The Nevada County picayune. (Prescott, Ark.) 190?-current, 1910-06-10

HILL Luu...aEls v. -
Not quite that" he said with his
friendly smile. In fact, Miss lines,
| am quite certain she did 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 refuss
to tell me what it was know Miss
Gertrude went back to thu billiard
room To get something, she refuses to
say what You suspect what happened
to the euff-link, but you won't tell me.
So FAR, all | 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
stick3 And | 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
iovial young men A mans sense of
humor seems to be in inverse proper.
ten to the gravity of his profession"
"A mans sense of humor is bar
barous and cruel thing, Miss lines"
he admitted 1T 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 I 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, Il sent for you to tell Us
What you told Sam Bohannon at tho
club, the day before Mr.. Arnold waB
found here, dead. Let me see. You
came here Friday night to see Miss
hines. didn't you? And came to work
here Saturday morning."
For some unexplained reason
Thomas looked relieved.
DIS, SdH. ne SdIu. gu Stc ~
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 a good while, an
she warn skeery. SO she slep' in this
house I'd bin havin' tokens-I toi'
Mis- Innes some of 'em-an' | slep'
in the lodge. Then one day Mis- Wat
son, she came to me an she SEE, sea
she: Thomas, you'll hey to sleep up
in the big house. I'm too nervous
10 de ii any more But | jes' reckon
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"
No, sab. She was jes' materially
skeered Well, that was all, fairs l
know, until the night | come over to
see Mis- hines. | come across the
valley. along the path from the club
house, and | goes home that way
Down in the creek bottom | almost
run into a man He wuz standin with
his back to me, an he was worEin'
with one of these yere electric light
things that fit in yer pocket. He was
havin' troublesome minute it'd flash
out. an the mex it'd be gone. | bed
a view of is white dress shirt an ties
as | passed | didn't see his face. But
| know ii warnt Mr.. Arnold. 1t was
a taller man than Mr.. Arnold Besides
that. Mr.. Arnold was playin' cards
when | 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 it
Then he held it on his extended palm
for me to see. 1t was the other half
c. 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?'
Wal, Sam, he lowed he'd seen
such a pair of cuff buttons in shirt
belongin' to Mr.. Bailey-Mr Jack
Bailey, sab"
I'll keep this link, Thomas, for a
while the detective said That's
all l wanted to know. Goodnight
As Thomas shuhled out. Mr.. jamie
son watched me sharply.
You see. Miss lnnes." he said, Mr.
Bailey insists on mixing himself with
this thing. Ii Mr. Bailey came here
that Friday night expecting TO meet
Arnold Armstrong. aud missed him
if. as | say. he had done this, might