The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1914-04-02
Mr.. Holcombe has arrived and


has man in his ROOM"
Mr.. Holcombe came down a
moment after, with his face beam
ing.
Il think we've got him. Mrs.
Pitman," he said. 1.-THE jury
won't even 60 out of the box"
But further than that he would
not explain. He said he had a
witness locked in his room, and
he'd be glad of supper for him,
as they'd both come long ways.
And he went out and bought some
oysters and bottle or two OF
beer. But as far as I know, he
kept him locked up all that night
I'm the second-story front room.
don't thing the man knew he was
a prisoner. went In to turn
down the bed, and he was sitting
by the window, reading the even
ing papers account of the trial
an elderly gentleman, rather pro-
fessional looking.
Mr.. Holcombe slept on the up
per landing OF the hall that night.
rolled In a blanket-not that j
think his witness even thought of
escaping, but the little man was
taking no chances.
At eight O'Clock that night the
the bell rang. 1t was Mr.. Howell.
| admitted him myself, and he
followed me back to the dining
room. I had not seen him for
several weeks, and the change in
him startled me. He was dressed
carefully, but his eyes were sunk
en- in his head, and he looked as
IL he had not slept for days.
Mr.. Reynolds had gone up
stairs, not finding me socially in
| clined.
"You haven't been sick. Mr..
Howell, have your" I asked.
"Oh, no. I'm well enough, I've
been travelling about. Those In
fernal sleeping cars"
His voice trailed off, and l saw
him looking at my mothers pic
ture. with the jonquils beneath.
That's curious!" he said,
going closer. TIT looks al
most like Ida Harvey"
my mother" l said simply.
"Have you seen her lately?"
my mother?" l asked, startled.
mo. Ida"
81 saw her a few days ago."
"Here?"
Eyes. She came here, Mr..
Howell, two weeks ago. She looks
badly-as II she is worrying"
"Not-about me?" he asked
eagerly.
Eyes, about you. What pos
sesssed you to go away as you
did? When my-bro--when her
uncle accused you of something,
you ran away instead Of facing
things like a man."
81 was trying to find the one
person who could clear me, Mrs.
Pitman." He sat back, with his
eyes closed; he looked Ill enough
to be in bed.
"Aud you succeeded"
mo"
I thought perhaps he had not
been eating and / offered him
food, as I had once before. But
he refused 1t, with the ghost Of
his boyish smile.
Pm hungry, but it's not food
| want. / want to see her." he
said.
sat down across from him
and tried to mend table cloth,
but / could not sew. I kept see
ing those two young things, each
sick for a sight of the other, and,
from wishing they could have a
minute together, I got to planning
it for them.
Perhaps" l said finally, "if
you want it very much"
Very much!"
"And If you will sit quiet, and
stop tapping your fingers to-
gether until you drive me crazy,
| might contrive 1t for you. For
five minutes" l said. mot
second longer"
He came right over and put hts
arms around me.
who are you, anyhow" he
said. you who turn to the world
the frozen mask of a Union street
boarding house landlady, who are
a gentlewoman by every instinct
and training. and a girl at heart?
Who are your"
"I'll tell you what I am" I
said. Pm a romantic old fool,
and you'd better let me do this
quickly, before I change my
mind"
He freed me at that, but he
followed to the telephone, and
stood by while I got Ida. He
was in perfect frenzy of anxiety,
turning red and white by turns,
and in the middle of the CONVEX
sation taking the receiver bodily
from me and holding 1t to his own
ear.
She said she thought she could
get away; she spoke guardedly,
as IL Alma were near, but gath
cred that she would come as soon
as she could, and, from the way
her voice broke, knew she was
as excited as the boy beside me.
She came, heavily coated and
yelled, at q quarter after ten that
night, and took her back to the
dining room, where he was walt