The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1910-11-11

but they could make out two figures,
standing together. The women were
curious, and, leaving the fence, they
went back and by roundabout path
down to the road. When they got
there the car was still standing, the
headlight broken and the bonnet
crushed, but there was no one to be
SEEN"
The detective went away immedi-
ately, and to Gertrude and me was
left the woman's part, to watch and
wait. BY luncheon nothing had been
found, and 1 was frantic. I went up
stairs to Halsey's room finally, from
sheer inability to sit across from Ger
trude any longer and meet her terror
filled eyes.
Liddy was in my dressing room, sus-
piciously red-eyed and trying to put
a right sleeve in a left arm-hole of
new waist for me. I was too much
shaken to scold.
What name did that woman in the
kitchen give?" she demanded, vicious.
ly ripping out the offending sleeve.
"Bliss. Matte Bliss" replied.
"Bliss. M. B. Well, that's not what
she has on her suitcase. It is marked
N. F. c."
The new cook and her initials trou-
bled me not all. put on my bonnet
and sent for what the Casanova liv-
eryman called a stylish turnout"
Having once made up my mind to
course Of action, am not one to turn
back. Warner drove me; he was
plainly disguised, and he steered the
livery horse as he would the Dragon
Fly, feeling uneasily with his left foot
for the clutch, and working his right
elbow at an imaginary horn every
time dog got in the way.
Warner had something on his mind,
| and after we had turned into the road
he voiced it.
Miss Innes," he said. '"I over.
heard part of a conversation yester-
day that didn't understand. 1t wasn't
my business to understand it, for that
matter. But I've been thinking all
day that I'd better tell you. Yesterday
afternoon, while you and Miss Ger
trude were out driving, had got the
car in some sort of shape again after
the fire, and l went to the library to
call Mr.. lines to see it. went into
the living room, where Miss Liddy
said he was, and halfway across the
library heard him talking to some
one. He seemed to be walking up and
down, and he was in rage, can tell
you.'
what did he say?"
"The first thing I heard was-ex-
cuse me, Miss Innes, but it's what he
said, The damned rascal he said,
I'll see him in'-well, in hell was
what he said, in hell first Then
somebody else spoke up; it was
woman. She said: I warned them,
but they thought would be afraid"
"a woman! Did you wait to see who
it was?"
Il wasn't spying, Miss 1nnes," War.
ner said with dignity. "But the next
thing caught my attention. She said:
I knew there was something wrong
from the start. A man isn't well one
day. and dead the next, without some
reason I thought she was speaking
Of Thomas"
"And you don't know who it was!" I
exclaimed. Warner, you had the key
to this whole occurrence in your
hands and did not see I'll"
However. there was nothing to be
done I resolved to make inquiry
when I got home. and In the mean
time. my present errand absorbed me.
This was nothing less than to see
Louise Armstrong. and to attempt to
drag from her what she knew, or sus.
pected Of Halsey's disappearance.
But here, @ u every direction &
turned swass banned.
Az neat maid ana rA,.ed tha Hall h,,t