Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-04-25

and sat across from the woman. Bar.
ney said afterward that the man tried
twice to speak to the woman. but sne
looked away each time. No, he nadn y
heard what he said.
The man got out when the car Went
into the barn, but the woman stayed
on He and Barney got another car
and took it out, and the woman went
with them. She made complete rounu
trip this time, going out to Wynton ana
back to the end Of the line down town.
II was just daylight when she got on
at last, at First and Day streets.
Asked II he had thought at the time
that the yelled woman was young OF
old, he said he thought she was prob
ably middle-aged. Very young or very
old women would not put In the night
riding In q street car. Yes, he had seen
men who rode around couple OF
times at night, mostly to sober up be-
fore they went home. But he never saw
woman do it before.
I took his name and address and
thanked him. The chauffeur came next
and his story was equally pertinent.
On the night of the previous Thurs
day he had been engaged to take sick
woman from downtown hotel to a
house at Bellwood. The woman's hus-
band was with her, and they went
slowly to avoid jolting. It was after
twelve when he drove away from the
house and started home. At corner
he did not know the names of the
streets-a woman hailed the cab and
asked him If he belonged In Bellwood
or was going to the city. She had
missed the last train. When he told
her he was going into town, she
promptly engaged him, and showed
him where to wait for her, a narrow
road off the main street.
81 waited an hour" he finished, "be-
fore she came; dropped to sleep or /
would have gone without her. About
half-past one she came along, and a
gentleman with her. He put her in the
cab and took her to the city. When
saw in the paper that lady had dis
appeared from Bellwood that light,
knew right off that it was my party"
"Would you know the man again."
81 would know his voice, expect.
sir: / could not see much; he wore a
SLOUGH hat and had traveling-bag OF
some kind"
What did he say to the woman?"
asked.
"He didn't say much. Before he
closed the door he said. You have put
me in terrible position, or something
like that, From the traveling-bag and
all, thought perhaps 1t was an elope>
ment, ,and the lady had decided to
throw him down."
"Was 1t young woman or an old
one l asked again. This time the
cabby's voice was assured.
Young" he asserted, slim and
quick; dressed in black with black
veil. Soft voice. She got out at Market
cross-town car there"
II hardly think it was Miss Malt
land" said. "She was past sixty, and
besides-I don't think she went that
way. Still it is worth following up. Is
that all?"
He fumbled in his pocket, and after
a minute brought up small black
pocket-book, and held it out to me. 1t
was a small coin. purse out of leather
handbag.
"She dropped this in. the cab, sir"
he said. II took 1t home to the missus
1t had no money in it-only that bit OF
paper.
opened the purse and took out d
small white card, without engraving
On 1t was written in pencil the figures:
c 1922.
CHATTER XVII.
When the cabman had gone I sat
down and tried to think, things out
AS l have said many times in the
course of this narrative, lack mag
ination; moreover, long experience
of witnesses in court had taught me
the unreliability Of average cbserva>
ton. The very fact that two men swore
to having taken solitary women away
from Bellwood that night made me
doubt if either one had really seen the
missing woman.
OF the two stories, the taxicab dri-
vers was the most probable, as far as
Miss Jane was concerned. Knowing her
child-like nature. her timidity, her
shrinking and shamefaced fear of the
dark, it was almost incredible that she
would walk the three miles to Wyn-
ton, voluntarily, and from there lose
herself in the city Besides. such an
explanation would not fit the blood
stains, or the fact that. she had gone,
as far as we could find out, in her night
clothes.
Still-she had left the village that
night, either by cab or on foot. If the
driver had been correct in his time,
however. the taxicab was almost elm
mated; he said the woman got into the
cab at one.thirty. 1t was between one
thirty and one-forty-fve when Margery
heard the footsteps in the attic.
think for the first time 1t came to
me that day. that there was at least a
possibility that Miss Jane had not
been attacked. robbed or injured: that
she had left home voluntarily, under
stress Of great excitement But if she
had, why? The mystery was hardly
less for being stripped OF it's grue-
some details. Nothing in my knowledge
Of the missing woman gave me clue.
/ had a vague hope that. il she had
gone voluntarily. she would see the
newspapers and let us know where she
was.
To my list Of exhibits | added the
purse with its Enclosure. The secret
drawer of my desk now contained. be-