Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1908-01-17
After all. rnen, ne

In an timer pocket. After all, tnen, ne
| did attach some Importance TO 1t.
The room which had been occupied
by Drysdale was the counterpart OF
Tremaine's, but It was in great dis
order. An open trunk stood IN the
middle OF the floor, with clothing
strewn about It: the bed had not been
made.
we was ordered not L do anything
toward settin' this room to rights, ex-
planned Thomas apologetically, TIN the
coroner set US word we might. he
amt sent no word yet"
1t vas evident that Drysdale a
been packing very hastily when he was
| interrupted by ~ arrival of the Off
GERS The clothing which was I'm the
trunk had been crammed i'm carelessiy
though. of course. that might have
been done by the coroner, after search
ing It.
"Drysdale ~evidently didn't spend
much time in bed that night, observed
Godfrey. and indicated a pile or cigaret
stubs heaped high on an ash tray on
ne table II must have had some
knotty problem to wrestle Win 10 heed
so many"
He walked slowly about the room,
looking at everything keenly, but touch
ing nothing; he stood gazing at the bed
for a long time. Then he turned again
TO the table.
Here's the diary" he said, picking
up a little book which lay there. $50
Heffelbower didn't get Il. Well, | guess
I'd better see that doesn't have an
other chance"
He weighed It in his hand, and !
could see how X tempted him--perhaps
here lay the very key which he had
been seeking I'm vain! But in a moment
he slipped II unopened into his pocket.
So A. .-znlyn nVnFDfGaG "
he observed, with Il wry smile, and sat
down at the table. Hello, what's
this ?" he added suddenly. and, stoop-
ing. he fished from the waste-basket
beside him the fragments of a cane.
1t was a cane certainly of at least or
binary strength, and yet 1t had been
broken into half a dozen pieces, and
hurled into the basket.
Whistling softly to himself, Godfrey
surveyed 1t for a moment; then he
bent over the basket and examined the
remainder OF its contents, piece by
piece. There were scraps of letters, a
torn envelope. a crumpled sheet or
paper.
He sprang to his feet with a cry OF
triumph and waved it in the air.
I've found it," he cried, his face
beaming. i've found it, Lester!"
Found WHAT" I questioned, more
and more astonished. for Godfrey was
usually master OF his emotions.
"Ah, Lester" he continued mors
calmly, as he smoothed II out carefully
on the table, "this takes a lot of con-
ceit out OF me. Had I been really cleV-
er, I'd have deduced the existence or
this message long before l entered the
room. AS II is, it's luck-pure luck!
I'm glad to win on any terms, but I'd
rather win by scientific deduction. G.
Angus Dupin would have come
straight upstairs, walked straight to
that basket, and selected unerringly
this sheet OF paper-he would have
known that 1t was there; while l-well,
one can only do ones best, and this
point was a little to fine for me. Take
a look at IT."
1t was a sheet Of the ordinary Edge
mere note paper. Across II, two lines
were written:
Be at the pergola at nine.
II am late, wait for me.
Well" / faltered; we'll
ooh, don't you see, Lester, It's the
key to the whole problem. It's the
light we've been looking for-with our
eyes shut! And to think that instead
of coming straight here for 1t, should
have stumbled about in the dark for so
long. It's the only possible explanation,
and yet didn't think of it. 1t was In
eyitabIe from the first. and yet 1
couldn't see it. 1t disgusts me with my
self-it's what / get for being so cooked
up over finding that bottle down there.
Even after l saw that blotter, | didn't
guess it,"
He had taken out a card. n as he
spoke he wrote a rapid sentence on II.
Here" he said to Thomas, take this
to Miss Croydon at once, please.