Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1907-10-24

thought the collapse natural "iough.
NOW. 1t took on II new meaning.
There's another thing. continued
Sinmonds. after Il moment. Here's
thc piece OF pipe W. found Oh the floor.
Do you know where II came from"
No was going to look that up"
1t came from the radiator. Mt con-
necti"iis We're defective and a plumber
was replacing them. This is II piece of
pip Nc had removed ard left lying
behind the radiator. He remembers il
distinctly. DO yor recall the position
OF the radiator?"
"Yes: It's against the wall opposite
The bedroom door"
"ENactly. Then the person coming
from that dool must have crossed the
rocm To get 1t. More than that. he
mast have hunted for it " known it
WAS there. because It was In the shadow
behind the radiator. 1t couldn't be
seen unless one looked for tive tried
1T"
Godfrey paused to consider.
Did you give these points to Cold
berg" he asked
No. 1 didn't think 1t would help
matters any: besides. / didn't want to
put Miss Croydon on her guard"
O course-though all this doesn't
actually implicate her"
No: but 1t shows she knows more
than shes old us said sSimmonds
doggcdly. Il don't think she's been
square with us"
Godfrey did not permit any trace OF
his inward perturbation to appear on
his countenance; nevertheless he was
seriously disturbed. He had hoped that
no ore but himself would suspect Miss
C%roydon's lack OF frankness. He felt
II certain irritation against her-she
should have beer more careful; she
hould have foreseen that the clippings
would be traced to her. She was rely
ing too much on his -forehearance. He
must do his best to control Simmonds.
Well, perhaps she hasn't" he said
slowly. after q moment; but maybe
she's % much to blame for that. after
all. Anyway. Yves got To work at the
case from the other end. We've got to
identify Thompson first"
Yes" agreed Simmonds. that's our
best hold. You'll let ne know il you
find out anything?"
O course" said Godfrey. rising. and
with u curt nod he Went Out and down
the steps to the street.
AT the Office he found two reports
awaiting him. One was from the men
he had sent along the docks-they had
found no n who could identify the
photograph OF Thompson. The other
was from Delaney, the head of the Rec
ord's intelligence department. At 2
O'Clock that morning. just before retir-
ing. Godfrey a 'phoned a message to
the office:
"Delancy-I want all the information
o~btainable concerning the history of the
Croydon family, to which Mrs. Richard
Delroy and Grace Croydon belong"
This was the result:
"Gustave Croydon. notary and money
lender. No II Rue d'Antin. Paris. re-
moved with his wife and young aaugh-
ter about 1873 to ~Beckenham, just south
of London. England. Why he removed
from Franco not known. Rue d'Antin
has been completely rebuilt within last
thirty years and only person there now
who remembers Croydon Is an old no
tary named Fabre, who has an office at
the corner of Rue st. Augustin. He
has memory that Croydon left
France to avoid criminal prosecution of
some sort.
Croydon bought small country place
near Beckenham and lived there quiet
ly In semi-retirement. Fortune appar-
entity not large. In 1891, inortgaged es-
tate for $4,000; mortgage paid in 1897.
Religion. Catholic. Excellent reputation
AT Beckenham.
Eldest daughter. Edith. born in
France. August Is. 1874. Educated at
tAio u Odt OIohC uONIl kTOIIl over
study n returned to Bohemian,
where she became Interested In social
settlement work. There met Richard
Delroy, New York. who was making in
vestigation Of London charities. Mar
ried him June s. 1900. and went imme-
diately to New York.
only other child. daughter
Grace. born at B~eckenham. May -
1880. Educated at home. No unusua
incidents in life. so far as known.
Croydon and wife died, typhoid fever
1901. Delroys came to England, and
after selling property and settling es.
tate o Grace home with them. Es.
tate. left wholly to younger sister, paiC
inheritance tax on 97.5O0."
Godfrey read his through slowly
dwelling upon it point by point.
The skeleton" he said to himself
lis pretty plain--it lies concealed some
where behind C%roydon's departure from
France. There must have beer som,
unusual reason for that-a reason NOR,
serious. perhaps. than this threatened
prosecution--the clippings would tel
the story.
But Is it worth while trying to diI
It up? 1t wouldn't be a difficult thini
to do IL the newspapers handled it q
the time: but l don't know" and h
stared out through his window witt
drawn brOws. III it's buried again.
believe I'll let It rest-for the present
anyway" and he whirled back to hi
desk.
He wrote the story Of the day. dc
velOpments and turned 1t. in.
We've been lucky" said the cit,
editor. with q gleeful smile, as he too
the copy. We've got photographs o
all the principals"
"Yes-they cost $500. but they'r
worth II. No other paper in town wi
have EN-"
That's good" said Godfrey. but
was = h~alf-hearted commentator
and he left the ONCE in q frame q
mind not wholly amiable. The meth
dds OF s. popular newspaper are not III
ways above reproach.
Thank heaven" he added to him
self, his 3a<1 clearing a Iittle. ..there'