The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1927-09-23
CHAPTER VII-Continued

girls whole interest, as SHOWN Dy ner
replies, appeared to be to perfect
her Identification of it. She adj
mitted, reluctantly, that hundreds
of them had been sold in the
city that fall; admitted that she
herself had seen dozens on the street.
the counterpart of it in cut and in
color. But this particular cloak, she
protested, she knew without a doubt
to be her own. 1t was badly rumpled
and had been exposed to the weather.
was hardly fit to wear any more, but,
Notwithstanding these facts, she knew
that it was hers.
"Was it in good condition the last
time you wore it?"
ut looked as good as new"
"Then how can you be sure that the
one which was advertised as found is
the same one?'
Well, she was sure, and she pro-
ceeded to demonstrate the fact by a
multitude of details-some of her own
sewing, and a patch on the lining
which she could not mistake.
"How did you come to lose the
cloak?'
Il don't know, sir" she answered.
II just wish did. l think one Of the
other housemaids stole it, sir, or bor-
rOwed it and didn't bring it back. l
suppose they thought because l was
sick wouldn't have any use for my
cloak. didn't know nothin' about it
until today. Then looked for it and
it was gone. SO I begun askin' the
other girls about it, and at last one of
them said-she was girl who had
given notice and was readin' the want
columns every day-she said there
was green cloak advertised found.
So I went and got 1t. But I'd like to
get hold of the girl that borrowed it.
I'd make her take 1t and buy me a
new one, or I'd have the law on her."
Ashton had listened to this speech
with show Of somewhat greater in
terest. Evidently it occurred to him.
that an inquiry as to who the girl sus-
pected of having taken it might be
productive of results. She could
easily be induced to tell all she knew
about the other employees in the hotel.
So much was clear. But when, instead
of following up this lead, Doctor Nc
Alister changed the subject abruptly,
Ashton droprvd back in his chair with
a little gesture of impatience.
For myself, the doctors course puz-
zled me profoundly. That all this ex-
animation was mere pretense, was.
of course, obvious to me. We knew all
about Jane Perkins, infinitely more
about her than she knew about her.
SELF We knew she had worn the
cloak; knew that she, or the woman,
rather, who had for a while inhab-
tied her body, had actually murdered
old Morgan. And if the object of the
pretense were to keep Ashton amused,
to make him believe that it was lead
ing him to possible solution of the
mystery, then 1t had signally failed.
Ashton was bored and rather dis
gusted. But it was not like my chief
to fail, and certainly there was no look
of defeat about his face. He was ac-
complishing something, felt sure,
though could not even guess what
that something was.
His next question seemed to me to
be getting somewhat nearer the point.
although it was the very one that
made Ashton drop back in his chair
with that gesture of impotence.
NAro Uo,,r rapf, l;x,;o~ Toooa,,
mo, sir. Neither of them"
"Have you lived in this country
long?"
"Five or six years, sir"
"You're from New Zealand, or Aus
tralia, aren't you? You're not Eng
lish?"
That question made Ashton sit up
at any rate, that and the girls answer
to it.
Wellington, New Zealand, sir. But
how did you know?"
The answer had come instantly, but
the next moment, with eyes perplexed,
and with vague gesture Of her hands
across them, she said:
ITS queer. 1t seems as if / had
dreamed of talking to you about that"
you knew, didn't you, Jane, that
this Morgan who was murdered was
New Zealander? oh, New Zealand has
produced some great men. You're
young, and suppose you don't remem-
Der, perhaps have never ever heard of
Bully Franklin and Josiah Haines.
Old Morgan knew about them, though,
I'll wager" He stood for a minute
in silence, like one who tastes, in
Renaissance, the flavor Of an old
story.
Then he pulled himself together and
began asking the girl series of rapid
and, to me, rather meaningless ques-
tions. They were chiefly about Will
Harvey, her acquaintance with him,
how long ago it had begun and, in a
general way, to what length Of in
timacy it had gone. The girl answered
all these questions freely enough and
with no appearance of hesitation.
"You knew he lived at Oak Ridge,
didn't you," the doctor asked finally.
'only two or three blocks from the
house where Morgan was murdered?n