The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1921-07-27

|
| how was to account for tie strange
coincident that both she and Harris
| had named the same number, and
street? 1t could not have occurred
merely through chance. Something
must have happened In the mean
| to cause this rabid hOusekeeper to
even deny her very existence. And |
held the key Of explanation-the muir
der of Alva.
Beyond all doubt here was both
cause and effect. The girl had intend
ed to either see me herself, or by
proxy in the form of this mysterious
Miss Conrad. But what had since
occurred had compelled sudden
change In plans, a necessity for con-
cealing her escape. There was no
way in which she could notify me, but
she might very easily have telephoned
to her landlady. And. If the place
was what l suspicioned 1t to be. she
might have every confidence that her
secret would be guarded.
SduuSSu uP a. tuC AlOul VI tuC
house, searching the windows. but
without results. The curtains were
closely drawn to keep out the sun,
and the place appeared forlorn and
deserted. At the delicatessen shop on
the corner l gained CLEAN of light,
but merely enough to strengthen my
former judgment. The keeper, flax
en-haired Swede, was loquacious
enough. but had only bssp ln business
there few weeks. .gEL...s
"..r.r, you say. Yes, she
taxes r66mers; some are men, and
some are women. They come IN here
and buy, but never ask the names: II
was a.! cesb, 80 Why should 1 carer
SQmetimes ! hear them call names
sure; but never Conrad. The woman
what keeps the house7 Wait and I
-: ~ you; it is on the books; ah! you
resx she wrote i TT %sE>.rs. Au,
gusts waldron; maybe a wiacwr
What you think? BAH shs never like
anything I have to sell. I care both
Ing for trade with hef-a cat this Mrs.
Augusta Waldron."
left him with the familiar sound
Of the name ringing In my ears-the
whole thing was travelling in q circle,
and the circle was growing continual
ly more compact. Blindly, I was
stumbling up against 1t here and
there most Unexpectedly. Augusta
Waldron, beyond doubt, was Ivan Wal
dron's wife. No wonder her house
was designated the meeting place for
those people.
returned to the hotel. Only as
stood before the door did I realize
that the newsboys were calling out,
Extra! All about the murder!" I
felt that my face was white, and that
by hand shook, yet hastily bought
copies Of half dozen sheets, showing
them into my pockets.
The reports were mostly alike, ex-
ceedingly brief and unsatisfactory, ex-
cept that they conveyed the impress
sion that thus far the police possessed
no real clue as to the perpetrator Of
the crime. No one connected with
the meeting the night before was men,
toned in any article, nor was any sus.
piciOn Of such meeting mentioned.
read the last line with a distinct feel
Ing Of relief, dropping the paper on
the floor.
They had discovered no clue, moth
Ing whatever to work upon. The In
terror Of the car had yielded no evil
dence Of its former occupant. the only
reference being to mud on the floor
Outside all footprints had been OBJ
liberated by the falling rain. No one
in the neighbOrhood had heard q
sound, or witnessed any movement
The whole affair was shrOuded in mys
terry.
What, under these conditions, was
my duty? What could l either do, OIL
say, to clarity this tragedy, and brins
the guilty to justice? l sat there FOL
an hour thinking and smoking, en-
deavoring to answer these queries.
could study out no clear way to an!
confession, which would not direct!
involve myself In the tolls Of the pc
lice, or else impllcate Marie Gessler
so as to make any defense on her par
almost impossible No doubt she wa
guilty, yet could not drive myself t,
openly charge her with the crime
There must be some extenuating cir
cumstances, some unknown cause
which had led to the act. l could no
forget her face, her manner, the clear
wOmanly look Of her eye-she was n,
murderess, and 1t was not In my hear
to denOunce her as such. Besides, 1
l took this responsibility 1t wOul,
only serve to shield other crimes o
more importance than the violen
death OF this Chilean revolutionary
the murder perhaps Of many innocen
victims, and the destruction Of mucl
valuable property. For Alva's teatl
would hardly stop the plotting AZ. I'D,
on foot. The money was still herr i
New York ready to be used; the prOpa
sandists at Washington would neve
permit it to long lie idle. They woul,
find somewhere another leader, and