Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-06-24

had sat Just above the water. lookin
at it and whimpering. Perhaps b
was expecting another kitten or
. 1t is hard to say how ideas first er
ter ones mind. But the notion ths
Mr.. Ladley had killed his wife an
thrown her body into the water cam
to me as I sat there. All at once
seemed to see it all-the quarreling tn
day before, the night trip in the boat
the water soaked slipper, his haggar
face that morning-even the way tn
spaniel sat and stared at the food.
Terry brought the boat back at hal
past II. towing it behind another.
well" l said from the stairs, I"
hope you've had pleasant morning.
what doing?" he asked, not looking
at me.
Rowing about the streets. You've
! had that boat for hours"
He tied it up without word to me-
but he spoke to the dog Good morn
ing, Peter" he said. Its nice wealth
er-for fishes, amt it?"
He picked out a bit of floating wood
! from the water and. showing it to the
| Jug, -uuUS IL lilo tue pdTlOE' Ietef
went after it with a splash. He was
| pretty fat, and when he came back I
| heard him wheeling. But what he
| brought back was not the stick of
wood. 1t was the knife I use for cut
| ting bread. 1t had been on a shelf in
| the room where / had slept the night
before. and now Peter brought it out
| of the food where its wooden handle
| hnd 90 54 ~
ken off short.
1t is not unusual to find ones house
hold goods floating around during
food time. More than once I've lost a
chair or two and seen it after the wa
ter had gone down, new scrubbed and
painted, in Molly Maguire's kitchen
next door. And perhaps now and then
a bit Of luck would come to me-a dog
kennel or chicken house, or kitch-
en- table. or even, as happened once,
a month old baby in a wooden cradle.
that lodged against my back fence and
had come forty miles, as it turned ont,
with no worse mishap than a cold in
its head.
But the knife was different. 1 had
put it on the mantel over the stove 1
was using upstairs the night before
and hadn't touched it since. AS l sat
staring at it, Terry took it from Peter
and handed it TO me.
Better give me penny, Mrs. Pit
man." he said in his impudent Irish
way. II hate to give you knife. 1t
may cut our friendship
1 reached over to hit him a clout on
the head, but l did not. The sunlight
was coming in through the window at
the top Of the stairs, and shining On
the rope that was tied to the banister.
The end of the rope was covered with
stains, bright with CLINT of red in
them.
1 got up shivering. You can get
the meat at the butchers, Terry" 1 |
said, land come back for me in half !
an hour" Then 1 turned and went |
upstairs, weak in the knees, to put |
on my hat and coat I had made I'D |
my mind that there had been murder |
done.
1 looked at my clock as I went |
downstairs. 1t was just 1890. IL
thought of telephoning for Mr. Reyn-
olds to meet me, but it was his lunch
hour, and besides. i was afraid to teIe-
phone from the house while Mr.. Lad
ley was in it.
Peter had been whining again.
When / came down the stairs he had
stopped whimpering and was wagging
his tail. A strange boat had put into
the hallway and was coming back.
Now, old boyw somebody was say
ng from the boat STEADY, old chap,
I've got something for your
A little man, elderly and alert, was
standing up In the boat. polling it
along with an oar. Peter gave vent
% joyful yelps. The elderly gentle
nan brought his boat to a stop at the
DOT OF the stairs and. reaching down
INTO tub at his feet, held up large
'iece of raw liver. Peter almost went
'razy, and 1 remember suddenly that
had forgotten TO feed the poor beast
or more than day.
Would you like it?' asked the gem
ieman. Peter sat up. as he had been
aught to do. and barked. The gen.
leman reached down again. got
wooden platter from a stack OF them
t his feet and. placing the liver on il,
ut 1t on the step. The whole thing
vas so neat and businesslike that
Ould only gaze.
That's well trained dog. madam"
aid the elderly gentleman. beaming
I Peter over his glasses You should
OF have neglected him..
.sThe food nut him out OF my mind.
explained. humbiy enough. for ] was
Exactly. Do you know how many
tarving dogs and cats l have found {,
ais mornipgf" He took notebook