Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1910-05-11


Mr.. Lawrence"
case against him, to have produced
the bag, minus the bit of chain, had
been my intention. But the police
the bag, and, beyond knowing some
thing of Sullivan's history, was prac-
tically no nearer his discovery than
before. Hotchkiss hoped he had his
man in the house off Washington
Circle, but on the very night he had
seen him Jennie claimed that Sulli-
van had tried to enter the Laurels.
Then-suppose we found Sullivan
and proved the satchel and its con-
tents his? Since the police had the
bit of chain it might mean involving
Alison in the story. l sat down and
buried my face in my hands. There
was no escape. / figured it out de-
spondingly.
Against me was the evidence Of
the survivors of the Ontario that I
had been accused of the murder at the
time. There had been blood-stains on
my pillow and a hidden dagger. Into
been found a traveling-bag containing
the dead mans pocketbook.
In my favor was Meningitis theory
against Mrs Conway. She had mo-
tive for wishing to secure the notes,
she believed l was in lower ten, and
she had collapsed at the discovery OF
the crime in the morning.
A~o;rcf ho+f, IF fhoco fhnnrilC I ae-
cuse a purely chimerical person
named Sullivan, who was not seen
by any of the survivors-save one,
Alison, whom l could not bring into
the case. l could find a motive for
his numbering his father-in-law, whom
he hated, but again. would have
to drag in the girl.
And not one of the theories ex-
planned the telegram and the broken
necklace.
Outside the Office force was arriv-
ing. They were comfortably ignorant
of my presence, and over the transom
floated scraps of dialogue and the
stenographer's gurgling laugh. Nc
Knight had a relative, who was read
ing law with him, in the intervals be-
tween calling up the young women OF
his acquaintance. He came in sing
ing, and the Office boy Joined in with
the uncertainty of voice of 15.
smiled grimly. l was too busy with
my own troubles to find any joy in
opening the door and startling them
into silence. l even heard, without
resentment, Blobs of the uncertain
voice inquire when Blake" would be
back.
l hoped Mcknight would arrive be
fore the arrest occurred. There we're
many things to arrange. But when at
last, impatient of his delay, l tele-
phoned, found he had been gone for
more than an hour. Clearly he was
not coming directly to the Office, and
with such resignation as / could
muster / paced the floor and waited.
l felt more alone than have ever
felt in my life. Born an orphan" az
Richey said, had made my own way,
carved out myself such success as
had been mine. / had built up my
house of life on the props of law and
order, and now some unknown hand
had withdrawn the supports, and |
stood among ruins.
l suppose it is the maternal in a
woman that makes a man turn to her
when everything else fails. The eter-
nal boy in him goes to have his
wounded pride bandaged, his tattered
self-respect repaired. If he loves the
woman, he wants her to kiss the hurt.
The longing to see Alison, always
with me, was stronger than | was
that morning 1t might be that |
would not see her again. | had moth
ing TO say to her save one thing, and
that, under the cloud that hung over
me, did not dare to say. But want
ed to see her, to touch her hand-as
only a lonely man can crave it.
wanted the comfort Of her. the peace