The Aberdeen weekly. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1878-1933, 1921-08-05

was better Off with this conspirator
dead; nor would / denounce the one
who had taken his life. 1 hid the
FASTENED down the side street toward
the nearest car line, my only desire
being to escape that neighborhood as
swiftly as possible.
BY a quarter of three was safely
in my room at the hotel for the first
time feeling a sense of real security.
Yet Ii was not to sleep. / did not
even undress- except to remove my
wet outer garments before fiinging my
self on the bed. My brain wouldn't
rest, and lay there staring up at the
ceiling, while my mind reviewed over
and over again every incident OF the
night, and planned for the morning
How would the murder of Alva affect
the plot / had started TO overcome?
Would it continue under some other
leadership? Who? And the money?
what would become of that? What
readjustment OF plans would Harris
consider necessary? Once / knew his
conception of the situation, / could
better regulate my own action. Mean
while the only safe course was TO re
main still. and profess ignorance.
Then / had the engagement at PAT LIE
Compile street-that might reveal
something of Importance to help me
solve the problem.
1 got up, removed the dagger from
my pocket. and examined it in the
electric light Tt was a toy weapon,
n 10
and / looked at it with a sense of hOr-
ror. How could a woman have ever
thrust even that keen blade with one
blow through to the heart? Yet the
evidence was before me. Those dark
stains were blood-human blood
dried now, but unmistakable in their
proof of crime. I washed the steel,
leaving the blade bright and polished I;
then wrapped it carefully, and hid 1t
away at the very bottom of my bag,
locking the latter against possible in
spection by a curious maid. 1 felt re-
lieved once / had the weapon out of
sight
The morning papers contained no
reference to the tragedy-the body of
the dead man had not been found in
time. There would be noise enough
when It was, no doubt, for Alva must
have been widely known and ranked
as of some Importance. Even If his
Identity was never established, II no
suspicion was aroused as to his posi-
ton, and secret work in this country.
yet the very mystery of the case would |
create a sensation. But perhaps he
had papers on his person of value.
regretted not having searched his |
pockets Then the conviction came |
that possibly here might be the true
solution of the murder-a desire to Sc
cure some documents the man carried. |
I went down TO Costigan's place on |
foot, not being entirely certain of the |
exact location. 1t was an ordinary |
corner saloon, with a stairway leading |
TO rooms above. In the morning hours |
the barroom was nearly deserted, but |
the man at the bar, looking me over /
cautiously said that 'Mr. Parker" had |
already gone out, and had left no |
word as to when he would return. / |
was rather glad, yet j left a teIe- I
phone number, with a request that / |
De called whenever he came back. / |
waited impatiently for the call in my /
room, but none came. 1t dawned upon /
ne that in all probability Harris was
endeavoring to find the
of Alva, as yet having no
suspicion Of his death. I telephoned |
Costigan's, but ''Mr. Parker" had not
/ sent out for a noon edition. eager
v scanning its columns, but finding
lothing. Surely the deserted car,
With its grim burden, must have been
discovered before this. The police
must have suppressed the news to en-
able them to work in secret; they
night have found some evidence in
he dead mans pockets, or In the dark
.ecesses of the car, by which they still
hoped to capture the assassin.
1 remember eating in a basement
where / was totally I'M
Known and then departing for the
on lie Compile street
approached the number given with
serious misgivings. If the police were
actually on the trail some knowledge
# this place might be in their posses