Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-12-30
CHAPTER XVIII.
A New World.

Hotchkiss jotted down the bits of tele
gram and rose.
Well nc said. we've done. some
thing. We've found where the murd :.
left the train, we know what day nc
went to Baltimore, and. most important
of all. we have motive for the crime. "
1T seems the irony of fate said Nc
knight. getting up. that a man should
kill another maj. for certain papers he is
supposed to be carrying. find he hasn't
got them after all, decide to throw sus-
picion on another man by changing
berths, and getting out, bag and baggage.
and then by the merest fuke of chance
take with him, I'm the valise he changed
for his own, the very notes he was after.
1t was a bit of luck for him
Then why" put in HOtchkss. doubt
fully. why did he collapse when he
heard of the wreck And what about the
telephone message the station agent sent
You remember they tried to countermand
it, and with some excitement"
I'VE will ask those questions when we
get him." Mcknight said. We were on
the unrailed front porch by that time
and Hotchkiss had put away his note.
book. The mother of the twins followed
us to the steps.
Dear me- she exclaimed, youbly,
land to think i was forgetting to tell
you. l put the young man to bed with
spice poultice on his ankle-my mother
poultices. It's wonderful what they will
do i'm Group. And then / took the chill
dren and went down to see the wreck
1t was Sunday, and the mister had gone
to church: hasn't missed day since he
took the pledge nine years ago. And on
the way l met two people, man and a
woman They looked half dead. SO 1 sent
them right here for breakfast and some
soap and water. L always say soap is
better than liquor after a shock
Hotchkiss was listening. absently: Nc
knight was whistling under his breath.
staring down across the field to where a
break in the woods showed half dozen
telegraph poles, the line of the railroad.
ut must have been II o'clock when we
got back: i wanted the children to see
everything, because it isn't likely they'll
ever see another wreck like that. Rows
Of"
About - O'Clock" 1 broke in, land
''The young man upstairs was awake.
she went on. and hammering at his
door like all possessed. And it was
locked on the outside" She paused to
enjoy her sensation.
/ would like to see that lock- Hotch-
kiss said. promptly, but for some reason
the woman demurred. Il Will bring the
key down." she said and disappeared.
When she returned she held out an ordi-
nary door key of the cheapest variety.
I'VE had to break the lock" she vol
unteered, land the key didn't turn up
for two days. Then one of the twins
found the turkey gobbler trying to swal-
low it. 1t has been washed since" she
FASTENED to assure Hotchkiss, who
showed an inclination to drop it.
You don't think be locked the door
himself and threw the key out of the
Window" the little man asked.
THE windows are covered with mos
quito netting. nailed on. The mister
blamed it on the children, and IT might
have been Obadiah. He's the quiet kind.
and you never know what he's about"
Hes about to strangle. isn't he" Nc
knight remarked. lazily, ''or is that Oba-
diah?"
Mrs. Carter picked the boy up and In
verified him. talking amiably all the time.
Hes always doing it," she said. giving
him a shake. whenever We miss any
thing we look to see II Obadiah's black
in the face" She gave him another
shake, and the quarter / had given him
shot out as IL blown from a gun. Then
From where l stood I could look into
the CHEEKY farm kitchen, where Alison
West and l had eaten orr al fresco
breakfast. I looked at the table with
mixed emotions. and then, gradually the
meaning of something OIL it penetrated
my mind. Still In it's papers. evidently
lust unopened, WAS a hat box. and pro-
trudinE over the edge OF the box was a
streamer of vivid green ribbon.
On the plea that l wished to ask Mrs.