, 1910-10-27

am quite certain one ofo NOT. -but
as long as | learn only parts of the
truth, from both you and her, what
can l DO? I know you picked up ome
thing In the flower bed; you refuse
70 tell me what 1t was. I know Miss
Gertrude went back to the billiard
room to get something, she refuses to
say what. You suspect what happened
to the cuif-link, but you won't toll me.
So far, all I am sure of ia this: I do
not believe Arnold Armstrong was the
midnight visitor who SO alarmed you
by droppfng-shall we say, q golf
stick? And 1 believe that when he
did come he was admitted by some
one in the house. Who knows-it may
have been-Liddyi"
/ stirred my tea angrily.
7 have always heard" I said dry.
~, that undertakers' assistants are
1ovial young men. A mans sense Of
humor seems to be in inverse o
ton to the gravity Of his profession"
"A mans sense Of humor IL q bar
barous and q cruel thing, Miss Innss,"
he admitted. ut is to the feminine
as the hug Of q bear II to the scratch
dwell, anything with claws. Is that
you, Thomas? Come In"
Thomas johnson stood in the door.
way He looked alarmed and apprs-
hensive, 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
brows. fixed on Mr. Jameson.
Thomas" said the detective, not
unkindly. II sent for you to toll US
what you told Sam Bohannon at the
club, the day before Mr.. Arnold was
found here, dead. Let me see. You
came here Friday night to see Miss
Innes, didn't you? And came to work
here Saturday morning?"
For some unexplained reason
Thomas looked relieved.
"Yas, sah," he said. You see It
were like this: When Mistah Arm
strong and the family went away, Mis-
Watson an me, we was lef' In charge
till the place was rented. Mis- Wat.
son, she've bin here q good while, an
h warn skeery. So she slep' In the
house. I'd bin havin' tokens-I toll
Mis- Innes some of 'em-an' / slep'
in the lodge. Then n 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 ervou
to do 1t any more But I jes' reckon
to myself that of it's too skeery fer
her. it's too skeery fer me. We had
it.. then, sho' nun, and It ended up
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"
mo, sab. She was jes' materially
skeered. Well, that was all, fairs l
know. until the night l come over to
see Mis- lines. l come across the
valley, along the path from the club
house, and I goes home that way.
Down in the creek bottom I almost
run into a man. He wuz standin' with
his back to me, an he was workin'
with one of these we're electric light
things that At in yer pocket. He was
havin' trouble-one minute it'd fash
out, an the mex it'd be gone. I he'd
a view of is white dress shirt an tie,
as | passed. didn't see his face. But
l know 1t warn't Mr.. Arnold. It was
a taller man than Mr.. Arnold. Besides
that. Mr.. Arnold was playin' cards
when l got to the club house, same's
he'd been dom all day"
And the e morning you came
back along the path" pursued Mr..
Jameson relentlessly.
.aTVLo n-- ra~- A--H
along the path an down where 1 dun
see the man night befoh, 1 picked up
this here" The old man held out a
tiny object and Mr.. Jameson took 1t.
Then he held 1t on his extended palm
for me to see II was the other half
Of the pearl cuff-linki
But Mr.. Jameson was not quite
through questioning him.
And SO you showed II to Sam. q
the club, and asked him n he knew
any n who owned such . link. and
Sam said-what?"
wal, Sam, he lowed he'd seen
such q pair Of cuff.buttons In Q shirt
belongin' to Mr.. Bailsy-MT. Jack
Bailey, sah."
"Trl keep this link, Thomas. for .
WHILE" the detective said. That's
all I wanted to know. Goodnight"
Al Thomas shufled out, Nj. Jamie
son watched me sharply.
"You see. Miss Innes." he said, "Hr.
Bailey insists on mixing himself with
this thing. II Mr.. Bailey came here
that Friday night expecting TO meet
Arnold Armstrong. and missed him
II, as I say. he had done this, might
he not. seeing him enter tha following
Ito be c~onttnued).