The interior journal., 1912-04-26
CHAPTER vi.
In the East Corridor.

When tne detective left ne enjOtn ed
absolute secrecy on everybody in the
household. The Greenwood clut
promised the same thing, and a. there
are no Sunday afternoon papers, the
murder was not publicly known until
Monday. The coroner himself notified
the Armstrong family lawyer, and
early In the afternoon he came out.
had not seen Mr.. Jameson since
morning. but I knew he had been In
terrogating the servants. Gertrude
was locked in her room with q head
ache. and had luncheon alone.
Mr.. Hsrton. the lawyer. was a little.
thin man. and he looked as IL he did
not relish bis business that day.
This Is very unfortunate, Miss In
nes." he said, after We had shaken
hands. Most unfortunate-and mys-
terious. With the father and mother
In the west. ! nnd everything devolves
ON me: and. a. you can understand.
It IL an unpleasant duty"
mo doubt" I said absently. "Mr.
Harton. am going to ask you some
questions. and hope you win answer
them. I feel that am entitled to
some knowledge. .tecsuse and my
family are Just now In most ambigu.
Gus position"
don't know whether he under
stood me or not: he took on his
glasses and wiped them.
Il shall be very happy" he said
with old-fashioned courtesy.
Thank you. Mr.. Harton. did Mr..
Arnold Armstrong know that Sunny
side had been rented!"
II think-yes. he did. In fact. my
self told him about It,"
"And he knew who the tenants
were?"
Yes"
HE had not been living with the
family for some years. I believer"
mo. Unfortunately. there had been
trouble between Arnold and his ia.
ther. For two years he had lived in
town"
Then 1t would be unlikely that he
came here last night to get possession
of anything belonging to him."
Il should think 1t hardly possible"
he admitted. ITO be perfectly frank.
Miss Innes, I can not think of any
reason whatever for his coming here
as he did. He had been staying at
the club house across the valley for
the last week, Jarvis tells me, but
that only explains how he came here.
not why. 1t Is a most unfortunate
family"
He shook his head despondsntly,
and felt that this dried-up little man
was the repository OF much that he
had not told me. I gave up trying to
elicit any information from him, and
we went together to view the body
before 1t was taken to the city. II
had been lifted on to the billiard-ta.
BILE and a sheet thrown over 1t; 9TH
erwise nothing had been touched. A
soft hat lay beside It, and the collar
of the dinner-coat was still turned up.
The handsome. dissipated face of Ar
mold Armstrong. purged of its ugly
lines. was now only pathetic. As we
went In Mrs. Watson appeared at the
card-room door
Come In. Mrs. Watson" the lawyer
said. But she shook her head and
withdrew; she was the only one In |
the house who seemed to regret the |
dead man, and even she seemed rath- !
or shocked than sorry.
Before Mr.. Harton left, he told me
something OF the Armstrong family. |
Paul Armstrong. the father. had been
married twice. Arnold was son by
the first marriage. The second Mrs.
Armstrong had been widow. with
a child. a little girl. This child. now
perhaps 20, was Louise Armstrong.
having taken her stepfather's name.
and was at present In California with
the family.
They will probably return at once"
he concluded. "and part OF my errand
here today is to see n you will relin-
Quish your lease here In their favor"
I'VE would better wait and see II
they wish to come" said. 1t seems
unlikely. and my town house 10 being
rsmodslsd." At that he let the mat
Ter drop. but II came W unplsasantly
enough. later.
A. sis O'Clock the body was taken
away. and q ssvsa-thirty. after ss
early dinnss. NJ. Hartea vent Ger.
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