The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1921-07-29

lIldJ Sic LllellI luuSH OsCA AJ caAh
plicity. But was this true? If SO,
how was l 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 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 a sudden
change in plans, a necessity for con-
cealing her escape. There was no
way in which she could notify me, but
she might very easily have %telephoned
to her landlady. And, If the place
was what l suspicioned it 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 f~orlorn and
deserted. AT the delicatessen shop on
the corner l gained a CLEAN Of light,
but merely enough to strengthen my
former judgment. The keeper, a fax
en-haired Swede, was %loquacious
there a few weeks.
"247 lie Compile. you say. Yes, she
takes rOOmers; some are men, and
some arc women. They come In here
and buy, but l lev ask the names 1t
was all cash, so why should l care?
Sometimes l hear them call names
sure; but never Conrad. The woman
what keeps the house? Wait and
tell you: it Is on the books; ah you
read as she wrote 1t for me-Mrs. Au-
gusta Waldron maybe a widow?
What you think? Bah, she never like
anything l have to sell. l care moth
ing for trade with her-a cat this Mrs.
Augusta WaluTOn
l left him with the familiar sound
OF the name ringing In my ears-the
whole thing was travelling In a circle,
ard the circle was growing continual
~ 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.
/ returned to the hotel. Only as
stood before the door did l realize
that the newsboys were calling out
Extra! All about the murder!" ]
felt that my face was white. and that
ny hand shook, yet ! hastily bought
copies OF half a dozen sheets. showing
them into my pockets.
The reports were mostly alike, ex
ceedingiy 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 crlme. No one connected witt
the meeting the night before was men
toned In any article, o was any sus
read the last line with a distinct feel
ing Of relief. dropping the paper or
the floor.
They had discovered no clue, moth.
ing whatever to work upon. The in
terror Of the car had yielded no evi.
1nnoc - a<C frrronw rOo,enonf tho only
reference being to mud Oh the floor
Outside all footprints had been OBJ.
liberated by the failing. rain. No one
In the neighborhood had heard q
sound, or witnessed any movement
The whole affair was shrouded in mys-
terry.
What, under these conditions, was
my duty? What could ! either do, OF
say. to clarity this tragedy. and bring
the guilty to Justice? l sat there FOL
an hour thinking and smoking, en-
deav0ring to answer these queries.
could study out no clear way to an,
confession, which would not directly
involve myself in the tolls Of the pc
lice, or else implicate Marie Gessler
50 as to make any defense on her part
almost impossible. No doubt she was
guilty. vet l could not drive myself K
openly charge her with the crime
There must be ON extenuating cir
c~umstances, some unknown cause
which had led to the act. l could not
forget her face. her manner, the clear
wOmanly look Of her eye-she was nj
murderess, and 1t was not In my heart
to denounce her MS such. Besides, Il
took this responsibility 1t woult
only serve to shield other crimes Of
more importance than the violent
death 81 this Chilean revolutionary
The RaurdAr perhaps Of many innocent
victims, and the destruction Of much
valuable property. For Alva's dealt
would hardly stop the plotting already
J. fOot. The money wal still here II
New York reedy to be used the propa
randiata Washington would neve,
pefrnits Is ~ l6ng lle Idle. They woult
eoiheMhGrs another leader. and