel-
ston, and one Thompson holds the key
TO the closet in the shape OF certain
papers. lie threatens to use them, to
display the skeleton to the world He
writes to Miss Croydon, OF perhaps to
Mrs. DelroN, demanding a price for his
papers. Mrs. Delroy is for letting him
DO his worst; Miss Croydon. less SEN
stble (also perhaps more sensitive9, is
FOR trying to buy him off. She over
ides her sister. makes an appointment
with Thompson, disregarding the risk
she runs of compromising herself. (The
skeleton, then. must be a particularly
tErisly OneD
Miss Croydon goes to the appoint
mcnt alone. but with the precaution OF
taking a pistol With her. (Query-Was
she accustomed to using "a pistol) She
As admitted by Thompson. who has
barely awakened from a drunken sleep.
"a leIl-Illli!QlG pIIlev lOllONS, QIIlQS
which he states his demands. She. per-
haps, finds them excessive, impossible
TO comply With. and tells him so. He
grows angry, abusive. perhaps attempts
fome violence. She produces her pis-
toll. and at that ONE 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. perceiving
his intention, instinctively raises her
rur,, Y,iCtr1 o,,1 froc ,t J,;,, V,I,- .I.-.-
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,
sanXiously awaiting her sisters return.
She has been absent muc longer than
she expected to be. and Mrs. Delroy is
growing alarmed. Enter Jack Drys-
dale, the sisters afflanced. Mrs. Del
roy tries desperately to get rid OF him,
eve 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 tina the interview has led to
Thompson's death. Mrs. Delroy Jumps
70 the conclusion that her sister has
herself committed the crime and coll
'tapses. Miss Croydon then. for the FIRST
time, seeing Drysdale, warns him that
3 she is compromised. Exit. IDrysdale
rushes off in search of an explanation.
i (uhat Mrs. Delroy. should for an I'm
slant believe her sister guilty OF such
z crime argues that the skeleton is SO
horribly repulsive that only ThomDson's
death could bury it STANDARDIZATION,
OF course. is plausible. since he doubt
less knew the contents of the papers.)
There" said Godfrey, having down
MS pencil, after the recognized fash
ION, three acts are devoted to Deepen
Ing the complications; two must now
be devoted to clearing them away.
That: the work for the future. Let us
see what we ave to do"
He took up the pencil again and
turned ito a new sheet.
I. TO establish the IDENTITY of the
murdered a This may be done by
a more careful examination of his be-
longines. The callosities on his hands
his weaa~her-beaten face, the cut OF his
clothes all indicate that he was a sailor.
I should say that he a seen better
days, BUT a been brought down in
the world by drink. (Note-In the
morning. end a man along the water
front with his photography
2. To disinter the skeleton. This. OF
course. will render necessary an exam
ination Of the history OF the
Croydoas. IN should not be difficult.
(Note-ask Delaney to look up the
family.)
3. To discover the murderer.
This last" continued Godfrey, gaz-
ing conte,nplatively at his paper, is.
OF course. the most Important; indeed.
it Is the object OF the other two. Now,
let US see what we know about his
mysterious Individual and he turned
another page.
L. He must have been in apartment
fourteen before Miss Croydon's ar
rival, otherwise ne could not have
gained access to TIC bedroom unseen.
<This shuts out Jimmy the Dude.J
2. Therefore he was a friend or at
least an acquaintance of Thompson's.
since it is imnossible that lie could
have been there without .rhomrson's
knowledge.
3. But If Thompson consented to his
overhearing the. interview. he must
have expected some help from him.
4. Yet ne was not in The apartment
at . O'Clock when Higgins put Thomp-
son TO bed.
s. B.t H:sgins says that no one
entered after that except Miss Croy-
don. (Higgins may, OF course, be mis-
taken.D