Show f fI I R T Ie tN rA 1 W COi rile BJ 1 Z 3 14 SYNOPSIS Lawrence rence the for led lawyer goes to with the forged gee not notes in the STi Bronson ronson case to get et the deposition of bun John Gilmore millionaire millionaire In n the latter home he Is attracted by picture a ofra of or a a young oung girl whom the millionaire explains B s his granddaughter A lady requests requests Blakeley lakeley l keleY to buy her a Pullman ticket He Ho Jives gives es her lower eleven and retains lower ten len en He finds a n. drunken man In lower ten en and retires In lower nine He awakens awa- awa kens cens in lower seven and finds his clothes and ind bag missing The man In lower ten l in found murdered Circumstantial evidence evi evl- dence ence points to both Blakeley and the Unknown man who had exchanged clothes with him Blakeley becomes inter Interested sted n a girl in blue The fihe train is wrecked lakeley is rescued from the burning c car car r by by the girl In blue His arm is broken They go o to the Carter place for break- break fast ast The girl proves to be Alison West his partners partner's s sweetheart Her peculiar actions mystify the lawyer She drops her gold bag and Blakeley puts It in his pocket locket Blakeley returns home He finds that he is under Surveillance Moving pictures of the train taken Just before the wreck reveal to Blakeley a man leaping from om the train with his stolen grip Blakeley learns that a man named Sullivan Sul- Sul Ilvan livan leaped from the train near Md M M- M d spraIned 1 hIs ankle He stayed some t tithe tn t after place lne lnell Inquiries atu att t s 's s Blakeley finds Ali Ali- Alison All ll- ll son and kisses her hei l i 1 llA A CHAPTER 1 At the Table Next McKnight and and- Hotchkiss were sauntering slowly down the road as I caught up with them As usual l the little man was busy with some abstruse abstruse abstruse ab ab- mental problem The idea Is this this this- he was saying his brows knitted in thought if a left handed man standing in the position position po po- position of the man in the picture should jump from a car would he be likely to sprain his right ankle When a right-handed right man prepares prepares' for a leap of that kind my theory is that he wO would hold hold on with his right hand and alight at the proper time on his right foot Of course course- I Imagine although r T dont don't know interrupted McKnight that a man either ambidextrous or one-armed one Jumping from the Washington Flier would be more likely to land and on his head Anyhow I interposed what difference difference dif dU- dif dif- fere ference ce does it make mak whether Sullivan used one hand or the other One pair pall of handcuffs will put both hands out of commission As usual when one onel of his pet theories theories the the- ories ones was attacked Hotchkiss looked aggrieved My dear sir he expostulated dont you understand what what bearing this has on the case How was was the murdered man lying when whim he was found 7 On his back I said promptly head toward the engine Very well he retorted Sw f d what l then Your heart lies under your fifth space and to reach ita Ita it ita a right-handed right blow would have have struck either down or directly in But gentlemen the point o of entra entrance entrance en en- tra trance e for the stiletto was below the heart striking up As Harrington lay with his head tow toward rd the engine a person In the aisle must have used the left hand McKnIghts McKnIght's eyes sought mine and he winked at me solemnly as as I unostentatIously unostentatiously unostentatiously unos unos- transferred the hat I was carrying to my right hand Long ong training has largely counterbalanced heredity in my case but I still pitch ball play te tennis and carve with my left hand But Dut Hotchkiss was too busy with his theories to notice me We were only just in time for our train back to Baltimore but 1 McKnight McKnight Mc Mc- cKnight c- c Knight took t advantage of a seconds second's delay to shake the station agent warm warmly ly by the handI hand I want to express my admiration for you OU he said beamingly Ability of your order Is thrown away here You should have been a city policeman policeman police police- man my friend The agent looked a trifle uncertain The young young lady was the one who told me to keep still he said McKnight glanced at me gave the agents agent's hand a final shake and climbed on board But I I F knew perfectly perfectly per per- that he had guesse guessed the reason for my delay He Ho was very spent ion on the way home lI too had little to say He was reading over his notes Intently stopping now and then to tomake tomake tomake make a penciled addition Just before before be be- fore rore we left the train Richey turned to to me I suppose It was the key leey to the door that she tied to the gate Probably I did not ask her Curious her l locking that fellow in n he reflected I You may depend on It there was a a good reason for it all And I wish you wouldn't be so suspicious of motives mo mo- mo- mo Lives tives Rich I I said warmly Only yesterday you were the suspicious sus sus- suspicious Vicious one he lie retorted an and we lapsed Into strained silence It was late when we got to Wash Wash- ington One Ono of Mrs small tyrannies was exacting punctuality at meals and like several other things I respected It There are always some gome concessions that should bo be made in return for faithful service So as my dinner hour of seven was tong long past McKnight and I went to a attle little restaurant downtown where they have a very decent way of or fixing chicken al a la Ja King Hotchkiss had bad departed departed de de- de parted economically bent for a 11 small note hotel where he lived on the American I plan T f T vant Vlut to think some t things h over I J he said In response e to my Invitation to dinner and anyhow theres there's no use dining out when I pay the same dinner or no dinner where I am stopping stop stop- ping The slay day ay had been hot and the first floor dining room was sultry In spite of the palms and fans which attempted to simulate the verdure and breezes of or the country It was crowded too with a typical summer night crowd and after arter sitting sitting sitting sit sit- ting for a few minutes in a n sweltering sweltering swelter swelter- ing corner we got up up and went to the thesma sma smaller ler dining room upstairs H Here re it was not so warm and we settled ourselves ourselves ourselves our our- selves comfortably by a window Over in hi a corner half a dozen boys boyson on their way back to school were ragging ragging ragging rag rag- ging a perspiring waiter a proceeding proceed proceed- ing so exactly to McKnights McKnight's taste tl that at he insisted ed on going over to join them But their table was full and somehow that kind of f fun had lost its point for me Not far far from us a very stout m mid id d aged dle-aged man apoplectic with the the heat was e jolly for the t b e 1 of of a looking bored girl across tha t table from him and at the next table a newspaper newspaper woman ate alone the last on propped against the wat water r bo tl b before f ir i rt iier er hat for coolness on on the CO corner O of g. g table It was a motley Boh crowd I looked over over b a r r ro-o ro llY iy while McKnight ordered ider d ti the 4 JI Z ht r a. a t Then my attention was was' attracted Cir i to fo o the table next to ours Two p people pH l were sitting there so deep in conversation conver conversation conver that they did not notice us us The womans woman's face was hidden under her hat as she traced the pattern of the cloth mechanically with her fork But the mans man's features stood out clear In the light of the candles on the table It was Bronson He shows the strain do doesn't he McKnight said holding up th the wine I Beg Your Pardon Sir the Lady In list as if he read from it t. t toe i i woman Search me I rep replied in the same way When the chicken chicken came I still found myself myself gazing now and then at atthe atthe atthe the abstracted couple near me Evidently Evidently Evidently Evi Evi- dently the tha subject of conversation was unpleasant Bronson Dronson was eating littie little little lit lit- tle tie the woman not at all Finally he got up pushed his chair back noisily thrust a bill at the waiter and stalked out rh The woman nat tat still for a moment then with an apparent resolution to tomake tomake tomake make the best of It she sho began slowly to eat the meal before her But Dut the quarrel had taken away her appetite for the mixture In our chafing dish was hardly ready to serve sene before she pushed her chair back a little and aud looked around tho room I caught my first glimpse of her face race then and I confess it startled me i t was the tall state stately woman of the Ontario the woman I 1 had ad last seen cowering beside the road rolling pebbles peb peb- pebbles bles in her hand blood streaming from a acut cut over her eye ee I could see seethe seethe seethe the scar now a little affair about an anInch aninch aninch Inch long gleaming red through its layers of powder And then quite unexpectedly she turned and looked directly at me After a minutes minute's uncertainty she bowed letting her eyes rest on mine with a calmly insolent stare She glanced at McKnight for fol a moment then back to me mo When she looked away away again I breathed easier Who Is It 1 asked McKnight under his breath Ontario I formed it with my lips rather than said it McKnights McKnight's eyebrows went up and he looked with Increased interest t at the gowned black-gowned figure I ate little after that The situation was rather bad for me I begau began to see Here was a woman who could if tf she wished and had any motive for so doing put me in jail under a R capital charge A word from tram her to the police police police po po- po- po lice and polite surveillance would become become become be be- come active Interference Then too she could say that she had se seen n me just after the wreck with a young woman from the murdered murdered murdered mur mur- dered mans man's car and thus probably bring Alison West into nto the case It is not surprising then that I ate little The woman across seemed in inno inno inno no hurry to go She loitered over a tasse demi-tasse and that finished sat with her elbow on the table her chin in her hand looking darkly at the changing chang chang- ing groups In the room The fun at the t table ble where the college college college col col- lege boys sat began to grow a little noisy the fat man now a purplish shade ambled away behind his slim companion the newspaper woman pinned on her like business-like hat and stalked out Still sub the woman at the next table waited alted It was a relief when the meal mea was over We got our hats and were about to leave the room when a awalter waiter walter touched me on the armI armI armI arm I beg your pardon sir he said but the lady at the table near the window the lady in black sir would like to speak to you I looked down between the rows of or tables to where the woman sat alone her chin still resting on her hand her black eyes still insolently staring this time at me Ill have to go I said to McKnight hurriedly She knows all ab about ut that affair and shed she'd be a bad enemy I dont don't like her lamps McKnight I f observed after a glance at her Bether Bet Det jolly Bet f her a little Good Goodby V cHAPTER r Jf N 1 c elN 1 tes Les and N I II a i Bargain i w t b ha slowly sl r to where the F 1 She smiled d rather woman s sat sat P alon alonet i 1 oddly as I drew ne 1 rand and pointed to the chair Bronson hat hat haS vacated Sit down Mr she he said saidI I III am going to take a few utes of Ol I your valuable time N. N j vt f t i 7 Y t Y Ii 1 k 1 Black Sir Would V Like to Speak to Certainly i L but j ba ut sewn op pr i- i her and glanced at a cuckoo clock cloak on the wall waIr I am sorry but I havo have only a few minutes It If Y you you you- UShe U- U she laughed laughe laugh laugh- e ed a little not very pleasantly and trod opening a small black fan covered with spangles waved It slowly The fact Is she said I think we weare weare weare are about to make maIm a bargain A uA bargain I asked ed incredulously You have a second advantage of mex me x You ou Know my name name I I paused suggestIvely suggestively suggestively sug sug- and she took the cue cuc I am Mrs Conway she said and flicked a crumb off of the table with an finger The name was scarcely a surprise I had already alread surmised that this might b be the woman whom rumor credited as being Bronson's Dronson's common- common law wife Rumor I I remembered had said other things ven less p pleasant things which had been brought out at Bronson's Ironson's arrest for forgery We met last under less fortunate fortunato circumstances she was saying I III have havo been fit for nothing since that terrible day And y you you you-you yol u-yol you had a broken arm I think thinks I still have havo it it I said with a lame attempt at jocularity but to have escaped at all was a miracle We have much Indeed to be thankful l for I suppose we have she said carelessly oar care care care- lessly although sometimes I doubt it She was looking somberly toward toward toward to to- ward the door through which her late companion had made his exit You sent for me- me meI me I said Yes 1 sent f for r you She roused herself hersell and sat erect Now Mr Blakeley have you you found those papers papers pa pa- pers I IThe IThe The papers What papers I 1 par par- ried I needed time to think Mr l Blak Blakeley she said said quietly I think we can caD lay aside all subterfuge In the tho first pl place ce let lot me refresh your mind about a few things The Pittsburg Pittsburg Pitts- Pitts burg police are looking for the survivors survivors survivors sur sur- sur- sur of the car Ontario there are three that I know of yourself of-yourself yourself the young woman with whom you left the scene of the tho wreck and myself The wreck you will admit was a fortunate fortunate for tor one for you I nodded without speaking At the time of the collision you were in rather a hole she went on looking at me with a disagreeable smile You were were If I remember accused accused accused ac ac- ac- ac of a n rather atrocious crime There was a lot of corroborative evidence evidente evi dence dente was there not I seem to remember remember remember re re- re- re member a dirk and the murdered mans man's po pocket book book ket-book In fn your possession v vand and a few other things that were were were- well rather unpleasant I was thrown a bit off my guard You remember also I said quickly quick quick- ly that a man disappeared from the car taking my clothes papers and everything I remember that you said so Her tone was quietly insulting and I bit my lip at having b been en caught It was no time to make a defense You have missed one calculation I said coldly and that Is the discovery discovery dis c covery very of the man who left the train You have found him She bent forward and again I regretted my myha ha hasty ty speech If I I knew it I said so We are going to find him I asserted asserted asserted as as- with witha a confidence I did not feel We can produce at any any time proof that a man left the Flier a few miles beyond the the wreck And we can can find him I am positive But you have not found him yet She was clearly disappointed Well so be It Now for our bargain You will admit that I am no fool l i made no such admission and she smiled mockingly How flattering you are she said Very well Now for the premises You take to Pittsburg rg four notes held b by the Mechanics' Mechanics national bank to have Mr Gilmore who Is ill declare his indorsement nt of them forged On the journey back to Pittsburg two things happen to you You l lose se seyour your clothing your valise vaUse and your papers including the notes and you are accused of murder In fact Mr Ir |