Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-05-02


aging papers. He is not criminal,
but he is what is almost worse"
The doctor rose and picked up his
hat. 'He Is q weakling," he said, from
the doorway.
Burton looked at his watch. by
George!" he said "Seven-twenty,
and I've had nothing since lunch but
a blk of sardines. I'm off to chase the
festive mutton chop. Oh by the way,
Knox, where is that locked bag?"
"In my Office SAFE"
'I'll drop around In the morning and
assist you to compound felony" he
said easily. But as it happened, he
did not.
CHAPTER XXI
l was very late for dinner. Fred
and Edith were getting ready for q
concert, and the two semi-invalids
were playing pinochle in Fred's den.
Neither one looked much the worst
for her previous nights experience;
Mrs Butler was always pale, and
Margery had been so since her fathers
death.
The game was over when went
into the den. As usual, Mrs. Butler
left the room almost Immediately, and
went to the piano across the hall. l
had grown to accept her avoidance Of
me without question. Fred said 1t
was because my overwhelming vitality
oppressed her. Personally, think It
was because the neurasthenic type Of
woman is repulsive to me. No doubt
Mrs. Butler deserved sympathy, but
her open demand for it found me cold
and unresponsive.
told Margery briefly Of my visit
to Bellwood that morning She was
as puzzled as I was about the things
Heppie had found in the chest She
was relieved, too.
II am just as sure, now, that she is
living, as | was week ago that she
was dead" she said, leaning back In
her big chair "But what terrible
thing took her away? Unless"
"Unless what?"
"She had loaned my father a great
deal Of money" Margery said, with
heightened color. "She had not dared
to tell Aunt Letitia, and the money
was to he returned before she found
1T out. Then-thipgs went wrong with
the Borough Bank, and-the money
did not come back. If you know Aunt
Jane, and how afraid she is Of Aunt
Letitia, you will understand how terri
BILE 1t was for her. I have wondered
If she would go-to Plattsburg, and
try to find father there"
"The Eagle man in working on that
theory now" replied. "Margery, II
there was a letter c. added to eleven
Twenty-Five would you know what 1t
meant?"
She shook her head in the negative.
"Will you answer two more ques-
|tions?"' asked.
eyes, II 1 cam
"Do you know why you were chlo-
reformed last night, and who did it?"
IT think know who did it, but
don't understand. I have been trying
all day to think It out. I'm afraid to
go to sleep tonight"
"You need not be-" ! assured her.
eff necessary. we will have the city
police in a ring around the house. Ii
you know and don't tell, Margery, you
are running risk, and more than that,
you are protecting a person who ought
to be in jail"
.I'm not sure" she persisted.
Don't ask me about it. please.
"What does Mrs. Butler say!
"Just what she said this morning
And she says valuable papers were
taken from under her pillow. She was
very ill-hysterical, all afternoon.
The gloom and smouldering fire OF
the Sonata Apassionata came to us
from across the hall. leaned over
and took Margerys small hand be
tween my two big ones
"Why don't you tell me-" urged.
"Or-you needn't tell me. know what
YOU think. But there isn't any motive
that can see, and why would sne
chloroform you?"
~ don't know" Margery shuddered
Sometimes wonder-do you tnlnK
she is altogether sane?
The music ended with the crash OF
a minor chord Fred and Edith came
down the stairs. and the next moment
we were all, together, and the chance
for a nuiet conversation was gone. At
the door Fred turned and came back.
"Watch the house." he said. And
by the way, / guess"-he lowered his
vo,ce-.the lady's story was probably
straight. / looked around again this
afternoon, and there are fresh scratch
es on the porch roof under ner WIN
dow. It looks queer, doesn't III?
It was relief to know that, after
all. Mrs. Butler was an enemy and
dangerous person to nobody but her.
self. she retired TO her room almost
az soon as Fred and Edith had gone.
was wondering whether or not to tell
Margery about the experiment that
afternoon: debating how to ask her
what letters she had got from the
postmaster at Bellwood addressed to
Miss Jane, and what she knew OF
BELLA. At the same time-bear with
me. oh masculine reader, the gentle