River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1913-05-29
CHAPTER Iv.-continued.

CHAPTER IV.-Continued.
What kind OF a looking person
was the man who took you outside
last night?" | inquired of George
with my eyes still on this furtive
watcher.
"A fellow to make you laugh. A
perfect character, Laura; hideously
homeiy but agreeable enough tocL
quite fancy to him. Why?
Il am looking at him now"
Very likely. He's deep in this ar
fair. Just an everyday detective, but
ambitious, | suppose, and quite alive
TO the Importance Of being thor
ough."
He is watching those people. No
he isn't How quickly he disap
peared!"
Eyes, he's mercurial in all bis
movements Laura, we must get out
Of this There happens to be some
thing else in the world for me to dc
than to sit around and follow up muir
der clues"
But we began to doubt if others
+ PSA''SNAAC
OFT we were stopped in the lobby by
this same detective, who had some
thing to say to George, and drew him
quickly aside.
What does he want?" | asked, as
Eocn as George had returned to my
SIDE
He wants me to stand ready to
obey any summons the police may
seDc me-"
Then they still suspect Brother
SOM"
They must"
AS we stepped out of the hotel
George gave my arm quiet pinch
which served to direct my attention
to ar elderly gentleman who was just
alghting from taxicab at the kerb
He moved heavily and with some ap
prarance of pain, but from the crowd
collected on the sidewalk, many OF
whom nudged each other as he pass.
Sd, he was evidently a person oil
some Importance, and as he disap
peared within the hotel entrance,
asked George who this kind-faced
hright-eyed old gentleman could be.
He appeared to know, for he told
re at once that he was Detective
Gryce; man who had grown old in
solving just such battling problems
as these.
That night l bided Georges coming
with an impatience l could not con
troll. He was late, of course, but
when he did appear, l almost forgot
cur usual greeting in my hurry to ask
him if he had seen the evening pa
pers.
No" he grumbled, as he hung VI
his overcoat Been pushed about
ell day. No time for anything"
Then let NE tell you"
But he would have dinner first.
However, a little later we had g
comfortable chat. Mr.. Gryce had
made discovery, and the papers
were full of it.
The opinion had become quite gen
c1al with those best acquainted with
the details Of this affair, that the
mystery was one of those abnorma
ones for which no solution would ever
&c found, when the aged detective
showed himself in the building ant
Was taken to the room, where an in
spector of police awaited him.
This is very good of you," the in
bpector began. glancing down at the
aged detective S bundled up legs, ant
gently pushing a chair towards him
The elderly man thus addressed
glanced down at his legs, now proppe(
UT on a stool which someone ha(
brought him, and smiled, with the
rathos OF the old who sees the inter
ests CT q lifetime slipping gradually
away
Il am not what / was can nc
longer get down on my hands ant
knees to pick up threads from the nal
of rug, or spy out spot of BLOOD
in the crimson wool of carpet"
You shall have Sweetwater here
to do the active work for you Wha
we want of you is the directing mint
the infallible instinct. It's a case
in thousand. Gryce. 1t will make
you young again"
The old mans eyes shot fire anC
unconsciously one foot slipped to the
HOOP. lNSu ne DSluOuSnI ulLHSGl
and painfully lifted it back again.
What are the points? What's the
difTfculty?" he asked. "A woman ha.
been shot"
NO, not shot, stabbed We thought
she had been shot, for that was intel
ligible and involved no impossible
tiles. But Drs. Heath and Webster
under the eye of the Challoners' owl
physician, have made an examination
of the wound and they declare thai
no bullet is to be found in the body
AS the wound extends no further
than the heart, this settles one great
point, at least. You know the vic
tim? Her name, I mean. and the
character she bore?"
Yes; 30 much was told ne on my
way down"
"A fine girl unspoiled by riches and
seeming independence. Happy, too
to all appearance, or we should be
more ready to consider the possibil
ity of suicide"
Suicide by stabbing calls for 6
weapon. Yet none has been found,
hear"
None"
Yet she was killed that way?"
Undoubtedly, and by a long and