The Lynden tribune. [volume] (Lynden, Wash.) 1908-current, 1915-01-28
copynsht. 1913. by the Bobbs-Memll Company
lieve they needed to be asked to do 1t
and l suggested also the shoe or slip

lieve they needed to be asked to do It
and l suggested also the shoe or slip
per to be found floating around."-
Just moment" said Mr.. Holcombe,
busy with his notebook. Did you sug-
gest the onyx cl0ckT
mo. no clock was mentioned. The
the clock has puzzled me-"
1.-The towelY'
'Yes. l said no murder was COM
plete without blood, but he kicked on
that--said he didn't mind the rest, but
he'd be hanged If he was going to
slash himself. But. as it happened, he
cut his wrist while cutting the boat
loose, and SO we had the towel"
"PillOw slip" asked Mr.. HOlcombe.
well. no. There was nothing said
about a FELLOWSHIP. Didn't he say he
burned 1t accidentallyT"
$50 he claimed" Mr.. Holcombe
made another entry in his book.
"Then l said every murder had a
weapon. He was to have a pistol at
first. but none of US owned one. Mrs.
Ladley undertook to get a knife from
Mrs. Pitman's kitchen and to leave 1t
around. not in full view. but where it
could be found"
"A broken knife"
mo; just knife"
HE was to throw the knife into the
waterT
THAT was not arranged. only
gave him a general outline. He was
to add any interesting details that
might occur to him. The idea. of
course. was to give the police plenty
to work ON and Just when they thought
they had 1t all and when the theater
had had a lot Of booming and l had
got a good story, to produce Jennie
Brice safe and we'll. We were not to
appear in 1t at all. 1t would have
worked perfectly, but we forgot to
count on one thing-Jennie Brice hated
her husband"
mot really hated him" cried Ida.
"Hated him! She Ia letting him
hang. She could save him by coming
forward now. and she won't do It
She is hiding 80 he will go to the gal
lows"
There was q pause at that. 1t SEEM
ed too incredible, too inhuman.
"Then early that Monday morning
you struggled Jennie Brice out Of the
cityf"
Eyes; that was the only thing we
bungled. We fixed the hour little
too late, and l was seen by Miss Har-
vey's uncle walking across the bridge
with woman"
why did you meet her openly and
take her to the train?"
Mr.. Howell bent forward and smiled
across at the little man. Zone Of your
own axloms, SIR" he said. do the
natural thing: upset the customary Or
der of events as little as possible Jen-
ME Brice went to the train because
that was where she wanted to 60. But
as Ladley was to protest that his wife
had left town. and as the police would
be searching for solitary woman,
went with her. We went in a leisure
ly manner. l bought her a magazine
and morning paper. asked the con-
ductor to fix her window, and. in gen
eraI, acted the devoted husband see
ing his wife OF on trip. l even"-he
smiled-"I even promised to feed the
canary"
Ida took her hands away. "Did you
kiss her goodbye" she demanded.
mot even a chaste salute" he said.
His spirits were rising. 1t was. as Of
ten happens. as II the mere confession
removed the guilt. have seen little
boys who have broken window show
the same relief after telling about It,
"For day or two Bronson and
sat back. enjoying the stir up. Things
turned out as we had expected. Bust-
ness doomed at the theater. l got a
good story, and some few kind words
from my city editor. Then-the ex-
plosion came. l got letter from Jen-
nile Brice saying she was going away.
and that we need not try to find her.
I went to Horner, but l had lost track
of her completely. Even then. we did
not believe things so bad as they turn
ed out to be. We thought she was
giving us bad time, but that she
would show up.
"Ladley was in a blue funk for
time. Bronson and went to him. We
told him how the thing had slipped
up. We didn't want to go to the pc
lice and confess II we could help 1t.
Finally he agreed to stick 1t out until
she was found. at 500 week. 1t took
all we could beg. borrow and steal.
But now-we have to come out with
the story anyhow"
Mr.. Holcombe sat up and closed his
notebook with snap. I'm not SO
sure Of that" he said impressively. II
wonder II you realize, young man. that.
having provided a perfect defense for
this man Ladley, you provided him
with every possible inducement to
make away with his wife. Secure in
your coming forward at the last min
ute and confessing the hoax to save
him, was there anything he might not
have dared with impunity"
but l tell you | took Jennie Brice
out Of town on Monday morning"
Did you% asked Holcombe sternly.