Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1908-01-23

Il Oon I KNOW ne answered., DuC IN
an investigation of this kind. no point
got to examine everything. weigh ev.
erything. pile up every little atom OF
evidence. IL we expect ia tip the scale
in our direction. It's very probable
that Tremaine never made these marks
at all: even If he did. they probably
have no Significance. But. in any event.
it won't do any harm to make sure:
and. besides. I'd like to see a sample
OF his handwriting, just for its W
sake-the handwriting OF a man like
that ought to be interesting. An. here
is Thomas"
Here's Il letter. sir" said Thomas.
Godfrey opened 1t and glanced at the
contents.
Hes Il good penmnN." he said: sec.
Lester" n he handed NE the sheet:
but it's quite a different hand from
the n on the blotter-much broader
and more masculine-just such a hand
as n would naturally expect a man
like Tremaine to write"
He examined II again for n moment.
then folded 1t up. and handed it back
to Thomas.
Perhaps Mr.. Delroy will want It
again." he said. Now let US sec MIR.
D~rysdale's room"
AS he got up from the table. I noticed
that he still held the blottcr I'm his
hand. and I saw him place 1t carefully
In an inner pocket. After all. then. he
did attach some Importance to 1t.
The room which had been occupied
by Drysdale was the counterpart of
Tremaine's. but 1t was IN great dis
order; An open trunk stood in the
strewn o 1t; the bed had not been
made.
I'VE was ordered not t. do anything
toward setttn' this room to rights" x
planned Thomas alphabetically. "til the
coroner set US word we might. He
amt sent no word vet"
1t was evident that Drysdale had
been packing very hastily when he was
INTERRUPTED by the arrival OF the off,
GERS. The clothing which was in the
runk had been crammed in carelessly
though. OF course, that might have
been lone by the coroner. after search
ing It.
"Drysdale evidently didn't spend
much time IN bed that night" observed
Godfrey. and indicated a pile Of cigaret
STUBS heaped high on ar ash tray on
the table. HE must have had some
knotty problem to wrestie with to need
so many"
He walked slowly about the room.
looking at everything keenly. hut 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 1t. Well. I guess
I'd better see that doesn't have an
other chance"
He weighed it in his hand. and I
could see how 1t tempted him-perhaps
here lay the very key which he had
been seeking In vain! But in a
he slipped 1t unopened into his pocket.
"A man is a fool to make PROMISES"
he observed. with n MY, emile on6 cot
down at t h table. Hello. what's
this?" he added suddenly. and, stoop-
ing. he f1shed from the waste-basket
beside him the fragments Of a cane.
1t was a cane certainly OF at least or
binary strength, n yet it had been
hurled into the basket.
Whistling softly to himself. Godfrey
surveyed 1t for a moment: then he
bent over the basket inc examined the
remainder of its contents. piece by
piece. There were scraps Of letters. q
paper. .
He sprang to his feet with a cry Of
triumph and waved It in the air.
I've found ft!" he cried. his face
beaming. I've found It. Lester!"
Found WHAT" 1 questioned. more
usually master OF his emotions.
"Ah. Lester" he continued moro
calmly. as he smoothed 1t out carefully
on h table. this takes a lot Of con-
ceft out of me. Had I been really clev-
er. I'd have deduced the existence Of
this message long before I entered he
ROOM. AS 1t is, it's luck-pure luck!
I'm glad to win on any terms. but I'd
rather win by scientific deduction. G..
Auguste 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 well.
one can only do n 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 1t. two lines
were written:
Be at the pergola at nine.
II I am late. wait for me.
WELL" I faitered: we'll"
"Oh, don't you BEE, Lester, It's the
key to h whole problem. TT the
light we've been looking for-w1th our
eyes shut! And TO think that instead
have stumbled about in the dark for 30
long. It's the only possible explanation,
and yet I didn't think OF It. II was in
evitable from the first. and yet I
couldn't see Il. It disEusts me with my
| self-it's what I get for being 80 cooked
up OvGT uuOlN8 mat OOVtie GOWN IneTe.
Even after I saw that .blotter. I didn't
guess it,"
He had taken out o card. and "A he
spoke he wrote a rapid sentence on II.
Here" he said to Thomas. take this
to Miss Croydon at once please"
PART v-DAY.
CHAPTER I.