The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1921-07-07

"I should like to see Miss Conrad"
began apologetically. Il have an ap'
pointment with her."
"Not here yer amt, young man, for
there amt nobody by that name in
this house."
Are you sure? This is 247, Is it
nots That was the number given me.
She was to be here at two O'clock
"This yere is 247 all right. I amt
denyin' that" the voice more acid
| than ever, "but there amt no Miss
Conrad yere; so that's all there Is
about It,"
"But there must be-
"Must be nuthin' guess l know.
I've been yere seventeen years, an
ther never was nobody Of that name
ever in this house. Besides, I'm house
cleanin' and can't stand yere talkin'
all day."
"Do you know a man named
Krantz%' 1 1lung at her desperately,
in a last effort to arouse some re-
sponse, "Adolph Krantz."
"No, I don't; ther amt none OF
those people yere, I tell yer"
The door slapped shut in my face,
and 1 heard a bolt shot into place
| the interview was ended.
I stared a moment at the blank door
in bewilderment; then turned away,
and slowly retraced my steps to the
street. So the young woman had de-
liberately lied,to me; had merely been
amusing herself at my expense; had
sent me on this wild goose chase so
that she might laugh over my SIM
plicity. But was this true? If so,
how was I to account for the strange
coincident that both she and Harris
had named the same number, and
street? It could not have occurred
merely through chance. Something
must have happened in the mean
while to overthrow all her plans, and
to cause this rabid housekeeper to
even deny her very existence. And I
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, necessity for con-
cealing her escape. There was no
way in which she could notify me, but
she might very easily have telephonea
to her landlady. And, if the place
was what I suspicioned 1t to be, she
might have every confidence that her
secret would be guarded.
glanced up at the front Of the
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 gained CLEAN of light,
but merely enough to strengthen my
former judgment. The keeper, a flax
en-haired Swede, was loquacious
enough, but had only been in business
there few weeks.
"247 LIE Compte, you say. Yes, she
takes roomers; some are men, and
some are women. They come in here
and buy, but I never ask the names; it
was all cash, so why should I care?
Sometimes I hear them call names
sure; but never Conrad. The woman
what keeps the house? Wait and I
tell you; it is on the books; ah! you
read as she wrote it for me-Mrs. Au-
gusta Waldron; maybe widow?
What YOU think? Bah, she never like
anything I have to sell. care moth
ing for trade with her-a cat this Mrs.
Augusta Waldron.'
I 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
iy more compac1. Bllndly, was
stumbling up against it 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 I
stood before the door did 1 realize
that the newsboys were calling out,
Extra! All about the murder!" l
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 a meeting mentioned. l
read the last line with distinct feel
ing Of relief, dropping the paper on
the floor.