Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-02-09
by r1ARY mBfKTc RnlEIIAF

arocnIl IN q mans throat or his boots"
I had . new respect for the doctor,
for any one indeed who could crack
even q feeble joke under such circuu-
stances, or who could run IN imper.
sonal finger over that wound and
those stains. Odd how healthy. nor.
NAL man holds the medical profession
In half contemptuous regard until he
gets sick. or an emergency like this
arises, and then turns meekly to the
man who knows the ins and oats of
his mortal tenement, takes his pills
or his patronage, ties to him like .
rudderless ship in gale.
Suicide, is It, doctor!" asked.
He stood erect, after drawing the
bed-clothing over the face, and. ia.
King off his glasses, he wiped them
slowly.
NO, it Is not suicide" he announced
tecisively 'It is murder"
Of course, had expected that, but
he word itself brought shiver.
/! was just bit dizzy. Curious faces
through the car were turned toward
US, and | could hear the porter behind
ne breathing audibly A stout wom-
m in negligee came down the aisle
md ENORMOUSLY confronted the por-
Ter. She wore pink dressing-j jacket
md carried portions of her clothing.
Porter" she began, in the voice of
the lady who had "dangled." is there
rule OF this company that will al
ow a woman to occupy the dressing
Dom for one hour and curl her hair
I1vx
qble people haven't place where
they can hook their"
She stopped suddenly and stared in
20 lower.ten Her shining pink cheeks
grew pasty, her jaw fell I remember
rying to think of something to say,
md Of saying nothing at all. Then
she had buried her eyes in the non
'escript garments that hung from her
,rm and tottered back the way she
| ead come. Slowly little knot Of men
| altered around US, silent for the most
art. The. doctor was making a
earch Of the berth when the conduct
" elbowed his way through, followed
| the inQuisitive man, who had evil
entity summoned him. had lost
! light. for time, of the girl in blue.
DO 1t himself?" the conductor
| ueried after business.like glance at
he body.
| mo, he didn't" the doctor assert
| i. There's no weapon here, and the
| -indow IL closed. He couldn't have
| brown it out, and he didn't swallow
t. What on earth are you looking
| or, man?'
] no OF
eet, face down, head peering under
| he berth. Now he got up without
| apology, revealing the man who had
| summoned the conductor. He was
dusty, alert, cheerful, and he dragged
I'D with him the dead mans suitcase.
The sight OF 1t brought back to me at
once my own predicament.
IT don't know whether there's any
connection or not, conductor" said.
'but l am victim. too. in less degree;
rye been robbed OF everything pos
sess, except red and yellow bath
robe. 1 happened to be wearing the
ibath-robe, which was probably the
reason the thief overlooked IT,
crowd. Somebody laughed nervously.
The conductor was irritated.
Il can't bother with that now" he
snarled. The railroad company is
responsible for transportation. not for
clothes, jewelry and morals. If peo-
pie want to be stabbed and robbed in
the company's cars, it's their affair.
Why didn't you sleep In your ciothes1
I do"
| took an angry step forward. Then
somebody touched my arm, and un.
clenched my fist. could understand
the conductors position, and beside.
in the law, had been guilty myself
Of contributory negligence.
"rm not trying to make you re-
sponsible," protested, as amiably az
I could. "and I believe the clothes the
thief left are rs good AZ my own. They
are certainly newer. But my valise
contained valuable papers. and it is to
your interest as we'll - mine to md
the man who stole it."
"Why, Of course" the doctor said
shrewdly. Find the man who skipped
out with this gentleman's clothes, and
you've probably got the murderer"
II went to bed in lower nine"
said, my mind full again Of my lost
papers, land I wakened in number
seven. was up in the night prowl-
ling around, as was unable to sleep.
and / must have gone back to the
wrong berth. Anyhow, until the por-
! ter wahened me this morning knew
nothing Of my mistake. In the inter-
val the thief-murderer, too. perhaps
must have come back. discovered
my error, and taken advantage Of It
to further his escape
The inquisitive man looked at me
from between narrowed eyelids. fer
ret-like.
ibid anyone on the train suspect
you OF having valuable papefs?.' Ao
inquired. The crowd was listening Ia,
tently.
:. mo one" I answered promptly and
| positively.
| The doctor was Investigating the
murdered mans effects. The pockets
Of his trousers contained the usual
4 miscellany Of keys and small change.
while in his hip pocket was found q
small pearl-handled revolver Of the
type women usually keep around. A
gold watch with q Masonic charm had
slid down between the mattress and