Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1911-02-17

| luOuSn you mad committed crime.
I'm not sure that I didn't, Mrs.
klopton,'' said YEARLY. Somebody
did, and the general verdict seems to
| point my way"
dignation. Then she f1ounced out.
She came back once to say that the
paper predicted cooler weather, and
that she had put blanket on my bed,
but, to her disappointment, ! refused
| to reopen the subject.
At half-past eleven Mcknight and
| Hotchkiss came in. Richey has a
habit of stopping his car in front of
the house and honking until some one
! comes out. He has code of signals
! with the horn, which I never remem-
Der. Two long and short blast
mean, I believe, "Send out a box of
| cigarettes" and six short blasts,
which sound like a police call, mean
Can you lend me some money!" To-
night knew something was up, for
he got out and rang the door-ben like
| Christian.
They came into the library, and
| Hotchkiss wiped his collar until it
cleaned. Mcknight was aggressively
| cheerful.
"Not pinched yeti" he exclaimed.
| What do you think of that for luck!
You always were a fortunate devil.
Lawrence"
| eyes," assented with some bitter
ness, II hardly know how to contain
myself for joy sometimes. suppose
you know"-to Hotchkiss the
police were here while we were at
Cresson, and that they found the bag
that / brought from the wreck?"
Things are coming to head" he
said thoughtfu1ly, unless little plan
that I have in mind" he hesitated.
II hope so; am pretty nearly des-
perate," said, doggedly. tive got a
| mental toothache, and the sooner it's
pulled the better"
"Tut, tut" sadi Mcknight, think
of the disgrace to the firm if it's senior
member goes up for life, or" he
| twisted his handkerchief into moose,
| and went through an elaborate pan
| tomime.
Although Jail isn't so bad, any
how" he finished, there are fellows
that get the habit and keep going
back and going back" He looked at
his watch, and I fancied his cheerful
ness was strained. Hotchkiss was
| nervously fumbling my book.
did you ever read the Purloined
Letter, Mr.. Blakeley?" he inquired.
Probably, years ago." said. "Poe,
isn't it,"
He was choked at my Indifference.
1T is a masterpiece" he said, with
enthusiasm. 81 re-read it today"
sand what happened?"
"Then I inspected the rooms in the
house off Washington Circle II
made some discoveries, Mr.. Blakeley.
For one thing, our man there is left
handed" He looked around for our
approval "There was a small cush-
ion on the dresser, and the scarf
pins in it had been stuck in with the
left hand
Somebody may have twisted the
cushion" I objected, but he looked
hurt, and desisted.
"There is only one discrepancy" he
cording to Mrs. Carter, at the farm
house, our man wore gaudy pajamas,
while 7 found here only the most Sc
verely plain night-shirts.
"Any buttons OFF," Mcknight in
quired, looking again at his watch.
"The buttons were there" the anna
teur detective answered gravely, "but
torn through"
Mcknight winked at me furtively.
ST am convinced of one thing"
Hotchkiss went on, clearing his
throat, "the papers are not in that
room. Either he carries them with
him, or he has sold them"
A sound on the street made both
| my visitors listen sharply. Whatever
it was it passed on, however. I was
| growing curious and the restraint was
telling on Mcknight. He has no
talent for secrecy. In the interval we
discussed the strange occurrence at
Cresson, which lost nothing by Hotch-
kiss dry narration.
"And So" he concluded, 'the wom-
an in the Baltimore hospital is the
wife Of Henry Sullivan and the daugh-
ter of the man he murdered. No Won
der he collapsed when he heard Of
| the wreck"
"Joy, probably" Mcknight put in.
'Is that clock right, Lawrence? Never
mind, it doesn't matter. By the way,
Mrs Conway dropped in the Office yes
terday, while you were away"
What" I sprang from my chair.
"Sure thing. Said she had heard
great things of us, and wanted us to
handle her case against the railroad"
ST would like to know what she is
driving at" I reflected. us she try
| ing to reach me through you?"
Richey's flippancy is often cloak
for deeper feeling. He dropped it
now. "Yes," he said, "she's after the
notes, of course. And I'll tell yo1 l
felt like a poltroon-whatever That