Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1913-10-09
CHAPTER xII.-contlnued.

CHAPTER XII-contlnued.
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 a 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 30 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 a
nature as to demand instant action;
and more immediate duties coming
up. l 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
Clermont came to light and found
myself confronted by 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 ap-
peared; that the apartment In which
he was supposed to live was not. his
own but a friends named Conway;
and that he was only there by spells.
When he was there. he dressed like q
prince and 1t was while 80 clothed he
ate his meals in the cafe OF the Hotel
Clermont.
"Of Brotherson himself saw moth
ing. He had come to Mr.. Conway's
apartment the night before-the night
of Miss Challoner's death, you under
stand-but had remained only long
enough to change his clothes. Where
he went afterwards 10 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 Cha;loner's death is looked upon
as q suicide. A weapon was in her
hand-she impulsively used 1t, and an
other deplorable suicide was added to
the melancholy list. Had put in my
oar at the conference held In the coro.
ner's ONCE; had l 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, q diversion
might have been created and the out
come been different. But feared the
experiment. I'm not sufficiently in
with the chief as yet, nor yet with
the inspector. They might not have
called me a fool-you may; but that's
different-and they might have lis
tened, but It would doubtless have
been with an air could not have held
up against, with that fellows eyes
fixed mockingly on mine. For he and
/ are pitted for a 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 l ever met, and It will
take the united brain and resolution
of the whole force to bring him to
book-If be ever IL brought to book.
which / doubt What do you think
about III"
That you have given me an anti
,dote against old age" was the ringing
and unexpected reply, as the thought
full. haIf.puzzled aspect Of the old man
Welded impulsively to q burst Of his
early enthusiasm. 'If we can get q
rood grip on the thread you speak of.
and can work ourselves along by It,
though Il be BY no more than inch
NJ a time, we shall yet make our way
through this labyrinth Of undoubted
erima and earn Cor ourselves q tri-
umph which win make some Of these
nv ana Inexperienced young fellows