The Hattiesburg news., 1910-02-05
CHAPTER !.


90 to Plttsburl.
Mde1night is gradually taking over
tne aninal end of the business. I
never liked It, and since the strange
case a The man in lower ten, l have
Deen bit squeamish. Given a case
like that, where you can build up q
netwerk Of clews that absolutely in
crimhate three entirely different peo-
pie, only one Of whom can be guilty,
and your faith in circumstantial evi.
dense dies Of overcrewding. l never
see shivering, white-faced wretch in
the prisoners dock that l do not bark
back with shuddering horror to the
strange events on the Pullman car
Ontario, between Washington and
Pittsburg, on the night of September
= 8. last.
Mcknight could tell the story
great deal better than I, although he
cannot spell three consecutive words
correctly. But, while he has imagt
nation and humOr, he is lazy.
1T didn't happen to me, anyhow"
ne protested, when l 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 i. although there have been
times when my assumption In that
particular has been disputed. + am
unmarried, and Just old enough to
dance with the grown-up little sisters
Of the girls I used to know. l am fond
OF outdoors. prefer horses to the afore-
said grown-up little sisters, and with.
out sentiment Gam" crossed out and
was" substituted.-Ed.) and com.
plctely ruled and frequently routed by
my h6usekeeper, 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 60 without a deviation from
Athe normal through the orderly pro
Hcession of the seasons, summer suits
ito winter flannels, golf to bridge.
So it was queer freak of the de.
mons of chance to perch on my un-
susceptible 3O-year-old chest, tie me
up with crime, ticket me with
love affair, and start me on that SEN
sational and not always respectable
journey that ended so surprisingly less
than three weeks later in the firms
private office. 1t had been the most
remarkable period Of my life. l would
neither give it up nor live it again
under any inducement, and yet all
that lost was some 20 yards off my
drive!
1t was really Meningitis turn to
make the next journey. had a
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
surly about it. But this time he had
a new excuse
Il wouldn't be able to look after the
business if did go" he said. He has
a sort of wide-eyed frankness that
makes one ashamed 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 frazzle."
So gave him up finally and went
home to pack. He came later in the
evening with his machine, the Can
nonbaN, 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
tnan honor. Sew them in your chest
protector. Or wherever people keep
vaiuables. l never keep any. I'll not
be Happy until see Gentleman Andy
doiTs the .lockstep"
lie 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
Tho Pirate is my housekeeper, Mrs
K'onton, very worthy woman, sc
labsled-and libeled-because of fe
rociors pair of eyes and what Nc
Knight called bucaneering nose.
cu'etly closed the door into the hall.
keep your voice down, Richey,"
said. "She is looking for the evening
rarer to see If it is going to rain. She
has r,y raincoat and an umbrella wait
ing In the hall"
The collars being damaged beyond
repair, he left them and went to thu
window. He stood there for som'
time, staring at the blackness tha
represented the wall cf the house
next door.
n TITS raining now," he said over hi
" shoulder, and closed the window ant
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 inquiries
in a perfunctory tone. after a pause
7 was packing my razor.
House is empty" returned absent
/,