Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-05-04
By Mary Roberts-Rinehar.

- : = n y d.
one long, thin hand clutched still at
the bosom Of her gown. 1t was Ellen
Butler!
She was living, but not much more.
We gathered around and stod LOOKING
down at her in helpless pity. A current
of cold night came up the staircase
from an open door below. and set
the hanging light to swaying, throw
ing our shadows in q sort OF CHASTITY
dance over her quiet face.
| was too much shocked to be sur
prised. Burton had picked up her hat
and put it beside her.
"She's got about an hour. | should
say" said one Of the newspaper men.
See If Gray is around, will you, Jim?
He's mostly here Saturday night"
| ''Is it.-Miss Maitland?" Burton
asked. in strangely subdued voice.
| mo; it is Henry Buffers widow.
returned. and the three men were
reporters again, at once.
Gray was there and came immedi-
ately. Whatever surprise he may have
! felt at seeing woman there. and
| dying, he made no comment. He said
she might live six hours, but the end
was certain. We got hospital ambu-
lance, and with the clang OF its bell
as it turned the corner and hurried
away, the White Cat drops out OF this
story, SO far as action is concerned.
Three detectives and as many re-
porters hunted Schwartz all of that
night and the next day, to get his
story. But he remained in hiding He
had start of over an hour, from the
time he switched off the light and es.
capped down the built-in staircase
Even in her, agony, Ellen Buffers hate
had carried her through the doorway
after him, to collapse on the stairs.
got home just as the cab, with Fred
and Edith, stopped at the door. I did
not let them get out; half dozen
words, without comment or explana
ton, and they were driving madly to
the hospital.
Kate let me in, and gave her some
money to stay up and watch the place
while we were away. Then, not finding
a cab, took car and rode to the
hospital.
The building was appallingly quiet
The elevator cage, without light
crept spectrally up and down; my
footsteps on the tiled floor echoed
and reechoed above my head. A night
Waterman, in felt shoes, admitted me
and took me upstairs.
There was another long wait while
4 the surgeon finished his examination
and a nurse with q basin of water
/ and some towels came out of the room
| and another with dressings went in
I And then the surgeon came out, In
white coat with the sleeves rolled
above his elbows, and said l might
go in.
! The cover was drawn up to the In
jured woman's chin, where it was
folded neatly back. Her face was blood
less, and her fair hair had been gath
cred up in shaggy knot. She was
breathing slowly, but regularly, and
her expression was relaxed - more
restful than l had even seen it. AS
stood at the foot of the bed and looked
down at her, knew that as surely
as death was coming, it would be
| welcome.
Edith had been calm, before, but
when she saw me she lost her self
control. She put her head on my
shoulder, and sobbed out the shock
and the horror of the thing. AS fol
Fred, his imaginative temperament
made him particularly sensitive tc
suffering in others. AS he sat there be
side the bed knew by his face that
he was repeating and repenting every
/ unkind word he had said about ElleI
| Butler.
She was conscious; we realized thai
after a time. Once she asked fol
water, without opening her eyes, and
Fred slipped bit of ice between hel
white lips. Later in the night she
looked up for an instant, at me-
"He-struck my-hand," she sale
with difficulty, and closed her eyes
again.
During the long night hours I tolt
the story, as knew it, in an under
tone, and there was new hndliness
in Fred's face as he looked at her.
She was still living by morning, ant
was rallying somewhat from schOck
| | got Fred to take Edith home, and
took her place by the bed. Some one
brought me coffee about eight, and a.
nine o'clock l was asked to leave the
room, while four surgeons held con
sultation there. The decision t.
operate was made shortly after.
There is only a chance" a gray
haired surgeon told me in brisk, short
clipped words. "The bullet went down
and has penetrated the abdomen
Sometimes, taken early enough. We
can repair the damage, to certain ex
tent, and nature does the rest. The
family is willing, suppose?
/ knew of no family but Edith, ant
over the telephone she said, with some
thing of her natural tone, to do wha
the surgeons considered best.
l hoped to get some sort OF state
ment before the injured woman wal
taken to the operating room, but she
lay in stupor, and had to give III
the idea. It was two days before
got her deposition, and in that time
had learned many things.
! On Monday l took Margery to Bell
wood. She had received the news
about Mrs. Butler more calmly than
had expected.
i 81 do not think she was quite sane
poor woman she said with shudder
"She had had great deal of trouble
But how strange murder and an at
I femnf Mt rn,lrder-at that little club II