Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-07-01

yard after the river he'd gone down.
The steps hesitated ut the top of the
stairs and turned back along the hall.
Peter redoubled his noise. He never
barked for Mr.. Reynolds or the Lad
leys. | stood still, hardly able to
breathe. The door was thin and the
lock loose One good blow, and
The doorknob turned, and screamed
l recall that the light turned black and
that is all i do remember until l came
to half hour later and saw Mr.. Hol-
combe STOPPING over me. The door,
with the lock broken, was standing
open. l tried TO move, and then l saw
that my feet We're propped up on the
edge OF Peters basket.
Better leave them up" Mr.. Hol-
come said. 1T sends the blood back
to the head Half the - fool people
In the world stick n pillow under
fainting womans shoulders. How are
you now?"
"All right I said feebly. 81 thought
you were Mr. Ladley"
He helped me up, and / sat in a
chair and tried TO keep my lips from
shaking. And then l saw that Mr..
Holcombe had brought suit case with
him and had set it inside the door.
"Ladley is safe until he gets ball,
anyhow" he said. They picked him
up as he was boarding a Pennsylvania
train bound east"
For murderT 1 asked.
LAS a suspicious character" he re-
piled grimly- That does as well as
anything for a time" He sat down
opposite me and looked at me intently.
Mrs. Pitman," he said, did you
ever hear the story of the horse that
wandered ont of a village and could
not be found2'
l shook my head
well. the best wit of the village
failed TO locate the horse. But one
day the village idiot walked into town
leading the missing animal by the
bride When they asked him how he
had done it. he said. well. 1 just
thought what I'd do if I was a horse
and then l went and did it"
II see,'' 1 said. humoring him.
"You don't see Now, what are We
trying to do:"
We're trying to find body. Do you
intend to become a corpse"
He leaned over and tapped on the
table between US. I'VE are trying to
prove a crime. 1 intend for the time
to be a criminal
He looked so curious. bent forward
and glaring at me from under his
bushy eyebrows. with his shoes on his
knee-for he had taken them off to
wade to the stairs-and his trousers
rolled to his knees, that l wondered if
he was entirely sane. But Mr.. Hoi-
combe, eccentric as he might be, was
sane enough.
Not really a criminal
LAS really as lies in me. Listen, Mrs.
Pitman. l want to put myself in Lad
ley's place for day o. two, live as he
lived, if 1 can. l am going to sleep in
his room tonight, with your permits
sion"
1 could not see any reason for object
ing, although thought it silly and use
less. l led the way to the front door,
Mr.. Holcombe following with his shoes
and suit case. 1 lighted a lamp and
he stood looking around him.
Il see you have been here since we
left this afternoon he said
Twice" 1 replied. First with Mr..
Graves. and later
The words died on my tongue. Some
one had been in the room since my last
visit there
He has been here l gasped. II
left the room in tolerabIe order. Look
at it,!
when were you here last"
lat 7:30. or therea bouts
where were you between 7:30 and
1902"
In the kitchen with Peter" 1 told
him then about the dog and about find
ing him shut in the room.
The washstand was pulled out. The
sheets of Mr.. Ladley's manuscript, usu-
ally an orderly pile, were half on the
floor. The bed coverings had been
jerked off and flung over the back of
chair.
Peter imprisoned might have moved
the washstand and upset the manu-
script Peter had never put the bed
clothing over the chair or broken his
own leg.
'.Humphr' he said. And, getting out
his notebook. he made an exact memo
randum of what l had told him and of
the condition of the room. That done,
he turned to me.
IlIndH. ne SdlO. IL
you to call me Mr.. Ladley for the next
day or so. l am an actor out of en-
ployment, forty one years of age, short.
stout and bald, married to woman 1
would like TO be quit of, and / am
writing myself a play in which the
Shuberts intend to star me or in which
l intend the Shuberts to star me-"
VERY well, Mr.. Ladley." said. try
ing to enter into the spirit of the thing
and, God knows, seeing no humor in it
Then you'll like your soda from the
iceboxT'
Soda? For whatT
For your whisky and soda before
you go to bed. sir"
"Oh. certainly. yes. Bring the soda.
And-just a moment, Mrs. Pitman
Mr. Holcombe is a total abstainer and
has always been so. 1t is Ladley. not