Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-03-16
ALICE DEVINE
By EDGAR JEPSON
Copyright 1916 By The Bcbbs- Merrill Co.

l. was curious, how after the inquest
fell dead. Yet l know that the police
went on hunting, for l saw Pardoe
about the Gardens frequently; and
three or four times he came to see me
to talk about little clues he had found.
They were not of any value. l had an
idea that he believed that I, like Walsh
knew more about the business than l
said; that l could have told him who
the girl in evening dress and the man
who had bolted were. He was always
trying to trip me up by sudden ques-
tionS.
One day I said to him: Look here,
Pardoe, it's not bit of good your try.
ing to catch me out, because ! don't
know. l don't say that if I did, ia
tell you. Very probably shouldn't
But I don't know"
"You people do hang together so, my
Lord" said Pardoe grumpily.
why don't you get it out of Walsh
said.
Pardoe shocks his head.
It was clear to me that the police
were baked. They had not traced the
black lace scarf to any one; and they
could not find the woman in the feath-
cred hat. She had bolted after the re-
volver had been fired: and 1t Neemed
likely that she could throw somo light
on the matter l suggested to Pardoe
that they should advertise for her. Par
doe only shook his head and said that
if she were a foreigner. as my descrip-
ton of her suggested, it was any odds
that she would not read the English
papers, and the advertisement woul!
be wasted. But after all he did adver-
tise for her; for I saw the advertise
ment in the agony column of the Daily
Mail.
In the meantime I went on making
quiet enquiries myself. If had discov-
cred anything, 1 had no great intention
of informing the police Of It. I meant
to exercise my discretion. I was not
going to get any CT my friends, or even
my tenants, into the mess of lifetime
on account OF wretched, blackmailing
foreigner. made the enquiries entire
ly on my own account. The murder
had excited my curiosity as nothing
else in my life had ever excited it; and
I wanted to satisfy it.
Everything turned on the question.
who was the woman in the evening
frock? If could find her could find
the man who had bolted from the
strawberries. I had no doubt that one
or the other Of them had shot the
blackmailer.
It was most likely that she was one
Of my tenants. or rather wife, or
daughter of one of my tenants. She
plainly knew the central garden well.
Also she was one of the ladies who
was, or had been, attached to Walsh.
There were three of these ladies in
Garthoyle Gardens: and the girl had
seen walking with the blackmailer
might have been any one of the three.
Two Of them, indeed, were dark and
one fair: but since the girl in the gar
den had had her hair wrapped in a
scarf had not been able to tell wheth-
err she was dark or fair, while as re-
CARDS figure, the three ladies who low
ed, or had loved Walsh. Were about the
same height and breadth The girl
had seen might be any one Of the
three.
l set about trying to find out what
these three ladies were doing on the
night Of the murder, making my en-
uuiries as quietly as possible. found
them very difficult enquiries to make;
it was so hard to make any reason for
wanting to know such fact. I came
TO the conclusion that the only way to
make such enquiries was to be a police
man. Then you go straight to the per-
son whom you want the Information
about and say straight out: What
were you doing on such and such q
nights?"
l enquired and enquired and I did
not get the information. I saw two Of
the ladies several times in the gardens
or at other peoples houses. If either
of them had committed the murder
they were very good actresses. Or very
sure of not being found out: and shoot
ing a blackmailer did not weigh at all
heavily on their minds. But I did not
come across the third lady anywhere.
though I had been meeting her about
often enough before the murder: and |
began to fancy that she was keeping
out of sight. Then, coming into the
Palladium late one night I found her
husband in the smoking room: and I
saw at once that he was looking very
much off color. kept my eye on him.
wondering: and I saw that he was
fidgety and restless and very nervous.
He had way OF looking at the door,
whenever it was opened. with a fright
ened stare that made me think he was
expecting to see policeman come in
at any moment and collar him. After
that only tried to find out what he
and his wife had been doing on the
night Of the murder l thought l was
getting warm.
Then one night about week later.
when was playing baccarat at Scru.
tons. noticed that the piebald duke
kept looking at me in a rather odd way.
The interest he was taking in me must
have put him off his usual game, for he
actually won over four thousand.
AS usual the party broke up about
| half past three: and Just as I was go.
ing out of the house. the duke called to
me: "Falf minute, Garthoyle, I'll
stroll along with you"
We came out of the house together:
and at the bottom of the steps he said:
care you in a hurry to go to bed?"
! Not bit" said l. after a long
gamble like that I'm often quite time
getting to sleep: and quiet stroll and
some fresh air are soothing"
"Have Won got the key of that middle