Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-12-28
CHAPTER xI.
Alike in Essentials.

AllRG essentials
"Mr. Gryce, l am either fool or
the luckiest fellow going. You must
decide which"
A grunt from the region of the H.
brary table, then the sarcastic re-
mark:
I'm just in the mood to settle that
question. This last failure to my &C.
count ought to make me an excellent
judge of another's folly. I've med
died with the old business for the last
time, Sweetwater. You'll have to go
1t alone from now on. But what's the
matter with you? Speak out, my boy.
Something new in the wind?"
mo, Mr.. Gryce; nothing new You're
not satisfied with the coroner's YER
dict in the Challoner case?"
mo. I'm satisfied with nothing that
leaves all ends dangling. Suicide was
not proved. There was no blood-stain
on that cutter-point."
Nor any evidence that it had ever
been there"
mo. I'm not proud of the chain
which lacks link where it should be
strongest"
That chain we must throw away"
And forge another"
Sweetwater approached and sat
down.
Yes; l believe we can do it; yet
have only one indisputable fact for
a starter. Mr.. Gryce, don't trust
Brotherson. Though he should tell
story ten times more plausible than
the one with which he has satisfied
! the coroner's jury, would still listen
to him with more misgiving than con-
fidence. Perhaps it is simply deeply
] rooted antipathy on my part, or the
/ rage one feels at finding he has placed
his finger on the wrong man. Again
( 1t may be-"
What, Sweetwater?"
"a well-founded distrust. Mr.. Gryce,
I'm going to ask you a question"
ASK away. Ask fifty if you want
( to-"
Did you ever hear of case before,
that in some of its details was similar
to this?"
mo, 1t stands alone. That's why it
is so pulling"
You forget. The wealth. beauty
and social consequence of the present
victim has blinded you to the strong
resemblance which her case bears to
one you know, in which the sufferer
had none of the worldly advantages of
| Miss Challoner. | allude to"
Waltz The washerwoman in Hicks
street,"
THE same. Mr.. Gryce, there's a
startling similarity in the two cases
If you study the essential features
only. Startling, / assure you"
yes, you are right there. But what
If there is? We were no more sue
cessful in solving that case than we
have been in solving this. Yet you
look and act like hound which has
struck hot scent"
The young man smoothed his fea-
lures with an embarrassed laugh.
Il shall never learn" said he, mot
to give tongue till the hunt is fairly
started. If you will excuse me, well
first make sure of the similarity.
have mentioned. Then I'll explain my
self. / have some notes here, made al
the time it was decided to drop the
Hicks street case as a wholly inexplic
able one. Shall | read them?"
Fire away, my boy, though hardly
see your purpose or what real bearing
the affair in Hicks. street has upor
the Clermont one. A poor washer
woman and the wealthy Miss Challon
eri True. they were not unlike il
their end"
THE connection will come later,
smiled the young detective, with tha
strange softening of his features
which made one at times forget hi
extreme plainness.
And he read:
On the afternoon of December 4
1910, the strong and persistent scream
ing OF a young child in one OF tn,
rooms OF rear tenement in Hick
street, Brooklyn, drew the attention
OF some OF the inmates and led them
after several Intellectual efforts L
gain an entrance, to the breaking II
of door which had been fastened o.
the inside by en- old-fashioned door
button.
The tenant, whom all knew for a,
honest, Woodworking woman, had no
infrequently fastened her door in thi
, manner, in order to safeguard he
child who was abnormally active an
had a way OF rafting the door ope
when it was not thus secured Blu
she had never refused to open before
and the child's cries were pitifuI
This was no longer a matter G
/ wonder. when. the door having bee
Z wrenched from it's hinges, they a
rushed in Across a tub of steamin