Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1907-10-25
CHAPTER II.
A CRY FOR HELP.

for three days BODY lay
enthroned on its couch at the morgue
but of the thousands OF people who
filed past II, not one could give a single
clew To its identity. Godfrey's ennis
sarteS went from end to end OF the
docks, loitered i'm sailors saloons and
eating places. provided innumerable
drinks, but nowhere did they meet any
one who recognized the rough, bearded
face which the camera had reproduced.
The officers OF every ship that had ar
rived within a week We're interviewed
but zone of them knew Thompson. 1t
would seem hat he had dropped from
the clouds n that no one had wit
messed his descent. 1t was an alto
gether puzzling state OF affairs, and
made impossible II further real prog
ress in the Investigation of the crime.
The police worked I'm a desultory fash
ION along the usual lines. Various the
cries We're built up and exploded; vari-
Gus cteWs We're labOriOuSly followed
and found TO lead nowhere: various sus-
poets were arrested and afterward re-
leased, a close and utterly futile watch
was kept on the movements of Jimmy
the bud 1t was plainly apparent that
the authorities We're all at sea, and II
seemed altogether likely that the affair
would o be written Town with New
NorlIs other unsolved mysteries.
Public interest waned and dwindled,
and passed on to other things. Even
with me, living at the very scene Of
the crime, ii faded I'm an astonishing
way, II no longer occupied my
thoughts; over my evening pipe. it was
not the details of the mystery | con-
1ured up, but a vision of a dark
face.
An inquiry of the janitor developed
the fact that it was my n%eighbors, Mr..
and Mrs. Tremaine. whom | had met
that evening as | left the elevator.
They had the apartment just across
the hall from mine, and / had thought.
OF course, that | must meet them fire.
quentlyi but three days had passed and
! a caught not a glimpse of them:
their hours for Coming and going
seemed radically different from mine.
So it was with a sense of disappoint-
nlent somewhat foolishIy excessive that
| set I'm my room and watched the
smoke circle up around the chandelier
n nder at the whim which had
brought me TO this apartment. Not
but that IT was comfortable enough:
vet i was vaguely restless. uneasy /
had not that homelike sense of COM
fort and quiet which had marked my
soJourn with Mrs. Fitch. There was
nothing to be discovered here concern
ing the tragedy. the rooms had been
stripped bare of evidence before my
arrival, 1t vas absurd TO
l heard the sudden opening of a door;
d scream. shrill. full of terror.
Rarely have ! been so startled as /
was by that voice. In an instant, | was
In the hall. A red light streamed
through the open zoe Of the apartment
Opposite, Sl~lhouetting a Woman's figure,
staring. with clasped hands.
| Sprang past her, pulled down the
burning curtains, and threw them into
the hall, where Higgins. who had run
up the stairs, stamped out the flames.
The room wa fun Of smoke. but il
vas evident that the fire had spread no
farther. | opened the window, and the
smoke was whirled away
THAT was lucky" was Higgins com-
ment, as he stood painting in the door
way. BY cricky! I'm all in a tremble.
! thought il was another MURDER"
couldn't help laughing as / looked
at him gasping eXcitejly for breath.
You've got murder on the brain" |
sale. Il hope there won't be any more
at the Marathon"
so do t. he agreed. and gathering
up the fragments OF the curtains
turned TO go.
All, bon diei" cried Mrs. Tremainc
in a queerly broken, but very charming
mixture of French and English. What
a chance What good fortune tina YOU
were In your room. missile"
IN hou CiOSeu the window with a
nervous shiver at the cold and then
stepped back into the full light. I
fairly gasped as / looked at her. Charm
ing she had been gowned according TO
the New York fashion; now she was
radiant In a costume who's gorgeous-
ness seemed just the setting her beauty
q AT the moment, IL compietely
dazzied me, but l was able afterwards.
In a calmer mood, to analyze 1.-THE
I IIlilSOl nefflCnAI tho n,nL~a; lA-A1
chemise with its fold upon fold of lace.
showing through the silken shoulder
scarf: the necklace of gold beads, and
bracelets, studs, brooches-what not
The sight OF Higgins standing
staring at this vision with open mouth
brought me to my senses.
am very happy to have been there.
madame" | said, and started toward
the door.
But you win not co. she protested.
missile Tremaine will be here In a
moment. He will desire to thank YOU
The words were accompanied by a
smile there was no resisting. / faltered,
stopped.
Higgins was still staring from tbs
hall. Mrs. Tremaine stepped forward
and calmly shut the door In his face
In that instant a quick shiver ran
through me. as though 1 had suddenly
beer imprisoned with a wild beast-a
ShIVer that mad In IL something fear.
fully delightful. And let me add here
that the emotion which Cecily, for sc
/ came to know her, raised in me was
not In the least admiration In the or
binary sense of the term, but rather
an overpowering fascination, such a:
one sometimes feels in watching a mag
nificent tigress pacing back and fortf
In her cage. Such, / believe. was tn,
feeling she inspired in most men; ever
1 IN TNropnaipa hfmcalf
She smiled at me again as she swep'
past me to n couch In n corner anc
sank upon It.
"Sit. missile she said, and motionet
me to a chair close ut hand. Il wa.
very lonesome; / was weary Of talking
ID my own body"
/ cannot reproduce the soft dialec
she spoke, any effort to do sc makes 1
appear g~rotesque, so l shall not try
Al first IL puzzled me occasionally, bu
| soon came To understand her per
fectly.
$50 was T." / said. smiling at tn
quaint expression. Il was CROWN;
! very sick OF my own body. Have yo,
I been In New York long?"'
n Less h 4 month, missile: and
do not like it-tt Is too cold-too grey.
"Ah. you have come In a bad tine,
e I said, wondering at her almost child
: ish expression OF misery. wait unit
june--then you viii seet'
,l sJ,,nAf An xya e. 81 pnG ,a,~al. -