Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1914-11-19

us lollS a. YOU all II VII ~
| the day, if possible; in any event, Nh.
Godfrey and l will be there this even
ing. Call me at the office. If you need
me for anything
Very good. SIR" said Parks again,
and l hung up.
account of the affair while Il
ate my breakfast. and noted with
amusement the SLY digs Ike at COM
missioner Grady. Under the photo
graph of the unknown woman was the
legend:
MIR. VANTINE'S MYSTERIOUS
CALLER.
(Grady Please Notice.)
And it was minated that when
Grady wanted any real information
about an especially puzzling case, he
had to go to the Record to get 1t.
This, however. was merely by the
way, for the story of the double
tragedy, fully Illustrated, was flung
across many columns, and was plainly
considered the great news feature OF
the day.
glanced at two OF three other papers
On my way downtown. All of them
featured the tragedy with a riot of
Of pictures-pictures of d'Aurelle and
Wartime, of Grady very largo, of
Simmonds, of Goldberger. of Freyling-
huisen, of the vantine house. diagrams
Of the ante-room showing the position
IN which the bodies were found, an
atonaical charts showing the exact ma
ture of the wounds, pictures of the
noted prisoners of history with a nigh
fy COlored list of their Movements
but. when it came to the story Of the
tragedy itself, their accounts were far
less detailed and intimate than that In
the Record.
They we're. indeed, for the most part,
mere farragos of theories, guesses,
blood curdling suggestions, and myster-
lous hints of important information
confided to the reporters but withheld
from the public until the criminal had
been run to earth. That this would
soon be accomplished not a single paper
doubted, for had not Grady, the mighty
Grady, taken personal charge OF the
case? (Here followed a glowing his
tory of Grady's c~areer.)
1t was evident enough that all these
reporters had been compelled to go TIC
Grady for their information, and ]
could fancy them damni2g him between
their. teeth as they penned these
panegyrics. l could also fancy theil
city editors damning as they compared
these incoherent imaginings with the
admirable and closely written story il
the Record. and I suspected that it wa
the realization of the Records triumph
which had caused the descent Of The
phalanx of reporters upon the Vantin'
place.
1 went over the whole affair with Mr.
Royce, as soon as he reached the office
and spent the rest of the day arrang
ing the papers relating to Vantine'!
affairs and getting them ready to pro
bate. Parks called me up once or twic,
r for instructions as to various details
d and Vantine's nearest relative. a thirt
4 or fourth cousin, wired from some
4 where in the west that he was startin;
B for New York at cnce. And then, to
ward the middle of the afternoon. cam
the cablegram from Paris Which 1 ha,
- almost forgotten to expect:
Royce & Lester, New York.
Regret mistake in shipment exceed
ingly. Our representative will call t
explain.
q Armand ct Fills"
So there was an end of the romano
Godfrey had woven, and which 1 ha
It been almost ready to believe-the re
nance Of design, of a carefully lai
plot. and all that. 1t had been nerel
~ accident, after all. And I smiled a lii
: credulity. No CUB my own romano
70 of a secret drawer n a poisone
' mechanism would prove equally fabu
lous. In my over wrought state Of tn
night before, 1t had seemed reasonabl
enough: but here, in the cold light {
day, it seemed preposterous. Ho,
!. Grady and Goidberger would hay
10 laughed at 1T!
II I put the whole thing inpatient
away from me, and turned to othe
work; but I found 1 could not conque
u q certain deep seated nervousness; 6
le at last 1 locked my desk, told the be
! 1 would not be back, and took a a fe
u a long drive through the park. TT
" fresh air. the smell of the trees, tt
sight of the children playing along tt
ID paths, did me good, and 1 was able
H. greet Godfrey with a smile when /
called for me at Z o'clock.
Eve engaged a table at a little plat
around the corner" he said. TT
managed by a friend Of mine, and
3 hin you'll like it,"
that it demanded undivided attentio
end not until the coffee was on tt
table and the cigars lighted did v
= speak of the business which he
brought us together.
Anything new" l asked, as v
al pushed back our chairs.
mo. nothing Of any Importance. tt
man at the morgue has not been ideI
titled. In the first place, the Par
nd police have never taken his Bertille
lbs measurements
Then he's not a criminal?"
He has never been arrested
Godfrey qualified. More peculii
is the fact that he hasn't been re
D ognized here. Two million people pro
ably. saw his photograph in the pape
this morning. Some OF them thoug
they knew him and went around
the morgue to see his body. but nothil
came Of it. The police have no repo
;he of any such man missing"
ace THAT is peculiar. isn't it," l cor
eos mented.
las 0I4,s very p,o,,,ior tt ~ ono
If ICY cSu, ~ o.S
are TWO th1ngS-e1ther the fellow fr1en
len are keering dark purposely, or
lee. didn't have my friends, here in Ne
our York at least. But ven then. o
~. would think that whoever rented hi
a room would wonder what had b
- Il $3.50 E~F 1,s,,, ~~l roy1J n1 air. r.
= inquiries"
IT Perhaps he hadn't rented a roon
s as I suggested. Perhaps he had ju
ives reached New York. and went dire
to Vantine's."
Godfrey's face lighted up
From the steamer. Of course!
ought to have guessed as much fre
ana the cut Of his hair. He hasn't be