Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1908-02-08

| violent thunder clap, but for the mrs
moment he had found himself unabl
10 move-dizzy. as he explained IT.
But how did you know wnere I
look for lt?" | asked.
Well | knew that no expert
| enced criminal would keep about hir
any such important evidence a
! bottle that had contained chic
form. The odor clings to it 70
Ion. time. ] committed the mistake
at first OF supposing that he had hid
I den II In the bOathouse. i should hay
known better. Naturally he woul,
! throw IL into the bay. There was
/ single chance against me. III he ha'
! thrown II In uncorked, II would prob
! ably have sunk. That was "A point ht
! didn't think Of, and by just that mucl
he fell below perfection. I think h'
/ probably administered the chOroforn
/ by pouring II upon one corner OF the
sheet and throwing 1t over younG
| Graham's face. No doubt the odoi
| would have been perceptible next morn
! ing had anyone thought TO look for It
! There was only one point in the whole
! case he added thoughtfully. that
/ was utterly at variance with my the
/ ory-and II worried me badly for a
/ time"
| What was that" I asked.
! That was the story the jailer told
us-that Miss Croydon believed Drys-
! dale guilty But you have seen how
! naturally that was explained. ] knew
/ then. In that instant, that / was OH
| the right track-that nothing could de-
/ feat me. But let us go back 10 the
| beginning-and I'd like you 10 point out
| any flaws you see in the story"
/ Very well" I said, and settled back
| in the seat to listen.
| Tremaine had two very powerful
I motives for the commission of this
/ crime. began Godfrey "he needed
/ money and could take no more from
/ Miss Croydon, since he was trying Sc
/ riously 10 win her affection: he was
determined TO get Drysdale out Of the
way under circumstances as discredit-
able as possible. confident that. in that
case, ne would himself win Miss Croy-
! don. Which he added In a thought
ful aside, from what you've told me
or him, don't think at all impossible. "
Not in The least" / agreed Il be-
| lieVe Tremaine could win any woman
he really set his heart on"
AT any rate, he learns OF DrysdaIe's $
jealousy and OF Miss Croydon's promise
TO explain things. He sees that at any
hazard he must prevent that explana-
ton. Monday morning he comes to
town with Delroy, and the latter tells
MN that he intends giving the necklace
the salt water treatment Youu re-
member II was Tremaine who original
~ proposed this, though he could
scarcely at that time have foreseen
what would come OF IT,"
Mere chance" / nodded.
Wen, Tremaine takes the early train
back TO Edgemere and lays his plans
lie writes the note"--
But YOU really haven't any evidence
that he did,' ! objected.
For answer Godfrey took from his
pocket the blotter he had found I'm Ire
maine's room
told you that these letters aren't
IN Irematne's hand" he said; but II
you II compare them with the note
you II see how nearly they resemble
MISS Croydons. Again, they are only
capitai Be G's, and rs. which are the
only capitals used i'm the note That's
pretty good circumstautial evidence
Iremaine. or COURSE, burnt the piece OF
paper he practiced on; but he didn't
think TO burn this blotter It was only
tie freshest line at the bottom OF the
paper that left these marks
But did Tremaine have a sample of
Miss Croydon's writing? p"
There's no reason to think he didn't
nave; but II he didn't he could no
doubt have found plenty OF samples
among Drysdale's things He's prob
AMY an adept at forgery as well as AT
most other branches OF crime
~ IAbiAtr ~ Siitdu. L SAID.
Iremaine writes the note and leaves
u IN lrNsdales ROOM continued God
frey. Then he opens the trunk and
secures the revolver Perhaps he knew
the revolver was there and perhaps he
dldn l. if ne hadn't found II, he'd prob
aDly nave taken something else belong
ing TO Drysdale for a weapon.
Having secured the revolver. he re-
turns 10 ms room by way OF the bal
IN ~ VHsH g..
OF the evening you already know Drvs
daie goes to keep the rendezvous at the
pefSoia, starting early, because the
mouse with Tremaine in IT, has become
unbearable TO him. He stops for a
chat with Graham. which the latter's
son oVerhears, and then goes on To the
PSisoia, Whlch Is quite at the other end
OF the grounds from the boathouse
Meanwhile, Tremaine has snant tba
early part of the evening talking with
Delroy and Miss Croydon. AT last he
goes 10 his room on the pretensa of
writing letters, gets the revolver cote
himself down by the vine. and starts
Tor the pier. He enters the boatbouea
soltly' reels his way TO the cot. whose
s'.',l poHltioh ne mas already seen, and care
fully administers the chloroform Tha
dose was no doubt nicely calculated and
the boy would probably have aWakened
naturally In few hours.
Ihat done, Tremaine walks boldly
out upon the pier Old Graham secs
himi perhaps challenges him: but of
course Allows him TO approach as soon
as he recognizes him. They tsi,, 80
gether for moment. then Tremaine
sWltt as lightning, knocks the other
down. Graham probably fell without
crying out. ! fancy / can sac Tremaine
Tausing 10 make sure his yictirn iS
ueao oetore ne goes on TO the end of
the pier 70 get the necklace"
| shivered; / could see him. too bend-
ing over in the darkness, with a hor-
rible calmness.
Ihat throwing Of the pistol into the
boat, continued Godfrey. was one oS
those flashes of inspiration which come
TO man sometimes. Ii was superb,
III proves that our friend is really an
artlst, NOT one man in thousand
would have thought Of it. He nousf
have laughed with sheer satisfaction
when he heard it clatter safely into
the boat"
He paused for a moent to think OF
IT, to turn II over TO taste il.
Well he continued, at last. "he Sc
cures the necklace, throws away the
bottle. and probably goes down to the
waters edge to wash his hands"
Did he take the necklace with him
to the house?" / asked.
No" said Godfrey decidedly. ''rThera
was no reason whatever for him to run
that risk He had doubtless picked out a.
safe hiding place for 1t I'm the afternoon
The necklace once deposited there he
hurries back TO the house, climbs up
to the balcony. and re-enters his room.
He assures himself that there are no
blood-stains on him anywhere, then
he moves his table near the window
and sits down TO wait for Drysdale's s
return.
AS soon as he hears him enter his
room. he gathers up the letters which
he had, of course. written during the
afternoon, and goes downstairs. And it
is here that he makes his most Sc
rious mistake. He faucies. perhaps,
that he is to have only the country po-
ice TO deal with-only your Heffel-
bowers-that he must clinch the nall
that he cannot make the evidence
against his victim too strong. So. when
ne places his letters in the bag on the
hali-rack, he also tears off the top but
ton OF Drysdale's rain-coat.
lie returns to the hall, talks with