The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1914-03-27
ssThe Case of Mary Robert:
p-@- =. Rinehart
Jennie BriCe'' s.,..ss j u: s:.: ): ::...s.
Copyright 1913, the Bobbs-Mer-
riu Company.

anywhere without being discov-
cred. The morning after her dis
appearance a young woman, tall
like Jennie Brice and fair, had
been seen In the Union Station.
But as she was accompanied by q
young man, who bought her mag
azines and papers, and babe her
an excited farewell, sending his
love to various members of a
family, and promising to feed the
canary, this was not seriously con-
sidered. A sort of general alarm
went over the country. When
she was younger she had been
pretty we'll known at the Broad
way theaters in New York. One
way or another, the Liberty The
alter got a lot of free advertising
from the case, and / believe Miss
Hopes salary was raised.
The police communicated with
Jennie Brice's people-she had a
sister in Olean, New York, but
she had not heard from her. The
sister wrote-I heard later-that
Jennie had been unhappy with
Philip Ladley, and afraid he
would kill her. And Miss Hope
told the same story. But-there
was no corpus, as the lawyers say,
and finally the police had to free
Mr.. Ladley.
Beyond making an attempt to
get bail, and failing, he had done
nothing. Asked about his wife,
he merely shrugged his shoulders
and said she had left him, and
would turn up all right. He was
unconcerned: smoked cigarettes
all day, ate and slept well. and
looked better since he had had
nothing to drink.
And two or three days after
the arrest, he sent for the manu-
script of his play.
Mr.. Howell came for 1t on the
Thursday of that week.
+ was on my knees scrubbing
the parlor floor, when he rang the
bell. let him In, and 1t seemed
to Inc that he looked tired and
pale.
We'll, Mrs. Pitman," he said,
smiling, what did you find in the
cellar when the water went
down."
I'm glad to say that l didn't
find what l feared, Mr.. Howell"
mot even the onyx clock?"
Not even the clock" replied.
And feel as If I'd lost friend.
A clock is lot of company.
do you know what / Think"
he said, looking at me closely. 81
think you put that clock away
yourself, in the excitement, and
have forgotten all about it."
Nonsense"
Think hard" He was very
much in earnest. you knew the
water was rising and the Ladleys
would have to be moved up to
the second floor front, where the
clock stood. You went in there
and looked around to see If the
room was ready, and you saw the
clock. And knowing that the
Ladleys quarreled now and then,
and were apt to throw things"
Nothing but a soap-dish, and
that only once"
you took the clock to the
attic and put 1t, say, in an old
trunk"
Il did nothing of the sort.
went in, as you say, and L put up
an old splasher, because of the
way he throws ink about. Then
| wound the clock, put the key
under 1t, and went out"
And the key is gone, tool" he
said thoughtfully. 81 wish
could find that clock, Mrs. Pit
man."
$50 do l."
'Ladley went out Sunday after
noon about three. didn't he-and
got back at five?"
turned and looked at him.
Yes, Mr.. Howell" said. per
haps you know something about
that"
"T?" He changed color. Twenty
years of dunning boarders has
made me pretty sharp at reading
faces, and he looked as uncom-
Portable as IL he owed me money.
I'll" | knew then that l had
been right about the voice. 1t
had been his.
"You!" retorted. "You were
here Sunday morning and spent
some time with the Ladleys. !
am an old she-devil. notice
you didn't tell your friend, Mr..
Holcombe. about having been here
on Sunday"
He was quick to recover. I'll
tell you all about 1t, Mrs. Pit
man." he said smilingly. "You
see, all my life, 1 have wished
for an onyx clock. 1t has been
my ambition, my great desire.
Leaving the house that Sunday
morning. and hearing the tick
ing of the clock upstairs. I re-
cognized that it was an onyx
clock, clambered from my boat
'hiouSu an upper WINDOW, and
80 reached it. The clock showed
fight, but after stunning 1t with
a chair"
Exactly" I said. "Then the
thing Mrs. Ladley said she would
not do was probably to wind the
clock?"
He dropped his bantering man
ner at once. Mrs. Pitman," he
said, Il don't know what you
heard or did not hear. But |
want you to give me little time
before you tell anybody that !
was here that Sunday morning.
And, In return, I'll find your
clock"
l hesitated. but however put
out he was, he didn't look like a
criminal. Besides, he was a
friend OF my niece's, and blood Is
Il fhlaknR