The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1908-01-16

IN an inner pocket. After all. then. ne
did attach some Importance TO II
The room which had been occupied
by DrysdaIe was the counterpart OF
Tremaine's. but II was in great dis
order. Ar open trunk stood IN the
middle OF the floor, with clothing
strewn about 1t: tho bed had not been
made.
1--WE was ordered not Z do anything
toward Settin' this room TO rights" ex-
| planned Thomas apologetically, til the
coroner set us word we might. He
amt sent no word vet"
IL was evident hat Drysdale had
been packing very hastily when he was
interrupted by the arrival OF the ofa-
GERS. The clothing which was in the
trunk had been crammed In carelessiy
though. OF course, that might have
been done by the coroner. after search
ing IL,
| much time In bed that night observed
| Godfrey, and indicated a pile of cigaret
| stubs heaped high on an ash tray on
the table. HE must have had some
knotty problem to wrestle with 20 need
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
Here's the diary" hs said. picking
UP a little book which lay there. $50
Heffelbower didn't get II. Well, / guess
I'd better see that doesn't rave an
other chance" !.
could see how It tempted h~im--perhaps
here lay the very key which he had
been seeking In vain! But In a moment
he slipped it unopened into his pocket.
"a man Is a fool to make promises"
he observed. with a wry smile, n set
down at the table. Hello. whats
this % he added suddenly, and. stoop-
ing. he fished from the w~aste-basket
beside him the fragments OF a cane.
It was a cane certainly OF at least or
binary strength, and yet II had been
| broken into half a dozen pieces. and
hurled into the basket.
whistling softly to himself. Godfrey
surveyed it for a moment; then ne
| bent over the basket n examined the
| remainder of its contents, piece by
| piece. There were scraps of letters, q
torn envelope, q crumpled sheet OF
He sprang to his feet with a cry OF
| triumph and waved II in the air.
"rve found It'll" 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,
gaAh. Lester" he continued more
| calmly, as he smoothed II out carefully
on the table. this takes a lot OF con-
ceit out OF me. Had ! been really clev-
| or, I'd have deduced the existence or
| this message long before ] entered the
room. AS II is, it's luck-pure luckl
| 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 u~nerringly
this sheet OF paper--he would have
known that 1t was there; while I-well.
one can only do ones best, and this
point was a little to fine for me. Take
q look at It."
It was a sheet OF the ordinary Edge
mere note paper. Across 1t, two lines
were written:
Be at the pergoia at !
II I am late, wait for me.
WELL I faItered; well
.Oh, don't you see. Lester, It's the
key to the whole problem. It's the
light we've beer looking for-with our
eyes shut! And to think that instead
Of coming straight here for IT, / 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
couldn't see 1t. II disgusts me with my
self-it's what / get for being so cooked
49, ovar SHndinO that hottie down there,