Gunnison news-champion., 1920-03-05

The doctor looked round the room
frUWulUE.
q. Luat Ike IT, can't undsrStanc
II. II this had happened in India 9
should have said the man had died
from some form uf srlako-llie. was
out there two year. and I've seen d
Blndrsd cas.- OF IT, They all looked
Just Ike this Tha things ridiculous.
How could ula4 Ie bitten by a suaE.
Ia waterfront boarding h0us-r The
whole things mad. Was the door
locked when you found him. Mrs
PlrEsttT
Mr. Pickett nodded.
Il opened It with my own key.
had been calling 10 him. and be- fIda'r
answer, so guessed something was
wrong"
The p0llrerun spoke:
You amt touched anything nra'arnt
They're always mighty particular
about that II docs right. and there's
been any funny work here. that's the
FIRST thing they'll ask"
"Eyery thing Is Just as found IT.
whats that on the floor bsSlir
himT'
That's his harnonlca. He liked 20
play II of an evening limits room. I've
had complaints about IL from some of
the gentlemen: but never saw any
harm. 80 as he didn't play too late"
Seems as II he was playing IL when
1T happened. TEs, don't look much
Ike suicide. doc"
Il didn't say IL was suicide
Offlc"r GruEan whIstied.
You don't thing"
Il don't think anythinT-tili sitter
the Inquest All l say is that H.
queer
Another aspect of the matter
seemed 10 strike the policeman
Il guess this amt going to helr
the Excelsior any. mA'aIn," he said
sympathctically.
Mrs Pickett shrugged her shoulders
Silence fell upon the room.
II suppose | had better telephone &c
the coroner" said the doctor.
lie went out. and after a rrorneutsry
pause the policeman followed him.
Officer Grognn was not greatly troE
hlcd with E.ryes. but he felt a dsCldcC
desire 10 be somewhere where he
could not see those staring eyes.
Mrs. Pickett remained where she
was. looking down at the dead man
Her face was still eIpTesslonless. bui
inwardly she was in a termenL Thi'
was the first time such thing as th!s
had happened at the Excelsior. and
rs Officer GroFan had hiu'cd. II wa
not likely to Increase the attractive
ness Of the house In the eyes OF pos
sible buarders.
However well established the repn
tat!On Of house NAV be for comfor'
and the excellence Of its cuisine. II Il
Is house OF ragedy. peop,e, for
time at any rate. Will logs askahc'
at II.
II was not the possible pecunlnr,
loss which was troubling Mts. Pickett
As for pg money was concerned. sh'
could have retired ir"in business YEAR
before and lived comfortably on heI
savings. She was richer than thos,
who knew her supposed.
1t IVES the blot on the cscutcheor
OF the ExcclsIor-the stain on the En
cclsior's reputatloI-which was tor
menting her.
The Excelsior was her life. Start
ing many years before. beyond th'
memory of the oldest boardcr. sh,
had built up this model establishment
the fame Of which had been carried
TO every corner OF the world.
In saloons and places where sailor
men gathered together from Liverpoo.
TO Yokohama, from Cape Town TO
MarseIlles. the reputation OF Pickett's
was OF pure gold. Men spoke Of 1t n
place where you were well fed
clcanly housed. and where petty rob
berry was unknown.
Such was the chorus OF praise from
end to end of the world that IL Is nci
likely that much harm could come t.
Pickett's from single mysterious
death: but Mother Pickett was moi
consollng herself with such reflections
She was wounded sore. Pickett's
had had clean slate; now II had not
That was the sum of her thoughts.
She looked at the dead man with
pale. grim eyes From down the pas
sage. came the DOCTORS voice as hs
spoke on the telephone.