Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1910-05-21

tie and teaspoon. TT drink that m
arnica. or whatever the stun is:
Rieh-the notes were gone before the
wreck"
He wheeled and stared at me. the
bottle in his hand. Lost, strayed or
stolen?" he queried with forced light
ness.
stolen. although I believe the theft
was incidental TO something else"
Mrs. KlOpton came in at that mo-
ment with an egg-nog ia her hand.
She glanced at the clock, and. with.
out addressing any one in particular.
she minated that Il was time for self
respecting folks 20 be at home in bed.
Mcknight, who could never resist a
ding at her back. spoke 70 me in a
stage whisper.
Us she talking still? or again?' he
asked. Just before the door closed.
There was a seconds indecision with
the knob. then. judging discretion the
better part, Mrs. Klopton went away.
Now. then" Mcknight said. set
ting himself In a chair beside the
bed, spit It out Not the wreck
know all I want about that. But the
theft. I can tell you beforehand that
" was a woman"
I had crawled painfully out OF bed.
and was IA the act OF pouring the egg
nog down the pipe OF the washstand.
/ paused. with the glass I'm the air.
A woman" I repeated. startled
What makes you think that?"
You don't know the first principles
Of good detective yarn" he said
scornfully. "Of course, Il was the
woman in the empty house next door.
You said it was brass pipes. you viii
remember. Well-On with the dance:
let Joy be unconhned"
Sol told the story: I had told il so
many times that day that I did Il au-
tomatcaly. And I told about the girl
with the bronze hair, and my suspic-
ions. But I did net mention Alison
West. Mcknight listened 20 the end
without interruption. When had
finished he drew a long breath.
Welt" he said. That's something
Of a mess. isn't f.? II you can only
prove your mild and chndlike dispo-
sition, they couldn't hold you for the
thirt crime. anyhow. But the notes
that's different They are not burned
anyhow. Your man wasn't on the
train-therefore, he wasn't I'm the
wreck. II be didn't know what he vas
taking. as you seem TO think. he prob
ably reads the papers. and unless he
is fathead, he's awake BY this time
TO what he's got He'll try 20 sell
them 20 Bronson. probably"
"Or 20 US" put IN.
We said nothing for TOW minutes.
Mcknight smoked a cigarette and
stared az a photograph OF Candida
over the manteL Candida f. the best
pony for a heavy mount IA seven
states
L didn't 90 to Richmond" he OBJ
served finally. The remark followed
my own thoughts so closely that I
started. Miss West is not home yet
from Seal Harbor"
Receiving no response, he lapsed
again into thoughtful silence. Mrs.
klopton came in Just as the clock
struck one, and made preparation for
the night by putting a large gaudy
comfortable into an arm chair in the
dressing room, with a smaller. stin-
backed chair for her feet She was
WONDERFULLY attired in a dressing gown
that was reminiscent. in parts. or all
the ones she had given me for a half
dozen Christmases. and she had a pur-
pie veil wrapped around her head. 20
hide heaven knows what deficiency.
She examined the empty egg-nog
glass, inquired what the evening paper
had said about the weather, aud then
stalked into the dressing room and
preparmed. with much Ostentatious
creaking. 20 SIT up all night.
We fell silent again. while Nc
Knight traced a rough outline OF the
berths on the white tablecover. and
puzzled 1t out slowly. Il was some
thing like this: