Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1912-01-04


b,", which WAS luNuyj%ut. hu0& In G,s.
oracr oycr n>y ta,c. ono glance 81
ta1 1}ys, uNed ANA staring. a@~uyej
l.a-erVr,d instantly thar h. had 10
IL Hs,h uue who WIS either dytuN
m-Gd>acd ~ drwCu,cd
Wuyy> is Nc>" tbl Intruder asked IN
= .rrd,y whisper, staring, not nj hja.
rs L.agerWood was quick 10 ohSrrv,,
In, N,~1jght ahead at the portirrcS cut
Un~ OF the StatNreN.a corridor lvom
The open compartment. And then: Il
ted yvu | would tomc, Rankin. I've
e0>n watching years and NcNtS for
Your ear to como in. Look 1 want
you to Sre what you have made or nv.
yoU and that other man"
lJjEcrwood sat perfectly Stjl. It
WAS quite evident that the woman did
Not see him. BUT his thoughts wcr,
busy. Though it was Ivy little mayc
than chance, he knew that Uauock'S
christian name was Rankin. and in
saut.y he recalled all that MtC4oskry
'@1 tn)d him about the yN.er CLERKS
'..'t''' t''NbitS. vas lNlS poor
Unled wrrrk the woman who WAS or
N3a had been Ilallotk's wife? The
question had scarcely formulated il
self before she began again,
why don't you answer me? Where
are lau$" she demanded in the same
huS'>s whisper, You needn't hide |
know YOU are here. What have YOU
done To that man? You said You
would kill him You promised me
that Rankin. Have you done it,"
ltd%erwood reached up cautiously
behind him and slowly turned OF the
gas from the bracket desk lamp. With.
out wishing to pry deeper than he
should into Il thing which had all the
earmarkS Of Il tragedy he could not
help feeling that he was ON the verge
Of discoveries which might have an
important bearing upon the mysterious
problems ceutCring In the chief clerk.
And he was afraid the woman would
see him
But he was not permitted to make
the discoveries. The woman had tax.
en- two or three steps into the car, still
cropping her way as if the brightly
lighted interior We're the darkest OF
cavernS, when some one swung over
the railing of the observation plat.
form. and Superintendent Leckhard
appeared at the open door. Without
hesitation he entered and touched the
woman on the shoulder Hello. Mad
gle he said, not urgently You here
again? It's pretty late for YOU to be
out, isn't il? Better trot away and
so to bed If you've got one to 20 to-
He isn't here"
The woman put her hands to her
face. and Lidgerwood saw that she
was shaking as If with sudden chill
Then she turned and dartcd away
like Il frightened animal. Leckhard
was drawing chair up to face Lid
gerWood
Did she give you turn he asked
when LidgerwoUd reached up and
turned the desk lamp ON full again.
Not exactly that. though It was
certainly startling enough. | had no
warning at all. When l looked up she
was standing pretty nearly where she
was when you came in. She didn't
seem to see me at all, and she was
talking crafty all the time to some
one elsc-somc one who isn't here"
81 know" said Leckhard. "She has
done it before"
"Who is she trying TO findY asked
Lidgerwood, wishing to have his sus-
picion either denied or confirmed.
Didn't she call him by name? She
usually does. It's your chief clerk,
Hallock. She is-or was-his wife
Haven't you heard the CHASTITY story
YETI
mo, and, Leckhard. l don't know
that ! care to hear it. 1t can't posi-
bly, concern me"
"rhcre Is another man mixed up in
1.-THE man whom she Is always ask
ing If Hallock has Killed Curiously
enough, she never names the other
man. and there have been good
many guesses. believe your head
boilermakcr, Gridlcy. has the most
votes. He's been seen with her here
now and then when he's on one OF his
periodicals. by Jove, I.idgcrwood, |
don't envy you your job over yondcr
in the Red desert little bit But
about the consolidation Of the yards
here. ! got telegram after wired
You making II necessary for me to 90
west on main line 81 early IN the morn