Elbert County tribune., 1921-10-07
CHAPTER K
The Proof Of Murder-The Back Room
Of Costigan's


l 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 knowledge-yet
/ hestated too long, until she had
merged into the swiriing crowd and
was lost.
1t was indeed n strange feeling of
loneliness which swept over me in
that moment Never before had felt
such depth of interest in a 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 a 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 pulsing through my veins. She
had become to me an inspiration,
mesory to dream over, a hope no
longer 10 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 and
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 a crime
against human life. She was unques-
tionably the authorized agent of a
pnpu NJ raynlntinnor,r ,.Inttare bud
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
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,
recurred to me; the invitation 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, no
matter how hard endeavored to
reconcile them with her denials.
trusted her; ! would continue to trust
her against the world, yet deep down
in my heart fingered question un-
answered. II she was honest, square.
actuated by some worthy purpose. why
did she still refuse to confide in mel
Surely 1 had been sufficiently tested
and she knew who / was. If she was
the sister of ciassmate whom knew
and loved, what necessity remained
| for the concealment of her name7 7
| What, indeed, except shame at the
| part she was playing In this sordid
| drama of life? Some OF my earlier
suspicion had been eradicated. for now
1t was clearly demonstrated that It
could not have been her knife which
had pierced Alva's heart Whatever
else l might believe against her. this
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 had
picked up blood-stained on the floor
of the car was not hers; 1t had been
welded In its deadly work by some
other hand. But whose? Did she
know? Did she even suspect the as
sassin? Was she even now endeavor-
ing to conceal his identity? These
questions were unanswerable: | could
only partially drive them back by
memory of the girl herself: II was
impossible to recall her vividly to
mind. and yet associate her with so
foul crime
was still immersed In such
thoughts, mentally struggling for her
honor, and my own justification. when
i finally attained the quiet of my room.
! was squarely up against a stone
wall; there was no light perceptible
anywhere. Neither Harris nor Wal
dron was guilty of this crime: they
were obllterated from further con-
sideration. These two worthless had
undoubtedly done their best but had
been outgeneraled by some one else
and, whoever that other might be, he
had made a clear getaway, leaving
not even "a lurlsinp SISuirfOn hphiud
him. 1t was the job OF master-thief,
an expert In crime-or else had been
accomplished through the blind luck
Of some one whose very identity
cloaked any possibility of suspicion.
tTo BE coNTINUED1