Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1910-06-08

WHICH AClu
Eyes, she was killed." Sullivan said
soberly. What say now can do her
no harm"
He stopped to push back the heavy
hair which dropped over his fore
head, and went on more connectedly.
ct was late, after midnight, and we
went at once to our berths. l un-
dressed, and then 1 lay there for an
hour, wondering how 1 was going to
get the notes. Some one in lower
nine was restless and wide awake,
but finally became quiet.
"The man in ten was sleeping heavr
lily. l could hear his breathing, and it
seemed to be only a question of get
ting across and behind the curtains
of his berth without being seen. Aft
er that. it was a mere matter of quiet
searching.
"The car became very still. / was
about to try for the other berth, when
some one brushed softly past, and
lay back again.
FINALLY, however, when things had
been quiet for a time, got up, and
after looking along the aisle, slipped
behind the curtains of lower ten. You
understand, Mr.. BIakeley, that
thought you were in lower ten, with
the notes"
nodded CURLY.
I'm not trying to defend myself"
he went OIL. 81 was ready to steal the
notes. had to. But murder!"
He wiped his forehead with his
handkerchief.
well, l slipped across and behind
the curtains. 1t was very still. The
man in ten didn't move, although my
heart was humping until l thought he
would bear it.
81 felt around cautiously. 1t was
perfectly dark, and 1 came across a
bit of chain, about as long as my fin
ger. 1t seemed a queer thing to find
there, and it was sticky, too"
He shuddered, and I could see Ali
sons hands clenching and unclenching
with the strain.
"AIl at once it struck me that the
man was strangely silent, and I think
/ lost my nerve. Anyhow, drew the
curtains open little, and let the light
fall on my hands. They were red,
blood-red."
He leaned one hand on the back of
the chair, and was silent for mo-
ment, as though he lived over again
the awful events of that more than
awful night.
The stout detective had let his cigar
go out; he was still drawing at it
nervously. Richey had picked up a
paper-weight and was tossing it from
hand to hand; when it slipped and fell
to the floor, startled shudder passed
through the room.
There was something glittering in
there" Sullivan resumed, land on i'm
pulse I picked it up. Then dropped
the curtains and stumbled back to my
own berth"
where you wiped your hands on
the bed clothing and stuck the dirk in
to the pillow" Hotchkiss was seeing
his carefully built structure crumbling
to pieces, and he looked chagrined
'I suppose did-I'm not very clear
about what happened then. But when
I rallied a little | saw a Russia leath-
er wallet lying in the aisle almost at
Il
with the bit of chain, into my bag.
81 sat there, shivering, for what
seemed hours. 1t was still perfectly
quiet, except for some one snoring.
thought that would drive me crazy.
''The more I thought of it the worse
things looked. The telegram was the
first thing against met would put
the police on my track at once, when
it was discovered that the man in low
er ten had been killed.
"Then 1 remembered the notes, and
I took out the wallet and opened it,
He stopped for a minute, as If the
recalling of the next occurrence was
almost beyond him.
81 took out the wallet" he said SIM
ply, "and, opening 1t, held it to the
light. In gilt letters was the name,
Simon Harrington"
The detectives were leaning for
ward now, their eyes on his face.
Things seemed to whirl around for
a while. l sat there almost paralyzed,
wondering what this new development
meant for me.
MY wife, l knew, would swear I
had killed her father; nobody would
be likely to believe the truth.
do you believe me now?" He
looked around at us defiantly. 81 am
telling the absolute truth, and not one
of you believes me!
After a bit the man in lower nine
got up and walked along the aisle to-
ward the smoking compartment
heard him go, and, leaning from my
berth, watched him out of sight
1T was then l got the idea of
changing berths with him, getting his
clothes, and leaving the train. l give
you my word had no idea of throw
Ing suspicion on him.
Alison looked scornfully incredu-
Ious, but felt that the man was tell
ing the truth.
Il changed the numbers of the
h.