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Show VvAitfOiy M AUTHOR OP r ' Wiw ZHZ? JTRMGH CASS f CAVENDISH WifrWW ILLUSTRATIONS' iVMU' 1 "r r J-WEIL 1 tfggjTV CiO COPVTCIGHT, EY RANDALL PARklSH "l'ou Imply you suspect me also of tlilH crime?" ".No, not that! I have Riven you my faith; hut it has been given blindly, l'ou have refused me your confidence. I do not even know your name, your place of residence, how you became involved In this cordon. You must acknowledge 1 am hadly handicapped when It comes to attempting your defense." de-fense." "You have been very true, very kind," she admitted, and extended her band. "You must know how greatly I appreciate such faithfulness, Mr. Severn. But tell me what Harris holds to be proof against me. If all this be true, we cannot waste time here in talk." CHAPTER XII. At the Foot of the Stairs J'No, it will soon be morning, and all way of escape blocked. Uc is willing to swear that you agreed to permit Alva to drive you downtown, and that you actually departed together. to-gether. This charge can perhaps be answered by the testimony of Krantz, If he can be got on the witness stand, as you have told me he accompanied you on a street car." "Which is true." "I accept your word, of course, but Harris does not, and I must confess he has some evidence to create suspicion." sus-picion." 'Tou say that!" "I must, to be perfectly honest. I will ven confess there have been times when I doubted. Let me tell you Alva was undoubtedly killed with a dagger hatpin, exactly like that one in your hat there," and I pointed to It on the dresser. Her eyes turned that . way in an expression of startled surprise. "Killed with a hatpin like that of mine?" "Yes. there is no doubt as to the "And. even then, you sought to protect pro-tect me? You cared enough fur th;'t7" "I hardly know ; It must have !) true enough. I scarcely doubted but what It was your act only I persuaded per-suaded myself thai the man must, have attacked you, and that you struck In self-defense. 1 would not believe you guilty of deliberate murder. I meant to give .von a chance; so I took tha we.ipoa away with inc." She drew a long breath. "No one saw you?" "Not a soui ; the street was absiv lutely descrten. I wiped-off the blood, and hid the knife in my pocket until I reached the? hotel; then I concealed it at the bottom of my valise." "It ts rtttll there?" "No; something led Harris to suspect I was not Daly, and lie set out to Investigate. He had my telephone tele-phone number, and easily located both hotel and room. Waiting until I left the key. he entered, and went through the valise In search of anything he could find. He came upon the nagger hatpin, remembered that you had just such a one in your hat that night, and instantly jumped to the conclusion, as he had seen the wound, that this was the weapon of murder. He believes be-lieves we were working together, and this was why I had concealed the knife." "And you? you believed that? "I believed in you," I said earnestly. "At first I thought It must be you ; then I saw that pin In your hat again, when I knew I had one just like it hidden at the hotel. This gave me new hope, until I returned and discovered dis-covered my valise slit open, and the dagger gone. I knew of no one who would do such an act or had occasion occa-sion to except you, In an effort to destroy evidence. "Then later, when that was cleared up by Harris acknowledging that he was the one who got the pin, I told him about your having your own in your hat at Perond's. He only laughed, and said you were smart enough to buy another, as soon as the first was found missing; that doubtless there -were plenty to be had." "He's right; there are. At least I know of one shop on lower Broadway where they are for sale." She stopped suddenly, with a peculiar gesture. "Why, now I think of it, Sarah Wal-dron Wal-dron has one exactly like mine ; I bought it for her." "Ivan Waldron's wife?" "Of course; that's rather odd, isn't it?" "It opens up a line of thought, anyway. any-way. Could you find out, do you suppose, if she has it still? What does she know about her husband?" The girl laughed softly. "Know ! Less even than I do, I imagine. He doesn't show up here oftener than once in six months, and Sarah gets nothing from him. She wouldn't know why?" "Because, after all, it might be the Russian ; If it was he wouid have to lie to Harris, and pretend to know nothing. Y'ou heard how those two talked at Perond's. What did you make of it?" She drew her eyes together, leaving the marks of a frown on her forehead. fore-head. "That they had planned together to rob Alva; that Waldron was to be hidden somewhere outside, and was to wait for Harris to signal him that the money had been paid over." "Exactly; Harris failed to learn that the money changed hands, and consequently did not signal. But Waldron, nevertheless, was outside waiting ; had no doubt spotted Alva's machine, and was ready to act. The one thing we do not know is did Alva start home alone; or did ono of the men accompany him? If the latter supposition is true then that fellow must have committed the murder, with Waldron a possible accomplice after the crime. If not true, then the only other solution is that Alva picked Waldron up for companionship. com-panionship. Were they acquainted at all?" "I think so, but am not sure; you said Waldron first reported this chance to Harris." "So he did ; then it is quite possible the two knew each other. That would make it easy for the Russian to ask a ride. Whoever si ruck the blow was in the rear seat. Tills theory fits in all right with his actions toward Harris." What do you mean to do?" "Shadow Waldron ; he is sure to expose himself sooner or Inler. We must get away from here, out of the hands of these fellows. Could you find your way to the stairs in the dark?" "Yes. I have been here often." "Then I am going to turn n-jt this light before opening the door." She led the way confidently enough, moviiv; silently along the wall, I keeping close so as to touch her. A few steps brought us forth Into the hall at the head of a flight of stairs leading downward. My fingers gripped the banisters, while she stood aside to lc: me pass. "You better go ahead, now; the next flight is directly beyond this, and ends at the street door." "You will follow?" "Of course; I shall keep right behind be-hind you." We went down step by step, not a stair creaking, or a sound londer than our own breathing. I reached the last step, warned by the newel post, and felt ahoad with one groping foot to assure myself of the level beyond. Her Angers grasped my sleeve, and Hps almost at my e;ir, whispered a barely audible warniinr. (TO r.K CONTINUED.) Mi CHAPTER XI Continued. ia Tet what house was this that she should be here? How did .it happen that we were at the same place? Had Khe come voluntarily; or u prisoner? Had she been tricked Into coming? or brought by force? and was she held here helpless to escape? I tried the door softly It was locked.- This, coupled with the fact that the key was upon the .outside, served to answer the main .question. However she came, she was now being held a prisoner. We must both he In the i same hands, In the unscrupulous grasp of this desperate gang of .criminals, .crim-inals, determined to gain from us at any cost the secret we -were supposed . to share. I hesitated, hut for only a moment. delmtlng with myself the best' course to pursue. Should I endeavor: to escape from the house alone, and then return to her rescue with help? or fuce the greater danger of attempting attempt-ing to take her with me? The former! move Involved exposure of her whole connection With the affair, and I -was : afraid to take upon myself the responsibility. re-sponsibility. ;I knew .not who she was, or why she ihad become involved In 'this mesh of . crime. I feared Harris' knowledge, the evidence he might disclose, dis-close, and what his passion for revenge might 'drive him to do, If he once found his game decisively blocked. It would be better for me to tell her all first and then act at her direction. I reinserted the key in the lock noiselessly, shot back the bolt and opened the door, stepping quickly within to instantly shut .out the glare of light. It seemed to me this was accomplished in utter silence, but, as the door latched behind me, she was upon her feet, plainly startled by the Intrusion. 'Who are you? What does this mean? why, Mr. Severn!" "Yes," I responded quickly, yet making no effort to advance, "you have nothing to fear; only do not speak loudly." "But please explain. I I am not afraid of you, of course, but -how do you happen to be here?" "Perhaps you will permit me to ask a question first, which may sound ridiculous enough where am I?" "Y'ou do not know that even? I can at least answer with certainty," her composure returning; "you are at 247 Le Compte street." "Waldron's house; that possibility never occurred to me. Sounds strange, doesn't It? But the truth is I was brought here unconscious." "Y'ou were attacked?" "Slugged in Costigan's saloon," I explained shortly. "It took three of them to do it, but they did a goon job. That must have been about midnight. What time is it now?" "It is after four; who are they?" "Harris, Waldron and Costigan some combination." "But why should they slug you, Mr. Severn?" "Simply because of my connection with the mysterious Miss Gessler," I explained. "Harris had chosen to associate asso-ciate us together, believing we know who murdered and robbed Alva, and where the spoils are hidden. They endeavored first to put me through the third degree, and when I refused to squeal as you know simply because I possessed no knowledge to communicate communi-cate they resorted to force, and here I am." Her eyes, wide open, questioning, were upon my face. "They they asked you about me? Why should they suppose you know anything?" "Largely because we were together at Terond's. I presume. Harris claims to know you who you art-. Is that true?" "It may be," she admitted. "What has happened tonight almost convinces me. I came here willingly, only to find myself a prisoner. Sarah Waldron telephoned me that she was HI, and needefl m. I have known her ever since 1 wgs a girl ; we were from the same town, so really I thought nothing unusual of her call. I have seen no one here rince I came no men, I mean and did not remove my clothes, In anticipation of being called." "She claimed to he here alone?" "There are roomers on the floor below-, but I met none." "But I found your door locked." I Insisted. "That Is very strange. I heard nothing. I'erhaps if you will explain what they asked you. we may come to Some understanding of what this till nienns. Does Harris accuse me of the robbery?" "Yes and of the murder. The way lie tells it the thing does sound rather ugly," ,-onfessi'd regretfully, but believing the lime hail arrived for plain speech be.'ween "At least I was In no position to ;on?ravert his claims." "I Would Not Believe You Guilty of Deliberate Murder." nature of the weapon. I know more about that than Harris, even." "How are you so sure a hatpin was thv weapon used? The police reports say nothing like that." "They do not know; I do. The truth is. I was the first to discover the murder. I related to you my conversation with Harris, after all others had left the foundry. We must have been there alone for an hour. When we left we separated,' believing this to be safe, and I walked down Gans street alone in the -rain. Some blocks below the foundry I came upon this car, bumped up against the curb, and apparently abandoned. The rear door stood wide open, and I looked inside, in-side, and felt about, merely from curiosity. My fingers touched something some-thing lying on the floor, and, when I drew it out, and looked at It in the light of a distant street-lamp, I discovered dis-covered it to be a dagger hatpin, discolored dis-colored with blood." She stared at me in horror. "Like that one there?" "Exactly like it. I had seen the one In your hat, and remembered." "Yon thought It must be mine? That that I had murdered him?" "I hardly believe I thought at all. But I investigated the front seat, and found Alva's body hanging over the wheel, with a gas!, in the back of his coat sticky with Mood. Then I knew." "Knew what?" "How the man had I ecu killed. 1 believed then you v . i-e with him alone; I had reason lo, fur I overheard over-heard his invitation, an I our answer. I recognized the weap- n an mis you had in your possesion. My first thought was that it would utterly condemn con-demn you if ever found." |