Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-09-13

my brother know nothing of this.
The murder was committed at three.
They left the house at a quarter be-
fore three"
How do you know that?" Mr.. jam
ieson asked oddly. do you know at
what time they LETT"
Il do" Gertrude answered firmly.
"At quarter before three my brother
and Mr.. Bailey left the house, by the
main entrance. I-was-there."
Gertrude" said excitedly, you
are dreaming! Why, at quarter to
three"
Listen" she said. cat half-past
two the downstairs telephone rang.
had not gone to sleep, and heard it.
Then heard Halsey answer 1t, and
in few minutes he came upstairs and
knocked, at my door. We've talked
for minute, then put on my dress
ing gown and slippers, and went down.
stairs with him. Mr.. Bailey was in
the billiard room. We've all talked
together for perhaps ten minutes.
Then 1t was decided that-that they
should both go away"
Cant you be more explicitly" Mr..
Jameson asked. why did they go
away?"
II am only telling you what hap
pened, not why it happened" she said
evenly. "Halsey went for the car,
and instead of bringing it to the house
and rousing people, he went by the
lower road from the stable. Mr..
Bailey was to meet him at the foot of
the lawn. Mr.. Bailey left
(Which way?" Mr.. Jameson asked
sharply.
"By the main entrance. He left
it was a quarter to three. I know
exactly"
"The clock in the hall is stopped,
Miss Innes," said Jameson. Nothing
seemed to escape him.
"He looked at his watch" she re-
piled, and could see Mr.. Jamieson's
eyes snap, as if he had made dis
covery. AS for myself. during the
whole recital had been plunged into
the deepest amazement.
"Will you pardon me for personal
| question:" The detective was a
youngish man, and thought he was
somewhat embarrassed. What are
your-your relations with Mr.. Bailey?"
| Gertrude hesitated. Then she came
over and put her hand lovingly in
mine.
Il am engaged to marry him." she
said simply. $3.50 = -
I had grown SO accustomed to sur
prises that could only gasp again,
and as for Gertrude, the hand that
lay in mine was burning with fever.
"And-after that" Mr.. Jameson
went on, you went directly to bed?"
Gertrude hesitated.
mo-" she said finally. Ill am not
nervous, and after had extinguished
the light, remembered something 1
had left in the billiard room, and I
felt my way back there through the
darkness"
'sWill you tell me what it was you
had forgotten?"
II cannot tell you" she said slowly.
IL did not leave the billiard room
at once"
'Why?" The detectives tone was
imperative. "This is very important,
Miss Innes''
Il was crying" Gertrude said in q
low tone. when the French clock in
the drawing room struck three got
up and then-I heard step on the
east porch, just outside the cardroom.
Some one with key was working
with the latch, and thought, Of
course, Of Halsey. When we took the
house he called that his entrance, and
he had carried key for it ever since.
The door opened and was about to
ask what he had forgotten, when
there was a fash and report Some
heavy body dropped, and, half crazed
with terror and shock, ran through
the drawing room and got upstairs-I
scarcely remember how"
/, She dropped into a chair, and I
thought Mr.. Jameson must have fin
ished. But he was not through.
you certainly clear your brother
and Mr.. Bailey admirably" he said.
"The testimony Is invaluable, especial
~ in view of the fact that your broth
eE and Mr.. Armstrong had, believe,
quarreled rather seriously some time
ago."
Nonsense" I broke in. Fittings are
bad enough, Mr.. Jameson. without in
venting bad feeling where 1t doesn't
exist. Gertrude. don't think Halsey
knew the-the murdered man, did
he?"
But Mr.. Jameson was sure of his
ground.
1.-THE quarrel, I believe" he per
sisted, was about Mr.. Armstrong;
conduct to you. Miss Gertrude. He
had. been paying you unwelcome at
tentions."
/, And I had never seen the man!
When she nodded a yes" / saw the
tremendous possibilities involved. II
this detective could prove that Ger
trude feared and disliked the muir.
dered man, and that Mr.. Armstrong
had been annoying and possibly pur-
suing her with hateful attentions, all
that, added to Gertr,Aie's confession
of her presence In the billiard room
at the time Of the crime, looked
strange, to say the least. The promi-
hence Of the family assured q strenu-
GUS effort to find the. murderer, and II
we had nothing worse to look forward
to. we were sure Of distasteful pub
tcfty.
Mr.. Jameson shut his notebook
with q snap and thanked US.
'Ishave an idea," he said, apropos
of nothing at. all, chat at any rate the