The Brandon news., 1911-05-25

Finally, however, when things had
been quiet for time, I got up, and
after looking along the aisle, slipped
behind the curtains of lower ten. You
understand, Mr.. Blakeley, that
thought you were In lower ten, with
the notes."
I nodded curtly.
I'm 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.
s'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.
II felt around cautiously. 1t was
perfectly dark, and / came across
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 It struck me that the
man was strangely silent, and I think
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 a mo-
ment, as though he lived over again
the awful events of that more than
awful night
go out; he was still drawing at 1t
nervously Richey had picked up a
paper-weight and was tossing It from
hand to hand; when it 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 I 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
1
'T suppose | did-I'm not very clear
about what happened then. But when
I rallied little saw Russia leatl.
Ter wallet lying in the aisle almost at
my feet, and, like fool, stuck 1t.
with the bit of chain, into my bag.
'T 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 1t the worse
| things looked. The telegram was the
| first thing against met would put
the police on my track at once, when
| 1t was discovered that the man in low.
er ten had been killed.
"Then I remembered the notes, and
| took out the wallet and opened It,"
He stopped for minute, as IL the
recalling of the next occurrence was
almost beyond him..
'I took out the wallet" he said sim.
ply, land, opening 1t, held it to the
light. In gilt letters was the name.
| Simon Harrington"
The detectives were leaning for.
ward now, their eyes on his face.
Things seemed to whirl around for
while. I sat there almost paralyzed,
wondering what this new development
meant for me.
"Do you believe me now?" He
| looked around at us defiantly II am
/ telling the absolute truth, and not one
of you believes me!
MY wife, / knew, would swear ]
had killed her father; nobody would
be likely to believe the truth.
after bit the man In lower nine
| got up and walked along the aisle to.
ward the smoking compartment. ]
heard him go, and, leaning from my
| berth, watched him out Of sight.
1T was then / got the idea of
changing berths with him, getting his
clothes, and leaving the train. ! give
you my word had no idea Of throw.
| ing suspicion on him."
Alison looked scornfully incredu-
lous, but felt that the man was tell
ing the truth.
/ II changed the numbers of the
berths, aud it worked well. got into
the other mans berth. and he came
back to mine. The rest was easy. |
dressed in his Enthusiastically, they
fitted -and jumped the train not far
from Baltimore, just before the
i wreck
There is something else you must
clear up" said why did you try to
i u Nf nd w
did you change your mind about the
message?"
j He looked astounded.
'SYou knew was at Nj he
stammered.
"Yes, we traced you. What about
the message7s
We'll. it was this way; of course,
Il did not know your name, Mr.. Blakes
LEY The telegram said: Man with