Show 0 r by MARY ROBERTS R copyright 1913 by the bobbs merrill company continued from last week CHAPTER VIII vill HE fill looked at me attentively N you know more thin you are telling me mrs u I 1 ionian sl st e said roudo aou ou think jennie bli bit e Is dead and tint thit mr nir ki aws abo did it I 1 think she la is dead lod ind I 1 think pos sibly 1 mr air howell suspects who did it lie ile does not knot V ol 01 he would have haie told tl e police you do 1 i ot of think be was was la in loie ole with rith jennie balce do aou ou I 1 in cert allu in of th it I 1 said he ile Is I 1 deiy IY much in loe loie with a fool sh girl vilo 0 0 lo 10 idle I 1 aie more faith ralth in him hill than bhe she I 1 ii Is abbe colored a little and sn lied tied at that but the next dext nion mon ent bhe va VMS sitting forN forward said tense and questioning ag again tin if thit Is true mrs pitman she bald said who was the a I eflee woman he met tl at mond mondo 13 mol coining ding at daylight and took u the tile bt lit dge to I 1 utts itts I 1 bce aci eie it was vias jennie brice if it was nas not of who was it if 1 I don t bellei e he took alliy woman bloss tte tie blade at that hoir atho eds ka 8 he dil ill I 1 uncle jim saw film pim lie ile had been g caid ill night light at one of the clubs and was walking home he ile says he ile met mr air flobell face to fice pice and spoke to him the woman was till t ill and celled uncle jim sei set t for him I 1 i day or two later and he lefuel to ex plain then they him bw I 1 the house mamma objected to him film any how aid he only came on sufferance lie ile Is a col tot ee in in jut of good famil famiie but eithol t IV money I 1 11 t ill sale sa e wh wit it he earns and now I 1 bid I 1 d sone son e loung men with ne tie and I 1 kiew I 1 ew blut flat they got ahey mele I 1 lice lee bivs I 1 ut lit tl ti ey made 10 lo la a week I 1 u m I 1 smiled a little as I 1 looked at abou on if d tie tl e room with its el 1 iv grass gross cloth walls its tol tot let tible with ivory and gold and find the tile in ill in attendance in her black diess and lind white aaion collar and lind cuffs even eren the little nightgown I 1 ida in vis qs wearing would have taken a weeks U or r moie mole she saw my smile it ii was as to be hib his chance she said if he made good he lie was to have something bettea my uncle tim owns the paper and he promised me to help bin n but so jim was running a newspaper that was a ceilous career for A n to choose jill Jim who was as dwle twi e spelled I 1 ml aiom school and who could coul dol er ante wi i letter without 11 d beside him 1 it if d a pang when I 1 beard heard bis big name again after all the years for I 1 had ad written to jim from oklahoma after mr nir pitman died list in ing for mon ey to bury him and had doi neter er even had a rel IV and you haven t seen him since once 1 I didn t hear from him and I 1 called him up we WO we met in the I 1 arli arl he ile id e ei grything ery thing was all right b t he coulon couldn t tell me just then the next day he ie ignec flow the paper and find went allar mrs pitman it its s driving it e arav for they have found a d body and they tl ink it Is heis if it is and he was with her don t be a foolish girl I 1 protested if be was with ler jet nie die brice blice she Is still living and find if it he mas as not with fenn tenn i brice if it was not dot jennie brice then I 1 t ae ai e a it right to know who it was she delred I 1 red he wis not like himself m nen hell i 1 met turn be lie said sari suen queer things he talked about au all onyx clock 1 1111 id ld be had bad been made a fool of all aua that no labat came fame out I 1 was vias always to le ie member that he bid hid done whit he d d for the best and that that be he tried for n e more than for i nothing ua thing in thia this world or the next 1 1 I h bit it gasn wasn aan t so foolish I 1 co 10 ilan t help it I 1 leaned oe ote ind drew I 1 e nightgown up over her bare white shoulder dei IOU w w m on t help hell an ana thing or b bi taeng cold my dear I 1 said call lall oui out maid mald and have hae her I 1 1 ut a drebbin dreb sin u 0 o bound you I 1 left soon aftel there was little I 1 co ild do but I 1 comforted hot as best I 1 could di at 1 I 1 s id III frood night my L beart eart was heavy as I 1 v nent out downs s I 1 or tn twist tl ti ii 11 gs as I 1 might it NN was as clear that in 0 o ue way i av the hol hottell ell boy was alved tied p lu in the tile blice case pool lit fit tie ti doubled tiou bled lidd I 1 loor distracted boy I 1 had a billous experience down stalls I 1 bad had leached the foot of the stil rise aid was buining to go back and along the hall to the s q de en on trance when I 1 came face to face with P isiac tae the old colored man who bad had driven the family cairl carnage age when I 1 vi was as a child and whom I 1 had seen at in since I 1 came back almas bouse house f the he old in min inin in was bei t and feeble he ile came slowly down dolln the hall with a bunch of kejs lu in hil bib hand I 1 had seen him do the same thing miny many times he ile stopped when v hen he saw me and I 1 shiang back from the light b t 11 I 1 e bad had seen me miss bess he lie said fob roh dawds sake sike miss bess yo i are making a mistake my ray friend I 1 said qu hering I 1 am not fihs bess he ile came close to me and stared into my face and from that he looked at my cloth gloves at my coat and he shook his bib white head I 1 si st re thought you avas as miss bess be ile said bald and made i 1 0 f erther effort to detain me he ile led the way back to the door where the machine waited his head shaking with the palsy of age muttering as he be eat lie ile of 01 ened the door with his its best man ner and stood aside goodnight good night ma am he quavered I 1 had teats in my eyes I 1 tried to keep leep them back good night I 1 said sald good night ickle it had bad out my baby name for old isaac aliss bess he cried oh ob bawd its miss bess again he caugh t my arm and slid pulled me bad back into the hall and theia be he held me cry crying fn over over me mutter rl i praises for my return begging cue we to come back recalling little tender things out of the past that almost killed me to hear bear again but I 1 had made my bed and must lie in it I 1 foicey him to swear silence about my visit isit I 1 in de him not to reveal my identity to I 1 ida and I 1 told him heaven forgive me that I 1 was well and pios aud and tuppy happy dear old isaac I 1 v 0 I 1 id not let him come to see lee me b it the next dext d daiy diy I 1 y there came a basket nith sk six bottles of wine and an old of my mv mother that hid been his hi trel suie nor was that basket the last the coroner held an inquest over the headless body the next day tie ie day mr graves telephoned me in the morning and I 1 went to the mor morgue morue ue with him I 1 do not like the although some of my neighbors pay it weekly visits it Is by dav of excursion like nickelodeons or wat mat hing ling the circie put up its tents I 1 have beald them thi th eaten leaten the children that if they nib it is behaved they would not be to the morgue tint that week I 1 failed to identify the body how could I 1 it had been a t 11 bomin worn in probably five feet eight ind I 1 thought the nails looke I 1 ike 1 ke those of jennie baloe the thumb nail of ole 01 e was tas bicken choit off on I 1 told mr sir drives graves about her speaking king of a aroln blokin nail but he shrugged his shoulders deis and said nothing there was a curious scar sear the beart and he was making a sl etch of it it leaded aiom the center of the chest chet for about six inches across the left breast a narion thin line that one could haidie see it was vias shaped like this I 1 I 1 felt sure that lennie jennie brice hid had no DO such h scar and mr air evs thought as I 1 did I 1 emple idol I 1 u I 1 ltd lt d to the inquest said slit ha 1 I 11 11 MI 1 had of one aud and mr nir ladles I 1 1 it the in quest tl th t I 1 is wife ife hid had noth ng of the boit I 1 wao at thing Lhing him and I 1 1 d I d not th fit I 1 I 1 L m i b s lying ind nd yet the hai hat I 1 was IN as I 1 ply ely lire lle jen jon me n le alices it was all dc u jig at mi ladle a at the in queba was nas N as uvas cool and collected baid bald be he bad had no beison to belles bellei e that his wife wite was as tit ad and lesa less reason to she hil hl h l I 1 leea L ceu di owned she hid left him hint in a i t ec 0 and if jbf foul d out that by hiding biding she is put ting ong I 1 tin lu ill an uni wit le I 1 position ale would i I 1 do tely 10 1 tl if e cisal po atmer t of c n i imbody the I 1 lent ty of to tl 1 wo t u in ill r a mystery no oue ich such a it 11 w ws s twi shit A avill NO nau if my ott ov otti i 1 ac t afi mul marir MY i 1 jg ig i er or a sti hid bid b id tand ld d tho the L it her claugh tei ha I 1 I 1 id i c BU su it sen in I 1 I 1 id it wr bei hei 0 ills short because t f asins the N wilter I 1 iter allce bunay NI was tbt UIL I 1 alss ng gill gills s name hei hot molt motley et sat beside me and cited roost most ot of the time one thing tiling m n as I 1 ro ight out at the in quest quilt the body hid bad biln bet n into to the er after derith 11 el ei e mas n as no nv itei itel in the lungs the acid ct was death by the hands of SOUIL reison or persons aliki own onn mr holcombe was not satisfied in some way v ay or other I 1 ie e it I 1 bof I 1 el mis slon to attend the a itoi itol sj aud and h d bi ought away a tracing 0 ot the me ec ai t ILI T tia noeo fut in t e ft eanet ft et HT H la T e at the drawing hold ng flint in om eye shut and then tbt othel B it III e the tile colonel he got now no he lie e he ile fold ed i at d ei et and i ut lt it it lu hii his note book sone none tl e less mrs I 1 iam at he said th tint it I 1 is the boda bod of jet je nie tile ill ail I 1 e 0 her huat i I 1 killed her I 1 ib bibly ably I 1 y sit ingling hei ue ile took tool the body out lu in the boat ai at I 1 deopp d it li it to tl ti e swollen liver above the ninth bailet bridge why do you think he her iheke was ras no mark on the body and no do poison w n s found thlu if he lie ati angled hei let i ft hei heie e dl III I 1 the blood come alomi I 1 didat limit inist lf to tion he said uri tilly he ua kiy ay iy have it 11 her tt til i at oi 01 her lier m with ith my on onyx x clock I 1 ad led with it bl ll 11 DOI 01 I 1 misled missed the ck I 1 1 and mole he ile went dewi in ju ills lockets and bioust ill up a it kev lei I 1 d ta til is he bd ba d it bt blow cwb yo yoi 1 1 sit t t that the clock v i is when hen the ladle took the i 0 i I 1 tot toil 1 d tl is in the vaid laid till tills moin woin it it wasa was v when lien I 1 got lio to ue no fr u flit in lit luebe ill tint it I 1 found old is 1 I 1 i s I 1 labbit IN waltane walt aidt lne I 1 am not a lyans but I 1 co lid ild hardly bee u my mathei mothel s 4 I 1 for tears well after all that ii 1 not the buce blice stoin I 1 ant not wilt ing the boidol I 1 of ray my life f that hat n waa as on I 1 jew le bi blice tee had been missing n ne ile days in III alt all that tl ti ie to although she was ast east toi tot the p ece at the theater th tint it week weel no one had headd aiom I 1 PI hot relatives iela tives hid had no wold she had gone aai awi if it had bad aone n u a told old maich match n u lit ht in fit a still ed bla I 1 k and ni white life drass with i ith a led 1 ed col 01 ai at ud nd i I 1 led ind blick hat without hu hll tur oat bhe she had worn morn all bhe he lia adl I 1 febue very early lu in the in i lu u j ingvol duijn dubino the how flow hid bhe bile gone gonel mr air ladley said he lad iad lowed hei to I 1 deral atit et at half after t 6 and had bad bio ight the boat back bak after they had quarreled all night and she was leading him he have allowed her ler to tike tile herself avs away ay besides the 1 olice had found no trace of her on oil an early train and ana then at daylight between 5 and ti i my own brother had seen a woman with mr howell a woman who rho might haie baie been jennie brice but if it was why did not mi how floriell flo viell ell say sol so mr ladley claimed she was mas hiding I 1 in ll 11 revenge but jennie brice was not th that t sort of woman there was some thing big phout hei let something that la Is found often in large women romen a lack of spite she was not petty pett or malic ous her faults like hei let for all to see in spite of the tile failure to identify the body mr air ladley wis arrested that night tuesday and this time it was blab for in erdei I 1 know now that the tile po pu lice long they hid no mothe foi fol the crine en ne As mr holcombe slid they had provo atau but not motive which Is biffer ent they had opportunity and they had a lot of straggling lint a 9 of clews which in the total mide a fair chain of evidence but that was ail all that is the way the case stood on tuesday night march 13 mr air ladley I 1 v wis ls taken away at fit 1 9 clock he was perfectly cool asked me to help him pick pack a suit case in I 1 tied while N bile it was being done he ile I 1 le quested to be a allowed 1 I 1 0 me d to wilk to the jail ind went ment quietly with ith i 11 detective on one bide side ind and I 1 thins thina a sheriffs sheriff s of fleer ocer on the other just before he left he ed for a word or two with nith me and w when 1 ell he alid I 1 Us Is bill up to dite ai at d give g iv me an ar extra collir for caie cale of peter was almost oNe overcome rome he lie tool the manuscript of his with hi it and 90 I 1 jen tell ember bis his asking if he could hake am e any lipnik done in the jill I 1 li hid id I 1 never seen a man arrested foi tot it ader nd e r before but I 1 th he vas N as pio bibly t the h e coolest su hect the officers had alei seen ahey 1 hey hardly knew whit to make of it mr air remolds ind I 1 had a cup of tei tea after all the excitement aid vere sit tin ting at it the dining roo room tible table adul dillun ing it when the bell it ling ng it was mas mi nil how hom ell he ile half iel into bo be hall when hen I 1 opened thedoor the door and for going into the cirlor ot irvi ir vi ci tt tl out a word mr ladley s gone if you want b biro I 1 bald ald I 1 tb thought ought his big face cleared clearw gone cone he slid NN where here 10 lo jail he did not reply at once lie ile stood there tapping the palm of one hand vt A th the foie fingel of the other lie ile i was d city i ty and uns ansh biven iven his ills clothes looked as if he be had been sleeping in them so they N e got him he m tiered finally and tuning was ab abo 0 it to go on out t the front door without word but I 1 caught h s aim I 1 loure on re sick mr air howell I 1 said loud I 1 on d better not go 90 out just yet oh I 1 in all light tight lie ile shoot his handkerchief out and wiped his face flee I 1 saw that his hands shaking come back ind have a cup of tea and a slice of homemade breid broad he ile hesitated and looked at his match ill do d it mrs pitman he be said I 1 st u I 1 id it better chiow a I 1 tile fuel ILO aa this engine of mine its been going bard hard for several days he ate like a wolf I 1 cut half a loat oat into slices foi him and he drank the rest of the tea mr air reynolds cloaked up to bed and left him still eating and me still cutting and spreading now that I 1 had a chance to see him I 1 was shocked the rims of his eyes mele red li s collar black and his hilr hair hung ovel his forehead but when he lie flolly sat back and looked at me his color was better so they i e canned him he aid qaid b 1 I A i essl time ralo jwj too slid 1 I lie ile leaned forward an I 1 I 1 iut ut both his elbows on the table if airs rs pirmin he said earnestly I 1 don t like him any more than you do but be he never killed that woman somebody killed her how do vou toll know how flow do you know ashes she s dead t hell ell I 1 of course I 1 only felt it the I 1 olice haven t even proved a cri crime me the |