Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1908-01-11
CHAPTER ~.
CEcIIY SAYS GoonRY

CECII.N SAYS GOODBY.
The cold light OF the morning brought
with il a profound skepucism Cod
freyS theory no longer seemed so con
Nihcing, Ia fact, it did not seem CON
Nincing M all. Many objections oc-
CURED 10 me. SAW tnat the whole
elaborate structure was built upon
quickSand there was no proof that any
OF the clippings referred 10 Tremaine
or Thompson, there was no truth that
Thompson had gathered them with
elaborate care and Of sci purpose, there
was no proof
Yes there was one point susceptible
OF proof; bv il the Whole structure
would stand or fan.
Mr.. Royce, ! said Ia our Junior i'm
The course OF the morning Il wonder if
J could be spared this afternoon? I've
some business OF my own which I'd
like very much To attend to"
Why certainly he answered in
stantIy: 50 when ! left the Office at
noon, took the elevated to the Grand
tenlal station and bought a ticket TO
bS ming. once there. | went 10 the
| grey old prison ana stated my GRAND
20 Mr Jones. the sub-Wardeu whom /
! found i'm charge
I've come NJ from New York. be-
gan, after giving him my card. TO
/ n.
handed him the Photograph Of
! Thompson
He looked at it long and searching
~, seemingly for time iu doubt. but
at last he shook his head
No, / dont believe ! can, he said
There something familiar about the
face but / can't place g."
How long have You been connected
with the prison, Mr. Jones?" | asked
Il began thirty years ago as guard
/ But what made Nou think ! could iden-
tify this fellow"
We've rather Imagined. / answered
that his real name was Johnson and
that he served a term here for rob
berry beginning I'M 1857"
He looked al the photograph again.
with sudden Bush of excitement iu
his face
II believe you're right. he said.
Let's look at Johnson photo"
He consulted the index. then turned
to one of the wall cases
Here he is, he said, opening a com
( putment and pointing TO a photograph
1t s the same man, sure only changed
! "a lot. IL would be easy to prove IT,
! suppose they took his Bcrtillon meas
/ urements at the mOrgue, and we've only
| 10 compare them with ours They'd he
The same 40 matter how much he d
changed"
-NliA ne ilah NlldHBeu, indeed. Inc
Johnson OF the prison photograph was.
| of course, smooth shaVen. his face was
/ alert, Intelligent. there was no scar
| upon the temple, nor did the features
/ show the subtle bloating Of long con
| llnued dissipation But il was the same
undoubtedly IL was the same There
Was no need 70 apply any finer tests.
Il remember him now, " said Jones.
looking from one photograph 70 the
other, very we'll He WAS quiet. well
behaved chap-had been captain of "A
! little tramp steamer ] believe Had a
perfect mania for cutting pieces out
of newspapers and pasting them I'm a
scrap book. He spent an his leisure
time that way. on, yes; | remember.
TOO. he tried to escape but his pal
Went back on him and left him iayin'
out yonder by the wall His nal was a
| bad one. he was he got away and
We often wondered what become OF
him. Here he is
He swung open another compartment
and ! found myself staring AT Ire
maine
Not until | was quite near New York
ala | recover sufficiently from the eff
fects of this discovery to heed the cry
Of the train boy as he went through the
coaches with the evening papers
All about IN Elgemere murder"
ne was crying, and The name caught
my ear.
"Edgemere repeated 10 myself
"Edgemere I've heard that name
somewhere
Then ia fash ! remembered and
in moment more the whole story Of
the tragedy OF the night before-the
murder of Graham and the theft of
Mrs, Delroy's necklace-lay before me
With what intensity OF interest / read
IL eau be easily imagined: ] was shaken
Cf A 40 lxa1
was some connection between this see
oud tragedy and The one in suite four
teen | did not doubt: and | read and
re-rcad the details with the greatest
care, in the effort TO find where that
connection lay
But ii was impossible to see how
Tremaiue could be implicated in the
Edgelnere mystery even in the least
degree-his alibi was perfect On the
other hand. the evidence against young
Drysdale seemed complete i'm every
link. Certainly none OF the papers
doubted his guilt. and they handled his
past career and his family history wit.
a minuteness and freedom which must
have been most trying to his friends
Coroner HeHeibower came in for the
lions share Of praise-everyone agreed
that he bad conducted the case with
rare skill and acumen OF course. the
Record had his photograph. as Wen as
those Of his wife and six children, and
as / looked at his round face. | fancied
him strutting back ana forth in his sa-
loon inflated with pride, and listening
approvin"ly TO the constant ringing of
the cash register It's am in wind
certainly there was no denying THAI he
had handled tho case adroily.
DIysdalc, IL appeared had been
lodged IN the jail at Babylon ANA
steadfastly refused to make any state
meut, or TO explain his absence from
the house No reporters had been ad-
mitted 10 Edgemere-th though hat fact
did not prevent two on three Of them
from writing minute descriptions OF the
condition pf affairs there. and publish
ing interviews with the members OF the
family Marvellous accounts were given
Of the exquisite beauty and immense
value of the missing necklace and the
Record published a drawing OF II from
a description by Tiffany
We pulled into the station. ana | took
a car down TO my rooms turning this
latest enigma over and over IA my
mind, looking at II from every angle.
trying i'm vain to discover some fact
that would implicate Tremaine. AT
my door l paused a moment, then /
crossed the hall and knocked at Ire
maines door. Perhaps Cecily had for
given me, and In an evenings talk |
ought surely 20 be able TO find out
something more.
But il WAS not Cecily II was Ire
maine himself who opened 10 me
on Mr.. Lester" he cried, with hand
outstretched. how are you? | wanted
10 sac you've been listening for your
step. You must join us here this even
ing
Il shall be glad to-" said, returning
his clasp, al my suspicious melting
away. reduced to absurditS. at sight OF