River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1913-06-26
CHAPTER xIl.-continued.

Only the Dunn of today seemed TO
have all his wits about him, while the
huge fellow who brushed so rudely by
me on that occasion had the peculiar
look of q man struggling with horror
or some other grave agitation. This
was not surprising, of course, under
the circumstances. ] had met more
than one man and woman in those
halls who had worn the same look;
but none Of them had put up sign
on his door that he had left for New
York and would not be back till $50,
and then changed his mind SO sudden
ly that he was back in the tenement
at three, sharing the curiosity and the
terrors Of its Mortified inmates.
But the discovery, while possibly
suggestive, was not of so pressing
nature as to demand instant action;
and more immediate duties coming
up, | let the matter slip from my
mind. to be brought up again the next
day. you may well believe, when all
the circumstances of the death at the
CIermont came to light and | found
myself confronted by a problem very
nearly the counterpart of the one then
occupying me.
"But | did not see any real connec-
ton between the two cases, until, in
my hunt for Mr.. Brotherson, | came
upon the following facts; that he was
not always the gentleman he APP
peared; that the apartment in which
he was supposed to live was not his
O1
ana that he was only there by spells.
When he was there, he dressed like
prince and it was while so clothed he
ate his meals in the cafe of the Hotel
Ciermont
"Of Brotherson himself | saw moth
ing. lie had come to Mr.. Conways
apartment the night before-the night
Of Miss Challoners death. you under
stand-but had remained only long
enough to change his clothes. Where
he went afterwards is unknown to Mr.
Conway. nor can he tell us when to
look for his return. When he does
show up, my message will be given
him. etc. etc. | have no fault to find
with Mr.. Conway.
You have heard how Brotherson
bore himself at the coroner's office;
what his explanations were and how
completely they fitted in with the pre-
conceived notions of the inspector and
the district attorney. In consequence.
Miss Challoner's death is looked upon
as a suicide. A weapon was in her
hand-she impulsively used it, and an
other deplorable suicide was added to
the melancholy list. Had l put in my
oar at the conference held in the coro-
ners office; had I recalled to Doctor
Heath the curious case of Mrs. SPOTS,
and then identified Brotherson as the
man whose window fronted hers from
the opposite tenement, a diversion
might have been created and the out
come been different. But l feared the
experiment. I'm not sufficiently in
with the chief as yet, nor yet with
the inspector. They might not have
called me q fool-you may; but that's
different-and they might have lis
tened. but it would doubtless have
beer with an air | could not have held
up against, with that fellows eyes
fixed mockingly on mine. For he and
/ are pitted for struggle, and | DO
not want to give him the advantage
of even a momentary triumph. He's
the most complete master of himself
of any man ever met. and 1t will
take the united brain and resolution
of the whole force to bring him to
book-if he ever is brought to book,
which doubt. What do you think
about it?"
THAT YOU have given me an anti
dote against old age" was the ringing
and unexpected reply, as the thought
full. halfpuzzled aspect of the old man
yielded impulsively to burst of his
early enthusiasm. IF we can get a
good grip on the thread you speak Of
ard can work ourselves along by it,
though 1t be by no more than inch
at time, we shall yet make our way
through this labyrinth of undoubted
crime and earn for ourselves a tri-
umph which will make some of these
raw and inexperienced young fellows
about us stare. Sweetwater, coinci.
dences are possible. We run upon
them every day But coincidence in
crime! that should make work for a
detective. and we are not afraid OF
work. There's my hand for my end
of the business"
And here's mine"
Next minute the two heads were
closer than ever together, and the
Rpsinsss had begun.