Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-09-16
CHAPTER vii.

~
The Other Half Of the Link.
"Miss Innes." the detective began,
what is your opinion of the figure
you saw on the east veranda the night
you and your maid were in the house
alone"
1T was woman" I said positively.
"And yet your maid afiirms with
equal positiveness that it was a man."
Nonsense" broke in. "Liddy
had her eyes shut-she always shuts
them when she's frightened"
"And you never thought then that
the intruder who came later that
might might be a womap-the woman
In fact, whom you saw on the veran-
da?"
II had reasons for thinking It was
q man." ] said, remembering the pearl
cuff-link.
Nov we are getting down to bust
ness. What were your reasons for
thinking that?"
l hesitated.
IF you have any reason for believ-
ing that your midnight guest was Mr..
Armstrong, other than his visit here
the next night, you ought to tell me,
Miss Innes. We can take nothing for
granted. II, for instance. the intru-
der who dropped the bar and
scratched the staircase-you see. I
know about that-if this visitor was
woman, why should not the same
woman have come back the following
night, met Mr.. Armstrong on the cir
cular staircase, and in alarm shot
him?"
1T was q man. reiterated. And
then, because l could think Of no 9TH
or reason for my statement, l told
him about the pearl cuff-link. He was
intensely interested.
"Will you give me the link" he said
when I finished, cor, at least, let me
see 1t? I consider 1t q most impor-
tant clew."
won't the description do?"
mot as well as the original"
well, I'm very sorry." I said, as
calmly as l could. 1.-THE thing is
lost. lit must have fallen out of
a box on my dressing table"
Whatever he thought of my expla-
nation, and knew he doubted 1t, he
made no sign. He asked me to de
scribe the link accurately, and did
so. while he glanced at list he took
from his pocket.
"One set monogram cuff-links," he
read, lone set plain pearl links, one
set cuff-links, woman's head set with
diamonds and emeralds. There is nc
mention of such link as you de
scribe. and yet, If your theory is right
Mr.. Armstrong r,ust have taken bach
in his cuffs one complete cuff-link, and
half, perhaps. of the other"
The idea was new to me. If it had
not been the murdered man who had
entered the house that night, who
had 1t been?
There are a number of strange
things connected with this case," the
detective went on. Miss Gertrude
lines testified that she heard some
one fumbling with the lock, that the
door opened, and that almost immedi
ately the shot was fred Now, Mis-,
lines, here is the strange part of that
Mr.. Armstrong had no key with him
There was no key in the lock. or OF
the floor. In other words, the evi
dence points absolutely to this: Mr.
Armstrong was admitted to the hous,
from within"
at is impossible" I broke in. .'Mr
Jameson. do you know what you
words imply? Do you know tina
you are practically accusing Gertrud,
Innes Of admitting that man."
mot quite that" he said with hi
friendly smile. In fact. Miss Innes
I am quite certain she did not. Blu
as long as learn only parts of tn,
truth. from both you and her, wha
can do? know you picked up some
thing in the flower bed: you refus'
to tell me what 1t was. know Mis-
Gertrude went back to the billiar,
room to get something, she refuses t,
say what. You suspect what happene,
to the cuff-link, but you won't tell me
So far, all am sure Of is this: d,
not believe Arnold Armstrong was tn
midnight visitor who so alarmed 70,
by dropping-shall we say, goli
stick? And believe that when b.
did come he was admitted by som
one in the house. Who knows-it ma,
have been-Liddy!"
1 stirred my tea angrily.
Il have always heard" ! said dry
~, that undertakers' assistants ar
1ovial young men. A mans sense Q
humor seems to be in inverse proper
ton to the gravity Of his profession.
"A mans sense of humor ia q ba,
barous and cruel thing. Miss Innes,
he admitted. 1T is to the feminin
as tho hug Of q bear Is to the scratc
Dwell. anything with claws. Is tina
you, Thomas? Come in"
Thomas Johnson stood in the dool
way. He looked alarmed and apprs
I hensive. and suddenly I remembers
the sealskin dressing bag in tn
lodge. Thomas came Just inside til
door and stood with his head drooy
ing. his eyes. under their shaggy gra
brows. fixed on Mr.. Jameson.
Thomas said the detective, nc
unklndiy, Il sent for you to tell u
what you told Sam Bohannon at th
club. the day before Mr.. Arnold wa
found here. dead. Let me see. Yo
came here Friday night to see Mis-
1nnes. didn't you? And came to wor
here Saturday morning.
For some unexplained reaso
Thomas looked relieved.
Gya. - ~ -. asxx !,