The review. [volume] (High Point, N.C.) 1908-19??, 1921-09-08

what it was your aet-Only | per
Suaded myself that the man must have
attacked you, and that you struck in
Self-defenSe. l would not believe you
guilty of deliberate murder l meant
to give you chance; so I took The
weapon away with me-"
She drew long breath.
"No one saw you?''
mot soul; the street was absO,
lutely deserted / wiped off the blood
and hid the knife in my pocket until
! reached the hotel; then 1 concealed
1T at the bottom of my valise."
"It is still there?"
"No; something led Harris to
suspect l was not DAILY, and he set
out to investigate. He had my tele-
phone number, and easily located both
hotel and room. Waiting until / left
the key, he entered, and went through
the valise in search Of anything no
could find. He came upon the dagger
hatpin, remembered that you had just
such a one in your hat that night
and instantly jumped to the conclusion,
as he had seen the wound, that this
was the weapon of murder. He be-
lieves we were working together, anc
this was why I had concealed the
knife
"And you? you believed that?'
81 believed In YOU" I said earnestly.
AT first / thought it must he you;
then saw that pin in your hat again,
when I knew l had one just like it
hidden at the hotel. This gave me
ri
covered my valise slit open. and the
dagger gone. I knew of no one who
| would do such an actor had Occa
| sion to-except you, in an effort to
destroy evidence.
'"TheR later, when that was cleared
up by Harris acknowledging that he
was the one who got the pin, l told him
about your having your own in your
hat at PerOnd'S. He only laughed, and
said you were smart enough to buy
another as soon as the first was
found missing; that doubtless there
were plenty to be had"
Hes right; there are. AT least l
know of one shop on lower Broadway
. where they are for sale" She stopped
suddenly, with peculiar gesture.
why, now I think Of it, Sarah Wal
dron has one exactly like mine;
bought ii for her.
| EVAN WaIdron's wifc?''
! "Of course; that's rather odd, isn't
~"
. 1T opens up a line Of thought. any
way. Gould you find oug, do you
oppose, if she has it still? What
does she know about her husband?"
! The girl laughed softly
! "know! Less even than / do.
imagine He doesn't show up here
oftener than once i'll six months, and
| Sarah gets nothing from him. She
| wouldn't knoW-Why?"
Because. after all, it might be the
Russian; If it was he would have to
lie to Harris, and pretend to know
nothing. You heard how those two
.alked at Perond's. What did you
make of it?''
She drew her eyes together, leaving
he marks of a frown on her fore
cad
THAT they had planned together to
ob Alva; that Waldron was to be
hidden somewhere outside, and was
% wait for Harris to signal him that
he money had been paid over"
Exactly; Harris failed to learn
hat the money changed hands, and
Consequently did not signal. But
VaIdrOn, nevertheless, was outside
Waiting; had no doubt spotted Alva's
machine. and was ready to act. The
one thing we do not know is-did
Alva start home alone; or did one
Of the men accompany him? If the
latter supposition is true then that
fellow must have committed the
murder, with Wa1dron possible
accomplish after the crime. If not
true, then the only other solution is
that AIva picked Waldron up for com
partnership. Were they acquainted at
allg"
ST think SO, but am not sure; you
said Waldron first reported this
Ichaneer to Harris"
ESQ he did :: then it fig quf9w possible
the two knew each other. That would
make it easy for the Russian to- ask a
ride. Whoever struck the blow was in
the rear seat. This theory fits in all
right with his actlOnS toward HARRIS.
What do you mean to dO?'
"Shadow Waldron; he is sure, to
expose himself sooner Or later. We
must get away from here, out of the
hands of these fellows. Could yon
find your way to the stairs in the
dark?''
Eyes. have been here often"
tH'Then am going to turn ont this
light before opening the door,"
She led the way confidently enough.
moving silently along the wall,
keeping close so as to touch her. +
few steps brought us forth into the
hall at the head Of flight of stairs
leading downward. My fingers grippe1
the banisters, while she stood aside
to let me pass.