The Jackson herald., 1910-11-17
Y ROBERTS RINEffART

his head for some purpose. In the
night, when everything is quiet, she
slips behind the curtains of lower ten,
where the mans breathing shows he
Is asleep. Didn't you say he snored?"
HE did" | affirmed. But ! tell
you"
Now keep still and listen. She
gropes cautiously around in the dark
ness, finally discovering the wallet un-
der the pillow. Can't you see II your
self"
lie was leaning forward. excitedly.
and I could almost see the grewsome
tragedy he was depicting.
she draws out the wallet. Then,
perhaps she remembers the alligator
bag and on the possibility that the
notes are there. instead of in the
pocketbook, she gropes around for It.
Suddenly, the man awakes and clutch
es at the nearest object. perhaps her
neck chain, which breaks.
1T is all in silence; the man is still
stupidity drunk. But he holds her in
tight grip. Then the tragedy. She
must get away; In minute the car
will be aroused. Such n woman. on
such an errand, does not go without
some sort of a weapon, in this case
a dagger. which, unlike a revolver, is
noiseless.
with a quick thrust-she's a big
woman and a bold one-she strikes.
Possibly Hotchkiss is right about the
left-hand blow. Harrington may have
held her right hand. or perhaps she
held the dirk in her left hand as she
groped with her right. Then, as the
man falls back and his grasp relaxes,
she straightens and attempts to get
away. The swaying Of the car throws
her almost into your berth. and. trem-
bling with terror. she crouches behind
the curtains OF lower ten until every
thing is still Then she goes noise
lessly back to her berth"
I nodded.
'It seems to fit partly. at least" I
said. an the morning when she found
that the crime had been not only fruit
less, but that she had searched the
wrong berth and killed the wrong
man; when she saw me emerge, un-
hurt, just as she was bracing herself
for the discovery of my dead body,
then she went into Mysteries. You re-
member. | gave her some whisky.
1T really seems a tenable theory.
But. like the Sullivan theory. there are
one or two things that don't agree
with the rest. For one thing. how did
the remainder OF that chain get into
Alison Vests possession?"
"She may have picked It up on the
floor"
"We1l admit that" said; "and I'm
sure hope so. Then how did the muir.
sealskin bag? And the dirk. how ac.
count for that. and the blood stains? ?"
Now what's the USE" asked Nc.
knight aggrievcdly, "of my building
up beautiful theories for you to pull
down? Wen take It to Hotchkiss
Maybe he can tell from the blood
stains II the murderer's finger nails
were square or pointed"
"IIotchkiss is no fool" said warm.
ly. Under all his theories there's a
good. hard layer of common sense
And we must remember. Rich, that
neither Of our theories includes the
woman at Doctor Van Kinks hospital
that the charming picture you have
just drawn does not account for Ali
son Vests connection with the case
or for the bits of telegram in the Sui
livan fellows pajamas pocket. You
are like the man who put the clock to
gether; you've got half of the works
left over"
"Oh, go home" said Mcknight, dis
gustedly. I'm no Edgar Allan Poe
What's the use of comiss here and