Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-12-14

Antnony Fys Wnefe H. lava fIef
ti0r
CHAPTER x.
I The Web.
Just the manner of the man startled
Anthony and caused him to hitch
hack in his chair and stare. John
Son Boiler was not so affected.
Say. what's the matter with you
Hltchfn!~ he asked "Are you plain
MI"
Hitchin snapped his fingers at him
1ngrily and continued his stare at
Anfhoay Fry.
weir he said tense1y.
well. upon my soul, Hitch" An
fAcny st2mmered. II believe Boilers
Esht!"
"Oh, no, ypu don't" Hobart Hitchfn
said quietly. "You know a great deal
better and Boiler knows great deal
better, but he has a good deal more
self control than you have. Fry, where
Is David Prentiss?"
Gone home of course!" Anthony
snapped.
when did he go?"
What? Last night"
and can you give me an idea on
tie hour"
oh halt past twelve, perhaps
AT half past twelve last night,
David Prentiss left this apartment
He went down tn the elevator"
II suppose so.''
~And-just be patient, Fry" Hitchin
smiled disarmingly. did the young
man wear from this apartment the
clothes he wore into this apartment? 2"
1t was perfectly apparent to Anthony
that the wretched fool had taken
what he fancied to be a scent OF
some sort; 1t was equally clear that,
in his present state of mind, Anthony
would answer perhaps three more
questions and then losing himself
completely, would smash the flower
vase over Hobart Hitchins shining
bald head solely as a salve for his
nerves."
Doubtless the long coat and the
down-pulled cap had started him Oh
they were sufficiently mysterious
hooking to impress a less, sensitive
imagination than Hitchin's. But what
ever troubled the crime specialist.
David Prentiss would have to be lied
out Of here in detail, lied home and
He'd to bed.
~Hitchin," said Anthony, Heaven
zfone knows what concern Of yours it
can be, but the Prenuss boy-the son
1f an old friend of mine who has
seen better days-came back here
With hast night for some things, cast
odS, had promised his unfortunate
fAthsr. We met him on the street on
the way home"
"Just around the corner" supplied
johnson Boiler, who was growing
steadily more anxious to speak his
mind to Anthony about the Mrs. Boil
lar matter.
and having come upstairs with
- and having selected the things he
thought his father would like best,
Anthony went on, "they were wrapped
in . bundle Of ordinary brown paper.
tied up with ordinary, non-mysterious
0me-proof string and carried out by
David who, I have no doubt at all,
reached home within half an hour,
give the clothes to his father. said
his prayers and went to bed without
further ado. If there is anything else
you'd like to know, ask"
Hobart Hitchin had not blinked.
Now he smiled strangely and
shrugged his shoulders
AT least" said he, ''you have per-
fected the story, haven't you?"
Il"
sAnd Now Mr.. Hitchin broke in in.
cisively. ''let us consider the facts.
We win take them one by one, and l
beg that you will listen. Item one:
] sat In the lobby down stairs until
seventeen minutes of one o'clock this
morning, Fry. No David Prentiss
passed me. going OUT Nobody left
this hotel with bundle or bag!"
you didn't see him. Anthony said. !
Because he was not there. Listen
please, and do not interrupt, Fry. I
like you, or ] should not be here. |
wish to help you, il such thing be
possible, or l should have gone at
once to the police" said the remark
able Mr.. Hitchin. You. like many a
man before you. forget perfectly plain
details. In this case. you have for
gotten that my apartment is directly
beneath yours--that the elevators
here have latticed gates, so that one
can. see from any floor whoever may
be passing in one Of the cars-that /,
sound travels perfectly in this build.
ing when the street IS quiet. as as
night. So to get to item two. About .
two o'clock this morning there was
the sound of a heavy fall in this very !
room"
Johnson Boiler was graspins the
trend more rapidlv than was Anthony