The Kennewick courier. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1905-1914, 1912-08-23
through him Della and through Della

/ curD.
''Gentleman in the other cab is hail
ing you. sir-the one that's been fol-
! lowing u.s.
| A duplicate of my cab stood perhaps
fifty feet behind, and from it famil-
lar figure was slowly emerging The
figure stopped to read the taximeter,
shook his fist at the chauffeur and ap-
preached me. 1t was Davidson.
THAT liar and thief back there has
got me rung up for 49," he said, ig
noring my amazement. Nineteen dol
lars and forty centsv'
He surveyed my expense account at
the drivers elbow, then hit the meter
smart slap, but the figures did not
change.
Nineteen dollarsw he repeated,
dazed. Nineteen dollars and-look
here" he called to mis- driver, "it's only
80 cents here. Your clocks 10 cents
fast"
He borrowed So and crawled in with
me.
"The next address on the list is the
right one," he said. I'm going to tell
you something. There were eleven
rOundsmen as well as the sergeant
who heard me read the note l found
at the Fleming house that night. You
may have counted them through the
window. A dozen plain clothes men
read it before morning. When the
news of Mr.. Fleming's mur-death
came out thought this fellow Carter
might know something. and l trailed
Della through this Mamie Brennan.
When l got there l found Tom Bran
nigan and four other detectives sitting
in the parlor and Miss Della in blue
silk waist making eyes at every moth
er's son Of them"
l laughed in spite Of my disappOint
ment. Davidson closed the window at
the drivers back.
Understand me, Mr.. knox, he said.
"Mr. Fleming killed himself You and
I are agreed on that. Even if you
aren't just convinced Of it I'm telling
you, and-better let it drop, sir" Un-
der his quiet manner I felt a threat.
1t served to rouse me.
"I'll let it drop when I'm through
with it," asserted and got out my list
of addresses.
You'll let it drop because it's too
hot to hold" he retorted, with the sus-
picion Of smile. If you are deter
mined to know about Carter I can tell
you everything that is necessary"
The chauffeur stopped his engine
With an exasperated jerk and settled
down in his seat. every line of his back
| bristling with irritation.
Il prefer learning from Carter him
SELF
He leaned back in his seat and pro-
duced an apple from the pocket of his
coat.
You'll have to travel some to do it.
son." he said. Garter left for parts
unknown last night, taking with him
enough money to keep him in comfort
for some little time
Until all this blows over" l said
bitterly.
1.-The trip was for the benefit Of his
health He has been suffering and still
is suffering from curious lapse of
memory Davidson smiled at me en-
gagingly. He has entirely forgotten
everything that occurred from the time
he entered Mr.. Fleming's employment
until that gentleman left home. |
doubt II he will ever recover"
With Carter gone, his retreat cover
ed by the police, supplied with funds
from some problematical source, fur
Their search for him was worse than
useless. In fact, Davidson strongly ill.,
timated that it might be dangerous
and would be certainly unpleasant. l
yielded ungraciously and ordered the
cab to take me home. But on the way
I cursed my folly for not having fol-
lowed this obvious clew earlier, and l
that Carter knew, that was at least
surmised by various headquarters men
and vet was so carefully hidden from
the world at large.
The party newspapers had come out
that day with a signed statement from
Mr.. Fleming's physician in Plattsburg
that he had been in i'll health and In
| cl1QeQ TO meldnCIlOlld IOT SOLue IllAc.
The air was thick with rumOrs Of diff
ferences with his party. The dust
cloud covered everything. Pretty soon
it would settle and hide the tracks Of
those who had hurried to cover under
its protection.
Davidson left me at a corner down
town. He turned to give me a parting
admonition.
"There's an old axiom in the mills
around here Never sit down on a piece
of metal until you spit on it. If it siz-
zles, don't sit" He grinned. "Your
best position just now, young man, is
standing, with your hands over your
head. Confidentially, there amt any
thing within expectorating distance
just now that amt pretty well het up"
He left me with that, and 1 did not
see him again until the night at the
White Cat. when he helped put me
through the transom. Recently, how
ever, l have met him several times.
He invariably mentions the SO and
his intention Of repaying it. UnfOr-