The St. Johns herald., 1922-01-05
CHAPTER XII.
In the coImar suIIdino

His horse was not a fast traveller, yet this afforded me time to think over my own situation, as we'll as this clew so unconsciousIy furnished me by the lOquaciOus driver. The chances were that this mysterious passenger of two nights before had no connection with the Ava case; yet there remained a possibility. The hour, the place, his evident fear of pursuit, his eager desire to get out ~" sight, the iedvy~bdg 1c re11rried, and his being a foreigner of some kind, all combined to stimulate my suspicion. Who the fellow could be was beyond guess. The Colmar building! My recollection of the place was vague, a huge pile on Broad near Wall, de voted largely to brokers offices, absO- lutely deserted at night. except by scrubWomen and a watchman or two. A tenant might slip in at such an hour, yet he would be fortunate indeed to escape the observation of some one along the halls, or on the staircase. I felt confident a careful questioning among the night employees would give some line on the identity of the man, even if there should prove no other means of locating him.
 One thing was settled; I must go back to the hotel. If was to pay my bill and depart I would lose all con- nectiOn with Marie Gessler; she would then possess no means of finding me. I could not seek her, but she possessed my address, and must surely endeayOr to communicate with me before night. The only thing. then, was to remain and wait for her to call. Yet this surely exposed me to the danger of arrest, if WaldrOn named me to the police in connection with the death of Harris.
 Yet by this time l was firmly con- vinced that the Russian would either He outright in the affair-claiming that Harris injuries had resulted wholly from a fall downstairs in the dark or else would swear them upon some unknown invader who had escaped after knocking him Senseless. Certain ly he would never reveal the truth, unless compelled to do so. To do so would queer his whole game.
 That is, it would if his game was anything as 1 had Soped 1t out. If he, working alone, or with some accomplice, as now appeared more probable, had been concerned in the. Alya murder, his main object at pres ent would assuredly be to escape de- tectiOn, and get division of the spOils. Ills one desire would be to remain out of sight, and in order to do this he must shield me from arrest.
 I awoke at eleven, rested and with a clear brain. Nothing had occurred to disturb me, and, as I looked at the watch and realized the hour, felt no longer a doubt but what Waldron had found some way in which to protect us both. Eager to look over the noon editions myself. l dressed rather hurriedly, and descended to the lobby. The paper secured was devoid of par ticularS, "Gentleman George" Harris, we'll known to the police, had been found dead in the hallway of room ing house on Le Compte street, Oper- ated by Mrs. Sarah WaldrOn. It is believed to have been a thieves quarrel from the evidence of those in the house, who heard the sounds of struggle, and saw a strange man escape through the front door. There were no arrests, although the police were searching for certain parties who might be implicated.
 So far so good; but now what about the Russian? He had evidently escaped