The Mobridge news. [volume] (Mobridge, Walworth Co., S.D.) 190?-1917, 1910-10-28
P XIX.
At the Table Next.

At the Table Next.
Mcknight and HOtchkiss were
sauntering slowly down the road as l
caught up with them. As usual, the
little nan was busy with some alb
struse mental problem.
The idea is this" he was saying,
his brows knitted in thought, IF a
l~eft-handed man, standing in the po-
Bition of the man in the picture,
should jump from a car, would he be
likely TO sprain his right ankle? When
a right-handed man prepares for a
leap Of that kind, my theory is that he
would hold on with his right hand,
and alight at the proper time, on his
right foot. Of course"
Il imagine, although / don't know"
interrupted Mcknight, that a man
either a"mbideXtrous or one-armed.
jumping from the Washington Filler,
would be more likely to land on his
head"
Anyhow" / interposed, what diff
ference does it make whether Sullivan
used n hand or the other? One pair
of handouts viii put both hands out
of commission"
As usual when one of his pet the
cries was attacked, Hotchkiss looked
aggrieved.
MY dear sir" he e~xpostulated,
don't you understand what bearing
this has on the case? How was the
murdered man lying when he was
found?"
ION his back" l said promptly,
head toward the engine"
VERY well" he retorted, "and what
then? Your heart lies under your
fifth intercostal space, and to reach it
a right-handed blow would have struck
either down or directly in.
but, gentlemen, the point of en-
trance for the ~stiletto was below the
heart, striking upl AS Harrington
lay with his head toward the engine, a
person in the aisle must have used
the left hand"
Meningitis eyes sought mine and
he winked at me solemnly as / unos-
tentatiously transferred the hat I was
carrying to my right hand. Ions
training has largely counterbalanced
heredi5y in my case, but still pitch
ball, play tennis and carve with my
left hand But Hotchkiss was too busy
with his theories to notice me.
We were only just in time for our
train back to Baltimore, but Nc:
Knight took advantage Of a seconds
delay to shake the station agent warm
ly by the hand.
81 want to express my admiration
for you" he said heamingly. ABILITY
OF your order is thrown away here.
You should have been a city police.
man, my friend"
The agent looked a triie uncertain.
"The young lady was the one who
told me TO keep still" he said.
Mcknight glanced at me, gave the
agents hand a final shake, and
climbed on board. But / knew per
fectly that he had guessee the reason
for my delay.
He was very silent on the way
home, Hotchkiss. too. had little /,
say. He was reading over his notes
intentIy. stopping now and then tx
make a penciled addition. Just be
fore we left the train Richey turnes
TO me. Il suppose it was the key Il
the door that she tied to the gateg"
Probably. | did not ask her"
Curious. her locking that : felloy
in." he reflected.
you may depend on II, there was
good reason for ii all. And / wisl
you wouldn't be so syspIcious Of me
tiyes, Rich" ] said warmly.
sOnly yesterday you were the sus
picious one,v he retorted. and W
iapsed into strained silence.
1t was late when we GOT TO WASH
ington. One OF Mrs. Klopton's sna'
tyrannies was exacting punctuality a
meals. and. like several other things
/ respected 1t. There are Away
some CONCESSIONS that should be mad
in return for faithful service.
so, as my dinner hour of seven wa
iong past, Mcknight and | went 70
little restaurant downtown where the
have d very decent way Of nzin
chicken a la King. Hotchkiss had d,
parte1. eeopomsnally bent, cor i ema
noteI where he iived on the America
plan.
a wan. b think some things ovsr,