Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1911-05-23

lA4
Marcel. was. It N end. the hours had
passed beyond. point to which even
sis ingenuity could stretch canvsn.
uona1ity Tar enough to MAKE It practi-
cable for him to see Mrs. Delaroohe
that night. II
Dorothy was dancing abstraotedly
when Griswo!d found her. She was 30
impatient to adjust the harm she felt
abe had done bin. that she saw him
from her partners shoulder before he
picked her ont from score Of other
comcly young women On the floor.
Miss March instantly woaried of the
waltz. to the d:snay of the youth
whose arm epclrcled her, and who
rether fancied himself as q dancer.
She lost no time in having herself es-
corted to small conservatory, where
she dismissed her partner with scant
ceremony, and where, few moments
afterward. she was Joined by Girls
wold
Even then the debutante's unwilling
tangling of me threads Of Griswold's
/ fate might not have had such influence
upon his future /; she had approached
her subject with directness. Had she
told Griswold at once what she had
said to the detective concerning his
skill as draughtsman, the clubman's
suspicious would have bsen aroused,
and he might have taken steps that
would have had marked effect upon
the development. Of the great Mission
er mystery. But Dorothy was too hut-,
tered. too prettily remorseful, to go
straight to the heart Of the subject,
and in her innocent endeavor to post
Griswold in respect of her chat with
Britz without making him think she
was q gossipins little busybody. she
protracted her interview with the club
man through 80 many dances that
when it ended Gyiswold persuaded him
self the morning would be ample timo
to do that which he felt must be done
to avert tho probable consequences Of
Dorothy's girlish frankness. His van
ity again played its part, too, for when
he had thanked little Miss March for
what he pleased to consider her inter-
est in him, and when Dorothy, having
signally failed to impress upon him the
impersond nature of her conscieucs
stroke, found herself in , further, fut-
ter Of bewilderment, Curtis Griswold
proceeded to parade her up and down
the dancing floor a. effectively az he
had shown of the rich and beautiful
widow in the larger ballroom little
farther up the avenue. Griswold
prided+ himself on This versatility. He
argued that It was as easy for him.
- he would have expressed It, to hts
club intdmates. ITO put q duHSthfough
her PAGES" as it had beep 70 advertise
the fact before the wlele bAlireen
that Doris Missioner. the. fastiaisus
beauty and werihiped possessor Of
many millions, apparently was on the
point Of accepting him ~ her second
Matrimonial venture.
All Of which resulted In Griswold's
long stay 1T the dance; In his ride with
Dorothy to her home insan automobile
otherwise occupied only by = satisfao-
torily se!f-csatered ctaperen:: and in
bis waste Of further time At ono Of his
clubs after parting with Miss March
and her duenna-a waste of hours any
ane Of which might have been made as
useful to him as year Of Ordinary
time. He was further disposed to pro
crastinate in this crucial moment by
the success Of the Headquarters man
In throwing all suspected persons OF
their guard by keeping Bllnor Hol-
comb In the Tombs. Through all his
work on the Missioner case, Britz had
been beset with requests from Mrs.
Missioner, Sands and other friends Of
the widows secretary, to permit them
to give bail for her. Sands and Mrs.
Missioner were particularly insistent
in their desire to see Elinor at liberty.
Fitch, though normally his wish to see
his flancee frae must have been
stronger than that Of anyone else, was
partly reconciled to her protracted Inn
prisoament by the detectives frequent
assurance Of her ultimate vindjcation.
Moreover. the doctor. In consequence
of his work on the case with Britz, had
direct knowledge of the importance
that the suspicious of others should
not be alarmed. He had been with tho
detective when the card Of Bruxton
Sands was discovered in the possess
sion Of the old curiosity shop man: he
knew Of the note addressed to Curtis
dear" and signed "Millicent," and also
Of the desperate attempts made by the
Hindoos to ind the diamonds. SO Fitch
did not bother the sleuth as much ~
did other friends Of Elinor's, and II
was we'll; for Britz several times was
at his wits ends to. dissuade Mrs. Mis-
sioner and Sands from going to the
District Attorney and offering heavy
security for Miss Holcomb's appear
ance in the trial court. However.
Br1tx had held them Oh, and Il fol-
lowed that Grtswold- hurried thu delu-
sion that Elinor and Fitch and Sands
were suspected SO strongly BY the
Central once men that no search for
evidence against anybody selse was IN
progress. Doxnelly and Ca1son also
had fostsred that ntsconeeption on the
clubman,s part by their u1abatD4 &C.
tivfty in. hunting proofs Of thasgfr rec.
retary's gpilt. Those worthless spsnt
Z Il