Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-04-18

+, tom she clutched the newel-post and
looked behind fearfully.
whats the matter?" Edith demand
ed, glancing uneasily over her shout
der.
Some one has been upstairs"
Margery painted. Somebody has been
staying in the ihouse while we were
away"
| Nonsense" I said, seeing that her
fright was injecting Edith. What
makes you think that?"
| Come and see," she said gaining
courage, I suppose, from a masculine
presence. And so we went up the
long stairs, the two girls clutching
hands, and I leading the way and in
clined to scoff. stHG
At the door of small room next
to what had been Allan Fleming's
bedroom, we paused and l turned on
the light.
Before we left" Margery said more
: quietly, II closed this room myself. 1t
had just been done over, and the pale
blue soils so easily. l came in the
last thing, and saw covers put over
everything. Now look at it,"
1t was sort of boudoir, filled with
feminine knickknacks and mahogany
| lounging chairs. Wherever possible,
| a pale brocade had been used on the
empire couch, in panels in the wall
covering cushions on the windOW-seat
1t was evidently Margerys private
sitting room.
| The linen cover that had been
thrown over the divan was folded
| back, and pillow from the window
seat bore the imprint of head. The
table was still covered, knobby pro-
tuberances indicating the pictures and
| books beneath. On one corner of the
table, where the cover had been push
ed aside, was cup, empty and clean
washed, and as if to prove her con-
tention, Margery picked up from the
| floor a newspaper, dated Friday morn
ing the twenty-second.
A used towel in the bath room near
by completed the inventory; Margery
had been right; some one had used
the room while the house was closed
might it not have been your-fath-
er?' Edith asked, when we stood again
at the foot of the stairs. "He could
have come here to look for something
and lain down to rest.
II don't think so," Margery said
wanly. II left the door so he could
get in with his key, but-he always
used his study couch. / don't think
he ever spent five minutes in my sit
ting room in his life
We had to let it go at that finally.
1 put them in cab, and saw them
start away; then went back. into the
house. 1 had arranged to sleep there
and generally to look after things-as
I said before. Whatever scruples
had had about taking charge Of Mar
gerry Fleming and her affairs, had fad
ed with Wardrop's detection and the
new mystery of the blue boulder.
The lower floor Of the house was
full Of people that night, local and
state politicians, newspaper men and
the usual crowd of the morbidly curl
Gus. The undertaken took everything
in hand, and late that evening could
hear them carrying in tropical plants
and stands for the flowers that were
already arriving. Whatever panoply
the death scene had lacked, Allan
Fleming was lying in state now.
At midnight things grew quiet. |
sat in the library. reading, until then,
when an undertaker's assistant in a
pink shirt and polka-dot cravat came
to tell me that everything was done
us it customary for somebody to
stay UP, on occasions like this?" ask
ed. isn't there am impression that
wandering cats may get into the room
or something Of that sort?"
II don't think it will be necessary,
SIR" he said, trying to conceal
smile. It's all matter of taste
Some people like to take their troubles
hard. Since they don't put money on
their eyes any more, nobody wants to
rob the dead"
He left with that cheerful remark,
and 1 closed and locked the house af-
ter him. l found Bella in the base
ment kitchen with all the lights burn
ing full, and stood at the foot of the
stairs while she scooted to bed Ii e
a scared rabbit. She was a strange
creature, Bella-not so stupid as she
looked, but sullen, morose-"s mould-
dering' about expresses it..
| closed the doors into the dining
room and, leaving one light in the
hall, went up to bed. A guest room
in the third story had been assigned
me, and l was tired enough to have
slept on the floor. The telephone bell
rang just after got into bed, and
grumbling at my luck, went down to
the lower floor.
It was the Times-Post, and the man
at the telephone was in hurry.
This is the Times-Post. Is Mr..
Wardrop there
NO"
who is this?'
"This. is John Knox"
"The attorney"
"Yes.'
"Mr Knox, are you willing to put
yourself on record that Mr.. Fleming
committed suicide?'
81 am not going to put myself on
record at ALL
"Tonight's Star says you call it sui
eide, and that you found him with the
revolver In his hand"
"The Star lies!" retorted, and the
man at the other end cnuckled.
Many thanks" he said, and rang
off.
| I went back to bed, irritated that l
had betrayed myself. Loss of sleep
for two nights, however, had told on
me; in short time was sound
asleep.
r,o1,a,,d WITH d;Ho,,l+y nv, hoo RI