Cheraw chronicle. [volume] (Cheraw, S.C.) 1896-2005, 1919-06-05
CHAPTER lIl-Continued.

i Qlu not Searcn the ueau ihuh .
pockets. I cared nothing who he was,
and did not want to know. My sole
desire was to acQuit Jacqueline OF his
death, in the worlds eyes.
That he had come deservedly by 1t
l was positive.
Four o'clock was striking while l
was climbing back into the room
again. Jacqueline lay on the bed In
the same position; she had not stirred
during that hour.
took the knife from the floor
where I had flung 1t, scrubbed 1t, and
placed il in my suitcase. Then
scrubbed the floor clean, afterward
rubbing II with a soiled rag to make
It's appearance uniform.
thought / had finally removed all
traces of the affair; but, coming back
I perceived something upon the floor
which had escaped my notice. 1t was
the leather collar Of the Eskimo dog
with its big silver studs and the max
er's silver name plate.
All this while the animal had re-
NAMED perfectly quiet in the room
crouching at JacQueline's feet and be-
aide the bed.
came to the conclusion that there
might have been struggle; that 1t
bad run to its mistresS's assistance,
and that the collar had been torn
from II by the dead man.
picked the collar up and carried
n into the next room and held II un-
der the light. The letters Of the
mixers name were almost obliterated,
bnt after a careful study / was able
10 make them ont. The name was
Maclay & Robitaille, and the place of
manufacture Quebec. This confirmed
my belief concerning Jacqueline's ma
fiv'ty.
pried the plate from the leather
and slipped 1t into my pocket. put
the broken collar into my suit case,
together with the dagger, and then
set about packing my things for the
Journey which we were to undertake.
When / had finished packing I went
back to Jacqueline and sat beside
her while she slept.
In q little while 1t would begin to
tighten, and the advent of the day
f3lled me with sort Of terror.
l watched the sleeping girl. Who
was she? How could she sleep so
calmly after that nights deed? The
mystery seemed unfathomable; the
girl alone in the city, the robbers, the
dog, the dead man, and the one who
had escaped me.
Jacaueline's bag lay open on the
bureau and diSgOrged bills. There
we're rolls and rolls of them-eiSht
thousand dollars did not seem too
much.
raised her hand and held it in my
own, and sat thus until the room be-
gan to tighten, watching her all the
while.
At last she stirred, her eyes opened,
and she sat up. She gazed at me with
apathy, but there was also recognl-
ton in her look.
"Do you know me, JacQuelne" /
asked.
aMy friend Paul."
"JacQueline, am going to take you
home" ! said, hoping that she would
tell me something, but dared ask her
no more. / meant to take her to Que
bee and make inquiries there.
81 am going 10 take you home,
JacQueline." repeated.
"Yes, Paul" she answered in that
docile manner of hers.
ut Is lucky you have your furS, be-
cause the winter is cold where your
home is"
"Yes, Paul." she repeated as before,
and a few more probingS on my part
convinced me that she remembered
nothing ut all. Her mind was like It
person's newly awakened in Il strange
land. But this state brought with il
no fear, only a peaceful quietude and
Taith which was very touching.
"Now, Jacqueline," said, 1--WE shall
have to begin to make ready for our
Journey"
i had just remembered that the Stor-
age company was to call that
day. 1he van would probably be al
the house early in the morning, aud it
wRs essential that we should tie gone
before 1t arrived.
! showed Jacqueline the bathroom
and drew the curtains. Then l went
into the kitchenette and made coffee
un the gas range, and, since it was
too early for the arrival of my morn
ing loaf, which was placed just within
the street door by the bakers boy ev-
try day, l mace some toast and but
tered 1t.
When / took In the breakfast
Jacuueline was waiting for lie, look