Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-08-07

ticed evidences of strain and anx,etS|
In both young faces.
as everything she asked. !
"Rtght as can be-" with forceR4
cheerfulness.
I lszhted the liying-room and we
went in there. Only half hour before
/ had sat with MIR. Jameson in that
very room, listening while he covert
Iy accused both Gertrude and Halsey
Of at least knowledge OF the death
Of Arnold Armstrong. Now HalsaT
Yves here to speak for himself;
shousd learn everything that had puz-'
lied me,
II saw it in. the paper tonight for
the tlrst time" he was saying. 1T
lsnoclsed me dumb. When think of
this housefui Of women, and thing
like that occurring"
EeFtTade's face was still set andf
wfste. sThat isn't all, Halsey." she
said, 'eYou end-and Jack left almost
m the time 1t happened. The detec-
live here thinks that you-that We
kuow something about It,"
esThe devil he does!" Halseys eyes
msFa fairly starting from his head.
II beg your pardon, Aunt Ray, but
The feftDW"BsA luna1C-
~Tali me. everything, won't you,
Eaaseyf" / begged. TEL me where
you went that night or rather morning,
aud why ycu,went as you did. This has
besn q terrible forty-eight hours for
mn cf U.S.
8He stood staring aateme, and j could
see the horror of the situation dawn
ing on his face.
II can't tell you where went, Aunt
Ray he said, after moment. "As to
why. you will learn that soon enough
And Gertrude knows that Jack and I
left the house before this thing-this
horrible nurder-occurred."
"Mr. Jameson does not believe me"
Gertrude said dreamily. ''Halsey, IL
the worst comes, IL they should ar
rest you, you must-telL"
II shall tell nothing" he said with
new sternness in his voice. Aunt
Ray, 1t was necessary for Jack and
me to leave that night. can not tell
YOU way-just yet. AS to where we
went, IL we have to depend on that as
an alibi, I shall not tell. The whole
thing is an absurdity, trumped-up
charge that can not possibly be SER
teEs."
"Has Mr. Bailey gone back to the
city?' demanded, cor to the club.
Neither" defantly; "at the pres
ent moment ] do not know where he
ls.n
s'Halsey,'sI said gravely. leaning
forward, ''have you the slightest sus-
picion who killed Arnold Armstrong?
The police think he was admitted
from within, and that he was shot
down from above, by some one on the
circular staircase"
IT know nothing Of it, he maintain
ed. but / fancied caught sudden
glance at Gertrude, a fash of some
thing what died as it came.
AS quietly. as calmly as | could,
went over the whole story, from the
night Liddy and / had been alone VI
TO the strange experience Of Rosie and
her pursuer. The basket still stood or
the table, mute witness to this last
mystifying occurrence.
s'There Is something else,' I said
hesitatingly, at the last. "Halsey.
have never told this even to Gertrude
but the morning after the crime,
found, In tulip-bed, a revolver. It
Il was yours, Halsey."
For an appreciable moment Ha1sey
stared at me. Then he turned to Ger
tEude.
.Myareyolver, Trude!'' he exclaimed
sWly, Jack took my revolver, didn'
hsa"
soh, for Heavens sake, don't say
That" I implored. ''The detective
thinks possibly Jack Bailey came bacl
and-and the thing happened then"
''fie didn't come back" Halsey salt
steFmiy Gertrude, when you brough
down revolver that night for Jacl
to take with him, what one did yol
bring. Mine?"
Gertrude was defiant now.
mo. Yours was loaded, and wal
afraid Of what Jack-might do. CAV
him one have had for year or two
1t was empty
Halsey threw up both hands des
paringly.
"If that isn't like a girl" he said
ttWhy didn't you do what asked yo
to, Gertrude? You send Bailey OF
with an empty gun, and throw min
In tulip bed. of all places on earth
Mine was thirty-eight caliber TIL
inquest will show, of course, that tn
bullet that killed Armstrong was
tbirty-eight. Then where shall I be"
'You forgot / broke in, that
have the revolver and that no on
knows about IT,
But Gertrude had risen angrily.
II can not stand it; it is always wit
me-" she cried. "Halsey, ! did no
throw your revolver in the tulip bel.
-think--you-did it-yourself."
They stared at each other acros
the big library table, with young eye
all at once hard, suspicious. And the
Gertrude held out both hands to nil
appealingly.
we must not she said brokenl.
Just now, with so much at stake,
lis shameful. | know you are as il
norant as | am. Make me believe
Halsey.'
Halsey soothed her as best he coul
and the breach seemed healed. 81
long after went to bed he sat dow
stairs In the living room alone. and
knew he was going over the case {
he had learned it. Some things WEI
clear to him that were dark to nj