Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-12-21


and. indeed, showed such embar-ass-
ment, that all doubt Of the propriety
mans mind, and with the ease Of one
only too well accustomed to such
scenes, he kindly remarked:
Am l speaking to Mrs. Watkins
OF Nashvflle?"
You are" she faltersi. with anoth-
er rapid change Of color. II am
just leaving. hope you win excuse
me. I"
81 wish could" he smiled, hobbling
in and confronting her quietly In her
own room. But circumstances make
1t quite imperative that / should have
. few words with you on a topic which
need not be disagreeable TO you, and
probably will not be. My name il
Gryce. A beautiful and charming
young woman. died here last night
May ask IL you knew herr"
'T? l never saw the young lady.
Why do you ask? / do not recognize
your right. IL"
Mr.. Gryce made one Of his low. bows
and propping himself against the
table he stood before, remarked
civilly:
Il had rather not force my rights. l
thought perhaps you could tell me
something which would aid me In my
effort to elicit the real facts of the
case. You were crossing the lobby at
the time"
h. har
were q dozen others"
"Madam"-the interruption was
made in his kindliest tones, but in a
way which nevertheless suggested au-
thority. Something was picked up
| from the floor at that moment. Am 1
not correct? Didn't you see certain
/ person. will mention no names
stoop and pick up something from
/ the lobby noor?"
] NO" The word came out with
/ startling violence. But her lips quiv-
cred, and her cheeks were white, too
white now for simple indignation.
/ Then I have made a big mistake. -
apologized the ever-courteous detect
i've. will you pardon me? 1t would
have settled a very serious question If
it could be found that the object thus
picked up was the weapon which
killed Miss Challoner. That is my ex-
cuse for the trouble have given you. "
The door burst open, and a young
girl bounded into the room, with the
merry cry:
"All ready, mother. I'm glad we
are going to the Clarendon. l hate no.
tells where people die almost before
your eyes"
The cloak which enveloped the girl
was red. and full enough to be called
voluminous
who is this?" demanded the girl,
her indignant glances flashing from
one to the other.
II don't know" faltered the mother
in very evident distress. He says
he has a right to ask US questions
and he has been asking questions
about-about-"
Not about me-" laughed the girl
with toss of her head. "He can have
nothing to say about me-" And she
began to move about the room in an
aimless. half-insolent way.
Mr.. Gryce stared hard at the few re
naming belongings OF the two women
lying in heap on the table, and hall
musingly. half deprecatingly, re
marked:
THE person who stopped wore e
long red cloak. Probably you pre-
ceded your daughter, Mrs. Watkins"
The lady thus brought to the point
made a quick gesture towards the CIR
who suddenly stood still. and, with s
rising color in her cheeks, answered
with some show of resolution ON he
, own part;
: You say your name is Gryce anC
that you have a right to address me-
thus pointedly on a subject which YOU
l. evidently regard as serious. That Il
not exact enough for me. Who arr
you. sir? What is your business?"
Il think you have guessed it. 1 an
5 a detective from headquarters. Per
haps this young lady can tell m,
what you cannot"
- "Caroline"-Then the mother brok,
down SHOW the gentleman what yor
picked up from the lobby hoor las
night"
The girl laughed again, loudly an,
with evident bravado, before sh
threw the cloak back and shove,
| what she had evidently been holding
in her hand from the FIRST, a SHARP
pointed, gold-handled paper-cutter.
at was lying there and picked i
up. I don't see any harm in that"
You probably meant none. Yo
!, couldn't have known the part it ha
just played in this tragic drama,
= said the old detective, looking careful
ly at the cutter which he had take
I In his hand
e-You have washed this?" he s.sked.
l. mo. Why should l wash il? ]
] was clean enough. l was just goin
down to give 1t in at the desk" An
: she turned aside to the window an
: began 10 hum. as though done wit
the whole matter.
d The old detective rubbed bis chil
J, glanced again at the papercutte
q then at the girl in the window, an
lastly at the mother, who had LITE
i her head again and was facing hil
!, bravely.
1T is very important" he observe
o to the latter, that your ds.ughte