American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1921-07-22

and, whoever that other might be, ne
a made a clear getaway, leaving
not even a lurking suspicion behind
Aim. II vas the job Of a master-thief,
an expert in crime-or else had been
accomplished through the blind luck
of some one whose very Identity
clodked any possibility Of suspicion.
My glance wandering about the
room simlessly fell upon the valise In
M conner. II was just where ! re
membered leaving IL when I went out,
yet / saw something which surely
resembled' a slash In the leather. |
crossed over, and bent down; IT was
a slash, the clean CUT Of a knife, run
ming from end to end, penetrating
through both feather and cloth, Who
ever had done the deed had been IN
able to operate the lock, and mad
used the blade as a last resort, SLIT
ting the entire bag wide open. i In
serted my hand and felt within; nofh-
Ing seemed missing, or greatly dis
tur'bed. / explored to- the bottom, and
then sprang to my feet In startled
smazement-the dagger I had con
ceaIed there was gone!
Good God what could be the mean
ing of this? She had worn that orna-
meDt in her hat openly, purposely, To
fool me into believing her innocent.
There could - no other explanation.
She had confessed being at the bctel,
seeking to locate me, and the number
of my room. What would prevent her
coming up here u~nobservedI then,
while I was out, and gaining ~entranceF'
and who else would have any reason
to thus search through my things, and
abstract this important evidence Of
crfmef
Yet how did she know / had It'll!
Flow did she ever suspect / was the
first to discover the dead body, and
Scar Alvey with me the telltale weupu-
on with which Alva had been MUIR
dered7 I had no means Of knowing
how-onIy she alone had special rsni
son to regain possession of that knife.
And' she had even dared later to fiauntl
Ii In nay very face, to show 1t to me
In her possession, just as though IL
had pessed put of her hands I
Here WIS revealed a depth of duplici4
ty, a criminal sudacity, not to be ex-
pressed In words; this soft spoken
girl, this woman to whom / knew /
had given my heart, stood revealed
now in all her hideousness-a muir
deres6, a thief, d schemlng criminal,
coolYy ~coneealfng the trail of her crime,
and using her very charms OF face
and manner to conceal from me her
true nature.
Perhaps she would see me again
perhapsI The lie was yet warm upon
her bps. She had gone away laugh
ing MT the slmpleton who had believed
her. the CEgpe who had so easily been
deceived by her smiles. The chances
were she had disappeared already,
vanished, left the city, assured that
no evidence On remained behind to
eve onnec her with this TERRIBLE az
fair: She cared nothing for mel
had been a mere tool, plant In her
handl-p remained merely In her mem
DRY as something to laugh about, an
other victim, q Blind, cropping fool, with
whom sAe hsd played to her hearts
desire,
T sat with my head In my hands
staring at the mutfFsted bag, racked
witt anger m misery. I had been
easy, q mark Of derisfon and ridicule 4;
a. mere screen for her 20 hide behind,
while her Recomp4fee, II she had one,
escaped with the spoils. Then the re-
action came; the thought that per
maps 4 la not read the story wholly
Alright; the faint hope that II might
not prove exactly as I had pictured In
my irst Wild burst Of passion. It was
too ~infaHuous, too unthinkable. Why,
If she was guilty should she have re-
NAMED IN New York; Why should
she have sought me out, or listened
so intently to the quarrel OF those two
men at Perond's7 What could she pos
sfDly gain by thus 0%verhearing the tale
q their f~aifure, II she already knew
who was the murderer Of Alva, and
what had become Of the spoils?
I could ask these questions, but not
n was answenble. They merely
Knocked me with their emptiness.
Then, shrir and insistent, the tels.
phone rang.
My heart Was beating like a trip
hammer as I took down the receiver.
Who could be calling me at this hour
Who except she alone in this city knew
mp name and hotel7
"HullO."
A mans voice spoke huskIly. This
you, Dalyr
Yes hastily, instantly aware o.
who was on the other end Of the wire
yet feeling it best to disse1able until
1 learned the purpose
who is speakingf"
1.-The fellow you biffed with a both,
tonight. No, L amt got no hard feel
inga. Besides, | got something else Il
think about than a cracked dome. Say
l got some, dope on how that job wa
did, an maybe could tell you some
thing else o. interest 1 got TO tall