The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-09-13

sue udu Deeu rented Z!
Il think-yes, he did. In fact, / my
self told him about it,"
and he knew who the tenants
were?"
"Yes."
HE had not been living with the
family for some years, believer"
mo. Unfortunately, there had been
trouble between Arnold and his ia
Their. For two years he had lived in
| town.
Then it would be unlikely that he
came here last night to get possession
of anything belonging to him?'
Il should think 1t hardly possible"
he admitted. ITO be perfectly frank,
Miss Innes, can not think of any
reason whatever for his coming here
as he did. He had been staying at
| the club house across the valley for
the last week, Jarvis tells me, but
that only explains how he came here
not why. 1t is a most unfortunate
family"
He shook his head despondently,
and felt that this dried-up little man
| WAC thC lCpOSllOly VI HUM tDdL ne
had not told me. l gave up trying to
elicit any information from him, and
we went together to view the body
before it was taken to tina city. 1t
had been lifted on to the billiard-ta-
Bile and sheet thrown over it; 9TH
erwise nothing had been touched. A
soft hat lay beside 1t, and the collar
| Of tho 6innnr-onat GILL
The handsome, dissipated face of Ar
mold Armstrong, purged of its ugly
lines, was now only pathetic. AS we
went in Mrs. Watson appeared at the
card-room door.
Come in, Mrs. Watson" the lawyer
said But she shook her head and
withdrew; she was the only one in
the house who seemed to regret the
dead man, and even she seemed rath-
er shocked than sorry.
Before Mr.. Harton left, he told me
something of the Armstrong family.
Paul Armstrong, the father, had been
married twice. Arnold was a son by
the first marriage. The second Mrs.
Armstrong had been a widow, with
child, little girl. This child, now
perhaps 20, was Louise Armstrong,
having taken her stepfather's name,
and was at present in California with
the family.
They will probably return at once"
he concluded, land part of my errand
here to-day is to see If you will relin-
quish your lease here in their favor
1--WE would better wait and see If
they wish to come" said. 1T seems
unlikely, and my town house is being
remodeled." At that he let the mat.
ter drop, but it came up unpleasantly
enough, later.
At six o'clock the body was taken
away, and at seven-thirty. after an
early dinner, Mr. Harton went Ger
l trude had not come down. and there
! was no news of Halsey Mr. jamie
t son had taken a lodging in the vii
, lage, and l had not seen him since
! mid-afternoon. 1t was about nine
r o'clock, l think, when the bell rang
d and he was ushered into the living
room.
"Sit down." said grimly. "Havs
you found clew that will incriminate
me. Mr. Jamieson?"
He had the grace to look uncomfort
able. NO." he said IF you hat
killed Mr.. Armstrong, you would have
left no clews. You would have hat
too much intelligence"
After that we got along better. Hi
was fishing in his pocket, and aftel
a minute he brought out two scrap,
of paper. II have been to the club
house," he said, land among Mr.. Arm
strong's effects, l found these. One Il
curious; the other is pulling"
The first was a sheet of club note
paper on which was written, over ant
over, the name "Halsey B. Innes."
/ was Halsey's flowing signature to
l dot, but it lacked Halsey's ease. TIL
l ones toward the bottom of the shee
were much better than the top ones
] Mr. Jameson smiled at my face
His old tricks" he said. "Tha
one is merely curious; this one, as
said before, is puzzling.'
The second scrap, folded and re
L. folded into compass so tiny that tn
at writing had been partly obliteratet
d. was part of a letter-the lower half G
1T sheet. not typed, but written in
he cramped hand.
re by altering the plans for
rooms, may be possible. The best wa,
in my opinion would be to-the pla
form one of -rooms-chim
ney.
That was all.
"Well" l said, looking up. "Ther
a is nothing in that, is there? A ma
NO ought to be able to change the pla
~ of his house without becoming an oil
70 pect Of suspicion"
bo There is little in the paper itself
"A he admitted; "but why should Arnol
cd Armstrong carry that around, unles
~ it meant something? He never bui
- a house, you may be sure of that.
40 it is this house, it may mean anythin
i, from a secret room"
A. ITO an extra bathroom" l sal
"a. scornfully Haven't you a thum
print, too?"
Il have" he said with smile, "ar
A. - e. 10, 4,t1f cd mr.