Owingsville outlook., 1921-08-25

/ unlsnt nave every cOnndTce lnat nel
secret would be guarded.
l glanced up at the front of th'
house, searching the windows but
without results. The curtains wert
closely drawn TO keep out the sun
and the place appeared fOrlOrn ant
deserted. At the dellcatessen shop OF
the corner ] gained a gleam of light
but merely enough TO strengthen my
former judgment. The keeper, flax
en-haired Swede, was lOQuacious
enough, but had only been in business
| there a few weeks.
'2247 lie COmpte, you say. Yes, She
/ takes roomers; some are men. and
some are women. They come in here
and buy, but l never ask the names; II
was all cash, so why should | care
! Sometimes | hear them call names
sure; but never Conrad. The woman
what keeps the house? Wait and
! tell you; il is on the books; ah! you
read as she wrote 1t for me-Mrs. Au
gusta Waldron; maybe a widow
What you think? Bah, she never like
anything | have to sell. l care moth
ing for trade with her-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 a circle
and the circle was growing continual
ly more compact. Blindly, 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.
l returned to the hotel. Only as
stood before the door did | realize
that the newsboys we're calling out,
Extra All about the murderw !
felt that my face was white, and that
ny hand shook, yet l hastily bought
copies of half a 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 a 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 neiRhborhood had heard n
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, or
say, to clarity this tragedy, and bring
the guilty to justice? l sat there for
an hour thinking and smoking, en-
deavoring to answer these queries.
could study out no clear way to any
confession, which would not directly
involve myself in the tolls of the po-
lice, or else implicate Marie Gessler,
so as to make any defense on her part
almost impossible. No doubt she was
guilty. yet / could not drive myself to
openly charge her with the crime.
There must be some extenuating cir
cumstances, some unknown cause
which had led to the act. l could mo-
forget her face, her manner the clear,
womanly lock of her eye-she was no
murderess, and II was not in my heart
to denounce her as such. Besides, If
l took this responsibility 1t would
only serve to shield other crimes of
more importance than the violent
death of this Chilean evolutionary
the murder perhaps Of many innocent
victims, and the destruction of much
valuable property. For Alva's death
would hardly stop the plotting already
on foot. The money was still here In
New York ready to be used; the propa-
gandists at Washington would never
permit ii to long lie idle. They would
find somewhere another leader, and
alone seemed to be in a position TO
balk their helllsh purpose. Perhaps
it was even by their orders that Alva
had thus been put out Of the way.
He had acted too slowly, and sus-
picion might have been aroused as to
his real purpose. On every side l was
assailed with doubts.
Yet, even IL l held silent, l knew
not in which direction to turn. l had
apparently lost all touch with the
girl. She had failed me completely
either by accident, or design. Her ap-
pointment with me had served to re-
veal only one fact which might prove
of>importance-247 lie Compte street
was undoubtedly a link in the chain
of the conspiracy; 1t was the home of
Ivan Waldron. Once ! told this dis
covery TO Harris the way might be
opened to closer investigation. But
what had become Of Harris? 1t was
already approaching six O'Clock, and
the man had not telephoned me. Sure
ly he must be aware by this time Of
the murder Of Alva; the uselessness
of seeking longer to find him alive.
Was he also endeavoring to avoid met
was his purpose deceitf or had some
suspicion arisen in his mind as to my
really being Harry Dalyf
Aroused by this possibility, and un-
able to remain quiet longer, slipped
a revolver from the depths Of my bag
into coat pocket, and departed Ggain
for Costigan's, determined to learn the
truth. ] approached the same bar
tender with whom had spoken in the
nnorpfnO and he uuSf have racaIlad