Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-10-24

is. the first tim. j saw her. The next
time
Hold on: dressmaker's catalogue
is no good to me. ! couldn't remem-
Der IL all. Was she in riding clothes
on any OF her later visits?"
mo"
ANY scars or marks?"
Certainly not.
That's pity, although you seem 10
think otherwise. Age?'
'We-ell, twenty perhaps"
add five. Say twenty-five
"Whnt for?" demanded Sedgwick In
dignnntly.
I'm allowing for the discount OF ro-
nance. Did you notice her bootsf
Not particularly. except that sne
was always spick and span from head
to foot"
"Humph. Was it pretty warm the
last week she called on you?
Piping
did she show it?'
Never n bit. Always looked fresh
as a flower
Then. although she came far, she
didn't walk far to get here There's
road back of the hill yonder and lit
tie copse in an open field where mo-
torcar has stood. l should say that
she had driven herself there and come
across the hill to you
could we track the carr asked
Sedgwick eagerly.
mo farther than the main road.
What is the latest she ever left here
when she arrived afoot?"
"Once she stayed till half past G. I
nd bttf ho
drew into herself at the mere sugges-
ton
Half past 6. Allowing for a half
past q dinner and time to dress for it.
she would have perhaps twelve to IF
teen miles to 20 in the car. The name
she gave is obviously not her own. not
even l judge. her maiden name"
Sedgwick turned very white. do
you mean that she is married wo-
MANI he demanded.
How could you have failed to see
it," returned the other gently. "A
young gir: of breeding and social ex
perience would hardly have come to
your studio. A married woman might
who respected herself with full conf
dence and knew with the same conf
you WOull TeSDSCl nel
my dear boy" added Kent. with his
quiet winning smile, You are man to
inspire confidence. Otherwise l my
self might have suspected you of hav-
ing Il hand in the death of the woman
on the beach"
Never mind the woman on the
beach. This other matter is more than
life or death. Is that timsy suppose
ton all you have to &C on"
No. Her travel. Her wide ac-
qunintance with men and events. Her
obvious poise. And. reverting to tar
gible fact. as clinchlnG evidence. there
are her gloves. which she always
wore"
What about her gloves?"
"You never saw her left hand. did
you:"
"Oh. / see. You mean the wedding
ring. Well. l suppose continued
Sedgwick. with Il tinge of contempt in
his voice. she could have taken of
her ring as easily as her gloves"
There was no answering contempt
in Chester Kent's voice as he replied:
But ring. constantly worn and then
leaves an unmiStakable mark.
What the connection between her and
the corpse on the beach may he is the
problem. My immediate business is to
discover who the dead woman is"
And mine" said Sedgwick hoarse- |
", ito discover the living"
Well at least start together" re- |
piled Kent. Come
Twenty minutes of curving and dodg- |
ing along the rocky roads in kent's |
runab bout brought them TO the turn
pike in sight of the town of Annalaka.
The inquest is set for IL o'clock"
said Kent.
"All right" said Sedgwick with equal
They turned n corner and ran into
the fringe of a crowd lowering about
the town hall. Halting his machine
IN bit of shade. Kent surveyed the
gathering. At one point 1t thickened
lbout a man who was talking eagerly.
The vocal center of a small circle of
silence.
Elder bennett" said Kent. back
rom Cadystown. You'll have to face
he music now. One word of warning:
Don't lose your head or your temper
( the suspicion raised against you by
bennett is strengthened by me. Ny
concern Is TO get TO the bottom of this
natter. There is something the sher-
II knows that l don't know. Probably
I is the identity Of the body. To force
linn into the open 1t may be necessary