Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-03-04

"Why?"
She wheeled on me with quick sus-
picion.
"Are you a detectives" she de-
manded.
mo"
"You told him to say you repre-
scented the law"
II am a lawyer. Some of them mis-
represent the law, but l."
She broke in impatiently.
"A sheriff's officer?
mo. Look here, Jennie; I am all
that I should be. You'll have to be-
lieve that. And I'm in q bad position
through no fault of my own I want
you to answer some questions. II you
| will help me, I will do what I can for
you. Do you live near here?"
Her chin quivered. It was the first
| sign of weakness she had shown.
my home is in Pittsburg," she said.
land I haven't enough money to get
there. They hadn't paid my wages for
two months. They don't pay any
body"
Very WELL" 1 returned. "Ill send
you back to Pittsburg, Pullman in.
cluded, il you will tell me some things
I want to know"
She agreed eagerly. Outside the
window Hotchkiss was bending over,
examining footprints in the drive.
Now" I began, there has been q
Miss West staying here?"
Eyes,"
"Mr. Sullivan was attentive to
herr"
YES. She was the granddaughter
of a wealthy man in Pittsburg. My
aunt has been in his family for 20
years. Mrs. Curtis wanted her broth
er to marry Miss West"
D you think he did marry herr"
I could not keep the excitement u
Of my voice.
mo. There were reasons"-she
stopped abruptly.
DO you know anything of the fam
fly? Are they-were they New York
ers?"
"They came from somewhere in the
south. I have heard Mrs. Curtis say
her mother was a Cuban. l don't
know much about them, but Mr.. Sulli-
van had a wicked temper, though he
didn't look it. Folks say big, light
haired people are easy going, but !
don't believe it, sir"
How long was Miss West here?"
Two weeks"
I hesitated about further question
ing. Critical as my position was, l
could not pry deeper into Alison
Vests affairs. If she had got into the
hands of adventurers, as Sullivan and
his sister appeared to have been, she
was safely away from them again. But
something of the situation in the car
Ontario was forming itself in my
mind: the incident al the farmhouse
lacked only motive to be complete.
Was Sullivan, after all, a rascal or a
criminal? Was the murderer sulli-
van or Mrs. Conway? The lady or the
tiger again. LII
Jennie was speaking.
II hope Miss West was not hurt?"
she asked. I'VE liked her, all Of us.
She was not like Mrs. Curtis"
I wanted to say that she was not
like anybody in the world. Instead
"She escaped with some bruises" I
said.
She glanced at my arm. "You were
on the train?"
Eyes"
She waited for more questions, but
Then she closed it softly and came
back.
Mrs. Curtis is dead? You are sure
of it?" she asked.
"She was killed instantly, I be-
lieve. The body was not recovered.
But I have reasons for believing that
Mr.. Sullivan is living"
II knew it." she said. "-I- think
he was here the night before last.
That is why l went to the tower room.
1 believe he would kill me if he could"
AS nearly as her round and comely
face could express it, Jennie's ex-
I made a quick resolution, and acted
on it at once.
"You are not entirely frank with
me, Jennie" I protested. And l am
going to tell you more than I have.
We are talking at cross purposes.
II was on the wrecked train, in the
same car with Mrs. Curtis, Miss West
and Mr.. Sullivan. During the night
there was a crime committed in that
cal and Mr.. Sullivan disappeared.
But he left behind a chain of circug6-
stantial evidence that involved me
completely, SO that I may, at any
time, be arrested"
Apparently she did not comprehend
for q moment. Then, as If the mean
ing Of my words had just dawned on
her, she looked up and gasped:
"You mean-Mr. Sullivan committed
the crime himself?" a
II think he did"
What was it,"
ut was MURDER" I said deliberately.
Her hands clenched involuntarily,
and she shrank back. "a woman
She could scarcely form her words.
mo. a man; a MI. Simon Harring-
ton of Pittsburg."
Her effort to retain her self-control
was ritifu!. Then b broke down and
cried, her head on the back Of a tall
chair.
"It was my fault" she said wretch
eddy, my fault. l should not have
sent them the word"
After a few minutes she grew quiet.