The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1909-08-27

SUCH dill dIlStOCTdlC CARER at ler
house.
How long ago WAS he here?"
ut was two minutes of three when
l admitted him. ! know, because Mr..
Hines said he would probably come on
the 2:55 trolley, which would make
it about two minutes of three when
l should begin to watch the bell. l
did SO and it rang right away"
did you see him go out again?"
mo, for I returned to the parlor
Immediately to watch for the other
expected ones"
Were they men, too?'
Il do not know. He said only
Callers"
They didn't Gomez"
They have not come yet, though
they were to be here at three, and it
is now" looking at her watch, lust
half past"
At that moment the doorbell rang.
On opening the door Mrs. Rogers
found the doctor standing there with
two policemen and another individual.
who proved to be a detective.
While the doctor began to work on
the patient the officers listened to the
story of the young man. He told in
a few words what Mrs. Rogers had
said and what little he personally
knew of the matter, laying stress on
the fact that he had certainly heard
sounds in the hall as If at least two
women with rustling skirts were hur-
rying up or down stairs, stepping
several times on loose and creaking
boards. Then the policemen separat-
ed to search che house, the young man
left his card and returned to his bust
ness, while the detective occupied
himself with an examination of the
victim and his room.
How bad is it?" he asked the doc
tor in a whisper. He was a short,
heavy, clean-faced man, deliberate in
speech and manner, Symonds by
name.
Il can't tell yet. He is stunned, and
there's a slight fracture of the skull.
I haven't finished looking him owe
yet"
Symonds peered into the thin, young
face a moment and then entering an
inner room, which was evidently a
study, began without computations tic
read the opened letters which he
found on the desk. In one short note
he found the following, dated the day
before:
Dear Hinesy: I'll see you to-mor
row at three. or a little before. Car
stay only q minute-engagements. Sc
have 1t all ready.-C."
That's Clements!" muttered the de
tectiye.
The doctor came In at the moment
with a sheet of paper in his hand
which he passed to the detective, say
ing:
This fell from his clothes some
where just now. 1t has a strange look
considering the circumstances, and in
case he shouldn't recover"
Us there. any danger of that?' Sy
monds interrupted, quickly.
There is no telling yet. You would
better copy that, at all events. II
may be nothing-still I would make
sure of 1t"
Symonds looked at the paper anG
thought 80 too, most decidedly, fol
It was, or seemed to be, nothing LEST
than q note in5cypher. tran:
] cikccoco mcfcmf cmcfceecof cor
onkckf ~ockiceuiceu ONT clcclfck ccee
mkfmcg lcfck onfceSs onkcfocciccee
ecfococckci cifcee emf ofcfocck clccic
cgfof ccee keoge onkf omcof lckf
.Scmoccton cecfon Of gciffce."
There was neither address nor sig
nature n date, but the detective Sc,
himself at once to copying 1t out, for
az the doctor said. in the circum
stances It hadSa queer look. When hi
had taken the characters down he re
turned the paper, at the same time
suggesting q search Of the patients
pockets for additional finds. And a,
the doctor gave him one glance ant
returned to the parlor, he left the be
Wildereds Symonds rejecting that here
was q man who was trying to impress
him with the notion that he was al
together too good for this world.
The policeman who had examined
the lower parts of the house returned
saying that the rooms were all desert
ed and appeared as IL nobody had
been In them for hours. The fire ii
the range was 8 % low that the kitch
en- was like q barn. and the doors
were wide open all the way out from
the basement hall-four OF them: and