The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1913-06-12

plaintive, appealing, the notes trick.
ling out like tiny brooks at other mo.
ments, he brought from that tin.
panny piano a harmony that was al.
most divine. The loud chatter and
brazen laughter of the cafe ceased.
Men and women turned in their chairs
to listen and to watch the better.
Half drunken men leered silently; 9th.
ers who had gone farther into the
cups that sometimes cheer and some
times breed melancholy, began to
weep on each others shoulders and to
apologize for all past misdeeds, real
and fancied. Bar after bar, on went
khe music. Stronger, then weaker,
rising and falling, the piece was play.
ed. 1t seemed that the pianist had
lost every bit of knowledge of the
world around him. He was now
buried within himself, in a sphere
apart. l looked at his face. 1t was
lined and furrowed. The eyes had in
them the appearance of intense suf-
fering. 1 believed that 1 saw a tear
drop to the keys. Silently, rose from
my table and left the cafe.
"It was nearly midnight when I
found my man from the. Central office.
He had learned nothing new. Clues
there were, of course, but those al.
ready investigated had turned forth
nothing. He told his story and then
looked questionably at me-
"'What do you know he asked.
"I know our man, Jim. feel sure
Of it, I answered; but he's a queer
one, just as l said. And 1 think
there's only one way to make him own
up. You can't start his passions much
otherwise. I'm afraid that we're 60
ing to have to act bit theatrical.
That room up there where the girl
was found dead has not been changed
much, has it,
1.-The body has been taken away
al know that, but otherwise?'
"'No. Why?
"'See if the room next to it is va
cant. And find out if there is a con-
Meeting door
"T know that already The de-
tective grinned. And you can bet that
all the rooms around it are vacant.
What do you want?'
room where the murder occurred, and
l want some one who will be brave
enough to stay in there and play it.
Can you get him?'
His eyes bulged again.
"'What are you trying to-
HE looked at me blankly a mo-
ment, then moved away. In ten min
utes he was back.
; "Tve got it all fixed. Now, what
do we do?'
MAKE the arrest. Come on
ION the way I explained things, and
in an hour we had our musician in the
room adjoining the one in which the
murder had been committed We had
taken him into the hotel in a manner
that left him in the dark as to exact
ly where he was going. 1t was plain
that he did not recognize the sur
roundings. The door to the girls
room was closed. Jim began on him.
Nov, my friend, what's your
Thomas Withers.'
THAT, of course" explained Miss
Clement, wasn't his name. One thing
7 do not like to do is to tell the real
name of a man whose case has been
through my hands. Of course, he
can't be hurt, but there are others
who have remained behind whom it
can injure, and so"-she studied the
face Of woman in a nearby box and
went on-"well, I just don't like to
do it.
Jim continued:
"'They say at the cafe that you
came to this city from Pittsburgh. Is
that true?'
eyes, but l don't see why you are
me, or why you have
brought me here. If you've got any
charge to make against me, why don't
you take me to police station. -
"That'll be about enough of that,
Jim interrupted. You'll see the inside
Of a station soon enough. Now,
where's that girl that came here with
you?
"Withers whirled. Then his face set.
"'There wasn't any GIRL he
snapped.
Wasn't there? Are you sure about
that? You came here with her then
you told her that you didn't care for
her any more and that she could go.
Isn't that the TRUTH
"Withers did not answer. :
"'You told her that you were fond
Of another and that she could get out
Of the way. Answer met
Still no response came from the
man before us. Jim fidgeted in his
chair.
YOU'RE going to talk before get
through with you he threatened, and
you might as well make up your mind
to that right now. What was that
girls name?
There wasn't any girl
you've said that before. Now ]
want something different. What was
that girls namef'
Don't start that again. You know
there was q girl and that you quit
loving her and that she baked on the
game She knew something on you,
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