The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1921-08-24
CHAPTER X
The Proof Of Murder-The Back Room
Of Costioan's

The Proof Of Murder-The Back Room
Of Costioan's
I watched her through the glass
doors until she vanished among the
crowd in the lobby. could not per-
nit her to 20 away like this; to ger
beyond my sight and kncwledge-yet
hesitated too long, until she hau
merged into the swirling crowd anu
was lost.
It was indeed strange feeling q
loneliness which swept over me ID
that moment. Never before had felt
such depth of interest in woman. OF
experienced such regret at parting
With no apparent effort. seemingly ut
terIy Indifferent, she had nevertheless
become intwined with my life. her
presence necessity for my happiness.
The soft pressure of her body, the
touch Of her hand. was tntOxication;
the glance Of her eyes sent the warm
blood pulsing through my veins. She
had become to me an inspiration.
memory to dream over, hope no
longer to be resisted.
This was strange, so strange as to
be beyond understanding. | argued
1t with myself, but to no result. The
fact would not be denied. Here was
an unknown woman, original ana
beautiful. to be sure, yet one whose
very identity was shrOuded In mys-
terry. To all appearances she was ac-
lively engaged in conspiracy against
the government of Chile, in crime
! against human life. She was unques-
tiOnably the authorized agent of a
gang of revolutionary plOtters-l had
witnessed their reception of her as
one of their own, and could not doubt
the evidence of my own eyes. She
had horne them instructions, and stood
in their midst. in secret cOnclave.
speaking as one having authority.
More than that. even, she had refused
to deny this connection. to reveal her
name, or acknowledge any other pur-
pose. She had used me to further her
ends, whatever they might be, prey
ing upon my personal interest In her,
and yet refusing to lift single fold
Of this curtain Of mystery.
| What could it mean, but that she
was secretly ashamed to permit of my
full understanding? The thought OF
the stolen money, the murder Of Alva
required to me; the invitation l had
overheard for her to accompany him
on his fatal trip, and her accept.
ance; the positive assertion of Harris
that she had done so; her confessed
knowledge that the money had actual
ly been given into the possession OF
the Chilean captain; the nature of the
weapon with which he had beer
stead Of returning to Washington.
could not blot these things out, NJ
matter how hard l endeavOred Il
reconcile them with her denials.
trusted her; would continue to trus
her against the world, yet deep dow
in my heart fingered question un
answered. If she was honest. square
actuated by some worthy purpose, VIII!
did she still refuse to cOnfide in me
Surely l had been sufficiently tested
and she knew who was. If she wa
the sister Of classmate whom knew
and loved, what necessity RENAME,
for the cOncealment of her name
What. indeed, except shame at tn
part she was playing In this sordi,
drama of life? Some Of my earle
| crcsNtoinr, h,I hnor, <Dl
1t was clearly demonstrated that |
could not have been her knife whicl
had pierced Alva's heart. Whateve
else l might believe against her. thi
evidence no longer existed, for sh
still wore the dagger in her hat. Pecu
. liar as the design was. the weapO
locked in my valise. which ha
picked up blOod-stained on the ZOO
OF the car, was not hers; It had bee
welded in Its deadly work by som
other hand. But whose? Did sh
know? Did she even suspect the al
sassin? Was she even now endeavol
ing to conceal his identity? Thes
questions We're unanswerable; coul
only partially drive them back b
r memory Of the girl herself: 1t wa
D impossible to recall her wildly t
) mind, and yet associate her with 8
] foul a crime.
was still immersed In sue
! thoughts, mentally struggling for he
honor. and my own justification, whe
l finally attained the quiet Of my room
l was squarely up against stOn
wall; there was no light perceptibI
D anywhere. Neither Harris nor Wa
drOn was guilty of this crime; the
were obliterated from further col
sideration. These two worthless ha
undoubtedly done their best. but ha
been outgeneraled by some one else
and, whoever that other might be, b
had made a clear getaway, leavin
!, not even a lurking suspicion benin
him. 1t was the job of master-thie
an expert in crime-or else had bee
accomplished through the blind luc
!. of some one whose very identit
clOaked any possibility of SuSDiciOn