Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1921-07-20

was better off with this conslIra tor
dead nor would / denounce the one
who had taken his life. / hid the
1 knife in a pocket of my coat. and
/ FASTENED down the side street toward
the nearest car line, my only desire
being to escape that neighborhood as
swiftly as possible.
BY a quarter Of three / was safely
in my room at the hotel. for the first
time feeling a sense of real security.
Yet IL was not to sleep. / did not
even undress. except to remove my
wet outer-garments tefore fiinging my
self on the bed. My brain wouldn't
rest. and I lay there staring up at the
ceiling. while my mind reviewed over
and over again every incident Of the
night, and planned for the morning.
How would the murder of Alva affect
the plot I had started to overcome?
Would it continue under some other
leadership? Who? And the money?
what would become of that? What
readjustment of plans would Harris
consider necessary? Once l knew his
conception of the situation. could
better regulate my own action. Mean
while the only safe course was to re-
main still. and profess ignorance
Then l had the engagement at PAT LIE
Compile street--that might reveal
something of Importance to help me
solve the problem.
got up. removed the dagger from
my pocket, and examined it in the
electric light. II was a toy weapon,
yet sufficiently dangerous, for all that,
and looked at it with a sense of hor-
ror. How could a woman have ever
thrust even that keen blade with one
blow through to the heart? Yet the
evidence was before me. Those dark
stains were bl0od-human blood
dried now, but unmistakable In their
proof Of crime ! washed the steel,
leaving the blade bright and lw'ished;
then wrapped it carefully. and hid 1t
away at the very bottom of my bag,
locking 4he latter against possible in
spection by curious maid. | felt re-
lieyed once / had the weapon out of
sight
The morning papers contained no
reference TO the tragedy-the body of
the dead man had not been found In
time. There would be noise enough
when it was, no doubt, for Alva must
have been widely known and ranked
as Of some Importance. Even If his
identity was never established, IL no
suspicion was aroused as to his posi-
ton, and secret work in this country
yet the very mystery of the case would
create n sensation. But perhaps he
had papers on his person of value. |
regretted not having searched his
pockets. Then the conviction came
that possibly here might be the true
solution of the murder-a desire tQ Sc
cure some documents the man carried.
I went down to Costigan's place on
foot not being entirely certain of the
exact location. 1t was an ordinary
corner saloon, with stairway leading
to rooms above. In the morning hours
the barroom was nearly deserted, but
the man at the bar, looking me over
cautiously, said that "Mr. Parker" had
already gone out, and had lei no
word as to when he would return.
was rather glad. yet left tele-
phone number, with request that |
be called whenever he came back. !
waited impatiently for the call In my
room, but none came. II dawned upon
me that In all probability Harris was
frantically endeavOring TO find the
whereabouts of Alva, as yet having no
suspicion of his death. l telephoned
Costigan's, but "Mr. Parker" had not
returned
| sent out for a noon edition. eager
~ scanning its columns. but finding
nothing Surely the deserted car,
with its grim burden, must have been
discovered before this. The police
must have suppressed the news to en-
able them to work in secret; they
might have found some evidence in
the dead mans pockets, or in the dark
recesses of the ear. by which they still
hoped to capture the assassin.
| remember eating in basement
restaurant. where | was totally I'M
known and then departing for the
rendezvous on lie Compile street
approached the number given with
serious misgivings. If the police were
actually on the trail. some knowledge
of this place might be in their posses
sion, and | could not be too cautious.