The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1910-07-14

to tell me what it was. | know Miss
Gertrude went back to the billiard
room to get something, she refuses to
say what. You suspect what happened
to the cuff-link, but you won't tell me.
So far, all l am sure of is this: l do
not believe Arnold Armstrong was the
midnight visitor who so alarmed you
by dropping-shall we say, a golf
stick? And l 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 angIily.
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
tiCn to the gravity OF his profession"
A mans sense of humor is a bar
barous and a cruel thing, Miss lines"
he admitted. 1T is to the feminine
as the hug of a 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-
hensiye, and suddenly ! 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
Jrows, fixed on Mr.. Jameson.
Thomas" said the detective, not
unkindly, Il sent for you to tell us
what you told sam Bohannon at the
club. the dav before Mr.. Arnold was
found here, dead Let me see. You
came here Friday night to see Miss
hines. didn't YOU? Aad came TO work
here Saturday morning."
For some unexplained reason
Thomas looked relieved
"Yas. sab" he said. "You zee it
we're like this: When lUstab Arm
strong and the family went away Mis-
Watson an me. we was leffin charge
till the place was rented. Mis- Wat
son sheye bin here good while an
she warn skeery. So She slep' in the
house. I'd bin havin' tokens-I tot
Mis- Innes some of 'em-an' 7 slep'
in the lodge Then one day Mis- Wat
son. she came to me an she seq. seq
she: Thomas. you'll hev to sleep up
in the big house. I'm too nervous
to do it any more But | les reckon
TO myself that eff it's too skeerv fer
her, it's too skeerv fer me. We had
it, then. sho' huff. and it ended I'D
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 les materially
skeered. Well, that WAS all. far's l
know, until the night ; come over to
see Mis- lines. l come across the
valley. along the path from the club
house. and | goes home that way.
Down in the creek bottom | almost
run itrto a man. He wuz standin' with
his back to me. an he was workin
with one OF these we're electric light
things that fit in Yer pocket. He was
havin' trouble-one minute it'd fash
ont. an the -nex' it'd be gone. | he'd
view of is white dress shirt an tie,
as passed | didn't see his face. But
[ know it 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' I come back
along the path an down where | dun
see the man night befoh, l 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
Tor me to see. 1t was the other half
of 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-wbat?7
wal, Sam. he lowed he'd seen
such a pair of cuff-buttons in a shirt
belongin' to Mr. Hailey-Mr. Jack
Bailey. sab "
..,,, e, ,.,