The Charles Mix new era. (Wagner, Charles Mix County, S.D.) 1???-1911, 1910-10-14


anything tangible that we have had
yet"
Warner took us to Richfield in the
car. 1t was about 25 miles by rail
road, but by taking a series of afro
ciously rough short cuts W. got there
very quickly. 1t was a pretty little
town, on the river, and back on the
hill l could see the Morton big coun-
try house, where Halsey and Ger
trude had been staying until the night
of the murder.
Elm street was almost the only
street, and number IA was easily
found. 1t was a small white house,
dilapidated without having gained
anything picturesque, with a low win
dow and a porch only a foot or so
above the bit of a lawn. There was a
b~aby-carriage in the path, and from
a swing at the side came the sound of
conflict. Three small children were
d~isputing vociferously, and a faded
young woman with a kindly face was
trying to hush the clamor. When she
saw us she united her Bingham apron
and came around to the porch.
Good afternoon" l said. Jameson
lifted his hat, without speaking. 81
came to inquire about a child named
Lucien Wallace"
Il am glad you have come" she
said. In spite of the other children,
l think the little fellow is lonely. We
thought perhaps his mother would be
here to-day"
Mr.. Jameson stepped forward.
you are Mrs. Tate?" l wondered
how the detective knew.
Yes. sir"
Mrs. Tate, we want to make some
inquiries. Perhaps in the house
Come right in" she said Hospitality.
And soon We were in the little shabby
parlor, exactly like a thousand of its
prototypes. Mrs. Tate sat uneasiiy, her
hands folded in her lap.
How long has Lucien been here?"
Mr.. Jameson asked.
Since a week ago last Friday. His
mother paid n weeks board in ad-
vance, the other has not been paid"
WAS he i'll when he came?"
NO, sir, not what you'd call sick.
He was getting better of typhoid, she
said, and he's picking up fine"
"Will you tell me his mothers name
and address,"
That's the trouble" the young
woman said, knitting her brows. "She
gave her name as Mrs. Wallace, and
| coiI che bod M aII~ozc OBJ u-oo
looking for a boarding house in town.
She said she worked in a department
store, and couldn't take care of the
child properly, and he needed fresh
air and milk. l had three children of
my own, and one more didn't make
much difference in the work, butt
wish she would pay this weeks
board"
did she say what store it was?"
mo, sir, but all the boys clothes
came from Kings. He has far too fine
clothes for the country"
There was a chorus of shouts and
shrill yells from the front door, fol.
lowed by the loud stamping of chill.
dren's feet and a throaty whoa.
"hoo ihto lAO ooA LII q lou
dem team of W chubby youngsters, a
boy and a girl, harnessed with q
clothes-line, and driven by a laughing
boy of about seven, in tan overalls
and brass buttons. The small driver
caught my attention at once; he was
a beautiful child, and, although he
showed traces of recent severe illness
his skin had now the clear transpar
ency of health.
Whoa, Flinders" he shouted
You're going to smash the trap"
Mr.. Jameson coaxed him over by
holding out a lead pencil, striped blue
and yellow.
Now, then" he said, when the boy
had taken the lead pencil and was
testing it's usefulness on the detect