The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-09-11

please try to be more explicit" he
said. "You say your nephew and Mr..
Bailey were in the house last night.
and yet you and your niece, with some
women servants, found the body.
Where was your nephew
was entirely desperate by that
time.
Il do not know" I cried, but be
sure Of this: Halsey knows nothing
Of this thing, and no amount of cir
cumstantial evidence can make an in
nocent man guilty"
"Sit down." he said, pushing for
ward chair There are some things
have to tell you, and. in return,
please tell me all you know. Believe
me. things always come out. In the
first place, Mr.. Armstrong was shot
from above. The bullet was fred at
close range, entered below the shout.
der and came out, after passing
through the heart, well down the
back. In other words, l believe the
murderer stood on the stairs and fired
down. In the second place, / found
on the edge Of the billiard table a
charred cigar which had burned itself
partly out. and a cigarette which had
consumed itself to the cork tip. Meth
er one had been more than lighted,
then put down and forgotten. Have
you any idea what 1t was that made
your nephew and Mr.. Bailey leave
their cigars and their game, take out
the automobile without calling the
chauffeur, and all that at-let me see
certainly before three o'clock in the
morning?"
II don't know" I said, but depend
on 1t, Mr.. Jameson. Halsey will be
back himself to explain everything"
II sincerely hope So" he said. Miss
Innes, has 1t occurred to you that Mr..
Bailey might know something Of
this?"
Gertrude had come downstairs and
Just as he spoke she came in. saw
her stop suddenly. a. IL she had been
struck.
He does not" she said in a tone
that was not her own. mr.. Bailey and
my brother know nothing Of this.
The murder was committed at three.
They left the house at a quarter be-
fore three"
How do you know that?" Mr.. Jam.
ieson asked oddly. do you know at
what time they LETT"
Il d." Gertrude answered firmly.
AT a quarter before three my brother
and Mr.. Bailey left the house, by the
main entrance. I-was-there."
Gertrude" said excitedly, you
are dreaming! Why, at a quarter to
three"
Listen" she said. AT half-past
two the downstairs telephone rang !
had not gone to sleep, and I heard it.
Then l heard Halsey answer 1t, and
in few minutes he came upstairs and
knocked at my door. We've talked
for a minute, then put on my dress
ing gown and slippers, and went down
stairs with him. Mr.. Bailey was in
the billiard room. We've all talked
together for perhaps ten minutes
Then 1t was decided that-that they
hould both go away"
! Cart you be more expl!cit?" MI
JAMESON asked. Why did they &c
| away?" - ~.
e. TN only telling You what hap
pened. not why 1t happened" she said
evenly. "Halsey went for the car
and instead Of bringing it to the house
and rousing people, he went By thu
lower road from the stable. Mr.
Bailey was to meet him at the foot O
the lawn. Mr.. Bailey left"
(Which way?" Mr.. Jameson aske,
sharply.
by the main entrance. He left
it was quarter to three. know
exactly"
THE clock in the hall 10 stopped
Miss Innes," said Jameson. NothinI
seemed to escape him.
HE looked at his watch" she r.
piled. and l could see Mr.. Jameson
eyes snap, as II he had made a di.
covery. AS for myself, during tn
whole recital 1 had been plunged int
the deepest amazement
will you pardon me for a persons
| QuSStiOn. nc 0CtCStANO was
youngish man, and l thought he wa
somewhat embarrassed. What al
your-your relations with Mr.. Bailey
Gertrude hesitated. Then she can
over and put her hand lovingly
: mine.
81 am engaged to marry him." 81
8 said simply.
had grown so accustomed to su
prises that l could only gasp agai
e and as for Gertrude, the hand tn
I lay in mine was burning with fever.
"And-after that" Mr.. Jamiest
e went on, you went directly to bed
o Gertrude hesitated.
It no" she said finally. II am n
u nervous, and after had extinguish,
q the light, I remembered something
X had left In the billiard room, and
o felt my way back there through 4
darkness"
ID "wnl you tell me what II was y
ID had forgotten"
,e Il cannot tell you" she said slow
IL did not leave the billiard roo
N ~ onro-o