The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1914-03-25
Mary Roberts
Rinehart
Copyright, 1913, the Bobbs-Mer-
rill Company.

| ~sP fh VIZ oAtVt hOohf VIII
cracker or bit of bread. But
they refused. Mr.. Howell said he
had promised to meet a lady, and
to bring her through the flooded
district In a boat. He shook
hands with me, and smiled at MIR.
Holcombe.
"You will have to restrain his
enthusiasm, Mrs. Pitman," he
said. "He is a bloodhound on
the scent. If his baying gets on
your nerves, just send for me. -
He went down the stairs and
stepped into the boat. "Remem-
Der, Holcombe," he called, every
well-constituted murder has tive
things: motive and corpse
You haven't either, only a mass
OF piffling details"
IF everybody waited until he
saw flames, instead of relying or
the testimony of the smoke" Mr.
Holcombe snapped, what would
the fire loss be?"
Mr.. Howell poled his boat tc
the front door, and sitting down
prepared to row out. ..... >.
You are warned, Mrs. Pit.
man." he called to me. "If he
doesn't find body to fit the
clues. he's quite capable of max.
ing one to fill the demand"
Horn" said Mr.. Holcom be
looking at the slip again. 1.-THE
tail of the n is torn off-evi-
IDENTIFY only part of a word. Hor-
net, Horning, Horner-Mrs. Pit
man, will you go with me to the
police station?"
was more than anxious to go.
In fact, | could not bear the idea
of staying alone in the house
with heaven only knows what
concealed in the depths of that
muddy flood. l got on my wraps
again, and Mr.. Holcombe rowed
me out. Peter plunged into the
water to follow, and had to be
sent back. He sat on the lower
step and whined. Mr.. Holcombe
threw him another piece of liver,
but he did not touch 1t.
We rowed to the corner of Rob-
inson street and Federal---it was
before Federal street was raised
above the flood level-and left
the boat in charge of a boy there.
And we walked to the police sta
ton. On the way Mr.. Holcombe
questioned me closely about the
events Of the morning, and / re-
called the incident of the burned
FELLOWSHIP. He made a note of
it at once, and grew very thought
full.
He left me, however, at the DO
lice station. 'I'd rather not ap-
pear in this, Mrs. Pitman," he
said apologetically, "and l think
better along my own lines. Not
that | have anything against the
police; they've done some SPLEEN
did work. But this case takes i'm
agination, and the police depart
ment deals with facts. We have
no facts yet. What we need, OF
course, is to have the man de-
tanned until we are sure of our
case"
He lifted his hat and turned
away, and l went slowly up the
steps to the police station. Liv-
ing, as | had, in a neighborhood
where the police, like the poor,
are always with us, and where the
visits of the patrol wagon are one
of those familiar sights that no
amount of repetition enabled any
of us to treat with contempt, /
was uncomfortable until l remem-
bered that my grandfather had
bene one of the first mayors of
the city, and that, IL the patrol
had been at my house more than
once. the entire neighborhood
would testify that my boarders
were usually orderly.
At the door someone touched me
on the arm. IL was Mr.. Holcombe
again.
81 have been thinking Il over. +"
he said, "and I believe you'd bet
ter not mention the piece of paper
that you found behind the wash
stand. They might say the whole
thing Is hoax"
Very WE'LL" I agreed, and
went in.
The police sergeant In charge
knew me at once, having stopped
at my house more than once in
flood-time for cup of hot coffee.
sit down, Mrs. Pitman," he
said. II suppose you are still
making the best coffee and
doughnuts in the city of ALLIE
gheny? Well, what's the trouble
In your district? Want an In
junction against the river for
trespass?"
THE river has brought me a
good bit Of trouble" said. I'm