The Kennewick courier. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1905-1914, 1912-08-09

pretended he was robbed!'
Il should be sorry to think anything
Of the kind" l began. But she did
not allow me to finish.
Il saw what you thought" she burst
out bitterly THE detective almost
laughed in his face. Oh. you needn't
think don't know. | saw him last
night. and the woman too. He brought
her right to the gate. You treat me
! like child. all Of your
In sheer amazement | was silent. So
new character had been introduced
into the playa woman, too!
You were not the only person. Mr.
Knox. who could not sleep last night"
she went on. "Oh. | know a great
many things know about the pearls
and what you think about them. and
know more than that. r.
| She stopped then. She had said more
than she intended to. and all at once
her bravado left her. and she looked
| like a frightened child. l went over
to her and took one trembling hand.
II wish you didn't know all those
things" l said.
l had a sort Of crazy desire to take
her in my arms and comfort her.
Wardrop or no Wardrop. But at that
moment Miss Letitia's shrill old voice
came from the stairway.
Get out Of my way. Heppie." she
was saying tartly I'm not on my
deathbed yet. not if know it. Where's
Knox?"
Whereupon helped Miss Letitia into
the room.
II think know where Jane is" she
said. putting down her cane with
jerk. Il don't know why didn't think
about it before. She's gone to get her
month. Not but what her old teeth
would have done we'll enough"
''She would hardly go in the middle
of the night" l returned She was
very timid woman. wasn't she?"
"She wasn't raised right Miss Lee
titia said. with a shake of her head.
"She's the baby. and the Youngest S
always spoiled"
Have you thought that this might
be more than it appears to be-" | was
feeling my way. She was very old
woman. "It-for instance, it might
be abduction. kidnaping-for a ran
SON.
RANSOM" Miss Letitia snapped.
Mr. Knox. my father made his mon
ey by working hard for it. | haven't
wasted it-not that l know Of And
if Jane Maitland was fool enough to
be abducted she'll stay awhile before l
pay anything for her. 1t looks to me
as if this detective business was 60
ing to be expensive anyhow"
My excuse for dwelling with such at
tentiOn to detail on the preliminary
story. the disappearance Of Miss Jane
Maitland and the peculiar circum-
stances surrounding it. will have to
find its justification in the events that
followed it. Miss Jane herself ana
the solution of that mystery solved the
even more tragic one in which we were
about to be involved. | say we be-
cause it was borne in on me at about
that time that the things that concern
ed Margery Fleming must concern me
henceforth. whether l willed it so or
otherwise.
At 8 o'clock that night things remain
ed about the same. The man Hunter
had sent to investigate the neighbor-
hood and the country just outside of
the town came to the house about s
and reported nothing discovered"
! 1o1 hu fnlonhOnn from
town.
Can you take the $50 up?" he ask
ed.
"Yes; l think so. Is there anything
new?"
Not yet. There may be. Take a
cab at the station and come to the cor
ner of Mulberry street and Park lane.
You'd better dismiss your cab there
and wait for me-
sent word upstairs by Bella. who
was sitting in the kitchen. her heavy
| face sodden with grief. and. taking my
hat and raincoat-it was raining light
| spring drizzle-I hurried to the station.
In twenty-four minutes I was in the
city and perhaps twelve minutes more
| saw HE dC tue UeSlSudleU OUTLET Will
my cab driving away and the rain
dropping off the rim Of my hat and
splashing on my shoulders.
| | found sort of refuge by standing
under the wooden arch Of gate. and
it occurred to me that. for all my
years in the city. this particular neigh
| borhood was altogether strange to me.
Two blocks away in any direction
would have been in familiar territory
| again.
! Back of me warehouse lifted six or
seven gloomy stories to the sky. The
gate stood in was evidently the en-
trance to its yard. and. in fact. some
uncomfortable movement of mine just
then struck the latch and almost pre-
cipitated me backward by it's sudden
opening. Beyond was a yard full of
shadowy wheels and packing cases.
The street lights did not penetrate
there. and with an uneasy feeling that
almost anything in this none too saw
DRY neighborhood might be waiting
there struck a match and looked at