The Charles Mix new era. (Wagner, Charles Mix County, S.D.) 1???-1911, 1910-11-25

&AAo tho@ udy
that bewildered me. About three
O'Clock Mr.. Jameson telephoned from
the Casanova station and Warner
went down to meet him. I got up and
dressed hastily, and the detective was
shown up to my sitting room.
mo news?" / asked, as he entered
He tried to look encouraging, without
success.
1T won't be long now, Miss Innes,'
he said. II have come out here on a
peculiar errand, which / will tell you
about later. First, / want to ask some
questions. Did any n come out here
yesterday to repair the telephone, and
examine the wires on the roof?"
YES" l said promptly; but 1t was
not the telephone. He said the wiring
might have caused the fire at the
stable. ! went up with him myself,
but he only looked around"
Mr.. Jameson smiled.
Good for youi' he a~pplauded.
Don't allow any one in the house
that you don't trust, and don't trust
anybody. All are not electricians who
e a rubber gloves"
He refused to explain further, but
he got a slip of paper out OF his
pocket-book and opened it carefully.
Listen" he said. you heard this
before and scoffed. In the light of re-
cent developments / want o to read
1t again. You are a clever woman,
Miss Innes. Just al surely as sit
here, there Is something in this house
that il wanted very anxiously by a
number of people. The lines are clos
ing up, Miss Innes."
The paper was the one he had found
among Arnold Armstrong; effects.
and ] recall 1t again:
by altering the plans for
rooms, may be possible. The best way.
In my opinion, would be to--the plan
form one Of the-rooms-chim-
ney.
II think ! understand" / said
slowly. Some one is searching for
the secret room, and the invaders"
"And the holes in the plaster"
Have been In the progress of
his"
vi
Herr" I asked.
Miss Innes," the detective said,
getting up, II believe that somewhere
In the walls of this house ia hidden
some OF the money, at least, from the
Traders bank. / believe, just as sure
ly. that young Walker brought home
from California the knowledge of
something Of the sort, and, falling in
his effort to reinstall Mrs. Armstrong
and her daughter here, he, or a con-
federate, has tried to break into the
house. On two occasions l think he
succeeded"
"On three, at least" I corrected.
And then i told him about the night
before. Il have been thinking hard"
! concluded, land ] do not believe the
man at the head of the circular stair
case was DR.. Walker. l don't think he
could have got in, and the voice was
not his"
Mr.. Jameson got up and paced the
floor. his hands behind him.
There is something else that nj
zles me-" he said, stepping before me.
Who and what is the woman Nina
Darlington? If II was she who came
here as Matte Bliss. what did she
tell Halsey that sent him racing to
DIR. Walkers, and then to Miss Arm
strong? III we could find that woman
we would have the whole thing"
"Mr. Jameson, did you ever think
that Paul Armstrong might not have
died a natural death?"
That is the thing we are going to
try to find out" he replied. And then
Gertrude came In. announcing a man
below to q Mr.. Jameson.
Il want you present at this inter
view, Miss Innes," he said. May
Riggs come up? He has left DR..
Walker and he has something he
wants to tell US"