Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-10-07

had been shortly after their examina-
ton that the president, who had been
in bad health, had gone to California.
Mr.. Bailey was still i'll at the Knicker-
booker, and in this, a. in other ways,
Gertrude's conduct puzzled me. She
seemed Indifferent, refused to discuss
matters pertaining to the bank, and
never, to my knowledge, either wrote
to him or went to see him. Gradual
ly came to the conclusion that Ger
trude. with the rest Of the world, be-
lieved her lover guilty, and-although
l believed 1t myself, for that matter
I was irritated by her Indifference.
Girls in my day did not meekly accept
the public's verdict as to the man
they loved.
But presently something occurred
that made me think that under Ger
trude's surface calm there was seeth-
ing food of emotions.
Tuesday morning the detective
made careful search of the grounds,
but he found nothing. In the after
noon he disappeared, and it was late
| that night when he came home. He
said he would have to go back to the
city the following day, and arranged
with Halsey and Alex to guard the
house.
Liddy came to me on Wednesday
morning with her black silk apron
held up like bag and her eyes big
with virtuous wrath. 1t was the day
Of Thomas funeral In the village, and
Alex and were in the conservatory
cutting flowers for the old mans cas-
ket. Liddy is never so happy as when
she is making herself wretched, and
now her mouth dropped while her eyes
were triumphant.
Il always said there were plenty Of
things going on here, right under our
noses, that we couldn't see," she said,
holding out her apron.
81 don't see with my nose," 1 re-
marked. What have you got there?"
Liddy pushed aside half dozen
geranium pots, and in the space thus
cleared she dumped the contents of
her apron-a handful of tiny bits of
paper. Alex had stepped back, but I
saw him watching her curiously.
Wait moment, Liddy," said.
You have been going through the
library paper-basket again!"
Liddy was arranging her bits of pa
per with the skill of long practice and
paid no attention.
did it ever occur to you," 1 went
on. putting my hand over the scraps,
that when people tear up their cor
respondence 1t is for the express pur-
pose of keeping it from being read?"
IF they wasn't ashamed of it they
wouldn't take so much trouble, Miss
Rachel" Liddy said oracularly. More
than that. with things happening every
day, 1 consider 1t my duty. If you
don't read and act on this, 1 shall give
it to that Jameson, and I'll venture
he'll not go back to the city today
That decided me. If the scraps had
anything to do with the mystery Or
binary conventions had no value. So
Liddy arranged the scraps, like work.
ing out one of the puzzle-pictures chill
dren play with, and she did it with
much the same eagerness. When it
was finished she stepped aside while
I read it,
Wednesday night, nine o'clock.
Bridge l read aloud. Then, aware
of Alexis stare, turned on Liddy.
Some one is to play bridge to-
night at nine O'clock" l said. rs that
your business, or mine?'
I,i6Hv woc ouor;avaJ
about to reply when 1 scooped I'D the
pieces and left the conservatory.
Now then" said, when we got
outside, will you tell me why you
choose to take Alex into your CON
fidence? He's no fool. Do you sup
pose he thinks any one in this house
is going to play bridge tonight at
nine o'clock, by appointment! sup
pose you have shown it in the kitchen.
anG instead Of my being able to slip
down to the bridge tonight quietly,
and see who is there, the whole house
hold will be going in procession"
Nobody knows it," Liddy said hum
bly,. Il found it in. the basket in Miss
Gertrude's dressing room Look at the
back Of the sheet" turned over some
of the scraps, and, sure enough, it
was blank deposit slip from the
Traders bank. So Gertrude was going
to meet Jack Bailey that night by the
bridge! And had thought he was
ill! 1t hardly seemed like the action
Of an innocent man-this avoidance Of
daylight, and of his fiancee's people.
decided to make certain, however.
by going to the bridge that night.
After luncheon Mr.. Jameson sug-
gested that go with him to Richfleld,
and consented.
Il am inclined to place more faith
in DR.. Stewards story" he said. "since
found that scrap In old Thomas
pocket. It bears out the statement
that the woman with the child, and
thhe woman who aasasy;ee!eesa with with ARE.
strong, are the same. 1t looks as If
Thomas had stumbled on to some af-
fair which was more or less discred-
table to the dead man. and, with a
certain loyalty to the family. had kept
it to himself. Then. you see, your
story about the woman at the card
room window begins to mean some
thing. 1t is the nearest approach to
anything tangible that we have he'd
yet"
Warner took us to Richfield in the
car. It was about Is miles by rail-
road, but by taking a series of afro
ciously rough short cuts we got there
very quickly. II was pretty little
town. on the river, and back on the