Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-08-21

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 calm surface there was a
seething flood of emotions.
Tuesday morning the detective
made careful search of the grounds,
but he found nothing. In the after
noon he disappeared, and 1t was late
that night when he came home. He
said he would have to 60 back to the
city the following day, and arranged
j 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 yIrtuous 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. Llddy Is never SO happy as when
she Is making herself wretched, and
now her mouth dropped while her
4 eyes were triumphant
i I 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.
! II don't see with my nose," re-
marked. what have you got there?"
I Liddy pushed aside half-dozen ger
anium pots, and in the space thus
her apron-a handful of tiny bits of
paper. Alex had stepped back, buts l
saw him watching her curiously.
| yoit r = l1,o sol
you have been going through the
library paper-basRet again?"
i Liddy was arranging her bits Of pa
per with the skill Of long practice and
4 paid no attention
!. did it ever occur to you," I went
on, putting my hand over the scraps.
"that when people tear UP their cor
respondence, it is for the express
purpose of keeping it from being
read?"
4 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 ev-
cry day, I consider it my duty. If you
don't read and act on this. shall
give it to that Jameson, and I'll ven
ture he'll not go back to the city to-
| day."
That decided me. If the scraps had
anything to do with the mystery or
|dinary conventions had no value. So
Liddy arranged the scraps, like work
ing out one Of the puzzle-pictures
children play with, and she did it With
much the same eagerness. When it
was finished she stepped aside while
Il read it.
Wednesday night, nine o'clock.
Bridge" read aloud. Then, aware of
Alexis stare, turned on Liddy.
Some one is to play bridge tonight
at nine o'clock" | said. us that your
business or mine?"
Liddy was aggrieved. She was about
to reply when scooped up the pieces
and left the conservatory.
Now them I said. when we got
outside, will you tell me why you
4 choose to take Alex into. your conf
dence? He's no fool Do you suppose
he thinks any one in this house is go
ing to play bridge tonight at nine
O'Clock by appointment! / suppose you
, have shown it in the kitchen. and in
stead of my being able to slip dowr
} to the bridge tonight quietly, and see
|
will be going in procession
! Nobody knows it." Liddy said hum
bly,. 81 found it in the basket in Miss
J Gertrude's dressing-room Look at the
} back of the sheet" I 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 I had thought he was ILL 1t hard
} ily seemed like the action of an limo
, cent man--this avoidance of daylight
and of his fiancee's people. l decided
) to make certain however, by going
to the bridge that night.
After luncheon Mr. Jameson sug
, gested that go with him to Rich
; field, and consented.
II am inclined to place more faitf
in Doctor Stewards story" he said
) "since 1 found that scrap in ole
Thomas pocket. 1t bears out the
} statement that the woman with the
child, and the woman who quarrelec
with Armstrong. are the same. 1t looks
} as if Thomas had stumbled on to some
affair which looks more or less dis
creditable to the dead man. and, witt
a certain loyalty to the family, hac
kept it to himself. Then. you see, YOU
J story about the woman at the card
: room window begins to mean some
thing. It is the nearest approach t.
anything tangible that we have hae
< yet"
Warner took us to Richfield in the
car. 1t was about twenty-five miles by
railroad but by taking a series o
atrociously rough short cuts we go
there very quickly. 1t was pretty lit
tie town. on the river. and back OF
the hill I could see the Mortons' bis
country house, where Halsey ant
Gertrude had been staying until the
, night of the murder.
(To be Continued.)