The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1933-09-15
CHAPTER x
The Past Indiscretion

| stand the facts" the detective re-
| quested courteously. "You say that
for the past five days, you were at sea
on your way east to New York? On
what boat did you travel?"
1.-THE steamship Florida" Mrs. Jor-
dan replied. Il booked my passage
second-class-in st. Louis, from New
Orleans to New York. I started from
| st. Louis by the Southern express to
New Orleans at eight-forty last Sat
urday night; and reached the docks
| Sunday morning, about two hours be-
fore the boat sailed"
| And you've been on the water since
then? You only got in at noon to-
day"
This was Rankin's most immediate
concern-Mrs. Jordans sudden, almost
coincidental appearance at this par
ticular juncture. Her movements de-
manded tracing, first to discover her
whereabouts the Tuesday evening of
| the murder; and just as important, to
explain her failure to come forward
| sooner.
"Yes, at the North river docks at
| twelve o'clock" the woman replied to
his query. 1.-THE boat was due at
nine, but was several hours late; and
| took taxi directly to the Pennsyl-
vania station. But l rested in the
ladies' room and shopped about the ave-
nues bit before starting for Phila-
| delphia."
"You had no inkling until then
| Of your husbands tragic death
on Tuesday,"
Mrs. Jordan compressed her lips,
and an expression Of pain flashed
across her lovely brow. She smiled
sadly.
"No, 1 only learned of it at four
| o'clock this afternoon, when l first
bought a newspaper. You can imagine
the shock-that first account of stu
dents death at Philadelphia"
paused, shuddering-"a then to read
it was murder, and the victim was >.
| Stuart"
Eyes, it must have been dreadful"
the detective agreed. "And then You
came Immediately to headquarters"
"By the very next train, at five
O'clock" Mrs. Jordan replied. Il have
| only just arrived and checked my lug
gage at Broad street station, Mr.. Ran
kim
That luggage, she described at his
request, consisted of two large suit
cases, one of black patent leather.
with heavy surrounding straps. and
| the other, slightly smaller, made of
brown imitation hide. held together
by clasps. She also had brown and
well-worn overnight valise.
"Before you came east, Mrs. Jor-
dan." Rankin then pursued, 'you lived,
| in st. Louis, didn't you?"
"Since ! married Stuart. We then
took an apartment, not in his name, Of
course, where he might be with me,
whenever he could get away from
Aberdeen university. For the last
few weeks, since the end of January,
i've had the place shut up and moved
| to the Fenton hotel, because that was
easier than to go on housekeeping"
"Why did you decide to come TO
Philadelphia just at this moment"
Rankin probed shrewdly. Had yon
any particular reason for Joining
Stuart?"
81 was going to rent quarters here
TO be near him again." the woman ex-
planned. "1e missed me terribly and
planned that we should live together
again this spring, under an arrange
ment similasto that in st. Louis"
did YOU know of the boys impend-
ing initiation into the Mu Beta Sigma
fraternity"
Mrs. Jordan responded reflectively
Merely that he had accepted bid
and was pledged to 1t, but not the
date he expected to become member.
That was all he wrote me-"
II see." Rankin sat back in his
chair, nodding. "Now, with regard to
your voyage" he proceeded blandly,
"a few details would be useful TO
prove you were aboard the Florida
these last few days. Merely as a
formality."
"As matter of fact, didn't travel
as Mrs. Stuart Jordan" his visitor
replied unhesitatingly. Before my
marriage, / was an actress and played
in various musical and dramatic COM
panies. used my stage name, Laura
Du Monte. My actual name is Dumont
and / generally adopt one or the
other"
"Still, no doubt some of the passen-
gers and the ships officers would re-
member you and could vouch for your
movements. Whom did you meetT
The actress shook her head and
smiled. Not many people, Pm afraid.
The truth is I'm such miserable
sailor that was confined to my cabin
throughout the voyage. So l saw only
the nurse. Miss Anna Sumner, Doctor
Ireland, the ships physician. and the
cabin stewardess, Mrs Amy Winters.
who cleaned my cabin and brought my
food. But they can certainly tell you
all about the trip"
(To BE coNTINUED)