The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1914-03-30
s'The Case of
Jennie BriCe''

1 nate me.
Tut, tut! You want nothing
of the sort"
Mrs. Pitman," she said, 81
sent for you because I'm nearly
crazy. Mr.. Howell was a friend
of that woman. He has acted like
maniac since she disappeared
He doesn't come to see me, he has
given up his work on the paper
and l saw him today on the street
he looks like ghost"
That put me to thinking.
He might have been a friend"
| admitted. Although, as far as
/ know, he was never at the house
but once, and then he saw both of
them"
when was that?"
Sunday morning, the day be-
fore she disappeared. They were
arguing something"
She was looking at me atten-
lively. you know more than
you are telling me, Mrs. Pitman,"
she said. "You-do you think
Jennie Brice is dead, and that
Mr.. Howell knows-who did it,"
Il think she is dead, and
think possibly Mr.. Howell sus-
poets who did it. He does not
know, or he would have told the
police" .....
you do not think he was
was in love with Jennie Brice, do
your"
I'm certain of that" said
He is very much in love with a
foolish girl, who ought to have
more faith in him that she has"
She colOred little, and smiled
at that, but the next moment she
was sitting forward, tense and
questioning again.
IF that is true, Mrs. Pitman,"
she said, who was the yelled
woman he met that Monday morn
ing at daylight, and took across
the bridge to Pittsburgh? / be-
lieve it was Jennie Brice. If 1t
was not, who was it,"
Il don't believe he took any
woman across the bridge at that
hour. Who says he did,"
Uncle Jim saw him. He had
been playing cards all night at one
of the clubs, and was walking
home. He says he met Mr.. How
ell face to face, and spoke to him.
The woman was tall and yelled.
Uncle Jim sent for him, a day or
two later, and he refused to ex-
plain. Then they forbade him the
house. Mama objected to him,
anyhow, and he only came on suf-
ferance. He is a college man Of
COON family, but without any
money at all save what he earns.
And now"
l had had some young newspa-
per men with me, and knew
what they got. They we're nice
boys, but they made fifteen dollars
a week. I'm afraid | smiled a
little as l looked around the room,
with its gray grass-cloth walls, it's
toilet table spread with ivory and
gold, and the maid in attendance
in her black dress and white
apron, collar and cuffs. Even
the little nightgown Ida was
wearing would have taken a
weeks salary or more. She saw
my smile.
1T was to be his chance" she
said. IF he made good, he was
to have something better. MY
Uncle Jim owns the paper, and he
promised me to help him. But
SO Jim was running a newspa-
per! That was a curious career
for Jim to choose. Jim, who was
twice expelled from school, and
who could never write letter
without a dictionary beside him!
had pang when l heard his
name again, after all the years.
For I had written to Jim from
Oklahoma, after Mr.. Pitman died
asking for money to bury him,
aid had never even had q reply.
And you haven't seen him
since?"
Once. didn't hear from
him. and / called him up. We
we met in the park. He said ev-
erything was all right, but he
couldn't tell me just then. The
next day he resigned from the pa
per and went away. Mrs. Pitman,
it's driving me crazy! For they
have found body, and they think
it Is hers. If it is, and he was
| with her."
Don't be foolish GIRL" I pro.
tested. IF he was with Jennie
Brice. she is still living, and II he
was not with Jennie Brice-"
IF 1t was not Jennie Brice,
then have right to know who IL
was" she declared. HE was not
like himself when I met him. He
said such queer things: he talked
about an onyx clock, and said he
had been made fool of, and that