Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1911-12-28
CHAPTER w.

CHAPTER w.
It is now necessary that l take one
step backward in my relation Of this
mysterious occurrence I must go
back to some time before the commits
sion Of the burglary and the entry of
LeDuc upon the scene, in order that
/ you may have ali the facts presented
/ to you as they were to that detec-
/ tive when ne took hold of the case.
Having made this new start I think I
can proceed chronologicaIly to the end
Of the case, detailing events in the
order in which they happened I am
now beginning a few months before
the robbery:
It was at this period OF my life that
I was cast under a spell Hopelessly,
! helplessly and blindIy I fell in love
with woman whose beauty was so
aggressive that no mortal man could
| ignore it, while to attempt to describe
| it would be almost to insult it.
was about twenty-five then and she
possibly four years older My ac-
| Quaintance with her began through
the irrepressible Bruce
I had dropped into the blue room of
the Imperial for a bottle of ale and
cigar after the theater, when I ran
into my cousins arms He beamed
upon me.
Delighted, old fellow Just in time.
/ Come want to introduce you" He
/ grasped my hand with the grip of a
wrestler. Now, you have to exercise
a little discretion before agreeing to
meet Bruces friends, and l glanced
around furttvely You can never tell
whether the next minute you will be
shaking hands with the Chinese am
bassador or the latest popular pugiL
ist, so as the latter gentleman would
express it, l spared moment for
wind.
TO whom?" inquired. He nodded
toward a nearby table at which sat
two women and man.
ITO Dick Edwards-but I guess you
know him already-and the two la
/ dies. But especially to Mrs. Dace.
I If you want good company, you need
not go any further, for you won't find
any better anywhere" I asked him
whom the especial Mrs. Dace might
be, and he laughed with what I
thought was faint undercurrent of
| significance beneath it.
ooh, I haven't time to tell Widow
of somebody who died somehow,
which is enough to know all at once.
Main thing is she is as beautiful as
hOuri and gracious as an empress,
but wise, my boy, wise, wise Also
apparently is q person of some means,
amount of means represented by x,
meaning unknown quantity; source
of means problem in higher mathe-
MATES very difficult of solution But
remember this If you begin to feel
sentimental when you look at her, re-
member that life is only joke and
laugh at yourself; but when it comes
to wine, remember that life is a
| mighty serious proposition and stay
sober. Come on now" In another
moment he was introducing me.
Mrs. Dace and Miss Lyddon-Mr.
Halliday. Cousin of mine through no
fault of his, but nevertheless highly
recommended by me. I believe you
have met him, Dick, and will confirm
me. Sorry 1 have to 60 but he will
| fill my place and round out your
party. Good night ALL and he was
| gone.
| took my chair with quick mental
! inventory of my new acQuaintances.
Miss Lyddon was tall, waspy and good
! looking in an indolent blond way;
| Edwards was a prosperous looking
man of about thirty-fve; Mrs Dace
| positively startling. From a purely
physical standpoint her beauty was
| gorgeous. But so wonderfully com
! pick was it that it could no more be
analysed by one glance than can a
| painted masterpiece. While its gen
eral effect was to cause a gasp of de-
| light at first sight. when you looked
again you saw that its perfection was
| the result Of the exquisite blending of
many tints into an incompatible
whole. Never had I seen a mouth so
| bewitching, lips so rich or smile so
| dazzling Her hair was changeful as
an opal, her brows wonderfully arched,
| her eyes royal blue and bordered by
| long lashes that screened them as
ferns shade deep forest pools. She
/ was wonderful Fascinated by her
/ beauty for a moment I sat silently as
! she calmly surveyed me, one perfect
! hand idly toying with a small gold
purse that lay upon the table Then
! far down in the sea depths of her blue
| eyes | saw faint amusement gathering
and / drew myself together with a
! start. Edwards was explaining:
"You see, we had arranged for a
/ theater party and there were to be
! four of US Then at the last hour
Mrs. Dace's escort became slightly in
/ disposed and she came down alone
and met MISS Lyddon and myself We
! are now about to have something to
eat. and possibly wee bit to drink.
I happened to see your cousin Bruce
and hailed him to join us, but 1t
seems he has an excuse. Then he
providentially happened to spy you
| and impressed you into his place to
complete the party. So everybody is
happy once more"
While l am no such gabbler as
! Bruce, 1 think can hold my own in
any fairly we'll regulated conversation
| I rose to the occasion. The wine oiled
my tongue and Mrs. Dace's little ap.
plauding laughs and mods of approval
! spurred my wit. Edwards seemed
! content to remain comparatively
quiet; Miss Lyddon was too indolent
to care to do other than be enter
tanned; Mrs. Dace was sympathetic
listener, and without effort I held the
inst now vnu f1nd a good MANY trunI Ire