Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1913-07-17

you've got good deal of talking
to do told him, and you might as
we'll do it right in here while we are
waiting for the coroner. l want to
know where that dulcimer came from
THE eyes Of the weazen faced man
became wide and staring at my de-
termined question, and he started for.
ward.
why, you don't Think" he be-
gan.
1T is not much Of your business
what | think. All you have to do Is
to talk and talk fast Answer my
questions. Where did that dulcimer
come from?
THAT musical thing?' he asked and
scratched his head as he thought i
don't know where it came from. She
didn't have it with her when she came
here
Ibid you ever see her bring 1t in?'
"'No.
did you ever see anyone come to
visit her?'
Lord, she didn't have any friends
that know of. There is SO many peo-
pie going In and out of this building
all the time anyway, that | wouldn't
be able to tell. Some of them settle
ment workers might have brought 1t
to her for all know. Come to think
Of it. | did used to hear her picking on
that thing but she never played 1t
much after about week before she
too took sick. l don't guess she was
able
II looked up and down the hall in
the hope Of seeing someone who could
give me more information. There was
none The rooms were unoccuped.
their doors standing open, showing
the wretched interiors where paper
hung from the wall and plaster whit
ened the floor. ! turned again to the
janitor.
Ibid the settlement workers visit
her when she became ill., asked.
Yes, there were two that did. One
was a man that didn't like at all. He
was always grumpy and just stood
around and talked about how much
charity patients cost the city, and
every time he left the poor little kid
seemed just that much worse
Ills name? questioned.
al think it was Mr.. Grimes he
He Is the head Of something or other
in the society
And who was the other?' queried.
81 don't know her name, was the
reply. She is mighty nice little
woman though. Always pleasant and
all that
Ibid they come together, Mr..
Grimes and the woman
No, always separate. don't
think either one of them ever talked
to the other
For an hour longer I questioned
the janitor and gained nothing fur
ther than the fact that Miss Perry, the
dead girl, had been visited during her
illness by three persons-the physi-
clan, Mr.. Grimes, and the little woman
whose name the janitor did not know.
But none Of them ever had seen or
talked to each other.
"At last left the dingy building
just as the black wagon of the coroner
arrived and hurried to the station
Williams was awaiting me there
"'Well?' | asked.
Typhoid germs" was his an.
swer. Strung along the strings OF
the instrument so that If person
were playing and happened to touch
one of their fingers to the lips, the in.
oculation would be complete.
"'Just as thought was my reply.
What does the city physician say?'"
"'All he knows Is that he was call
ed up to see the girl and took care
Of her He wanted to take her to
hospital, of course but 1t seemed that
the girl objected SO strenuously that
he obeyed her wishes, and allowed her
10 remain where she was. She was
just one of these little country girls
who was born with terrible fear OF
hospitals, and the doctor was afraid
that the mental excitement Of taking
her there would make her condition
worse 30 he allowed her to remain
! don't believe he knows any more
about the case than what he has told
me. To tell the truth, Miss Clement,
don't believe that this is murder
case at all. You have no motive In
the first place. Here is little girl
seventeen or eighteen years old, who
has come to the city from small
country town, who appears to have
had no particular enemies, who was
simply here seeking work as many
thousands of girls are, and possessed
of neither good looks nor money. From
what | have learned, and from what
the doctor found out about her, she
was neither visited by men nor went
out with them. If you want plain,
ordinary detectives theory, 1t Is this
the little girl wanted some amuse-
ment, and she saw this dulcimer In a
second hand shop somewhere, and
bought 1t. The germs may have been
on there for six months, for all you
know For what purpose they were
placed there in the beginning, don't
know. Certainly fail to see the mo-
tive that would make person de-
sign so scientific murder to accom-
plish SO little
"'All very true,' l answered. But,
Just the same, have my theory. What
1t Is don't believe | shall tell you
right now but II you want to help me