The Daily Alaska empire., 1933-10-18

away and leave his finger-prints there all ready for the police, and his name signed to them - would he?" Caroline bit her lip. There was something wrong about the way Mrs. Rodgers was arguing, but she couldn't quite get hold of it-only there was something wrong. She thought of Jim, and she said with a rush,
 "Oh, he wouldn't! A.frien n q wouldn't"
 Mrs. Rodgers shook her head. Nobody can't say that. Folks gets quarrelling, and you can't say what'll happen. But Mrs. Henry. she says, and she holds to 1t very strong,
 "'What 'ud be the good of his tear ing the finger-prints out of the book and leaving the glass he'd drunk out of fairly plastered with 'em? It wouldn't ave took i'm 'arf a minute to ave wiped them off, she says and there's something in that" She got up and dusted her knees with the cabbage-leaf. "I can't sit on my 'eels like could when was gel. Two hundred pounds 200 pounds, and shouldn't wonder if 1t wasn't more by now" She sat down on the stile again.
 A little color came back into Caro- lines cheeks. That was it-that was what she had been trying to get hold of If it had been Jim who had torn the page out of the book, then why hadn't he wiped his glass? Every one knows about finger-prints now adays. He hadn't wiped his glass because he hadn't anything to hide. He hadn't shot Elmer Van Berg.
 She knelt by Mrs. Rodgers and laid hand on her knee.
 TN the train you said
 \ Mrs. Rodgers looked glum.
 And I'd better have held my tongue. No need to tell me that"
 oh, 1 didn't mean that-I didn't truly. Oh, dear Mrs. Rodgers Il didn't mean anything like that"
 Mrs. Rodgers relaxed little.
 "sIn for a penny, in for a pound.' What did say?"
 Something about Mrs. Van Berg's r,aid."
 "A French 'ussyl" said Mrs. Rod gers. And if Mrs. Van Berg lad 'arf of the things that 'ussy's been int ing-Not that it's only foreigners that's given to it, for that there Miss Russell that's housekeeper at the Hall she's the worse of the two. and the dear knows how Mrs. Henry's stood it, for I wouldn't"
 Caroline patted Mrs. Rodgers knee.
 What did the maid say?s
 Miss Louise. they call her. Well. she don't say nothing. That's just her aggravatingness- shell Int and int until you're sick, sore and sorry, and then she'n slip out of the whole thing and pretend she never said nothing"
 What does she hint?"
 Mrs. Rodgers gave kind of snort.
 "Int? She's as good as said 1t wasn't no secret to her what name was tore out. and then went back on it."
 How could she know what name had been torn out?"
 There isn't much goes on in the house as she don't know-picking. and prying, and 'inting! 'Orrid, l call it! Letting on she knows things about Mrs. Van Berg tool"
 What sort of things?"
 "She's a wicked 'ussy." said Mrs. Rodgers, and wouldn't t repeat what she says. if it weren't for warning. You might know someone as wanted warning. or you mightn't. If you don't, there's no harm done. Now. my dear--whether the police have got wind of 1t or not. can't say, but what that 'ussy keeps 'inting is just this. that her mistress, Mrs. Van Berg, knows a sight more than she lets on.
 "A gentleman quarrels with an other gentleman about lady and shoots him-what a good idea to hide the emeralds and say a thief has done it!' she says. And when Mrs. Henry and me presses her, she says she is talking about a story she has been reading in a magazine and how kep' my hands off her. I don't know and can't say"
 Caroline got up little uncertain ly. She held to the cross-bar of the stile and leaned against it. She wanted to get away from Mrs. Rod gers before she said anything more.
 Jim wasn't in love with Susie Van Berg-it couldn't be true that he was, or that he had quarrelled with Elmer Van Berg and shot him, and hidden away the emeralds to make it look like burglary.
 She said. '-There'll be another train-I must catch It."
 Mrs. Rodgers got up too. fcopyri0ht. f9ss. J. B. Lippincott Co.,
 Mrs. Rodgers diyuIsss ons mere
 terrible bit of nsWss tomsrroN.