The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1909-09-08

togs was correct"
"He means Mrs. Ransom" ex-
planned Gerridge Then. as he mark.
ed his clients struggle for composure.
he quietly asked, "A lady in a dark
green suit with yellowish furs and a.
blue veil ever her hat?"
That's the ticket!"
"The clothes wcrn by the woman
who Went cut of the basement door.
Mr.. Ransom"
The latter turned sharply aside. The
shame Of the thing was becoming in.
tolerable.
| And this woman wearing those yell
I low furs and the blue veil visited the
man of the broken jaw?" inquired
| Gerridge
"Yes, sir"
"When?"
About six this afternoon"
"And where?"
AT the hotel st. Denis, where
have since tracked him"
How long did she stay?"
About an hour"
In the parlOr Or"
I'm the parlor. They had a great
deal to say. More than one noticed
them, but no one heard anything.
They talked very low but they meant
business"
Where Is this man now?"
AT the same place. He has en-.
gagged a room there"
The man with the twisted 1aw?"
"Yes."
Under what name?"
"Hugh Porter.
"Ah, it was Hazen only five hours
ago." muttered Ransom. Porter. did
you say? I'll have a talk with this
Porter at once"
II think not tonight" put in the
detective. with the mingled authority
and Difference natural to one of his
kind. Tomorrow, perhaps, but to-
night 1t would only provoke scandal"
This was certainly true, but Mr..
Ransom was not an easy man to domi.
nate.
II must see him before Sleep" he
insisted. "A single word may solve
this mystery. He has the word. I'd
be fool to let the night go by-Ah!
what's that?"
The telephone bell had rung again.
A message from the office this time
A note had just been handed in for
Mr.. Ransom; should they send it up?
Gerridge was at the phone.
Instantly" he shouted down, "and
be sure you hold the messenger. It
may be from your lady" he remarked
to Mr.. Ransom. Stranger things
than that have happened"
Mr.. Ransom reeled to the door,
opened 1t and stood waiting. The
two detectives exchanged glances.
What might not that note contain!
Mr.. Ransom opened it in the hall.
When he came back into the room,
his hand was shaking and his face
looked drawn and pale. But he show
ed no further disposition to go out.
Instead. he sank into a chair, with a
motion Of dismissal to the two de-
tectives.
Question the boy who brought
this" said he. 'It is from Mrs. Ran.
som; written, as you see, at the St.
Denis. She bids me farewell for a
time, but does not favor me with any
explanations. She cannot do differ
emily, she says. and SKIS me to trust
her and wait Not very encouraging
to sleep on; but it's something. She
has not entirely forsaken me-"
Gerridge with shrug turned sharp.
ly towards the door. 81 take 1t that
you wouldn't object to knowing all the
messenger can tell your"
mo, no. Question him. Find out
whether she gave this to him with
her own hand"
; Gerridge obeyed this injunction, but
was told in reply that the note had
been given him to deliver by a clerk
in the hotel LOBBY. He could tell
nothing about the lady.
This was unsatisfactory enough;
but the man who had Influenced her
to this step had been placed under
surveillance. Tomorrow they would
question him; the mystery was not
without a promise Of solution. So
Gerridge felt; but not Mr.. Ransom;
for at the end Of the lines whose pur-
port he had just communicated to the
detective were those few, significant
words:
Make no move to fnd me. If
you love me we'll enough to wait
in silence for developments, hap
pineEs may yet be ours"