Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1911-09-21
THAT AFFAIR AT
Fl .l BY Burton 5sc a.l F.; Stevenson:
Holiday Case" Etc
New York Henry Holt & Co-lsn.
CHAPTER XIv-Ccon,!nued).

CHAPTER XiV-(Continued).
But as I laid the pape aside. and
hiled my pipe for a ina smoke before
turning in. ! told myself that l could
scarcely hope that they would drop so
easily from my mind. however much
1 might wish 1t; besides, i had left it
n a mystery OF that sort is not easily
forgotten. ~ Is like an unfinished book,
an unsettled casc--ii lives to Cypress
the mind and piaue tle imagination.
knocked o1u my pipe inpatiently.
The place for me was in bed. was
becoming obsassed by this affair. II
l did no a it Off. 1T would end by
getting such q grip OF me that 1 could
not sleep at all, or l would fall asleep
only to be startled awake again as I
had been the night before. That vas
truly a terrifying prospect!
l started for my bedroom, when a
tap at my door stopped me. l opened
1t to find Mrs. Fitch. my landlady, ON
the threshold.
"A telegram for you. Mr.. Lester"
h said. and held 1T out to me. Il told
tho boy to wait"
Thank you," ! said, and tore open
the envelope. "There'll be no answer"
I added. a later, and shut the
door somewhat hastily I fear, but Mrs.
Fftch's eyes are sharp ones and l did
not wish her to sec my face just then.
/ dropped into my chair and read the
message again:
Il advise you to return to Elizabeth
at once. New developments in which
you will be interested. .~n~~--".
New devclopmcnts!" All. Godfrey
knew me we'll! For already my fatigue
was forgotten in the ardour OF the
chase. n a moment later I found my
self changing from slippers to shoes
as fast as my fingers could handle the
laces.
Mrs. Fitch met me on the stair.
Not going out again, Mr.. Lester"
self"
Il can't help it. Mrs. Fitch" 1 said.
tive got to go"
MOT bad news. I hope""
mo"
And you'll be back soon?"
mot tonight, Tn afraid"
"Oh. nonsense. Mr.. Lester"
But I left her protesting on the step.
and hurried down the street. Mrs.
Fitch meant we'll. but she was sOmc-
times a little in the way.
took the elevated to Cortlandt
street. and hurried down to the ferry.
expecting every instant to hear the
gong which announced the departure of
the boat. But I found that l had 10
minutes to wait before there was a
train, and I spent them walking fever
ishly up and down the narrow waiting
ROOM, where the roads patrons are
herded like cattle behind tn. Slated
gates.
At last the gates opened; there was
the usual rush to the boat; the slow
crossing Of the wide river. with the
cool salt breeze coming in from the
through the great Jersey City station:
and finally / found myself in a seat,
with the train rumbling out from under
the long shed.
1 stared out into the night, wonder
ing what the new developments could
unexpected Ones. to stir Godfrey to
sending me that telegram! But what
could they be? For the present. the
case was closed. Curtiss and Miss
Lawrence were both In mid-ocean, and
any further developments must await
few hours since l myself had left
Elizabeth, n there a seemed no
prospect then of anything further hap
pening there. Godfrey a announced
his own intention of leaving h place
at once-he had said that the case
wasn't worth wasting any more time
over. What. then. had detained him?
Wa 1t possible. I asked myself, that
Marcia Lawrence q not sailed on the
Umbrla. that the message had been
merely q blind, that h had fOreseen
that we would trace it to the West
street Office. that she had written 1t on
q sheet OF the steamers paper for the
purpose OF deceiving US: Yes, that
vas clearly possible. She may have re-
turned home. and Godfrey, discovering
the return. had summoned me to be
present at her unmasking! l had really
only half believed that 1t was she
whom Curtiss had deserted upon the
Umbria's forward deck But II she
had, indeed. done all this. she must be
. moro deeply versed in deception
than I had supposed. I should hardly
have given her credit for laying a plan
SO adroit as that; but one can never
Judge a woman's capabilities.
Suddenly conscious again Of my ia
tigue. I laid my head back against the
seat, n dozed away until the sharp
call Of h brakeman aroused me. Not
until I had left the train did I remem-
Der that Godfrey had appointed no
rendezvous. He might. perhaps. be
awaiting me at tho hotel. or. at least.
he had certainly left a message there
for me-. and I started up the street.
But an inquiry Of the clerk developed
the fact THAT, while Godfrey was still
stopping there. he had gone out inn
mediately after dinner, and had left no
message OF any kind. For 8 moment
III was fairly taken aback, so confident
had I been: but perhaps Godfrey had
deemed q message su%per1uOus after
the hint given in the te!eGram-I knew
how he detested the obvious. He had
i no doubt thought that hint sufficient