Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-03-12

I my berth was lower seven. and It
was. of course. bit OF exceptional
luck for me that the car was number
seven"
Did you tell your sister OF the tel
egram from Bronson?" I asked.
| mo. It would do no good. and she
was in a bad way without that to
! make her worse"
Your sister was killed, I Think"
The shorter detective took small
package from his pocket and held it
in his hand, swapping the rubber band
| which held it.
eyes, she was killed." Sullivan said
| soberly. "What say now can do her
| no harm"
He stopped to push back the heavy
hair which dropped over his fore
head, and went on more connectedly.
ut was late, after midnight. and we
went at once to our berths. I uH-
dressed, and then lay there for an
hour, wondering how I was going to
get the notes. Some one in lower
nine was restless and wide awake,
but finally became quiet.
"The man In ten was sleeping heav-
lily. l could hear his breathing, and it
seemed to be only question of get
ting across and behind the curtains
of his berth without being seen. Aft
er that, it was mere matter of quiet
| searching.
"The car became very still. I was
about to try for the other berth, when
some one brushed softly past, and
lay back again.
FINALLY, however, when things had
been quiet for time, got up, and
after looking along the aisle, slipped
behind the curtains of lower ten. You
understand, Mr.. Blakeley. that
thought you we're in lower ten, with
the notes." 1900
1 nodded CURLY.
..Im not trying to defend myself"
he went on. II was ready to steal the
notes-I had to. But murder!"
He wiped his forehead with his
handkerchief. VI
well, / slipped across and behind
the curtains. It was very still. The
man in ten didn't move. although my
heart was humping until thought he
would hear it.
81 felt around cautiously. It was
perfectly dark, and I came across a
bit of chain, about as long as my fin
ger. It seemed queer thing to find
there, and it was sticky, too
He shuddered, and could see ALI
sons hands clenching and unclenching
with the strain.
"All at once 1t struck me that the
man was strangely silent, and think
1 lost my nerve. Anyhow, drew the
curtains open little, and let the light
fall on my hands. They were red,
blood-red"
He leaned one hand on the back Of
the chair, and was silent for mo-
ment as though he lived over again
the awful events Of that more than
awful night.
The stout detective had let his cigar
go out; he was still drawing at 1t
nervously Richey had picked up a
paper-weight and was tossing 1t from
hand to hand; when IL slipped and fell
to the floor, startled shudder passed
through the room.
There was something glittering In
there" Sullivan resumed. "and on i'm.
pulse picked it up. Then dropped
the curtains and stumbled back to my
own BERTH"
Where you wiped your hands on
the bed clothing and stuck the dirk In.
to the pillow" Hotchkiss was seeing
his carefully built structure crumbling
to pieces, and he looked chagrined.
ri suppose did-I'm not very clear
about what happened then. But when
rallied little saw Russia leath.
er wallet lying in the aisle almost at
my feet, and, like q fool. stuck it.
with the bit of chain, into my bag.
/. II sat there. shivering. for what
seemed hours. 1t was still perfectly
quiet, except for some one snoring.
thought that would drive me crazy.
The more / thought Of it the worse
things looked. The telegram was the
first thing against met would put
the police on my track at once, when
it was discovered that the man in low
er ten had been killed.
"Then remembered the notes, and
took out the wallet and opened it"
He stopped for minute, as if the
recalling of the next occurrence was
almost beyond him.
II took out the wallet" he said sim
ply, land, opening It, held it to the
light. In gilt letters was the name,
Simon Harrington"
The detectives we're leaning for
ward now. their eyes on his face.
Things seemed to whirl around for
a while sat there almost paralyzed,
wondering what this new development
meant for me.
" Ny wife wife. knew, would s~e.-
had killed her father; nobody would
be likely to believe the truth.
do you believe me now?" He
looked around at us defantly. 81 am
telling the absolute. truth, and not one
of you believes me!
After bit the man in lower nine
got UP and walked along the aisle to-
ward the smoking compartment. I
heard him go, and, leaning from my
berth, watched him out of sight.
ut was then got the idea Of
100 TRANsPLANTED EvERoREE