Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1907-12-14
CHAPTER VII.
THE HAND OF THE LAW.

For fun moment the coroner stood
| cooking down at the pistol i'm his hand
! without speaking but his face hardened
and grew stern, so far as lay in the
power Of countcnance so rubicund.
Il ttnk / shan have to see Mr.. Drys-
dale before | go back to Babylon" he
said. But first Jet us try to account
! Tor te presence OF It's pistol in tat
! boat"
How can it be accounted for2" de-
/ manded Delroy impatiently. Good
| God! ! tell you Jack Drysdale never
| Killed that man. Perhaps he was boat
! ing yesterday-no he Was i'm New York
! yesterday-well. Sunday then, and had
! the pistol with him and left it i'm the
! boat by mistake. How else could it
! nave got there? The murderer wouldn't
! have put it there"
"Nobody's used the boat, sir" said
| William.
How do you know tat?" asked the
! coroner sharply.
Because, sir, / tied it t the buoy,
an know my knot It's tn same
! one | Jest unfastened"
You mean that boat hasn't been
| away from the buoy since you tied ii
/ there asked Delroy.
Jest that, sir.
| Then how did the revolver get in
! Delroy and Henelbower looked at
! each other helplessly. Tremaine was
roilihg another cigaret and the cor
/ oner. glancing at him. noted the mean
| ing smile which passed across his lips.
lave you teory. Mr.. Tremaine?"
| he questioned respectfully. Il should
| be tery glad TO hear it. if you have"
why, yes, answered Tremaine
/ slowly "a possible explanation occurs
I TO me However, it's only a theory
ana so may be worth nothing, but it
seems TO me after committing a crime
4 IKE that the murderer would seek in
stantIy to dispose of the weapon with
which il was committed What better
hiding place could he ask than the wa
ters of the bay? He would hurl the
I pistol far out-only. by a strange chance
instead of falling into the water, il fell
INTO the boat. or course, he added In
another tone Il fully agree with Mr.
DeIroy that Mr. Drysdale could not
nave committed the crime The pistol
no doubt passed from his possession
some time ago. He can explain that
Henelbower nodded with open admir-
alton.
Yes" he said; "TH ask him about
u. I'm sure your t'eory is the correct
one Mr Iremaine. ! present you my
leave tie house yesterday evening""
Mr. Delroy can tell you"
NO, answered Delroy. "Mr. Tre-
maine did not leave the house yesterday
( evening"
Nobody went out except Mr.. Drys-
dale" spoke up Thomas II was in tn
vestibule till nearly midnight when
Mr. Delroy told me to & to bed"
You saw Mr.. Drysdale come in?"
Yes, sir; an ! never saw anybody
so worked up an nervous like"
10 you remember what outer gar
| nent he wore?"
He wore his raincoat, sir ! helped
MIN on an Off with it."
Where are tie raincoats kept?"
Ihey usually hang on the rack in
m Vestibule, sir. That's Mr.. Drys-
1ales coat that Mr.. Delroy has on
Yes said Delroy. looking down at
=; i didn't notice; | snatched it down
| n such hurry"
He stopped, staring down at the
coat, mis- face suddenly livid.
The others followed his glance.
Inc top button of the coat was miss
ing. 1t had evidently been wrenched
away witt violence, for the cloth was
BADLY torn.
Amid a silence strained. absolute
Nhe coroner took from his pocketbook
ihe button he had found in Graham's
hand.
Il believe Mr.. Drysdale viii find il
ulthcult to explain It's gentlemen" he
SAID his face glowing more and more,
and he held against the place the but
ton he had found
II fitted IL exactly: the button
matched the others on the coat; the
| shred of cloth was Of the same color
and material as the remainder OF the
garment. 1t was proof there could
De no disputing.
Heffelbower slowly replaced the but
ton in his DOCketbOok
May l trouble you to take off tie
coat, Mr.. Delroy?" he said: and when
Delroy complied, he threw il over his
arm ."T'ere's just one more question"
financial condition iss good?"
why, yes" answered Delroy. 81
nave always so considered it,"
There was hesitation in his man.
ner which Heffelbower noticed.
You mean you do not so consider
MIN, Mr.. Delroy If he iss innocent
he will have no difficulty in proving it;
II he iss guilty, he should be punished" ."
We'll, then" said Delroy with a
kind of desperate calm, I've already
told you that ] heard he'd been specu-
lating in steel. There was a crash,
Saturday, you know; but for how
much he was caught, or whether he
was caught at all. don't know. YouIl
have to ask him about that"
/ IT ank you for your frankness," said
the coroner. 'F'rankness never yet
hurt an innocent man / t'ink tat iss
/ all we can do here Let us go up TO
| tie house and have talk with Mr..
= Drysdalt."
They followed him in silence from
/ the boat house and up the broad
gravel path. Thomas opened the door
for them.
Shall have Drysdale called down %
asked Delroy, as they stepped inside.
No" said the coroner. I'D prefer
to see him in his room"
Very WELL the other acquiesced.
and led the way through the still de-
serted hall and mp the stair.
At the top, Tremaine turned to the
coroner
IF you don't mind" he said, 'IIl
! go on TO my room. I'm feeling pretty
well used up. My room is right here
next 10 Mr.. Drysdale's. If you want
me, you can call me-"
| Certainly, sir agreed Heffelbower
instantly. And let me tank you again
for your fiery faluable suggestions"
! "Oh, not at all, returned Tremaine
and entered his room.
! The others went on 10 the next door
! Delroy knocked
who's there" queried Drysdale'
voice.
open up, Jack" called Delroy
! We've got TO see you on some rather
| important business"
important business" Drysdale re-
| peated, and they heard him cross the
/ room. Then the door was flung open
] Come in-why, what the deuce is all
| this about Dickie?"
Come in and shut the door, Jack. u
! replied Delroy quietly. This gentle
man Is Coroner Heffelbower of Baby
! Ion. He wishes TO ask you a few
| questions"
| T1rvs,loIo on.u,arad with a A. -,
! amaZement. but he stood asiS, and
! let them pass into the room.
! Why what's all this, jack" asked
| Delroy. looking about at the disorder
Drysdale closed the door and turned
| toward him rather sheepishly.
Fact is ] was packing. Dickie," he
| said. I've got To go back to New
! York today TO look after some invest
ments. I'd like 10 stay, old man, but
| | really can't"
| Something in the faces Of his audi
! tors stopped him, and he changed
| color.