Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-01-14
CHAPTER XXI.
And Only One Arm.

anu OnIy One Arm.
Hotchkiss Was tho first TO break tho
tension.
Mr.. Sullivan" he asked suddenly.
was Your sister lcft-handed?"
Yes
Hotchkiss put away his notebook ana
looked around with an air Of triumrhanc
vindication. 1t gave chance to smile
and look relieved. After all. Mrs Curtis
was dead. 1t was the happiest solution
of the unhappy affair. Mcknight brought
Sullivan some whisky and he braced I'd
a little.
II learned through the papers that my
wife was in a Baltimore hospital, and
yesterday / ventured there TO see her.
felt If she would help me to keen
straight. that now. with her father and
my sister both dead. We might be happy
together.
Il understand now what puzzled mo
then. 1t seemed that my sister went into
the next car and tried to make my wife
promise not to interfere. But Ida-Mrs,
Suiiivan-was firm. OF course. She said
her father had papers certificates and
| SO Oh, that would stop the marriage at
once.
she said. also. that her father was I'm
our car and that there would be the
mschfef to pay In the morning. It was
| probably when my sister tried to get the
| papers that he awakened and she had to
do-what she did
1t was over. Save for a technicality or
two. l was free man. Alison rosa
qtuetIy ana prepared to go: the men stood
to let her pass. save Sullivan. who sat
crouched In his chair, his face buried in
| his hands. Hotchkiss who had been tam
| ping the desk with his pencil looked up
abruptly and pointed the pencil at me-
III all this is true. and l believe IL is
then who was in the house next door
Blakeley, the night you and Mr.. johnson
| searched? You remember. YOU said 1t
was a womans hand at the trap door,"
glanced hastily at Johnson. whose
| face was impaSsive. He had his hand
| on the knob of the door and he opened
| it before he spoke.
There were a number OF scratches on
Mrs. Conway's right hand" he observed
to the room in general. Her wrist was
bandaged and badly bruised
| He went out then, but he turned as lie
closed the door and threw at me a glance
| of half-amused, NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. toll
erance.
Mcknight saw Alison with Mrs Dallas
to their carriage and came back again.
The gathering in the office breaking
up. Sullivan, looking worn and old was
standing by the window, staring at the
| broken necklace in his hand. When he
saw me watching him he put it on the
desk and picked up his hat
IF I cannot do anything more" he
1 hesitated
Il think you have done about enough.
1 replied. grimly, and he went out
1 believe that Richey and Hotchkiss
| led me somewhere to dinner. and that,
for fear I would be lonely without him,
they sent for Johnson. And | recall a
spirited discussion i'm which Hotchkiss
told the detective that he could manage
certain cases. but that he lacked Undue.
ton. Richey and 1 We're mainly silent.
My thoughts would slip ahead to that
hour. later In the evening, when I should
see Alison again.
I dressed in savage haste finally. and
was so particular about my tie that Mrs.
kIopton gave up in despair.
Il wish. until your arm is better. that
you would buy the kind that hooks on
she protested, almost tearfuly I'm
sure they look very nice, Mr.. Lawrence,
My late husband always"
That's lovers knot you've tied this
| time." l snarled and. jerking open tho
bowknot she had painfully executed,
looked out the window for Johnson
until recalled that he no longer belonged
I'm my perspective. I ended by driving
frantically to the club and getting George
TO do it.
was late. of course The drawing
| room and library at the Dallas home
| were empty. l could hear billiard balls
rolling somewhere. and I turned the other
way. I found Alison at last on the bal
cony. sitting much as she had that night
on the beacll-her chin In her hands. her
eyes fixed unseeingly on the trees and
lights of the square across She was even
whistling a little, softly. But this time
| the plaintiveness was gone. 1t
1 stood beside her. looking down. And
now. when the moment had come. all the
thousand and one things had been wait
Ing to say forsook me. precpitately beat
arc-moon sent little fugitive lights over
her hair, her eyes her gown.
"Don't-do that I said, unsteadily.
''You-you know what / want to do when
you whistler
She glanced up at me and she did not
stop. She did not stop! She went on
whistling softly, bit TREMENDOUSLY. And
straightway I forgot the street. the
house behind us. THE world doesn't
hold any one but you.'' l said. reverently.
1T is our world. sweetheart. / love YOU
And / kissed her.
A boy was whisting on the pavement
below. / let her so reluctantly and sat
back where ! could see her.
II haven't done this the way | intended
to at ALL 1 confessed. I'm books they
get things all settled and then kiss the
lady
"Settled?" she inquired.
"Oh, about getting married and that
sort of thing" / explained, with eabo.
rate carelessness. We've could go
down to Bermuda-or-or Jamaica, say
in December
She drew her hand away and faced me
squarely
II believe you are afraid.' she de.
clared. II refuse to marry you unless
you propose properly. Everybody does IL.
And it is woman's privilege; she wants
to have that to look back to-.
Very WELL I consented. with an ex.
aggerated sigh. IF you will promise not
to think i look like an idiot, l shall do
it, knee and ALL"
had to pass her to close the door be.
hind US, but when l kissed her again she
protested that we were not really en-.
gagged.
/ turned to look down at her. 1T Is q
terrible thing" / said. exultantly. ito
love a girl the way l love you and TO
have only one arm.' Then / closed the
door.
From across the street there came a
sharp crescendo whistle, and a vaguely
familiar figure separated itself from tha
park railing.
Say" he called, in hoarse whisper
''shall | throw the key down the ele-
yator shaft?''
tThe end.)