Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-12-18
CHAPTER ~.
Numbers Seven and Nine.

CHAPTER Nv.
Numbers Seven and Nine.
Afterward. when 1 tried to recall our
discovery of the body in lower ten.
found that my most vivid impression was
not that made by the revelation OF the
opened curtain. 1 had an instantaneous
picture of a slender blue-gowned girl.
who seemed to sense my words rather
than hear them. OF two small hands that
clutched desperately at the seat beside
them. The girl in the aisle stood. bent
toward us. perplexity and alarm fighting
I'm her face.
With twitching hands the porter at
tempted to draw the curtains together.
Then, in a paralysis Of shock, he col
lapsed on the edge Of my berth and sat
there, swaying. In my excitement
shook him.
For heavens sake. keep your nerve.
man. I said. brusquely. you'll have
every woman in the car in Mysteries. And
If you do. youth wish you could change
places with the man In there. He
rolled his eyes.
A man near. who had been reading last
nights paper, dropped IL quickly and tip
toed toward us. He peered between the
partly open curtains. closed them quietly
and went back, ostentatiously solemn, to
his seat. The very crackle with which
he opened his paper added to the burst
ing curiosity of the car. For the pas
sengers knew that something was amiss;
I was conscious of a sudden tension.
With the curtains closed the porter
was more himself: he wiped his lips with
handkerchief and stood erect.
IT'S my last trip In this car" he re-
wrong with that berth. Last trip the
woman In it took an overdose of some
sleeping stuff. and we found her, jes' like
that, dead. And 1t amt more'n three
months now since there was twins born
in that very spot. No. sir. II amt
natural
At that moment thin man with promi-
nent eyes and a spare. grayish goatee
creaked up the aisle and paused beside
me.
Porter sick?" he inquired. taking in
with professional eye the porter's hor-
ror-struck face, my own excitement and
the slightly gaping curtains of lower ten.
He reached for the darkys pulse and
pulled out an old-fashioned gold watch.
Him! Only fifty. What's the matter?
Had shock?" he asked. shrewdly.
Yes" I answered for the porter.
tor / wish you would look at the man
in the berth across. lower ten. I'm afraid
tits too late. but I'm not experienced In
such matters"
Together we opened the curtains, and
the doctor. bending down, gave COM
prehensive glance that took in the roll
ing head, the relaxed jaw. the ugly
stain on the sheet The examination
needed only a moment. Death was writ
ten in the clear white of the nostrils, the
colorless lips. the smoothing away of the
sinister lines of the night before. With
its new dignity the face was not unhand-
some; the gray hair was still plentiful,
the features strong and well cut
The doctor Strengthened himself and
turned to me. Dead for some time"
he said. running a professional finger
%e yGa see ana end f 81 %Ds
Il don't know him at ALL" / replied.
Never saw him but once before"
Then you don't know IL he is travel
ing alone?'
"No. he was not-that is, don't know
anything about him." corrected myself.
1t was my first bunder; the doctor
glanced up at me quickly and then turned
his attention again to the body. Like a
of the woman with the bronze hair and
the tragic face, whom had surprised in
the vestibule between the cars, somewhere
in the small hours of the morning. 1
had acted my first impulse-the mas
culine one of shielding a woman.
The doctor had unfastened the coat OF
the striped pajamas and exposed the
dead mans chest. On the left side was
a small punctured wound OF Insignificant
size.
very neatly DONE" the doctor said.
with appreciation. Couldn't have done
it better myself. Right through the inter-
costal space; no time even to grunt."
Isn't the heart around there some
where?" l asked. The medical man
turned toward me and smiled austerely.
That's where 1t belongs. just under
that puncture, when it isn't gadding
around in mans throat or his boots.
had a new respect for the doctor. for
any one. indeed, who could crack even
feeble joke under such circumstances. or
who would run an impersonal finger over
that wound and those stains. Odd how
a healthy, normal man holds the medical
profession in half-contemptuous regard
until he gets sick. or an emergency like
this arises and then turns meekly to the
man who knows the ms and outs Of his
patronage. ties to him like a rudderless
ship in gale.
Suicide, is it, doctor?' asked.
He stood erect after drawing the bed
clothing over the face and, taking of
his glasses, he wiped them. slowly.
mo, it is not suicide" he announced,
decisively. 1T is murder"
OF course / had expected that, but the
a bit dizzy. Curious faces through the
car were turned toward us, and l could
hear the porter behind me breathing au-
dibly. stout woman in neglige came
down the aisle and querulousiy con-
fronted the porter. She wore pink
dressing jacket and carried portions OF
her clothing.
Porter" she began, I'm the voice of the
lady who had 'dangled. lis there rule
Of this company that will allow woman
TO occupy the dressing room for one hour
and curl her hair with an alcohol lamp
while respectable people haven't a place
where they can hook their
She stopped suddenly and stared into
lower ten. Her shining pink cheeks grew
pasty, her jaw fell. I remember trying
to think of something to say. and OF say
ing nothing at all. Then-she had buried
her eyes in thes nondescript garments that
hung from her arm and tottered back
the way she had come. Slowly little
knot of men gathered around US. silent
for the most part. The doctor was max
ing a search of the berth when the con-
ductor elbowed his way through. followed
by the inquisitive man, who had evident
ly summoned him. l had lost sight for a
time of the girl In blue.
do it himself?' the conductor que
ried, after a businessltke glance at the
mo. he didn't" the doctor asserted.
saThere's no weapon here and the win
dow IS closed. He couldn't have thrown
it out and he didn't swallow 1t. What
on earth are you looking for, man?"
Some one was on the floor at our feet, |
ace down. head peering under the berth. |
Now he got up without apology, reveal |
ing the man who had summoned the con-
ductor He was dusty. alert. cheerful. |
and he dragged up with him the dead
mans suit case. The sight of 1t brought |
back to me at once my own predica- |
ment.