The Julesburg grit-advocate., 1910-06-09

aai1. you and-and Jack lsft almost
st ths time it happened. The detective
hero thinks that you-thst ws-kAoW
so0othing about it,"
The devil be does" Halseys eyes
were fairly starting from his head. Il
bsg your pardon. Aunt Ray. but-ths
fellows 4 lunatic''
Tell me everything. woa't you. Hal.
sey!" / begged. Tell me where you
Weot that night. or rather morning.
an1 Why you went ~ you did. This
has been q terrible ~ hours for all
Of U.s."
He stood staring at me. and l could
see the horror Of the situation dawn.
ing in his face.
Il can't tell you where l went. Aunt
Ray" he said after . moment. As to
why. you will learn that soon enough.
But Gertrude knows that Jack and
left the house before this thing-this
horrible murder-occurred"
Mr.. Jameson does not believe"
Gertrude said drearily. "Halsey. II
the worst comes. IL they should arrest
you. you must-tell."
Il shall tell nothing" he said with
new sternness In his voice. Aunt
Ray. 1t was necessary for Jack and
me to leave that night. l cannot toll
you why-just yet. As to where We
went. If | have to depend ON that A.
an alibi | shall not tell. The whole
thing is an absurdity. q trumped-up
charge that cannot possibly be ssri.
ous.'
Has Mr.. Bailey gone back to the
city" demanded. "or to the club!"
Neither" defiantly; at the present
moment do not know where he is"
"Halsey" I asked gravely. leaning
forward, have you the slightest sus.
picion who killed Arnold Armstrong?
The police think he was admitted
from Within and that he was shot
down from above, by some one on the
circular staircase"
II know nothing Of IT," he main
tanned; but I fancied I caught a sud.
den glance at Gertrude. a flash of
something that died as 1t came.
As quietly, as calmly as I could, I
went over the whole story, from the
night Liddy and I had been alone up
to the strange experience of Rosie
and her pursuer. The basket still
stood on the table. mute witness to
this last mysterious occurrence.
There is something else." said
hesitatingly. at the last. "Halsey. I
have never told this even to Gertrude,
but the morning after the crime I
found. in . tulip bed, q revolver. It
1t was yours, Halsey."
For Al appreciable moment Halsey
stared at me. Then he turned to Ger.
trude.
my revolver. Trude!" he exclaimed
Why. Jack took my revolver with
him. didn't hep
"Oh, for heavens sake don't Gay
that" I implored. The detective
thinks possibly Jack Bailey cane back,
and-and the thing happened then"
He didn't come back. Halssy SAID
sternly. Gertrude, when you brought
down q revolver that night for Jash
to take with him, what one did you
bring? Mine!"
Gertrude was defiant now.
/ i
afraid Of what Jack-might do. I gave
him one 1 have had for a year or two.
1t was empty"
Halsey threw up both hands de-
spairingly.
IF that isn't like a girl!" he said.
"Why didn't you do what asked you
to, Gertrude? You send Bailey Oh
with an empty gun, and throw mine
in tulip bed. of all places on earth!
Mine was 80 caliber The inquest
will show. of course, that the bullet
that killed Armstrong was q IS. Then
where shall I be-"
You forget" l broke in. that I
have the revolver, and that no one
knows about it."
But Gertrude had risen angrily.
Il cannot stand 1t; 1t is always
with me-" she cried. "Halsey, did not
throw your revolver into the tulip
bed. think you did-it-your-
self"
(TO BE CONTINUED)