The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1910-02-10

- .0pu1 ~. Ia ll!|l!l ~ + 4 ~
said q nt-@3l In I'M - 81 go
therstso onel< Il you fad brought
home a grip and l hoped-well, Lord
knows we ought not to complain.
You're here, damaged. but here" He
lifted his glass. Happy days. old
mani"
If you will give me that black bot
tie and teaspoon, I'll drink that in
arnica, or whatever the stuff is;
Rich-the notes were gone before the
wreck"
| He wheeled and stared at me, the
bottle In his hand. Lost, strayed or
stolen?" he queried with forced light
ness.
Stolen, although believe the theft
was Incidental to something else"
Mrs Klopton came in at that mo-
ment. with an egg-nog in her hand.
She glanced at the clock, and, with
out addressing any one in particular,
she intimated that 1t was time for self
respecting folks to be at home in bed.
Mcknight, who could never reEist
fling at her back, spoke to me in
stage whisper.
rs she talking still? or again?" he
asked. just before the door closed.
There was a seconds indecision with
the knob, then, judging discretion the
better part, Mrs. Klopton went away
Now, then" Mcknight said, set
thing himself in chair beside the
bed, spit 1t out Not the wreck
know all want about that. But the
theft. can tell you beforehand that
it was a woman"
had crawled painfully out of bed
and was in the act of pouring the egg
nog down the pipe Of the washstand
paused, with the glass in the air.
"A woman!" I repeated, startled
What makes you think that!"
you don't know the first principles
of a good detective yarn" he salt
scornfully. "Of course, it was thu
woman in the empty house next door
You said 1t was brass pipes, you will
remember. Well-on with the dance
let joy be unconfined."
Sol told the story; had told it 81
many times that day that ! did it AT
tomatically. And told about the gir
with the bronze hair, and my suspit
ions. But l did not mention Also
West Mcknight listened to the en-
without interruption. When ! ha
finished he drew a long breath.
Well" he said. That's somethin
of a mess. isn't it? II you car onl
n prove your mild and childlike disp'
I sition, they couldn't hold you for tn
:. murder-which is regular ten-twen
e thirt crime, anyhow. But the notes
o anyhow. Your man wasn't on tn
e train-therefore, he wasn't in tn
l. wreck. II he didn't know what he wa
taking, as you seem to think, he pro
ably reads the papers, and unless b
Y is fathead, he's awake by this tim
h to what he's got He'll try to sc
e them to Bronson, probably"
= "Or to u.s." put in.
We said nothing for few minute
e Mcknight smoked cigarette ar
e stared at a photograph Of Candle
.e over the mantel Candida is the be-
II pony for a heavy mount in seve
states.
r, Il didn't 90 to Richmond" he O
II served finally. The remark follows
y my own thoughts SO closely that
" started. Miss West Is not home y
r. from Seal Harbor"
a Receiving no response, he laps'
I'd again into thoughtful silence. MI
p Klopton came in just as the clot
struck one, and made preparation f
Of the night by putting large gaut
IL comfortable into an arm chair in Il
T. dressing room, with a smaller, sti
backed chair for her feet. She vi
e. wonderfully attired in dressing gov
It. that was reminiscent, in parts, of ,
lie the ones she had given me for a hs
e. dozen Christmases, and she had a pr
pie veil wrapped around her head,
! hide heaven knows what defcienc
8; She examined the empty egg-n,
he glass, inquired what the evening pap
Up had said about the weather, and tn,
stalked into the dressing room, al
e. preparmed, with much ostentatio
IN creaking, to sit up all night.
re We fell silent again, while N
rs knight traced rough outline Of I
'e berths on the white tablecover, a
- puzzled It out slowly. It was son
ca | thfRg like this: