The Huttig news., 1910-07-23


 tThe buttons were there,' the anna teur detective answered gravely, but the buttonhole next the top one was torn through
 Mcknight winked at me furt've'y
 T am convinced of one tiiipg. Z" Hotchkiss went on, clearing his throat, the papers are not in that room. Either he carries them with him, CT he has sold them"
 A sound on the street made both my visitors listen sharply Whatever it was it passed on, however I was growing curious and the restraint was telling on Mcknight. He has no talent for secrecy. In the interval we 1 discussed the strange occurrence at Cresson, which lost nothing by Hotch- kiss dry narration.
 And so,' he concluded, "the wom- an in the Baltimore hospital is the wife of Henry Sullivan and the daugh- ter of the man he murdered No won der he collapsed when he heard of l the wreck.
 Joy. probably" Mcknight put in. ''Is that clock right, Lawrence? Never mind, it doesn't matter. By the way l Mrs Conway dropped in the office yes terday while you were away
 What l sprang from my chair
 Sure thing Said she had heard great things of us. and wanted us to l handle her case against the railroad" ,"
 'I would like to know what she is 1 driving at, 1 reflected. "is she try I ing to reach me through you?'
 Richey's fiippancy is often cloak for deeper feeling. He dropped it now. Yes he said she's after the notes. of course. And I'll tell you lelt like a poltroon-whatever that may be-when l turned her down. She stood by the door with her face white. and told me contemptuousy that l could save you from a murder charge and wouldn't do it. She made me feel like cur. l was just as guilty as if I could have obliged her. She hinted that there were reasons and she laid my attitude to beastly motives
 'Nonsense,' l said, as easily as could. Hotchkiss had gone to the window She was excited. There are no reasons, whatever, she means
 Richey put his hand on my shoul- der We've been together too long to let any reasons or unreasons' come between us. old man." he said. not very steadily.
 Hotchkiss, who had been silent, here came forward in his most inn pressive manner He put his hands under his coat-tails and coughed.
 MT Blakeley," he began, by Mr. | Mcknight's advice we have arranged little interview here tonight. If all has gone as l planned, Mir. Henry l Pinckney Sullivan is by this time un- der arrest Within a very few min utcs-he will be here
 'I wanted to talk to him before he was locked up, Richey explained. He's clever enough to be worth knowing, and, besides, I'm not so cocksure of his guilt as our friend the patch on the seat of government. No murderer worthy of the name needs six different motives for the same crime, beginning with robbery. and ending with an unpleasant father-in 1 law"
 We were all silent for awhile. Me Knight stationed himself at win dow, and Hotchkiss paced the floor expectantly It's a great day for modern detective methods he ehir l ruped While the police have been guarding houses and standing with ] their mouths open waiting for clews to fall in and choke them. we have pieced together, bit by bit, fab ric-"
 irhe door bell rang, followed imme- diately by sounds of footsteps in the hall. Mcknight threw the door open, and Hotchkiss. raised on his toes, flung out his arm in gesture of SUI perb eloquence.
 "Behold-your man." he de- claimed.
 Through the open doorway came a tall, blond fellow, clad in light gray, wearing tan shoes, and followed close ly by an officer
 'I brought him here as you suggest ed, MT. Mcknight said the con stable.
 But Mcknight was doubled over the library table in silent convulssons Of mirth, and I was almost as bad. Lit tie Hotchkiss stood up, his important attitude finally changing to one of ehagrin, while the blond man ceased to look angry. and became sheepish
 It was Stuart, our confidential clerk for the last half dozen years,
 Mcknight sat up and wiped his eyes.
 Stuart" he said sternly, there are two very serious things we have learned about you. First. you jab your scarf-pins into your cushion with your left hand, which is most repre- hensible; second, you wear-er-night- shirts, instead of pajamas. Worse than that, perhaps, we find that one of them has buttonhole torn out at the neck"
 Stuart was bewildered. He looked from Mcknight to me, and then at 4f-t T0to xsce.