Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-05-03
A NOVELTY in MYSTERY STORIES
TIFF, SECRET OF
LONESOME I5iE Sl.Iilz7G COW
By
SAMUEL HOPKINS ADAMS
AUTHOR OF AVERAGE JONES ETC
Copyright 1912, The Dobbs merrill Company.

yONEO Ell
be q likeness Of the unfortunate crea.
ture he had seen on the road to your
house, Is q Charles Elliott sketch for
the portrait OF Camilla Grosvenor."
"My God!" Jax burst out, was 1t
a ghost met up with that night on
Hawkill Heights?"
''As near a ghost az you are ever
likely to encounter, probably" an
swered Kent.
"But. see here" said Adam Balm,
I'm lawyer. Tho law doesn't deal
with ghosts or near-shosts. Are you
trying to tell US. Professor Kent, that
the soul of this long.dead Astraea-
Camilla Grosvenor, came back to in
habit the body of the Jane Doe Of
Lonesome Cover"
''Not precisely that, either. Every
thing is strictly within the limits OF the
laws ccgnizance, Mr.. Balm, as you
will see. Now I'm going to make a
long Jump down to the present. If
fail to keep the trail clear, anywhere,
you are any Of you at liberty to inter-
rupt me. First, then. want You to
follow with me the course Of figure
that leaves Hedgerow House on the
late afternoon of July fifth. BY chance
the figure Is not seen, except at q dis
lance by Gansett Jim, who suspected
nothing, then. Otherwice 1t would
have been stopped, as it wears Mrs.
Blair's necklace and rings"
Dressing the part Of Astraea, !"
guessed Lawyer Balm.
Precisely. Our jeweled figure. in
Blair's and with q package in hand,
makes its way across country to the
coast"
ITO join me-" said Preston Jax.
''To join you. Chance brings the
wayfarer face to face with that gem
tleman Of the peekaboo mind, Elder
bennett. They talk. The stranger
asks-quite by chance, though the
Elder assumed it was otherwise--about
the home of Francis Sedgwick. At the
entrance to Sedgwick's place the pair
met. There was curious encounter,
ending in Sedgwick's demanding an
explanation OF the rose-topazes, which
he knew to be Mrs. Blair's."
"How did he know that?" demand
ed Alexander Blair.
because had worn them when
sat to him." said Marjorie Blair
quietly.
"You sat to Sedgwick? For your
picture? Why didn't you tell me OF
this?
mo explanation was due you. I,
was matter of chance, our acquaint
ance. Mr.. Sedgwick did not ever
know who was"
"Nor who his other visitor was,
suppose said Blair with savage
sheer
NO" said sedgwick, NOR do l know
to this day"
1.-THE stranger" continued Kent
refused to give Sedgwick any expla
nation, and when he threatened to fol
low, stunned him with rock, and
escaped. Some distance down the
road the wayfarer encountered Simon
IP. Groot, the itinerant merchant
Sedgwick afterward met him and made
inquiries, but obtained no satisfac.
ton"
"Why was Mr.. sedgwick so eager to
recover the trail, II he had not muir.
der in his mind!" demanded Blair.
"You are proceeding on the theory
that sedgwick, knowing who Mrs,
Blair was, and who the strange visitor
was, deliberately killed the latter for
motives of his own. But Sedgwick
can prove that he was back in his
house by nine o'clock, and we have q
witness here who was talking with
/ Z - al q
hour. Jax, let US have your state
ment."
Holding the copy OF the confession
in his hand, in case of confusion OF
memory, the Star-master told Of his
rendezvous, Of the swift savage attack
Of the appalling incident OF the man
acles, Of the wild race across the
heights, and of the final tragedy.
'T've thought and wondered and
figured, day and night" he said. in
conclusion, land / can't get at what
that rope and the handouts meant"
"The handouts must have come
from that dreadful collection Of Cap
tain Hogg's things, in the big hallway
at Hedgerow House" said Marjorie
Blair.
yes" assented Kent, land the dim
clue to their purpose goes back again
| I fancy, to the strange mysticism OF
the O. iginal Astraea. The disordered
mind, with which we have to deal
seems to have been guarding against
any such separation as divided, in
death, Astraea from her Hermann
"But, Chester" objected Sedgwick
"you speak Of disordered mind, and
yet you've told us that it isn't case
of insanity"
Never" contradicted Kent. you've
misinterpreted what said. In the
early stages of the affair told you. II
you remember, that very bizarre sit
uation indicated a very bizarre mo
tive. What could be more bizarre than
insanity"
"Was it suicidal insanity, them
asked Balm.
mot in the ordinary and intentional
sense"
"Then it was the other man that
killed her." said Preston Jax; "the
man heard yell, when she went over
But what became OF him."
Simon P. Groot spoke of hearins
that mans scream, too" confirmed
Balm. Have you got any clue to him