The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1911-03-30


I'm not sure that / didn't, Mrs.
Klopton," I said YEARLY. Somebody
did, and the general verdict seems 10
point my way
She stared at me in speeches. IN
| dignation. Then she founced out.
| She came back once to say that the
paper predicted cooler weather, and
| that she had put blanket on my bed,
but, to her disappointment, ] refused
to reopen the subject.
At half-past eleven Mcknight ana
| Hotchkiss came in. Richey has a
habit of stopping his car in front OF
| the house and honking until some one
comes out. He has code of signals
with the horn, which ! never remem-
ber Two long and short blast
mean, believe, Send out box Oh
| cigarettes" and six short blasts,
which sound like police call, mean
Can you lend me some money! To
| night / knew something was up, for
he got out and rang the docr-bell like
| a Christian.
They came into the library, and
Hotchkiss wiped his collar until II
cleaned. Mcknight was aggressively
cheerful.
Not pinched yeti" he exclaimed.
What do you think Of that for luck!
You always were 2 fortunate devil,
Lawrence"
EYES," | assented nth some bitter
Io, n
myself for Joy sometimes. | suppose
| you know'-to Hotchkiss-"that the
| police were here while we were at
Cresson, and that they. found the bag
| that | brought from the wreck?'
Things are coming to head he
said thorghtfully, unless little plan
that 1 have in mind" he hesitated.
81 hope so; / am pretty nearly des.
perate," said, doggedly. 'I've got a
mental toothache, and the sooner it's
pulled the better"
cut, tut" sadi Mcknight, think
of the disgrace to the firm if it's senior
| member goes up for life, Or he
twisted his handkerchief into moose,
and went through an elaborate pan
tomime.
Although jail isn't so bad, any
how" he finished, there are fellows
that get the habit and keep going
back and going back" He looked at
his watch, and fancied his cheerful
ness was strained. Hotchkiss was
nervously fumbling my book.
Did you ever read the Purloined
Letter, Mr. Blakeley?" he inquired
Probably, years ago." l said. Poe.
isn't it?"
He was choked at my indifference.
1T is masterpiece" he said, with
enthusiasm. II re-read it to-day
"And what happened?"
Then I inspected the rooms in to
house off Washington Circle. I'll
made some discoveries, Mr. Blakelsy.
For one thing, our. man there is left
handed" He looked around for our
approval There was small cush-
ion on the dresser, and the scarf
pins in it had been stuck in with the
left hand"
Somebody may have twisted the
cushion / objected, but he looked
hurt, and I desisted~
There is only one discrepancy" he
admitted, "but it troubles me. Ac-
cording to Mrs. Carter, at the farm
house, our man wore gaudy pajamas.
while | found here only the most ss-
verely plain night-shirts."
"Any buttons Off" Mcknight in
CURED, looking again at his watch.
"The buttons were there" the anna
teur detective answered gravely, "but
the buttonhole next the top one was
torn through
Mcknight winked at me furtively.
81 am convinced of one thing"
Hotchkiss went ON, clearing his
throat, 'the papers are not in that
room Either. he carries them with
him, or he has sold them"
A sound on the street made both
my visitors listen sharply. Whatever
it was it passed on, however. / was
growing curious and the restraint was
telling on Mcknight. He has no
talent for secrecy. In the interval we
Cresson, which lost nothing by Hotch-
kiss dry narration.
"And So" he concluded, 'the wom-
an in the Baltimore hospital is the
wife of Henry Sullivan and the daugh-
ter of the man he murdered No won
der he collapsed when he heard of
the wreck"
Joy, probably" Mcknight put in.
"Is that clock right, Lawrence? Never
mind, it doesn't matter. By the way,
Mrs. Conway dropped in the Office yes
terday, while you were away
WHAT" sprang from my chair.
83Sure thing. Said she had heard
great things of us, and wanted us to
handle her case against the railroad. ;"
Il would like to know what she is
driving at" / reflected. rs she try
ing to reach me through you?"
Richey's flippancy is often cloak
for dannnr feeling He drODDed it