The Lynden tribune. [volume] (Lynden, Wash.) 1908-current, 1914-12-17


only meant to shake hands. didn't
do It l might have to take him In
and make his bed and cook his meals.
but l did not have to shake hands
with him.
you, toov' he said, looking nc mo
with what suppose he meant 10 be
reproachful look. But he could no
more put an expression OF TINT sort
in his eyes than fish could II sup
pose, then. there is no use asking II !
may have my old room-tho front
room. l went need two"
didn't want him. and no must have
seen it. But l took him. You may
have 1t, as far as I'm concerned 1
said. But you'll have to let tho pm
per hanger in tomorrow"
"Assuredly." He came into the hall
and stood looking around him, and
fancied he drew breath Of relief. 1T
isn't much yet" he said, but It's bet
ter to look at than six feet OF muddy
water"
"Or than stone wallis" said.
He looked at me and smiled. "Or
than stone walls" he repeated, bow
ing, and went into his room.
So l had him again. and II gave
him only the dull knives and locked
up the breadknife the moment had
finished with 1t. who can blame mef
took all the precaution could think
of-had Terry put an extra bolt on
every door and hid the rat poison and
the carbolic acid in the cellar.
Peter would not go near him. He
hobbled around on his three legs, with
the splint beating sort Of tattoo on
the floor. but he stayed back in the
kitchen with me or In the yard.
1t was Sunday night or early Mon
day morning that Jennie Brice disap-
peared On Thursday evening her hus-
band came back. On Friday the body
Of woman was washed ashore at
Beaver, but turned out to be that Of
stewardess who had fallen overheard
from one Of the Cincinnati packets.
Mr. Ladley himself showed me the ar
ticle in the morning paper when took
in his breakfast.
"Public hysteria has killed a man be-
fore this" be said when l had read It.
Suppose that woman had been man.
gled or the screw Of the steamer had
cut her head of! How many people
do you suppose would have been will
ing to swear that 1t was my-was Mrs.
Ladleyw
even without head should know
Mrs. Ladley," retorted.
He shrugged his shoulders. Let's
trust she's still alive, for my sake" he
said But I'm glad, anyhow, that this
woman had head. You'll allow me to
be glad. won't you?"
"You can be anything you want as
far as I'm concerned" l snapped and
went out.
Mr.. Holcombe still retained the Sec
ond story front room. think, although
he said nothing more about 1t. that he
was still playing horse" He wrote
good bit at the washstand. and. from
the loose sheets Of manuscript he left.
| believe actually tried to begin play.
But mostly he wandered along the wa
ter front or stood on one or another
of the bridges, looking at the water
and thinking. 1t Is certain that he
tried to keep in the part by smoking
cigarettes. but he hated them, and
usually ended by throwing the ciga-
rette away and lighting an old pipe he
carried.
On that Thursday evening he came
home and sat down to supper with
Mr.. Reynolds. He ate little and seemed
much excited. The talk ran on crime,
as it always did when he was around,
and Mr.. Holcombe quoted Spencer
great deal-Herbert Spencer. Mr.. Rey-
nolds was impressed. not knowing
much beyond silks and the National
league.
Spencer" Mr.. Holcombe would say
Spencer shows that every occur
renee is the Inevitable result Of what
has gone before and carries in its
train an equally inevitable series Of
results. Try to interrupt this chain in
the smallest degree and what follows?
Chaos, my dear sir, chaos"
1--WE see that at the store" Mr.. Rey-
nolds would say. "Accustom a lot Of
women to a silk sale on Fridays and
then make 1t tooth brushes. That's
chaos. all right"
Well. Mr.. Holcombe came in that
night about 10 o'clock, and told him
Ladley was back He was almost
wild with excitement. wanted to have
the back parlor, so he could watch him
through the keyhole. and was terribly
upset when l told him there was no
keyhole. that the door fastened with
thumb bolt. On learning that the
room was to be papered the next morn
Ing be grew calmer, however, and got
the paperhanger's address from me-
He went out just after that.
Friday, as | say, was very quiet
Mr.. Ladley moved to the back parlor
to let the paperhanger in the front
room, smoked and fused with his pa.
pers all day, and Mr.. Holcombe stayed
in his room, which was unusual. In
the afternoon Molly Mcguire put on
| the striped fur coat and went out. go
ing slowly past the house so that
would he sure to see her. Beyond
banging the window down. gave her
no satisfaction.
At 4 O'Clock Mr.. Holcombe came to
my kitchen, rubbing his hands togeth,
er. He had a pasteboard tube in his
hand about a foot long. with an ar
rangement of small mirrors in it. He
said 1t was modelled after the something
| or other that is used on q submarine.
and that he and the paperhanger had
| fixed a place for IL between his floor