The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1910-02-23
THE HATilnODU RG NEWS

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
carriage block, and smoking a pipe
that made the night hideous. The
sense of the ridiculous is very close
to the sense of tragedy l 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 ! finally
went to sleep, 1t was to soothing
breeze that waited in salt air and
faint aroma Of good tobacco. l was
thoroughly tired, but l 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 light rap at the door, and, open |
! ing it, l found Forbes, in pair oil
trousers and a pajama coat. He was
as pleasant as most leshy 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 palpably asleep on his
! feet, l left him grumbling and went
to the telephone. 1t proved to be
d Richey, who had found me by the
simple expedient of tracing Alison,
: and he was iubilant.
You'll have to come back" he said.
: Got railroad schedule there?"
4 Il don't sleep with one in my
L pocket" retroted, but If you'll hold
: the line I'll call out the window to
:. Johnson. He's probably got one."
IL Johnson" l could hear the laugh
with which Mcknight comprehended
10 the situation. He was still chuckling
when l came back.
81 Train to Richmond at $50 a. m,
81 I said. What time is it now?"
, -Four. Listen, Lollie We've got
~ him. Do you hear? Through the wom-
"a 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
7 I don't know why, and I don't care
n But you be at the Incubator tonight
. at eight o'clock. If you can't shake
johnson, bring him, bless him."
nm To this day l believe the Sam For
N. beses have not recovered from the
, - surprise of my unexpected arrival, my
ve one appearance at dinner in Granger
y" clothes, and the note on my dresser
which informed them the next morn
IN ing that had folded my tents like thu
of Arabs and silently stolen away. Fo
m at half after five Johnson and l, tn
IN former as uninquisitive as ever, wer
on our way through the dust to tn
,+o station, three miles away, and by fou
that afternoon we were in Washing
,u+ ton. The journey had been uneven
no full. Johnson relaxed under the il
fluence of my tobacco, and spoke q
~, some length on the latest improve
ments in gallows, dilating on the al
.b surdity of cutting out the former fire
mt passes to see the affair in operation
no remember, too, that he mentione
I'D the curious anomaly that permits
man about to be hanged to eat
hearty meal. did not enjoy my di
~ ner that night.
~. Before we got into Washington
? had made an arrangement with job
,;rI son to surrender myself at two tt
or following afternoon. Also, had wire
to Alison, asking her II she would ca
ry out the contract she had made. tt
detective saw me home, and left 4
"a there.
uttA
&c, nified reserve. The very tone in whis
she asked me when would dine to
me that something was wrong
e "Now-what is 1t, Mrs. Kloptonr
w. demanded finally, when she had 1
formed me, IN a patient and long-su
fering tone, that she felt worn o.
,s and thought she needed a rest.
az when I lived with Mr.. Justit
M Springer" she began acidly, her men
49, ing basket in her hands, ut was 9
orderly, well-conducted househo.d Yc
md can ask any of the neighbors. Mea
,nd were cooked and, what's more, the
were eaten; there was none of tn
here one day and gone the next bus
ness"
had Nonsense" I observed. YOU
ted tired, that's all, Mrs. Klopton. All
aid I wish you would go out; want
ore bathe."
That's not ALL" she said with di
nifty. from the doorway. "Wome
Jed coming and going here, women who's
ain. snoes am not mt mean, wome
and VINO are not III 10 toucn my SHOES
,till coming here as insolent as you pleas
ing and asking for you
ted Good heavens!" exclaimed "Wh
hn- did you tell them-her, whichever
was?"
Told her you were sick in a he
pital and wouldn't be out for a year
she said triumphantly And whs
she said she thought she'd come