Elbert County tribune and Elbert County banner., 1921-09-09

sent me on thiS Wlld goose chase so
that she might laugh over my sim
plicity. But was this true? II so,
how was / to account for the 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
while to overthrow all her plans. and
to cause this rabid housekeeper to
even deny her very existence. And /
held the key of explanatlon-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 a sudden
change In plans, necessity for con-
cealiDg her escape. There was no
way in which she could notify me, bur
she might very easily have telephoned
to her landlady. And, II the place
was what / suspicioned II to be, she
might have every confidence that her
secret would be guarded.
l 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 II CLEAN 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
''247 lie Compte, you say. Yes, she
takes roomers; some are men. and
some are women. They come In here
and buy, but never ask the names it
was all cash, so why should i care?
Sometimes l hear them call names
sure; but never Conrad. The woman
what keeps the house? Wait and I
tell you: II is on the books; an you
read as she wrote II for me--Mrs Au-
gusta Waldron: maybe a widow?
What you think? Bah, she never like
anything l have to sell. 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 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 l
stood before the door did | realize
that the newsboys We're calling out,
Extra !. All about the murder!"
felt that my face was white. and that
copies of half dozen sheets. showing
them into my pockets.
The reports were mostly alike, ex-
ccedingly 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 n meeting mentioned.
read the last line with 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 oh
liberated by the falling rain. No one
in the neighborhood had heard II
sound. or witnessed any movement.
The whole affair was shrouded in mys-
terry.
What, under these conditions, was
my duty? What could either do, or
say. to clarity this tragedy, and bring
the guilty to Justice? l sat there for
an hour thinking and smoking, en-
deayoring 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 chuse,
which had led to the act. i could not
forget her face, her manner, the clear,
womanly look OF her eye-she was no
murderess. and 1t was not In my heart
TO denounce her MS such. Besides. If
/ took this responsibility II would
only serve to shield other crimes of
more Importance than the violent
death Of this Chilean revolutionary
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