The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1921-07-21

ment in her hat openly, purpOsely, to
fool me into believing her innocent.
There could be no other explanation.
She had confessed being at the hotel,
seeking to locate me, and the number
Of my room. What would prevent her
coming up here unobserved, then,
while I was out, and gaining entrance?
And who else would have any reason
to thus search through my things, and
abstract this important evidence OF
crime?
Yet how did she know I had It?
How did she even suspect 1 was the
first to discover the dead body, and
bear away with me the tell-tale weap-
On with which Alva had been muir
dered? 1 had no means Of knowing
how-only she alone had special rea-
son to regain possession Of that knife.
And she had even dared later to f1aunt
it in my very face, to show it to me
in her possession, just as though 1t
had never passed out Of her hands! !
Here was revealed a depth Of duplici-
ty, a criminal audaeity, not to be ex-
pressed in words; this soft spoken
girl, this woman to whom 1 knew l
had given my heart, stood revealed
now in all her hideousness-a MUIR
deress, a thief, scheming criminal,
coolly concealing the trail Of her crime,
and using her very charms Of face
and manner to conceal from me her
true nature.
Perhaps she would see me again
perhaps! The lie was yet warm upon
her lips. She had gone away laugh
ing at the simpleton who had believed
her, the dupe who had so easily been
deceived by her smiles. The chances
were she had disappeared already,
vanished, left the city, assured that
no evidence now remained behind to
ever connect her with this terrible af-
fair. She cared nothing for mel
had been a mere tool, plant in her
hand-I remained merely in her men,
ory as something to laugh about, an
other victim, a blind, cropping fool, with
whom she had played to her hearts
desire.
sat with my head in my hands
staring at the mutilated bag, racked
with anger and misery. I had been
easy, a mark of derision and ridicule /;
a mere screen for her to hide behind,
while her accomplice, if she had one,
escaped with the spoils. Then the re:
action came; the thought that per
haps 1 had not read the story wholly
Alright; the faint hope that it might
not prove exactly as I had pictured In
my first wild burst Of passion. 1t was
too Infamous too unthinkable. Why,
if she was guilty, should she have re-
NAMED in New York;. Why should
she have sought me out, or listened
so intently to the quarrel Of those two
men at Perond's? What could she pos
sibly gain by thus overhearing the tale
of their failure, If she already knew
who was the murderer Of Alva, and
what had become of the spoils?
I could ask these questions, but not
one was answerable. They merely
mocked me with their emptiness.
Then, shrill and insistent, the tele-
phone rang.
My heart was beating like a trip
hammer as I took down the receiver.
Who could be calling me at this hour?
Who except she alone in this city knew
my name and hotel?
"Hullo."
A mans voice spoke huskily. "This
you, Daily"
eyes," hastily, instantly aware Of
who was on the other end Of the wire,
vet feeling it best to dissemble until
l learned the purpose.
"Who is .speaking?
'sThe fellow you biffed with bottle
tonight. No, I amt got no hard feel
ings. Besides, I got something else to
think about than a cracked dome. Say,
1 got some dope on how that job was
did. an maybe could tell you some
thing else Of interest. I got to talk
with you privately-that's what. It's
a matter for the girl as we'll as yer
self. I'm playing square as long as
YOU do the right thing, but I know
who the dame is, an am liable to
squeal if I get a raw deal; that's put
ting it straight, Harry"
"You know who she is, you say?
"Sure I do. Old Pierre, over at
Peronds, told me. He never forgets
a face, or a name, that old duffer.
He knew you the minute you blew in,
and he knew her, too; she'd been there
before summing"
"Who is she, then7"
"That's all right know: but 1
amt fool enough to blow it over the
wire. Il you'll come over here and
have talk, I'll spill few things In
your ear that'n make you wiss"
"Where are you1"
"At Costigan's."
'sWhat's become Of your partnerT'
"Who's that-Walaron? BE amt no
partner Of mine. Say, you must have
s~1A NIo1 "a