The Hattiesburg news., 1910-02-21

She stood by the door with her face
white, and told me contemptuously
that could save you from . murder
charge and wouldn't do it. She made
me feel like cur. was just a.
guilty as II I could have obliged her.
She limited that there were reasons
and she laid my attitude to beastly
motives"
Nonsense" said, as easily 40 l
could. Hotchkiss had gone to the
window. "She was excited. There
are no reasons whatever, she
means"
Richey put his hand on my shoul-
der. We've been together too long to
let any reasons or 'unreasons' come
between us, old man." he said not
very steadily.
Hotchkiss, who had been silent,
here came forward in his most i'm
pressive manner. He put his hands
under his coat-tails and coughed.
MIR. Blakeley," he began, by Mr..
Meningitis advice we have arranged
little interview here tonight. If
all has gone as planned, Mr. Henry
Pinckney Sullivan is by this time un-
der arrest Within a very few min
utes-he will be here"
81 wanted to talk to him before he
was locked up Richey explained.
Hes clever enough to be worth
knowing, and, besides, I'm not so
cocksure of his guilt as our friend the
patoh on tho caot of OOvorpnopt M
murderer worthy of the name needs
six different motives for the same
crime, beginning with robbery, and
ending with an unpleasant father-in-
law"
We were all silent for awhile. Nc
Knight stationed himself at a win
dow, and Hotchkiss paced the floor
expectantly. Its a great day for
modern detective methods" he CHR
ruped. while the police have been
guarding houses and standing with
their mouths open waiting for clews
to fall in and choke them, we have
pieced together, bit by bit, fab
ric-"
The door-bell rang, followed imme-
diately by sounds Of footsteps in the
hall. Mcknight threw the door open,
and Hotchkiss, raised on his toes,
flung out his arm in gesture of su-
perb eloquence.
"Behold-your mani" he de-
claimed.
Through the open doorway came a
| tall, blond fellow, clad in light gray,
| wearing tan shoes, and followed close
| ly by an officer.
"I brought him here as you suggest
ed, Mr.. Mcknight" said the con-
stable.
| But Mcknight was doubled over the
library table in silent convulsions OF
mirth, and | was almost as bad. Lit
tie Hotchkiss stood up, his important
attitude finally changing to one OF
chagrin, while the blond man ceased
to look angry, and became sheepish.
1t was Stuart, our confidential CLERK
for the last half dozen years!
Mcknight sat up and wiped his
eyes.
Stuart" he said sternly, there are
| WV NSiy oCiiCoo tAAh6o VIC hoNS
learned about you. First, you jat
your scarf-pins into your cushion with
your left hand, which Is most repre-
hensible; second, you wear-er-night
shirts, instead Of pajamas. Worse
than that, perhaps. we find that one
Of them has buttonhole torn out at
the neck" +te "-t.
Stuart was bewildered. He looked
from Mcknight to me, and then at
the crestfallen Hetchkiss.
II haven't any idea what IT'S al
about" he said. 81 was arrested al
I reached my boarding house tonight
after the theater, and brought direct
ly here. told the oficer it WAS 4
mistake"
Poor Hotchkiss tried bravely to
justify the hasco.
You can not deny" he contended
that Mr. Andrew Bronson followed
you to your rooms last Monday eve.
ming"
Stuart looked at us and flushed
| mo, l don't deny it," he said, but
there was nothing criminal about it,
on my part, at least Mr.. Bronson has
been trying to induce me to secure
the forged notes for him. But l did
not even know where they were"
And you were not on the wrecked
Washington Flier?" persisted Hotch-
kiss. But Mcknight interfered.
There is no use trying to put the
other mans identity on Stuart, Mr..
Hotchkiss," he protested. "He has
been our confidential clerk for six
years. and has not been away from
the of1ice day for a year. I am
afraid that the beautiful fabric we
have pieced out Of all these scraps is
going to be crazy quilt" His tone
was facetious, but could detect the
undercurrent of real disappointment.
paid the constable for his trouble,
and he departed. Stuart, still indig-
nant, left to 60 back to Washington
Circle. He shook hands with Nc
knight and myself magnanimously,
but he hurled a look Of utter hatred
at Hotchkiss, sunk crestfallen in his