Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-04-18
The Pauper of Park Lane
WILLIAM QuEUx.
Copyright, Queux.
TS Entered Stationer's reserved
BY WILLIAM LIE QUEUx

Ne~ ~"SS<p>S U0@N@ ~>>@t
man! saw your face, remember"
IF it was actually my face it was
mot in Cromwell Road. That's quite
certain!" Laughed old Statham's sec.
rotary.
But it was your face"
1T was, | repeat, somebody who
resembled me-" he declared But
you haven't told me what the person
was doing in the empty house."
That's just what / don't know"
Barclay replied. Il only know this
When l entered that night saw moth
ing of safe let into the wall. But
on going there the next day the safe
stood revealed, the door was open,
and it was empty"
| "And so you charge me with being
thief" cried Rolfe, his cheek flush
! ing.
| mot at all. You asked me for the
truth, and I've told you
| well, it's evident you suspect me
of sneaking into the house, breaking
open the doctors safe and taking the
contents" he said plainly annoyed.
] "The doctor may have returned
; himself, in secret" Max replied. "But
such could hardly be the case, for
the door had been blown open with
explosives"
| That would have created a noise"
: Charlie remarked quickly. "Shows
that whoever did it was a blunder-
err"
! Exactly. That's just my opinion.
/ What I want to establish is the mo-
tive for the secret visit, and who
made it,
| We'll, can assure you that I'm in
entire ignorance of the existence or
any safe in the doctors house."
| "And so was l. 1t was concealed by
the furniture until my second visit,
on the following morning.
| Curious" Rolfe said. every cur
ious indeed. The whole affair is most
notwithstanding how both
father and daughter got away without
leaving the least trace !. of their
fight
! "Then you don't anticipate foul
play?" Max asked quickly.
why should one?'
"The doctor had good many po-
litical enemies"
We all have enemies. Who has
not? But they don't come and murder
one and take away ones household
goods"
Then I am to take it that it was
not you l saw at Cromwell Road,
Charlie?" asked his friend in deep
earnestness, at the same time filled
with suspicion. He felt that his eyes
could not deceive him.
"In all seriousness" was the 9TH
er's reply. 81 was not there This per-
sonation Of myself shows that there
was some very clever and deeply-laid
scheme"
''But you've just declared that a
falsehood was permissible when a
woman's honor was concerned"
"Well and will not every man with
a sense of honor towards a woman
hold the same opinion? You yourself,
Max, for instance, are not the man to
give woman away"
81 know! I know-only-"
"Only what? Surely you do not dis
agree with me!''
"In a sense don't, but I'm anxious
to clear UP this matter as far as you
yourself are concerned"
Rolfe saw that he had shaken his
friends fixed belief that he had seen
him in Cromwell Road Max was now
debating in his mind whether he had
suspected Charlie unjustly 1t is so
easy to suspect, and so diff cult to sat
isfy ones self of the actual truth The
mind is, alas! too apt to receive i'll
formed impressions contrary to fact.
ut is already cleared up" Rolfe
answered without hesitation. 81 was
not there. You were entirely mistak-
en-. Besides, my dear chap, why should
l go there when had been particular
ly asked by Maud not to visit the
house?"
when did she ask you?"
"Only the night before. That very
| fact is. in itself, curious. She urged
me, whatever might occur, l was not
to go to the house."
Then she anticipated something
EN-"
ut seems as though she did"
"And she told Marion something on
the night when she and her father
disappeared"
81 know"
"You know what she told herr"
mo Marion refuses to tell me, I
wish l could induce her to speak Mar
ion knows the truth-that's my firm
belief
"And mine also"
"The two girls have some secret in
common" Rolfe said. Cant you get
Marion to tell your
"She refuses. I've asked her half a
dozen times already
81 wonder why There must be some
reason"
"Of course there is. She is loyal to
her friend But tell me honestly,
Charlie. Do you know the doctors
whereabouts?"
"I tell you honestly that haven
the slightest idea. The affair is just
as great mystery to me as to you"
But why have you kept away from
me until today?" Barclay asked. at
isn't like YOU
why, my dear fellow, I'm sure ii
never has"
But you've suspected me of being
in that house on the night of the dis
appearance!"