Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-07-01

Graves. the detective. rang the bell
and then let himself in. / found him
| in the lower hall looking around.
well. Mrs Pitmau." he said. has
our friend come back YETI
"She was no friend of mine"
Not she-Ladley. He'll be out this
evening and he'll probably be around
| for his clothes"
! 1 felt my knees waver, as they al
| ways did when he was spoken of.
HE may want to stay here" said
Mr.. Graves. I'm fact, think that's
| just what he will want"
Not here ! protested. The very
| thought of him makes me quake"
IF he comes here better take him in
| | want to know where he Is"
| I tried TO say that I wouldn't have
him. but the old habit of the ward as
! serted itself. From taking a bottle OF
beer or slice of pie TO telling one
| where one might or might not live the
police were autocrats In that neighbor-
hood. and. respectable woman that 1
am. my neighbors' fears of the front
Office have infected me.
"All right. Mr. Graves" said.
He pushed the parlor door open and
looked in. whistling. This is the
| place. isn't it?''
Yes. But it was upstairs that he
81 see Tail woman. Mrs. Ladley?"
Tall and blond. Very airy in her
manner"
He nodded and stood looking in and
whistling. Never heard her speak OF
| a town named Horner. did your"
| "Horner? No.
81 see" He turned and wandered
out again into the hall, still whistling.
| At the door. however. he stopped and
turned Look anything like this?' he
| asked and held out one of his hands
with a small kodak picture on the
| palm.
| 1t was n snapshot of children's
frolic in village street. with some
onlookers in the background Around
one of the heads had been drawn cir
Gle in pencil. 1 took it to the gas jet
and looked at it closely. 1t was tall
woman with hat on, not unlike Jen-
ME Brice. She was looking over the
crowd. and 1 could see only her face,
and that in shadow. I shook my head.
II thought not" he said. I'VE have
lot Of stage pictures of her, but, what
| with false hair and their being re-
| touched beyond recognition, they don't
! amount to much" He started out and
stopped on the doorstep to light cigar.
Take him in If he comes" he said.
And keep your eyes open. Feed him
| well and he won't kill your"
| I had plenty to think of when was
cooking Mr.. Reynolds supper-the
| {oht hor Nfr
! again and the woman at Horner. For
| it had come to me like a fash as Mr..
| Graves left that the Horn" on the
paper slip might have been ''Horner."
| After all, there was nothing sensa-
tional about Mr.. Ladiey's return. He
came at s o'clock that night. fresh
| shaved and with his hair cut, and, al
| though he had a latchkey. he rang the
| doorbell. / knew his ring. and l
| thought it no harm to carry an old
| razor OF Mr.. Pitman's with the blade
| open and folded back on the handle,
| the way the colored people use them,
| in my left hand.
But 1 saw at once that he meant no
mischief.
| his hand. / jumped back until 1 saw
| there was nothing in it and that he
only meant to shake hands. 1 didn't
do it. L might have to take him in
| and make his bed and cook his meals.
but I did not have to shake hands
with him.
You, too,'' he said, looking at me
| with what suppose he meant to be
| reproachful look. But he could no
more put an expression of that sort
in his eyes than a fish could Il sup
pose, then, there is no use asking II
| may have my old room-the front
room 1 won't need two"
I didn't want him. and he must have
seen it But / took him. You may
have it, as far as I'm concerned"
said But you'll have to let the pa
per hanger in tomorrow"
"Assuredly." He came into the hall
! and stood looking around him. and 1
fancied he drew a 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 walls" 1 said.
He looked at me and smiled "Or
than stone walls" he repeated, bow
ing, and went into his room.
So / had him again. and IL I gave
him only the dull knives and locked
up the breadknife the moment I had
finished with 1t, who can blame meF
l took all the precaution i could think
of-had Terry put an extra bolt on
every door and hid the rat poison and
the carbolic acid in the cellar.
patar xvouId not On near him He |
hobbIed 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 bus
band came back. On Friday the body
of a woman was washed ashore at
Beaver. but turned out to be that OF a
stewardess who had fallen overheard