Meade County news. [volume] (Meade, Kan.) 1900-1918, 1910-05-05
Copyright, by Bobbs-Merrill Coz
CHAPTER !.
! Go to Plttsburs.

never liked it, and since the strang
case Of the man in lower ten, hav
been a bit squeamish. Given q cas-
like that, where you can build up
network of clews that absolutely in
eriminate three entirely different pee
pie, only one Of whom can be guilty
and your faith in circumstantial evi
dense dies of overcrowding. nevel
see a shivering, white-faced wretch ii
the prisoners dock that do not harl
back with shuddering horror to the
strange events on the Pullman cal
Ontario, between Washington anC
Pittsburg, on the night Of September
8, last.
Mcknight could tell the story 9
great deal better than I, although he
cannot spell three consecutive words
correctly. But, while he has imagi
nation and humor, he is lazy.
1T didn't happen to me, anyhow
he protested, when put it up to him
"And nobody cares for secondhand
thrills. Besides, you want the un
vanished and ungarnished truth, and
I'm no hand for that. I'm a lawyer
So am l, although there have been
times when my assumption in that
particular has been disputed. l am
unmarried, and Just old enough to
dance with the grown-up little sisters
Of the girls l used to know. am fond
of outdoors, prefer horses to the afore-
said grown-up little sisters, and with
out sentiment cam" crossed out and
was" substituted.-Ed) and COM
plctely ruled and frequently routed by
my housekeeper, an elderly widow
in fact, of all the men Of my &C
quaintance, / was probably the most
prosaic, the least adventurous, the
one man in a hundred who would be
likely to 90 without a deviation from
the normal through the orderly pro
session of the seasons, summer suits
to winter nannels, golf to bridge.
SO it was a queer freak OF the de-
mons Of chance to perch on my I'M
susceptible 3o-yeAr-old chest, tie me
up with a crime, ticket me with q
love affair, and start me on that SEN
sationAl and not always respectable
journey that ended SO surprisingly less
than three weeks Liter in the firms
private once. 1t had been the most
remarkable period Of my life. | would
neither give 1t up nor live it again
under any inducement, and yet all
that l lost was some 20 yards of my
drive!
1t was really Meningitis turn to
make the next journey. had
tournament at Chevy Chase for Satur-
day, and short yacht cruise planned
for Sunday, and when a man has been
grinding at statute law for a week, he
needs relaxation. But Mcknight
begged off. 1t was not the first time
he had shirked that summer in order
to run down to Richmond, and l was
Burly about it. But this time he had
= new excuse.
81 wouldn't be able to look after the
business if l did go" he said. He has
q sort of wide-eyed frankness that
makes one ashared to doubt him.
I'm always car sick crossing the
mountains. It's a fact, Lollie. See
saving over the peaks does it. Why,
crossing the Allegheny mountains has
the gulf stream to Bermuda beaten to
a fragile"
So l gave him up finally and went
home to pack. He came later in the
evening with his machine the Can
nonball, to take me to the station, and
he brought the forged notes in the
Bronson case.
Guard them with your life" he
warned me. They are more precious
than honor. Sew them in your chest
protector, or wherever people keep
valuables. never keep any. I'll not
be happy until see Gentleman Andy
doing the lockstep."
He sat down on my clean collars,
found my cigarettes and struck a
match on the mahogany bed post with
one movement.
Where's the Pirate?" he demanded.
The Pirate is my housekeeper, Mrs.
Klopton, very worthy woman, so
labeled-and libeled-because of fe-
rocious pair Of eyes and what Nc
Knight called bucaneering nose /
quietly closed the door into the hall.
Keep your voice down, Richey," l
said. "She is looking for the evening
paper to see If it is going to rain She
has my raincoat and an umbrella wait
ing in the hall"
The collars being damaged beyond
repair, he left them and went to the
window. He stood there for some
time, staring at the blackness that
represented the wall Fl the house
next door.
IT'S raining now" he said over his
shoulder, and closed the window and
the shutters. Something in his voice
made me glance up, but he was watch
Ing me, his hands idly in his pockets.
"WhO lives next door?" he inquired
n q perfunctory tone. after . pause
I was packing NJ raAor.
CUNTIN JED ON LAST PAGE