Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-04-20

"That liar and thief back there has
got me rung up for nineteen dollars, 4
he said, ignoring my amazement.
nineteen dollars and forty cents! He
must have the thing counting the rev
olutions Of all four wheels!
He walked around and surveyed my
expense account, at the drivers ell
bow Then he hit the meter sharp
slap, but the figures did not change.
Nineteen dollars!" he repeated
dazed. Nineteen dollars and-look
here,' he called to his driver, who had
brought the cab close, '1t's only thirty
cents here. Your clocks ten cents
fast"
But how" began.
"You back up to nineteen dollars and
thirty cents" he persisted, ignoring
me. "If you back up to twelve dollars
I'll pay it. That's all I've got" Then
he turned on me irritably. Good heav-
ems, man." he exclaimed, do you mean
to tell me you've been to eight drug
stores this Sunday evening and spent
nineteen dollars and thirty cents ana
haven't got a drink YETI"
EDO you think I'm after drink?''
asked him. "Now look here, Davidson,
/ rather think you know what I'm after.
II you don't, 1t doesn't matter. But
since you are, coming along anyhow.
pay your man off and come with me.
don't like to be followed"
He agreed without hesitation, Dor
rowed eight dollars from me to aug
ment his twelve, and crawled In WIFI
me.
1.-THE next address on the list IS the
right one" he said, as the man waited
for directions. 81 did the same round
yesterday, but not being a plutocrat.
used the street cars and my legs. And
because you're decent fellow and
don't have to be chloroformed to have
an idea injected, I'm going to tell you
something. There were eleven rounds
men as we'll as the sergeant who heard
me read the note found at the Flem-
ing house that night. You may have
counted them through the window. A
dozen plain-clothes men read 1t before
morning. When the news OF Mr.. Elem
ing's mur-death came out, / thought
this fellow Carter might know some
thing, and I trailed Della through this
Mamie Brennan When / got there
found Tom Brannigan and four other
detectives sitting in the parlor, and
Miss Della, In blue silk waist, making
eyes at every mothers son Of them
I laughed in spite of my disappoint
ment. Davidson leaned forward and
closed the window at the drivers back
Then he squared around and faced me-
Understand me, Mr.. Knox" he said
"Mr Fleming killed himself. You and
I are agreed on that. Even II you aren't
lust convinced of 1t I'm telling you
and-better let it drop, sir" Under his
quiet manner felt threat; it served
to rouse me.
"Ill let it drop when I'm through
with IT," asserted, and got out my list
of addresses.
"You'll let It drop because It's too
hot to hold" he retorted, with q sus-
picion of a smile. "If you are deter.
mined to know about Carter, can tell
you everything that is necessary.
The chauffeur stopped his engine
with an exasperated jerk, and settled
,, down in his seat, every line of his back
bristlng with irritation,
II prefer learning from Carter him
self"
He leaned back in his seat and pro
duced an apple from the pocket OF his
coat.
"You'll have to travel some to do it
SON." he said. Garter left for parts un
known last night, taking with him
enough money to keep him in comfort
for some little time"
until all this blows over" I said
bitterly.
t"The trip was for the benefit Of his
health. He has been suffering-and IL
still suffering, from curious lapse ol
memory" Davidson smiled at me en-
gagingly "He has entirely FORGOTTEN
everything that occurred from the time
he .entered Mr.. Fleming's employment
until that gentleman left home.
doubt IL he will ever recover"
With Carter gone, his retreat Gov
cred by the police. supplied with funds
from some problematical source, fur
Their search for him was worse than
useless. IN fact. Davidson strongly In
tinnated that it might be dangerous and
would be certainly unpleasant. | yield
ed ungraciously and ordered the cab
to take me home. But on the way
cursed my folly for not having followed
this obvious clue earlier, and won
dered what this thing could be thai
Carter knew, that was at least sur
missed by various Headquarters men
and vet so carefully hidden from the
world at large.
The party newspapers had come Out
that day with signed statement from
HFr. Fleming's physician in Plattsburs
that he had been In i'll health and in