Owingsville outlook. [volume] (Owingsville, Ky.) 1879-192?, 1921-09-22
CHAPTER x
The Proof Of Murder-The Back Room
Of Costiqan's


OF costigan's
! watched her through the glass
doors until she vanished among the
crowd in the lobby. I could not per
nit her to go away like this; to get
beyond my sight and acknowledgement
heSitated too long until she had
merged into the swirling crowd and
was lost.
II was indeed strange feeling Of
loneliness which swept over mo in
that moment. Never before had felt
such depth of interest In woman, or
experienced such regret at parting.
With no apparent effort, seemingly ut
terly 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 intOXiCatiOn /;
the glance of her eyes sent the warm
blood pulsirg 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
II with myself, but TO no result. The
fact would not be denied. Here was
an unknown woman, original and
beautiful, to be sure, yet one whose
very identity was shrOuded in mys-
terry. To all appearances she was ac-
In, OF
the government of Chile, in a crime
against human life. She was unques-
tiOnably the authorized agent of a
gang Of revolutionary plOtters-I had
witnessed their reception of her as
one of their own, and could not doubt
the evidence Of my own eyes. She
had borne them instructions, and stood
in their midst. In secret conclave,
speaking as one having authority.
More than that, even, she had refused
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 a single fold
Of this curtain of mystery.
What could IL 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 been
killed; her remaining in New York in.
stead Of returning to Washington.
could not blot these things out, nc
matter how hard l endeavOred to
reconcile them with her denials.
trusted her; l would continue TO trust
her against the world. yet deep down
in my heart fingered a question un
answered. II she was honest, square
actuated by some worthy purpose, why
did she still refuse to confide I'm mel
Surely | had been sufficiently tested
and she knew who | was. If she was
the sister of a classmate whom knew
and loved, what necessity remained
for the concealment of her name
What, indeed, except shame at tho
part she was playing in this sordiC
drama Of life? Some of my earlier
suspicion had been eradicated, for now
II was clearly demonstrated that II
could not have been her knife which
had pierced Alva's heart. Whatever
else / might believe against her, thi:
evidence no longer existed, for she
still wore the dagger in her hat. Pecu
liar as the design was, the weapon
locked in my Valise, which | haC
picked up bIOOd-stained on the flOol
of the car. was not hers; it had beer
welded In its deadly work by sons
other hand. But whose? Did she
know? Did she even suspect the as
sassin? Was she even now endeavOr
ing TO conceal his identity? Thes'
only partially drive them back BY
memory of the girl herself: it wa!
impossible TO recall her vlvidly Il
mind. and yet associate her with 81
foul a crime.
l was still immersed In sucl
thoughts, mentally struggling for hel
honor, and my own justification, wher
! finally attalne the quiet of my room
was squarelT up against a stone
wall; there ives no light perceptibl'
anywhere. Neither Harris nor Wal
dron was guilty Of this crime; the!
were obliteratCd from further con
sideratiOn. Tn Sc two worthless hat
undoubtedly do lie their best, but haC
been outgenera ed by some one else
and, whoever tlat other might be, h,
had made a ear getaway, leaving
not even a Luz king suspicion behind
him. 1t was tn, job of master-thief
an expert I'm CT ime-Or else had beer
accomplished through the blind IucI
of some one whose very ldentit,
cioaked Dny nc ;SihiIity of SuSDiciOn