Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-12-18

pen-meIL But not one Of these touch
ed her. Later her father came"
Who did touch her? Anybody,
before the father came in?"
Yes; Miss Clarke, the middle
aged lady with the Parishes She
had run towards Miss Challoner as
soon as she heard her fall, and was
sitting there with the dead girls
head in her lap when the musicians
showed themselves"
81 suppose she has been carefully
Questioned?"
VERY, l should say"
And she speaks Of no weapon"
mo. Neither she nor any one else
at that moment suspected murder or
even a violent death. All thought 1t
q natural one-sudden, but the re-
suit of some secret disease"
But the blood? Surely there must
have been some show of blood?"
NO one noticed any. Not till the
doctor came-her doctor, who was
happily in his Office in this very
building. He saw the drops, and ut
tered the first suggestion of murder"
How long after was this? Is there
any one who has ventured to make
an estimate of the number OF min
utes which elapsed from the time she
fell. to the moment when the doctor
first raised the cry of MURDER"
yes. Mr.. Slater, the assistant
manager, who was in the lobby at
the time, says that ten minutes at
least must have elapsed"
"Ten minutes and no blood, The
weapon must still have been there.
Some weapon with a short and in
conspicuous handle. I think they
! said there were flowers over and
around the place where it struck"
! Yes, great big scarlet ones"
'Ten minutes! | must see every
one who approached her during those
ten minutes. Every one, Sweetwater,
and | must myself talk with Miss
Clarke"
You will believe every word she
says"
mo doubt All the more reason
why l must see her. Sweetwater,
someone drew that weapon out The
question is who? We must leave no
z stone unturned to find that out"
Where will you see Miss Clarke?'
Wherever she pleases-only
can't walk far"
II think know the place. You shall
have the use of this elevator. 1t has
not been running since last night or
ho f,,l1 - oil
the time, hustling to get a glimpse OF
this place. But they'll put man on
for you%
Very good; manage it as you will
I'll wait here till you're ready. III
not trouble her much. But there is
one point she must make clear tc
me-
Sweetwater did not presume to ask
what point, but he hoped to be fully
enlightened when the time came.
/ And he was. Mr.. Gryce had under
taken to educate him for this worF
and never missed the opportunity o.
giving him a lesson The three me-
in private sitting-room on an upper
floor, the detectives entering frs
and the lady coming in soon after
Miss Clarke was not a woman tC
rouse an unfavorable opinion in any
mans mind. OF slight, almost frai
build, she had that peculiar ANNA
ton which goes with a speaking eye
and a widely sympathetic nature
Without any substantial claims L
beauty, her expression was so won
anly and so sweet that she was in
variably called lovely.
Mr. Gryce was engaged at the mo
ment in shifting his cane from th'
right hand to the left. but his man
ner was never more encouraging o
his smile more benevolent.
Pardon me-" he apologized, will
one of his old-fashioned bows TN
: sorry to trouble you after all the dis
tress you must have been under thi
, morning. But there is something
wish especially to ask you in regsrt
to the dreadful occurrence in which
you played so kind a part. You wer
the first to reach the PROSTATE WOE
an, I believe"
Yes. The boys jumped up and RAJ
towards her, but they were fright
ened by her looks and left it for m
to put my hands under and try t
life her up
Did you manage it?''
81 Il succeeded in getting her hea