The Columbus journal. (Columbus, Neb.) 1874-1911, 1910-11-09

udS anu vi tue possibility tndt tne
notes are there. instead of in the
pocketbook. she gropes around for it.
Suddenly. the man awakes and clutch
es at the nearest object. perhaps her
neck chain, which breaks.
1T Is all in silence: the man is still
stupidity drunk. But he holds her in
tight grip. Then the tragedy. She
must get away: I'm a minute the car
will be aroused. Such a woman. on
such an GRAND. does not go without
some sort Of a weapon, in this case
dagger. which. Unlike a revolver. is
noiseless.
with q quick thrust-she's a big
woman and a bold one-she strikes.
Possibly Hotchkiss is right about the
left-hand blow. Harrington may have
held her right hand, or perhaps she
held the dirk in her left hand as she
CROPPED with her right. Then. as the
man falls back and his grasp relaxes.
she straightens and attempts to get
away. The swaying Of the car throws
her almost into your berth. and. trem-
bling with terror. she crouches behind
the curtains of lower ten until every
thing is still. Then she goes noise
lessly back to her berth"
! nodded.
1T seems to fit partly. at least"
said. I'm the morning when she found
that the crime had been not only fruit
less. but that she had searched the
wrong berth and killed the wrong
man; when she saw me emerge. I'M
hurt. just as she was bracing herself
for the discovery of my dead body.
then she went into Mysteries. You re-
member. I gave her some whisky.
1T really seems a tenable theory.
But, like the Sullivan theory, there are
one or two things that don't agree
with the rest. For one thing. how did
the remainder of that chain get into
Alison Vests possession"
''She may have picked it up on the
floor"
We'll admit that" said; land I'm
sure hope SO. Ghep how did the muir
dered mans poti.-tboOk get into the
sealskin bag? And tn" dirk. how &C
count for that. and the blood stains?"
Now what's the use" asked Nc
Knight aggrievedly. of my building
up beautiful theories for you to pull
down? Well take il to HOtchkiss.
Maybe he can tell from the blood
stains If the murderer's finger nails
were square or pointed"
"fiotchkiss is no fool" said warm
ly Under all his theories there's
good. hard layer of common sense.
And We must remember. Rich. that
neither of our theories includes the
woman at Doctor Van Kinks hospital.
that the charming picture you have
just drawn does not account for Ali
son Vests connection with the case.
or for the bits of telegram in the Sal
livan fellows pajamaS pocket You
are like the man who put the clock to-
left over"
oh. go home" said Mcknight. dis
eustedly. I'm no Edgar Allan Poe
What's the use OF coming here and
asking me things If you're SO particu-
lar?"
With one of his quick changes Of
mood he picked up his guitar.
Listen to this" he said 1t is a
Hawaiian song about a fat lady. oh,
ignorant one. and how she fell off her
mule"
But for all the lightness of the
words, the voice that followed ME
down the stairs was anything but
CHEEKY.
There was a Kanaka in Balu did dwell.
Who had for his daughter a monstrous
fat girl
he sang in clear tenor. I paused on
the lower floor and listened He had
stopped singing as abruptly as he had
begun.