The Tupelo journal., 1910-10-14

/ There were several things that day
that bewildered me. About three
o'clock Mr.. Jameson telephoned from
the Casanova station and Warner
went down to meet him. / got up and
dressed hastily, and the detective was
shown up to my sitting DON
mo news?" I asked, as he entered:
He tried to look encouraging, without
success.
1T won't be long now, Miss Innes,"
he said. Il have come out here on a
peculiar errand, which / will tell you
about later. First, / want to ask some
questions. Did any one come out here
yesterday to repair the telephone, and
examine the wires on the roof"
"Yes," l said promptly; but it was
not the telephone. He said the wiring
might have caused the fire at the
stable. / went up with him myself,
but he only looked around"
Mr.. Jameson smiled.
Good for you!" he %applauded.
Don't allow any one in the house
that you don't trust, and don't trust
anybody. All are not electricians who
wear rubber gloves"
He refused to explain further, but
he got a slip of paper out OF his
pocket-book and opened it carefully.
Listen" he said. you heard this
before and scoffed. In the light of re-
cent developments l want you to read
! it again. You are a clever woman,
! Miss Innes. Just as surely as l sit
here, there is something in this house
that is wanted very a~nxiously by a
number of people. The lines are clos
ing up, Miss Innes."
The paper was the n he had found
among Arnold Armstrong; effects,
and l recall it again:
by altering the plans for
rooms. may be possible. The best way.
in my opinion, would be to--the pinn
ney.
Il think / understand" l said
slowly. Some one is searching for
the secret room. and the invaders
"And the holes in the plaster"
Have been in the progress Of
his
"Or Neutrality-suspicious."
"Her?" I asked.
Miss Innes," the detective said,
getting up, Il believe that somewhere
in the walls Of this house Is hidden
some of the money, at least, from the
| Traders bank. / believe, just as sure
ly, that young Walker brought home
from California the knowledge Of
something of the sort, and, failing in
his effort to reinstall Mrs. Armstrong
and her daughter here, he, or q con-
federate, has tried to break into the
house. On two occasions ! think he
succeeded"
ION three, at least corrected.
And then / told him about the night
before. Il have been thinking hard"
I concluded, and l do not believe the
man at the head Of the circular stair
case was DR.. Walker. / don't think he
could have got in, and the voice was
not his"
Mr.. Jameson got up an6 paced the
Aoor, his hands behind him.
There is something else that puz-
zles me-" he said, stepping before me.
who and what is the woman Nina
Darlington? If it was she who came
here as Matte Bliss, what did she
tell Halsey that sent him racing to
DR.. Walkers, and then 20 Miss Arm
strong? II we could find that woman
we would have the whole thing"
mr.. Jameson, did you v think
that Paul Armstrong might not have
died a natural death?"
That is the thing we r going to
try to find out" he replied. And then
Gertrude came in, announcing a man
below to see Mr.. Jameson.
4 want you present at this inter-
view, Miss Innes," he said. May
Riggs come up? He has left DR..
Walker and he has something he
wants to tell us.