Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1914-10-29
CHAPTER v4.-(gontinued,)

II don't a to be disturbed, Rog-
ers.' he said. n come in here and
shut the door after him
1T was maybe twenty minutes after
that that the doorbell rung and when
I opened the door. there was a woman
standing on the steps,"
He stopped and swallowed once or
twice, as though his throat was dry,
n 1 saw thai his fingers We're 'tUNitch-
ing ~nervously.
J. uasDid you know herr" questioned
Grady. ,at .oe .,,n ,,.u,., ,.,.
Rogers loosened his collar with a con-
yulsive movement. '4'&" "'e'
mo. sir. I'd never seen her before"
he answered hoarsely. '"fo.s.
Describe her" ,aAs. co.
Rogers closed his eyes, as thoughein
an effort of recollection.
she wore a heavy veil, sir, so that
I couldn't see her very we'll; but the
first thing I noticed was her eyyes,they
right through me. Her face looked
how red her lips Mergl.T didn't like her
looks, sir, from the first" ,-41,,h ltp,
t. How was she dressed2 "~'ad.,,,p
In a dark gown, sir, cut so skinny
that I knSwed she was French before
she spolse.3j,w uviliat t,na at%tf,,t
"Ah!" said Grady, She was, FRENCH.
was she?"
yes, sir; though she could speak
some. English She asked for Mr.. Van
tine. l told her Mr.. Vantine was busy.
And then She said Something very fast
about how she must see him, and all
the time kept -edging in and in, till
the first thing I knowed she was inside
the door and then she just pulled the
door out of my hand and shut it. I'ask
you, sir. is that h way a lady would
behaved"
NO." said Grady, 81 dare say not.
But go ahead-and take our time"
Rogers had gained his self-conf-
dence, and he went ahead almost glibly.
"'Se e here. madam says l." we've
xhad enough trouble here today with
Trenches, and II you don't get out
quietly. why, I'll have TO put You out.
~ must Mistaire Vangtine,' she
says, very fast u must Mistaire Wang
tine. 1t is most ne~cessarie that l see
Mistaire ANangtine.'
"'Then I'll have to put o out says
I, and took. hold of her arm. And at
FSaway; and l grabbed her again, and
just then Mr., -Vantine opened the door
there ana came~e-t into the hall.
WHAT'S all this. Rogers" he says.
Who is his party?
But before I could answer, that wild
cat had rushed over to him and began
to reel off a string of French so fast
I Wondered how she got her breath.
And Mr.. Vantine looked at her kind of
surprised at first, and then he got more
interested, and finally he asked her in
and shut the door, and that was the
last I saw of them
t you mean you didn't let the woman
oopt?" demanded Ggrrady. ,.,
Yes. si,, that's just what I mean.
%1,o,,cl$ SO NV yyo,t;,,H x-n -tNI 10 10 liz
with her, we'll and good; that was his
Business. not mine; so L went back to
the pantry to help the cook with the
silver, expecting to hear the bell every
minute. But the bell dian't ring, and
after maybe half an hour I came out
In the hall again to see If the woman
had gomez l walked past the DOR
of this room but didn't hear nothing;
n then I went on to the front door.
and was surprised to find it wasn't
latched.@ 81 ~ Il
Maybe you hadn't latched it," sug-
! gested Grady.
1T has snap lock, sir; when that
woman slammed it shut, I heard it
1 Your sure Of fhat?s %
i"Qulte sure sir
what did O do them"
IT closed the door, sir. and
then come back along the hall.
I felt uneasy, some way; n
stood outside the door there list
ening; but l couldn't hear nothing; and
then II tapped, but ,Nthere wasn't no
answer; SO I tapped louder, with my
heart somehow working right up into
my mouth. And still there wasn't no
answer so I just opened the door and
looked inland the first thing I saw was
| HIM"
Rogers Stopped suddenly, and caught
at his throat again.
"T'u be all right in a minute, sir" he
gasped. 1T takes me this way some
times."
mo hurry" Grady assured him. and
then. when his breath was coming
easier, What. did you do then2"
II was so Scared I couldn't scarcely
stand, sir; but I managed to get to the
foot of the stairs and yell for Parks,
and he come running down-and that's
all I remember. sir"
"The woman wasn't here?"
"NoHsir." +"
did YOU look through the rooms? p,
mo, sir%when I found the front door
open, I knoTed she'd gone out. She
hadn't shut fket door because she was
afraid I'd hear her.
That sounds probable agreed
Grady. But what makes you think
she, killed Vantine?" !
"Wel, sir" answered Rogers. slowly,
II guess I oughtn't to have, said that;
but finding the door open that way,
and then coming on MI. Nantine sort
Of upset mel didn't knoW DUST what /
was saying" 4
you don't think sonow. then?'
questioned Grady, sharply.
Ill don't know. what to think, SIR" -
You say o never saw the woman
before3S ,st3y,,
Never, sir" q
Had she, ever been here before?" !
II don't think SO, sir. The first thing
she asked was If this was where Mr..
| Vantine lived Z
Grady nodded. = t:i8 !,
Very good, Rogers" he said. I'll
be offering you a place on the force
| next. Would O know this woman ii
you saw her again?
Rogers hesitatedi - 2,Y3o 2
IT wouldn't like to. say sure, sir" he
answered, at last. II might and 4
might not" -
"Red lips and a white face and
bright eyesHaren,t much to go on
q closer description?"
I'm afraid not, sir. Ijust got a gen
! era impression. Ike, of her face