The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-09-22
THE HATTTESBURG NEWS

now her mouth dropped while her eyes
were triumphant.
Il 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.
i don't see with my nose" l re.
marked. What have you got there ??
Liddy pushed aside a half dozen
geranium pots, and in the space thus
cleared she dumped the contents of
her apron-a handful of tiny bits OF
paper. Alex had stepped back, but ]
saw him watching her curiously.
Wait a moment, Liddy,' l said
you have been going through the
library paper-basket again!"
Liddy was arranging her bits of pa.
per with the skill of long practice and
paid no attention.
Did 1t ever occur to you" | went
on, putting my hand over the scraps
f"t wien people tear up their cor.
restondence Il is for the ewDress Eur.
pose OF keeping it from being read %
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 every
DAY, l consider it my duty. If you
don't read and act on this, ] shall give
II to that Jameson, and I'll venture
nell not go back to the city to-day"
That decided me. If the scraps had
anything to do with the mystery or.
binary conventions had no value. So
Liddy arranged the scraps, like work.
ing out one of the puzzle-pictures chill.
dren play with, and she did it with
much the same eagerness. When IT
was finished she stepped aside while
/ read it.
Wednesday night, nine O'Clock
Bridge I read aloud. Then, aware
OF Alexis stare, turned on Liddy.
some one is to play bridge to-
night at nine o'clock" said. rs that
your business, or mine?'
Llddy was aggrieved She was
about to reply when l scooped I'D the
pieces and left the conservatory.
Now then,' l said, when we got
outside, will you tell me why you
choose to take Alex into your con-
hdence? He's no fool. Do You sun.
pose he thinks any one in this house
Is going to play bridge tonight at
nine o'clock, by appointment 7 SIM.
pose you have shown it in the kitchen.
and instead of my being able to slip
down to the bridge tonight quietly
and see who is there, the whole house.
hold will be going in procession"
Nobody knows it," Liddy said hum.
bly,. Il found it in the basket in Miss
Gertrude's dressing room. Look at the
back OF the sheet" l turned over some
OF the scraps, and, sure enough, II
was a blank deposit slip from the
Traders bank. So Gertrude was going
to meet Jack Bailey that night by the
bridge! And l had thought he was
Ill! 1t hardly seemed like the action
OF an innocent 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 &c with him to Richfield,
and consented.
II am inclined to place more faith
in DR.. Stewards story" he said, "since
l found that scrap in old Thomas
pocket. 1t bears out the statement
that the woman with the child, and
the woman who quarreled with Arm
strong, are the same. 1t looks as If
Thomas had stumbled on to some at
fair which was more or less discred-
liable to the dead man, and, with a
certain loyalty to the family, had kept
it to himself. Then, you see, your
story about the woman at the card
room window begins to mean some
thing. 1t is the nearest approach to
anything tangible that we have had
yet"
Warner took Us to Richfield in the
car. 1t was about 25 miles by rail-
road, but by taking a series of afro
ciously rough short cuts we got there
very quickly. 1t was a pretty little
town, on the river, and back on the
hill | could see the Morton big coun-
try house, where Halsey and Ger
trude had been staying until the night
of the murder.
Elm street was almost the only
street, and number IA was easily
found. 1t was small white house,
dilapidated without having gained
anything picturesque, with low win
dow and porch only a foot or so
above the bit of lawn There was a
baby-carriage in the path, and from
swing at the side came the sound of
conflict. Three small children were
disputing vociferously, and a faded
young woman with a kindly face was
trying to hush the clamor. When she
saw us she united her Bingham apron
and came around to the porch
Good afternoon" said. Jameson
lifted his hat, without speaking. 81
came to inquire about a child named
Lucien Wallace"
HT ole ~