The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1910-08-05

all quite certain Sne QlQ not. But
as long as learn only parts of the
truth, from both you and her, what
can do? know you picked up some
thing In the flower bed; you refuse
to tell me what it was. I know Miss
Gertrude went back to the billiard
room to get something, she refuses to
say what. You suspect what happened
to the cuff-link, but you won't tell me.
So far, all l am sure of is this: do
not believe Arnold Armstrong was the
midnight visitor who so alarmed you
by dropping shall We say, a golf
stick? And I believe that when he
did come he was admitted by some
one in the house. Who knows-it may
have been-Liddy!"
stirred my tea angrily.
Il have always heard" said dry
ly, that undertakers' assistants are
Jovtal young men. A mans sense OF
humor seems to be in inverse proper.
| tion to the gravity of his profession"
"A mans sense of humor is a bar
barous and cruel thing, Miss Innes,"
he admitted. ut is to the feminine
as the hug of bear is to the scratch
of-well, anything with claws. Is that
you, Thomas? Come in"
Thomas Johnson stood in the door.
way He looked alarmed and appre-
hensive, and suddenly 1 remembered
the sealskin dressing bag in the
lodge. Thomas came just inside the
door and stood with his head droop.
ing, his eyes, under their shaggy gray
brows, fixed on Mr.. Jameson.
Thomas" said the detective, not
unkindly, II sent for you to tell us
what you told Sam Bohannon at the
club, the day before Mr. Arnold was
found here, dead. Let me see. You
came here Friday night to see Miss
Innes, didn't you? And came to work
here Saturday morning."
For some unexplained reason
Thomas looked relieved.
"Yas, sah," he said "You see it
were like this: When Mistah Arm.
strong and the family went away, Mis-
Watson an me, we was lef' in charge
till the place was rented. Mis- Wat
son, she've bin here good while, an
she warn skeery. So she slep' in the
house. I'd bin havin' tokens-I toll
Mis- Innes some of 'em-an' l slep'
in the lodge. Then one day Mis- Wat
son, she came to me an she SEE, seq
she: Thomas, you'll hev to sleep up
in the big house. I'm too nervous
to do 1t any more But jes' reckon
to myself that eff itS too skeery fer
her, it's too skeery fer me. We had
it, then, sho' huff, and it ended up
with Mis- Watson stayin' in the lodge
nights an me lookin' fer work at de
club"
did Mrs. Watson say that any.
thing had happened to alarm herr"
mo, sab. She was jes' materially
skeered. Well, that was all, fairs I
know, until the night come over to
see Mis- lines. l come across the
valley, along the path from the club
house, and l goes home that way.
Down in the creek bottom l almost
run into a man. He wuz standin' with
his back to me, an he was workin'
with one of these yare electric light
things that fit in yer pocket. He was
havin' trouble-one minute it'd fash
out, an the nex'sit'd be gone. 1 he'd
a view of is white dress shirt an tie,
as l passed. didn't see his face. But
know it warn't Mr.. Arnold. 1t was
a taller man than Mr.. Arnold Besides
that, Mr.. Arnold was playin' cards
when 1 got to the club house, same's
| he'd been dom all day"
"And the next morning you came
back along the path" pursued Mr..
Jameson relentlessly.
"The mex mornin' come back
along the path an down where dun
see the man night befoh, picked up
this here" The old man held out a
tiny object and Mr.. Jameson took 1t.
Then he held it on his extended palm
for me to see. 1t was the other half
of the pearl cuff-link!
But Mr.. Jameson was not quite
through questioning him.
"And so you showed it to Sam, at
the club, and asked him If he knew
any one who owned such a link, and
Sam said-what?"
such pair of cuff-buttons in shirt
belongin' to Mr.. Bailey-Mr. Jack
Bailey. sab"
It'll keep this link, Thomas. for
WHILE" the detective said. That's
all I wanted to know. Goodnight"
As Thomas shufled out, Mr.: jamie
son watched me sharply.
You see, Miss Innes,' he said, "Mr.
Bailey insists on mixing himself with
this thing. II Mr.. Bailey came here
that Friday night expecting to meet
Arnold Armstrong. and missed him
II. as say, he had done this, might
he not. seeing him enter the following
night. have struck him down. az he
had intended before?"
"But the motive?" gasped.
There could be motive proved, I
think. Arnold Armstrong and John
Bailey have been enemies since the
latter. cashier Of the Traders bank,
brought Arnold a1mnat am%, 8.,g xhaSt