Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-04-18
The Bobbs-Merr;n Company
(cHAPTER xI-ContinuedD

(CHAPTER xI-Continued)
l II was terribly shocked at the news
Of his DEATH" he stumbled on, getting
no help from me. Il was in town anC
If had known IN time could have
kept some Of the details out of the
papers. Poor Fleming-to think ~
would end 1t that way"
End it?"
"Shoot himself" He watched me
closely.
"But he didn't I protested. II,
was not suicide, Mr.. Lightfoot. Ac
! cording to the police, 1t was murder
! His cold eyes narrowed like cats
''Murder is an ugly word, Mr.. Knox
Don't let us be sensational. Mr.. Elem
ing had threatened to kill himself
more than once; ask young Wardrop
He was sick and respondent; he LEFT
his home without word, which points
strongly to emotional insanity. He
could have gone to any one. Of hall
dozen large clubs here, or at the cap
ital. Instead, he goes to a little third
rate political club, where, presumably
he does his own cooking and hides 1r
a dingy room. Is that sane? Muir
der! It was suicide, and that puppy
Wardrop knows it well enough. +
| wish IShad him by the throat!"
He had worked himself into quite 8
respectable rage, but now he Gained
himself.
81 have seen the police he went on
'"They agree with me that it was sui
eide. and the party newspapers will
straighten it out tomorrow. 1t Is only
unfortunate that the murder theory
was given much publicity. Tue
Times-Post, which is democratic, OF
course, can not handle"
| sat stupefied.
| "Suicide!" I said finally. with nc
weapon, no powder marks, and with
| a half-inished letter at his elbow"
He brushed my interruption aside.
! ."Mr. Fleming has been-c careless
he said. II can tell you in confidence
that some of the state funds had been
deposited in the Borough Bank OF
Manchester, and-the. Borough bank
closed It's doors at ten o'clock today
was hardly surprised at that, but
the whole trend Of events were amaz-
ing.
II arrived here last night" he said
"and I searched the city for Mr.. Elem
ing. This morning heard the news
! have just come from the house: his
daughter referred me to you. After
all what / want is a small matter
Some papers-state documents-are
| missing, and no doubt are among Mr.
Flemings private effects. would like
to go through his papers, and leave to-
night for the capital
II have hardly the authority" re.
piled doubtfully. miss Fleming,
suppose, would have no objection. His
private secretary, Wardrop, would be
the one to superintend such search:
"Can you find Wardrop-at once?"
Something in his eagerness put me
on my guard. :.
II will make an attempt" l said.
LET me have the name Of your hotel
and will telephone you If it can be
arranged for tonight"
He had to be satisfied with that, but
his eagerness seemed to me to be al
most desperation. Oddly enough, ]
could not locate Wardrop after all.
got the Maitland house by telephone
to learn that he had left there about
three o'clock, and had not come back
went to the Fleming house for din
ner. Edith was still there, and we
both tried to cheer Margery, sad lit.
tie figure in her black clothes. After
the meal, I called Lightfoot at his no
tel and told him that l could not find
| Wardrop; that there were no papers
at the house, and that the Office safe
would have to wait until Wardrop was
| found to open it. He was disappoint-
ed and furious; like good many men
who are physical towards, he said q
great deal over the telephone that he
| would not have dared to say to my
face, and cut him off by hanging up
! the receiver. From that minute, in
| the struggle that was coming, like
Fred, was "forninst" the government
It was arranged that Edith should
take Margery home with her for the
night. thought it a good idea; the
very sight of Edith tucking in her
| babies and sitting down beside the IL
brary lamp to embroider me scarf
pinholder for Christmas would bring
Margery back to normal again. Elk
cept in the matter of Christmas gifts
| Edith is the sanest woman know;
! I recognized it at the dinner table
where she had the little girl across
from her planning her mourning hats
before the dinner was half finished.
When we rose at last Margery look.
ed toward the mushroom, where the
| dead man lay in state. But Edith took
her by the arm and pushed her toward
the stairs.
"Get your hat on right away, while
Jack calls a cab" she directed. 81
| must get home, or Fred will keep the
boys up until nine O'Clock. He is alb
| solutely without principle"
When Margery came down there
was little red spot burning in each
| pale cheek, and she ran down the
stairs like scared child. At the bot
! ity that their planting is a mark OF
| business sense to property owners.
We of this generation owe this to
| our children and our children's chill
dren. Many of Ottumwa's streets to
-, IrnI oiort TRACE fhof