The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1911-11-30
Mrs. F0neS and
thebraSS Kew
How She Discovered Her hus.
bands Secret
By CLARISSA MACKIE
Copyright by American Press Asso-
al finn 1Q11
By CLARISSA MACKIE
Copyright by American Press Asso-
citation, 1911.

|
"Goodby, DEAR" said Henry Fones
as he kissed his pretty wife farewell
Expect me home on Friday" and he
dashed for the elevator. Pauline wav-
ed him last goodby from the window.
five stories above the sidewalk, and then
proceeded to set her house in order.
In due course she reached the bed
room, where the belongings of her
husband were scattered from one end
Of the apartment to the other. She
was hanging up blue serge coat
when brass key tumbled from a
pocket and struck the polished floor
with a challenging ring.
"What funny key!' thought Pau
line as she picked it up and examined
it closely.
"What curious key!' she remarked
after awhile. II wonder what door It
fits" Whereupon Pauline Fones,, who
was ordinarily the least curious Of
young women, deliberately tried to fit
apartment, not even emitting the chif-
foniers and the refrigerator.
Mrs. Fones was baffled in her ef-
fort to find a keyhole to fit the brass
key, and now she sat down, warm and
rather out of sorts, to examine the
thing. 1t was Of quaint design, with
a long slender shank terminating in
twisted handle. Complicated, indeed,
must be the lock which this key fitted.
Perhaps it was the key to some piece
Of furniture in the railroad office,
where her husband was assistant to
the claim agent, and so she laid It
aside and tried to forget all about it.
But all sorts of unwelcome thoughts
crowded her brain as she went to and
fro, and she could not repress shud-
der each time she passed the shining
key.
| luncheon Pauline determined to BAN
ish the specter of suspicion that
haunted her now, to her own dismay.
She carried the brass key to the
clothes press and dropped It in the
pocket Of the blue serge coat with
little laugh at her own foolishness in
distrusting such simple, open mind
ed man as Henry was. AS she with
drew her hand her fingers touched a
bit of paper, and Pauline blushed as
she found herself drawing out several
yellow kilograms fastened together
with brass clip
She read the first message. that on
top Of the pile. and sank down upon
the nearest chair with frightened
cry Her suspicious had not been
groundless. What was this dreadful
thing her husband had done-was
about to do?
The message stood out clearly-nay.
1t blazed in her dismayed eyes:
J. Henry Fones-Sending body today
Wire If you can use it. Fair condition.
BINLEY
The other telegrams referred to the
same grewsome subject; other bodies
had been sent, some in fine condi-
tion," others BADLY broken" still 9th
ers "bad, beyond repair"
The first one. however, bore the date
of the day before, and her husbands
sudden departure for vague ''out of
town. destination furnished clew to
the messages. Her husband had ap-
peared embarrassed when she pressed
him for a reason for his sudden de-
parture: now she recollected that these
mysterious absences had been occur
ring with greater frequency as the
spring advanced.
He had been looking haggard and
careworn of late. and he had complain
ed of being dead tired day after day
Was all the mystery to be disclosed by
the finding of the brass key and the
discriminating telegrams? She must
find Henry Mt once and beg him, per
suade. him, to cease this horrible traffic
in Pauline shuddered and closed hel
eyes.
But not for long. She was plucky
little woman. and now that her eyes
were opened she lost no time in seek
ing her husband.
Her first act was to telephone hi!
Office and casually inquire where {
telegram would reach the assistan
claim agent. The reply made hel
heart beat faster as she hastily dress
ed herself to go out:
"Mr. Fones is at Cliffedge-you cal
reach him today or tomorrow by wir
II it is personal matter"
"It is personal" said Pauline.
Cliffedge-of all places! That littl
summer resort on the shore where sh
and Henry had hoped to build a cot
tage some day What was he doin
!. there, unless unless this awful bus
: ness was transacted in that peacefu
spot?
Quite convinced that her husban
+ was temporarily insane, Pauline pul
chased q ticket for Cliffedge an
FASTENED to the side Of that unfortr
e nate man. In her hand bag were th
u brass key and the bunch of te'egram
1t was a brief half hours ride
9 Cliffedge, and she was glad to leay
i the stuffy coach and emerge into til
!. crisp, salt laden air of the seashore.
short ride in the long stage, hesita
ing inquiry Of the red faced driver. an
u she was set down at the end Of lor
= plank walk that skirted the beach.
+ "Foller that walk and you'll find NJ
y Fones down to his cottage Its the la
II one in the row and sets of by itself
Il advised the driver as he whipped I
sis horses and left her standing thel