The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1911-05-18

understand, Mr.. Blakeley, that |
thought you were in lower ten. with
| the notes."
| l nodded CURLY.
I'm not trying to defend myself"
he went on. q was ready to steal the
notes. had to. But murder"
He wiped his forehead with his
handkerchief.
well I slipped across and behind
the curtains. 1t was very still. The
| man in ten didn't move, although my
heart was humping until thought he
would hear it,
Il felt around cautiously. 1t was
perfectly dark, and l came across a
bit of chain, about as long as my fin
ger 1t seemed a queer thing to find
there, and it was sticky, too"
He shuddered, and l could see Ali
sons hands clenching and unclenching
with the strain.
"All at once It struck me that the
man was strangely silent, and l 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.
The stout detective had let his cigar
go out; he was still drawing at 1t
nervously. Richey had picked up a
paperweight and was tossing it from
hand to hand; when it slipped and fell
to the floor a startled shudder passed
through the room
There was something glittering in
there" Sullivan resumed, land on i'm
pulse picked it up. Then I 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
to pieces, and he looked chagrined.
Il suppose | did-I'm not very clear
about what happened then. But when
| rallied a little | saw Russia leath-
er wallet lying In the aisle almost at
my feet, and like a fool, stuck It,
with the bit OF chain, into my bag.
Il 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 It the worse
things looked. The telegram was the
first thing against met would put
the police on my track at once. when
it was discovered that the man in low
er ten had been killed.
Then | remembered the notes, and
l took out the wallet and opened It,"
He stopped for minute, as if the
recalling of the next occurrence was
almost beyond him.
81 took out the wallet" he said sim
ply, and, opening It, 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
a while. | sat there almost paralyzed
wondering what this new development
meant for me.
DO you believe me now" Hs
looked around at us deflantly. 81 am
telling the absolute truth, and not one
of you believes me!
my wife. l knew, would swear !
had killed her father; nobody would
be likely to believe the truth.
After a 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.
Il changed the numbers OF the
berths, and it worked we'll. | got into
the other mans berth. and he came
back to mine. The rest was easy.
dressed in his Enthusiastically they
litted-and jumped the train not far
from Baltimore, just before the
wreck"
There is something else you must
clear up l said. why did you try to
telephone me from Nj, and why
did you change your mind about the
message?"
He looked astounded
You knew l was at Nh" he
stammered.
Yes, we traced you What about
the messenger"
We'll, it was this way; of course
| did not know your name. Mr. Blake
ley The telegram said: Man with
papers in lower ten, car seven and
after | had made what | considered
my escape, | began to think had left
the man in my berth in a bad way
(TO BE CONTINUED
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