The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1912-10-10
The Window
/ By MARY ROBERTS
Ell RINEHART
CHAPTER XIV.
Back to BeIlwood.

~'Ot lidl tllHf tuty dlc WOIlh d iOW "
pins, but Hepsibah Is an old fool. and sh
says she did not put the note in the mill
bottle. Yours very respectfully
~ LETITIA ANN MAITLAND.
I had an appointment with Burton
for the afternoon to take Wardrop. i
we could get him on some pretext t.
DR.. Anderson. That day. also, hat
two cases on the trial list l got Hum
phreys across the hall to take then
over. and evading Halves resentfu
blink | went on my way to Bellwood
1t was nine days since Miss Jane haC
disappeared. On my way out in the
J train l jotted down the things that had
happened In that time: Allan Fleming
had died and been buried; the Borough
bank had failed; some one had got into
the Fleming house and gone through
= the papers there: Clarkson had killed
himself; we had found that Wardrop
had sold the pearls; the leather bag
had been returned: Fleming's second
wife had appeared, and some one had
broken into my own house and. inten-
tionally or not, had almost sent Mar
gerry Fleming over the borderland.
1t seemed to me everything pointed
in one direction TO a malignity against
Fleming that extended itself to the
daughter. | thought of what the wo-
man who claimed to be the dead mans
second wife had said the day before.
If the staircase she had spoken of
opened into the room where Fleming
was shot, and If Schwartz was in town
at the time, then, in view of her story
that he had already tried once to kill
him. the likelihood was that Schwartz
was at least implicated.
If Wardrop knew that why had he
not denounced him2
Granting that Schwartz had killed
Fleming-then who was the woman
with Wardrop the night he was rob
bed? Why did he take the pearls and
sell them? How did the number elev-
en- twenty-five come into Aunt James
possession? How did the leather bag
get to Boston? Who had chloroform-
ed Margery? Who had been using the
Fleming house while it was closed?
Aunt Jane?
The house at Bellwood looked al
most cheerful In. the May sunshine as
I went up the walk When / stood
once more in the straight hall listen
ed involuntarily for the tap Of Miss
James small feet on the stairs. In
stead, came Bella's heavy tread and a
request from Miss Letitia that l go
upstairs.
The old lady was sitting by win
dow of her bedroom. She did not ap-
pear to be feeble. The only change I
noticed was relaxation in the severe
tidiness of her dress I guessed that |
Miss James exquisite neatness had
been responsible for the white ruch- /
lngs, the soft caps and the spotless
shoulder shawls that had made lovely |
their latter years.
you've taken your own time about |
coming. haven't your Miss Letitia
asked sourly. IF it hadn't been for
that cousin of yours you sent here,
Ing for Amelia Miles, and when l send
for Amelia Miles for company I'm in a
bad way"
81 have had a great deal to attend
to-" said as loud as l could. II came
some days ago to tell you Mr.. Elem
ing was dead. After that we had to
bury him and close the house. It's
been very sad
did he leave anythingT' she inter-
rupted. ut isn't sad at all unless he
didn't leave anything"
T HE left very little. The house, per-
haps, and l regret to have to tell you
that woman came to me yesterday
who claims to be second wife"
Then" she said. with a snap.
there's one other woman In the world
Is big fool as my sister Martha was.
What do you hear about JaneY'
1.-THE last time l was here" l shout
ID, you thought she was dead. Have
Tou changed your mind"
"The last time you were here" she
aid. with dignity, Il thought a good
many things that were wrong.
hought I had lost some of the pearls,
tut hadn't"
WHAT | exclaimed incredulously.
The put her hands on the arms of her
hair and. leaning forward, shot the
words at me viciously. q
IT said had lost some of the pearls
Veil, haven't"
She didn't expect me to believe her \
ny more than she believed it herself. e
VERY WELL" | said: I'm glad to S
now 1t was a mistake. Now, the next y
hing is to find Miss Jane" L
I'VE have found her," she said tart S
:. That's what / sent for you about" o
Found her! What on earth do you s.
lean, Miss Letitia? We've been n
touring the country for her."
She opened a religious monthly and o.
,ok out folded paper. "Heppie S,
,und 1t on the back porch under X
ilk BOTTLE" she prefaced. Then she /
,ad al
The writer knew where Miss Jane b;
as. the inference being that he was
S ponsible She was well and happy, e
1t she had happened to read news ty
,per with an account of her disap-