Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-03-10
CHAPTER xxx.
In tho Djs,lns Room.

4
| CHAPTER xxx.
[ In the Dining Room.
[ That was Saturday night, two weeks
| after the wreck. The previous 1--WE
| days had been full Of swift-following
| evsnts-the woman IN the house next
| door, the picture in the theater Of q
man about to leap from the doomed
| train. the dinner at the Dallaes. and
| Richeys discovery that Alison was
| the girl in the case. In quick success
| sion had come our Wait to the Carter
| place, the finding Of the rest of the
! telegram, my seeing Alison there, and
I the strange interview with Mrs. Con-
way. The Cresson trip stood out in
my memory for its serio-comic horrors
| and it's one real thrill. Then-the dis
covery by the police of the sealskin
bag and the bit of chain; Hotchkiss
producing triumphantly Stuart for Sui
Ivan and his subsequent discontinue;
| Mcknight at the station with Alison,
and later the confession that he was
out of the running.
And yet, when thought it all over.
the entire week and its events were
rowing rapidly to an apex, point.
And the said apex was at that mo-
ment In the drive below my window,
resting his long legs by sitting on q
carriage block. and smoking pipe
that made the night hideous. The
sense Of the ridiculous is very close
to the sense of tragedy. I opened my
screen and whistled, and johnson
looked up and grinned. We said moth
ing. held up handful Of cigars, he
extended his hat, and when I finally
went to sleep, it was, to soothing
breeze that waited In salt air and q
faint aroma Of good tobacco. I was
thoroughly tired, but slept restless
ly, dreaming of two detectives with
Pittsburg warrants being held up by
Hotchkiss at the point of splint,
while Alison fastened their hands with
chain that was broken and much
too short. was reused about dawn
by q light rap at the door, and. open
ing it, I found Forbes, In pair of
trousers and a pajama coat. He was
as pleasant as most feshy people are
when they have to get up at night,
and he said the telephone had been
ringing for an hour, and he didn't
know why somebody else in the blank
ety-blank house couldn't have heard
it. He wouldn't get to sleep until
noon.
AS he was palpahly asleep on his
feet. left him grumbling and went
to the telephone. 1t proved to be
Richey, who had found me by the
simple 81 pedient lof tracing Alison,
and he WIS jubilant
you'll have to come back" he said.
Got railroad schedule there?"
Il don't sleep with one in my
pocket" l retroted, "but il you'll hold
the line III call out the window to
Johnson. He's probably got one"
Johnson" could hear the laugh
with which Mcknight comprehended
the situation. He was still chuckling
when / came back.
Train to Richmond at $50 a. N"
I said What time is it now?"
-Four. Listen, Lollie. We've got
him. Do you hear! Through the wom-
an at Baltimore. Then-the other
woman, the lady Of the restaurant
he was obviously avoiding names
"she is playing our cards for us-No
Il don't know why, and don't care.
But you be at the Incubator tonight
at eight o'clock. II you can't shake
Johnson. bring him, bless him."
To this day I believe the Sam For
heses have not recovered from the
surprise Of my unexpected arrival, my
one appearance at dinner in GranGer's
clothes, and the note on my dresser
which informed them the next morn
ing that had folded my tents like the
Arabs and silently stolen away. For
at half after five Johnson and !, the
former az uninquisitive as ever. were
on our way through the dust to the
station, three miles away, and by four
that afternoon we were in Washing
ton. The journey had been unevent-
full. Johnson relaxed under the in
fluence of my tobacco, and spoke at
some length on the latest improve
ments in gallows, dilating on the abb
surdity Of cutting out the former free
passes to see the affair In operation.
I remember, too. that he mentioned
the curious anomaly that permits a
man about to be hanged to eat
hearty meal. ! did not enjoy my din
ner that night.
Before we got into Washington
had made an arrangement with John
son to surrender myself at two the
following afternoon. Also, / had wired
to Alison. asking her if she would car
ry out the contract she had made. The
detective saw me home, and left me
there.
Mrs. Kopton received me with dig
nified reserve. The very tone in which
she asked me when l would dine told
me that something was wrong.
.Now-what Is it, Mrs. Kl0pton?"
demanded finally, when she had in
formed me, in q patient and long-suf-
fering tone, that. she felt worn out
A. ~