Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1910-06-01

uduulSlSSS uL1DISlldS. L was dpOpAOO-
tic with rage one minute, and choked
with laughter the next. 1t seemed an
hour before Blobs came back.
He came without haste, strutting
with new dignity, and passed outside
my prison door,
well, l guess that will hold them
for a while" he remarked comfort
ably, and proceeded to turn the key.
'Tve got 'em fastened up like sardines
in CAM" he explained, working with
the lock. Gee whiz! you'd ought to
hear 'em!" When he got his breath
after the shaking 1 gave him, he be-
gan to sputter How'd l know?" he
demanded sulkily. you nearly broke
your neck gettin' away the other time.
And l haven't got the old key. It's
lost"
where's it lost?" demanded, with
another gesture toward his coat col
lar.
Down the elevator shaft" There
was a CLEAN of indignant satisfaction
through his tears of rage and humilia-
ton
And so, while he hunted the key in
the debris at the bottom of the shaft,
/ quieted his prisoners with the as
surance that the lock had slipped, and
that they would be free as lords as
soon as we could find the janitor with
pass-key. Stuart went down finally
and discovered Blobs, with the key in
his pocket, telling the engineer how
he had tried to save me from arrest
and failed. When Stuart came up he
was almost cheerful, but Blobs did not
appear again that day.
Simultaneous with the finding of
the key came Hotchkiss, and we went
in together. l shook hands with two
men who, with Hotchkiss, made a not
very animated group. The taller one,
an oldish man, lean and hard, an
nounced his errand at once.
"A Pittsburg warrant?" inquired,
unlocking my cigar drawer.
Eyes. Allegheny county has as
sumed jurisdiction, the exact locality
where the crime was committed being
I'm doubt" He seemed to be the
spokesman The other, shorter and
rotund, kept an amiable silence eve
hope you will see the wisdom of waiv-
ing extradition," he went on. ct will
save time"
'TI come, of course 1 agreed.
''The sooner the better But / want
you to give me an hour here, gentle
men. l think we can interest you.
Have a cigar?"
The lean man took a cigar; the ro-
tund man took three, putting two in
his pocket.
"How about the catch of that door?"
he inquired jovially. amy danger of
it going off again." Really, consider
ing the circumstances, they were re-
markably cheerful. Hotchkiss, how
ever. was not. He paced the floor un-
easily, his hands under his coat-tails.
The arrival of Mcknight created a di-
version; he carried long package
and a corkscrew, and shook hands
with the police and opened the bottle
with a single gesture.
81 always want something to cheer
on these occasions" he said. where's
the water, Blakeley? Everybody
ready?" Then in French he toasted
the two detectives.
"To your eternal discontinue" he
said, boYing tremendously. MAY
YOU 50 home and never come back!
If you take Monsieur Blakeley with
you, hope you choke"
The lean man nodded gravely.
'Prosit," he said. But the fat one
leaned back and laughed consumedly.
Hotchkiss finished a mental synop-
sis of his position, and put down his
glass. Gentlemen" he said pompous-
ly, within five minutes the man you
want will be here, a murderer caught
in a net of evidence so fine that
mosquito could not get through"
The detectives glanced at each 9TH
er solemnly. Had they not in their
possession a sealskin bag containing
wallet and bit of gold chain, which
by putting the crime on me, would
leave a gap big enough for Sullivan
himself to crawl through?
why don't you say your little
speech before Johnson brings the 9TH
er man, Lawrence?" Mcknight in
quired. "They won't believe you, but
it will help them to understand what
is coming"
"You understand, of course" the
lean man put in gravely, that what
you say may be used against you.''
"I'll take the risk" 1 answered i'm
patiently.
1t took some time to tell the story
CT my worse than useless trip to Pitts
burg, and its sequel. They listened
gravely, without interruption.
Mr. Hotchkiss here" l finished,
believes that the man Sullivan, whom
we are momentarily expecting, COM
mitted the crime. Mr.. Mcknight is
inclined to implicate Mrs. Conway,
who stabbed Bronson and then her
self last night. AS for myself, am
open to conviction"
Il hope not" said the stout detec-
tive quizzically. And then Alison was