Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1911-09-22
AFFAIR AT
A. By Bo aEs. a. E; Stevenson s,s.s, ia.
Honaday Case" Etc
New York-Henry Holt & co-pU. s
CHAPTER xIv-CContlnued).

CHAPTER XIV-(Continued).
But as I laid the paper aside, and
filled my pipe for a final smoke before
turning in, l told myself that I could
scarcely hope that they would drop so
easily from my mind, however much
l might wish It; besides. I had left 1t
and a mystery Of that sort is not easily
forgotten. 1t is like an unfinished book,
an unsettled Case--it lives to Cypress
the mind and piQue the imagination.
l. knocked oIr my pipe impatiently.
Inc place for me was in bed. / was
becoming obsessed by this affair. If
l did not shake 1t off, it would n by
getting such a grip Of me that l could
not sleep at all, or / would fall asleep
only to be startled awake again as 1
mad been the night before. That was
truly a terrifying prospect!
l started for my bedroom, when a
tap at my door stopped me. l opened
1t to find Mrs. Fitch, my landlady, on
the threshold.
"A telegram for you Mr.. Lester"
she said, and held 1t out to me. Il told
the boy to wait"
Thank YOU" l said, and tore open
the envelope. "There'u be no answer"
l added, a moment later, and shut the
door somewhat hastily I fear, but Mrs.
Fftch's yes are sharp ones, and I did
not wish her to see my face just then.
l dropped into my chair n read the
message again:
Il advise you to return to Elizabeth
at once. New developments in which
you will be interested.
Godfrey"
New developments!" All, Godfrey
knew me we'll! For already my fatigue
was forgotten in the ardour OF the
chase, and a moment later I found my
self changing from slippers to shoes
as fast as my fingers could handle the
laces.
Mrs. Fitch met me on the stair.
Not going out again, Mr.. Lester!"
she protested. why, you'll kill your
self"
II can't help it, Mrs. Fitch" 1 said.
tive got to 60"
mot bad news, 1 hopper"
mo"
And you'll be back soon?"
mot tonight, I'm afraid"
"Oh, nonsense, MI. Lester"
But I left her protesting on the step,
and hurried down the street. Mrs.
Fitch meant well, but she was some
times a little In the way.
/ took the elevated to Cortlandt
street, and hurried down to the ferry,
expecting every instant to hear the
gong which announced the departure Of
the boat. But l found that l a 10
minutes to wait before there was a
train, and / spent them walking fever
ishly up and down the narrow waiting
room, where the roads patrons are
herded like cattle behind the Slated
gates.
At last the gates opened; there was
the usual rush to the boat; the slow
crossing Of the wide river, with the
cool salt breeze coming IN from the
ocean; the stu impede to the coaches
through the great Jersey City station;
and finally / found myself in a seat,
with tbs train rumbling out from under
the long shed.
l stared out into the night, wonder
ing what the new developments could
be. They must have been unusual and
unexpected ones, to stir Godfrey to
sending me that telegram! But what
! could they be2 For the present, the
case was closed. Curtiss and Miss
Lawrence were both in mid-ocean, and
their meeting. Besides, 1t was only a
few hours since I myself had left
Elizabeth, and there had seemed no
prospect then of anything further hap
pening there. Godfrey had announced
his own intention of leaving the place
at once-he had said that the case
wasn't worth wasting any more time
! over. w nat, lIltu, Idu NSldIllCo AL :
Was It possible, I asked myself, that
Marcia Lawrence had not sailed on the
Umbrta, that the message had been
merely a blind, that she had foreseen
that we would trace It to the West
street office, that she had written 1t on
a sheet Of the steamers paper for the
purpose Of deceiving us2 Yes, that
was clearly possible. She may have re-
turned homo, and Godfrey, discovering
the return, had summoned me to be
present at her ~unmasking! I had really
only half believed that 1t was she
whom Curtiss had deserted upon the
Umbria's forward deck. But If she
had, indeed, done all this, she must be
far more deeply versed In deception
than I had supposed. should hardly
have given her credit for laying a plan
SO adroit as that; but n can never
Judge a woman's capabilities.
Suddenly conscious again OF my IA
tigue, I laid my head back against the
seat, and doZed away until the sharp
call Of the brakeman aroused me. Not
until I had left the train did | remem-
Der that Godfrey had appointed no
rendezvous. He might, perhaps, be
he had certainly left a message there
for me, and I started up the street.
But an inquiry OF the clerk developed
the fact that, while Godfrey was still
stopping there, he had gone out i'm
mediately after dinner, n had left no
message Of any kind. For a moment
I was fairly taken aback, so confident
had l been; but perhaps Godfrey had
! deemed q message superfiuous after
the hint given In the telegram knew
how he detested the obvious. He had
no doubt thought that hint sufficient
: and It was.
Elevent o'clock was strik-
ing as I gained the street
again, and turned my steps toward the
Lawrence place. II there were indeed
any new developments, 1t must be
either there or at the cottage that they