Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-01-15
is tins yours, miss?' he asked.

She nodded family.
He snapped it open and looked at the
| chambers. One had been discharged.
He shifted at the barrel, then held it
out to Godfrey. The odor of burned
gunpowder was plainly discernible.
Godfrey's face hardened as he turned
TO the janitor, who had regained his
breath and stood staring on the thresh-
old.
MY friend" he said, "shut the
door
He stopped as he heard the tramp of
heavy feet approaching along the cor
ridor.
Wait" said Simmonds. There
come my Iaen. I'll be back in min
ute"
Godfrey nodded CURLY and waited
until SimmOnds closed the door after
him.
"Now. Miss Croydon he said, tell
me quickly how it happened. | can't
help you unless i know the whole
story, and 1 want to help you"
There isn't much to tell" she be-
gan. striving to speak steadily ~
came mere toto keep an appoint
ment"- She stopped, her voice dying
away. unable to go on.
with this MANI" asked Godfrey.
WHO is he?'
Il don't know" And she east a hor-
rified glance at the hudoled form. Il
never saw him before"
Then it wasn't he you came here to
meet?"
"No-that is-it may have BEEN
And again she stopped.
Miss Croydon" said Godfrey gently,
yet clearly. Il can't help you unless
you're quite frank with me. and | fear
you are going TO stand in feed of help
Did you kill this MANI
Mo- she cried. "Oh, nor
'"rhen who did,"
There was no answer. only Il dry,
convulsive sobbing.
AS Godfrey paused to look at her the
door opened and SimmOnds came in.
He closed it and snapped the lock.
There's policeman outside and one
at each landing" he announced. ''Ne'll
look things over here and then search
the building. First. let's look at the
body"
1t was lying partly on its back, part
ly on the right side. with both legs
doubled under it, The face was
bearded one. rough. coarse and little
not Il preposseSsing face under
any circumstances, and actually repul-
sive now with its gaping mouth and
widely staring eyes. 1t was tanned
and scanned by exposure to wind and
rain and there was deep scar across
the left temple.
Between fifty and sixty years of
age" remarked Godfrey. 'Pouf, Smell
the whisky"
Then, looking into the staring eyes,
he uttered Il sudden exclamation.
See there. SimmOnds, how the right |
pupils. dilated. Do you know what |
that means?"
Simmonds shook his head.
NO, can't say l do
1T MEANS" said Godfrey, that |
hit this fellow hard blow
on the left side of the head and pro-
duced hemorrhage OF the BRAIN
They stripped back the shirt from |
the breast. y little blood was still |
yelling from a wound just over the
heart
That's what did the business" OBJ
served Simmonds, land at close range
too. See there" and he pointed to the
red marks about the wound. He
wasn't shot from the corner that's
sure. Let's see what he's got in his
pockets"
The examination was soon made.
There were only pipe. knife, pack
lge of cheap tobacco, a handful of
Dose coins and an old pocketbook con
aiming Il little roll of newspaper clip
,ings and Il receipt for months rent
or suit fourteen made out TO II.
Thompson" repeated Simmonds,
and a lot of clippings. Can you read
French, Godfrey
"a little" answered Godfrey modest
Y. LET me see" He took the clip
'ings and looked at the first one.
'Suresnes. Sept. 1G. 1891" he read
81 have to report an event
he most interesting which has just
here, and which proves again
D quiet the ardent desires of the hu-
nan heart or to change the"
"Oh, WELL" interrupted Simmonds,
we can't waste time reading any more
that rot; it sounds like a French
ovel. The coroner can wrestle with
: if he thinks it's worth while"
He replaced the clippings in the
urse, which he slipped back into the
ocket from which he had taken it.
"Now," he added, rising to his feet,
we'd better get the girls story"
''AIiss Croydon" he began abruptly,
Rough perhaps in gentler voice than
e would have used toward the aver
ge suspect, "were you in the room
hen this man was killed.?
"Yes, SIR
"You know him?''
"Only slightly" she answered cool
:, disregarding Godfrey's stare of '
lsLIis. i 4hir,I- | 6