Tonkawa Chieftain. (Tonkawa, Okla.), Vol. 7, No. 21, Ed. 1 Friday, November 4, 1910 Page: 3 of 8
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17he MAN ^
LOWER T,
MARY ROBERTS' „
r?E cmcuLAtt^ miRCA«ii
lU^TRATION^ hyr M. G. KETTNEF^
cormionr ijy bobevs - Merrill com ran V
r.
•YN0P8IS.
U*nm« Blakeley, lawyer, Ky<** to
Pittsburg with the forged notes In the
Bronson ossa to get the deposition of
John Gtlmnro. millionaire. In the latter's
home he la attraeteil by a picture of a ■
,'oung girl, whom the millionaire explains
.a his gran,Daughter. A lady requests
Blakeley to buy her u Pullman ticket, lie
gives her lower eleven anil retains lower
ten. He finds a drunken man In lower
ten and retires In lower nine. He awa-
kens In lower seven and finds his clothes
and bag missing. The man In lower ten
Is found murdered. Circumstantial evi-
dence points to both Blakeley and the
Unknown man who had exchanged clothes
with him. Blakeley becomes Interested
In a girl In blue. The train Is wrecked.
Blakeley Is rescued from the burning car
by the girl In blue. Ills arm Is broken.
They go to the Carter place for break-
fast. The girl proves to be Alison V\ est,
his partner's sweetheart. Her peculiar
actions mystify the lawyer. She dr<>P®
her gold bag and Blakeley puts It In bis
rocket. Blakeley returns home, lie finds
that he Is under surveillance. Moving
pictures of the train taken Just before ttte
wreck reveal to Blakeley a man leaping
from the train with his stolen KT1!'
Blakeley learns that a man named Sul-
livan leaped from the train near M
and sprained his ankle. He stayed some
time at the Carter place. Vt Idle making
Inquiries at Carter's, Blakeley finds All-
son and kisses her Mrs. Conway, the
woman for whom Blakeley bought the
Pullman ticket, tries to make a bargain
with him for the forged notes, not know-
ing that they are missing.
CHAPTER XXI.
McKnight’* Theory.
I confess I was staggered. The
people at the surrounding tables, after
glancing curiously in iny direction,
looked away again.
I got my hat and went out in a very
uncomfortable frame of mind. That
she would inform the police at once
of what she knew 1 never doubted, un-
less possibly she would give a day nr
two’s grace In the hope that I would
change my mind.
I reviewed the situation as I waited
for a car. Two passed me going in
the opposite direction and on the first
one I saw llronson, his hat over his
eyes, his arms folded, looking moodily
ahead. Was it imagination? or was
the small man huddled in the corner
of the rear seat Hotchkiss?
As the car rolled on 1 found myself
•miling. The alert little man was for
all the world like a terrier, ever on the
scent, and scouring about in every di-
rection.
I found McKnlght at the Incubator,
with his coat off, working with enthu-
siasm and a manicure file over the
horn of his auto.
"It’s the worst horn I ever ran
across.” he groaned, without looking
up, as I came in. “The blankety-
blank thing won’t blow.”
He punched it savagely, finally elic-
iting a faint throaty croak. —
“Sounds like croup.” I suggested.
"My sister-in-law uses camphor and
goose grease for it; or how about a
■pice poultice?”
But McKnight never sees any Jokes
but his own. He flung the horn clat-
tering into a corner and collapsed
sulkily into a chair.
"Now.” I said, “if you’re through
manicuring that horn. I’ll tell you
about my talk with the lady in black.”
"What’s wrong?” asked McKnight,
languidly. “Police watching her, too?”
"Not exactly. The fact is. Rich,
there’s the mischief to pay.”
Stogie came in, bringing a few addi-
tions to our comfort. When he went
out I told my story.
“You must remember,” I said, “that
I had seen this woman before the
morning of the wreck. She was buy-
ing her Pullman ticket when I did
Then the next morning, when the mur-
der was discovered, she, grew hyster-
ical and I gave her some whisky. The
third and last time I saw her, until
tonight, was when she crouched be-
side the road, nfter the wreck.”
McKnight slid down In his chair un-
til his weight rested on the small of
his hack and put his feet on the big
reading table.
"It’s rather a facer,” he said. "It’s
really too good a situation for a com-
monplace lawyer. It ought to be
dramatized. You can’t agree, of
course; and by refusing you run the
chance of Jail, at least, and of having
Alison brought into publicity, which Is
out of the question. You say she was
at the Pullman window when you
were?”
"Yes: 1 bought her ticket for her.
Gave her lower eleven.”
"And you took ten?”
"Lower ten.”
McKnight straightened up and
looked at me.
"Then she thought vou were In
lower ten."
“I suppose she did, If she thought
at all."
"But listen, man " McKnight was
growing excited "What do you figure
out of this? The Conway woman
knows you have taken the notes to
Pittsburg The probabilities are that
she follows you there, on the chance
of an opportunity to get them, either
for Bronson or herself.
"Nothing doing during the trip over
or during the day In Plttaburg; hut
she learns the number of your berth
as you buy It at the Pullman ticket
office In Pittsburg and she thinks she
sees her chance No one could have
foreseen that that drunken fellow
would have nawled Into your berth,
"Now, I figure It out thla way: She
wanted those notes desperately—does
atili not for Bronson, but to hold over
his head for some purpose. In the
night, when everything is quiet, she
slips behind the curtains of lower ten.
where the man’s breathing shows he
is asleep. Didn't you say htv snored?"
“He did." I affirmed. "But I tell
you—"
“Now keep still and listen. She
gropes cautiously around in the dark-
ness. finally discovering the wallet un-
der the pillow. Can't you Bee It your-
self?”
He was leaning forward, excitedly,
and I could almost see the grewsoine
tragedy he was depicting.
“She draws out the wallet. Then,
perhaps she remembers the alligator
hag and on the possibility that the
notea are there. Instead of in the
pocketbook, she gropes around for It.
Suddenly, the man awakes and clutch-
es at the nearest object, perhaps her
neck chain, which breaks.
“It Is all In silence; the man Is still
stupidly drunk. But he holds her in
a tight grip. Then the tragedy. She
must get away; In a minute the car
will be aroused. Such a woman, on
such an errand, does not go without
some sort of a weapon, in this case
& dagger, which, unlike a revolver, is
noiseless.
“With a quick thrust—she's a big
woman and a bold one she strikes.
Possibly Hotchkiss is right about the
left-hand blow. Harrington may have
held her right hand, or perhaps she
held the dirk in her left hand as she
groped with her right. Then, as the
man falls back and his grasp relaxes,
she straightens and attempts to get
away. The swaying of the car throws
her almost into your berth, and. trem-
bling with terror, she crouches behind
the curtains of lower ten until every-
thing is still. Then she goes noise-
lessly hack to her berth."
I nodded.
“It seems to fit partly, at least." I
said. “In the morning when she found
that the crime had been not only fruit-
less, hut that she had searched the
wrong berth and killed the wrong
man; when she saw me emerge, un-
hurt. Just as she was bracing nerself
for the discovery of my dead body,
then she went into hysterics. You re-
member, I gave her some w hisky.
“It really seems a tenable theory.
Rut, like the Sullivan theory, there are
one or two things that don’t agree
with the rest. For one thing, how did
the remainder of that chain get Into
Alison West's possession?”
"She may have picked it up on the
floor.”
“We’ll admit that,” I said; "and I’m
sure I hope so. Then how did the mur-
dered man's pocketbook get into the
sealskin bag? And the dirk, how ac-
count for that, and the blood stains?”
"Now what’s the use." asked Mc-
Knight aggrlevediy, “of my building
up beautiful theories for you to pull
down? We’ll take it to Hotchkiss.
Maybe he can tell from the blood
stains if the murderer’s finger nails
were square or pointed.”
“Hotchkiss is no fool,” I said warm-
ly. “Under all his theories there’s a
good, hard layer of common sense.
And we must remember. Rich, that
neither of our theories includes the
woman at Doctor Van Kirk’s hospital,
that the charming picture you have
Just drawn does not account for Ali-
son West's connection with the case,
or for the bits of telegram In the Sul-
livan fellow's pajamas pocket. You
are like the man who put the clock to-
gether; you’ve got half of the works
left over.”
"Oh. go home,” said McKnight, dis-
gustedly. "I’m no Kdgar Allan Poe.
What's the use of coming here and
asking me things if you're so purlieu
lar?"
With one of his quick changes of
mood he picked up his guitar.
"Listen to this,” he said. "It la a
Hawaiian song about a fat lady, oh,
lguorunt one! und how she fell off her
mule."
But for all the lightness of the
worda, the voice that followed me
down the stairs was anything but
cheery.
There was a Kanaka in Balu did dwell,
Who had for his daughter a monstrous
fat girl—
he sang in a clear tenor. I paused on
the lower floor and listeued. He hud
stopped singing as abruptly as he had
begun.
CHAPTER XXII.
At the Boarding House.
I had not been home for 36 hours,
since the morning of the preceding
day. Johnson was not In sight and I
let myself in quietly with my latch-
key. It was almost midnight and 1
had hardly settled myself in the
library when the bell rang and I was
surprised to find Hotchkiss, much out
of breath, In the vestibule.
“Why, come In, Mr. Hotchkiss,” I
said. “I thought you were going home
to go to bed.”
“So I was, so I was.” He dropped
into a chair Reside my reading lamp
and mopped his face. "And here it is
almost midnight and I'm wider awake
than ever. I've seen Sullivan, Mr.
Blakeley."
“You have!"
“I have," he said. Impressively.
“You were following Bronson at
eight o’clock. Was that when it hap-
pened?”
“Something of the sort. When I left
you at the door of the restaurant 1
turned and almost ran into a plain-
clothes man from the central office.
I know him pretty well; once or twice
\ he has taken me with him on interest-
ing hits of work. He knows my hobby.
“You know him. too, probably. It
was the man Arnold, the detective
whom the state’s attorney lias bad
watching Bronson.”
Johnson being otherwise occupied,
I had asked for Arnold myself.
I nodded.
“Well, he stopped me at once; said
he’d been on the fellow’s tracks since
early morning and had had no time
for luncheon. Bronson, it seems, isn’t
eating much these days. I at once
Jotted down the fact, because it ar-
gued that he was being bothered by
the man with the notes.”
“It might point to other things.” I
suggested. “Indigestion, you know.”
Hotchkiss ignored me. "Well, Ar-
nold had some reason for thinking
that Bronson would try to give him
the slip that night, so he asked me to
stay around the private entrance there
while he ran across the street and
get something to eat. It seemed a fair
presumption that, as he had gone
there with a lady they would dine lei-
surely and Arnold would have plenty
of time to get back."
“What about your own dinner?” I
asked, curiously.
"Sir,” he said, pompously. ”1 have
given you a wrong estimate of Wilson
Budd Hotchkiss if you think that a
question of dinner would even obtrude
itself on bis mind at such a time as
this."
He was a frail little man and to-
uight he looked pale with heat and
over-exertion.
"Did you have any luncheon?" I
asked.
For the Hostess
Chat on Interesting Topics of Many Kinds, by
a Recognized Authority
“Sudda-dy tha Man Awskaa and Clutch#* at tha Naartal Object."
He was somewhat emhairassed at
that.
"1—really. Mr. Blakeley, the event*
of the day were so engrossing—”
“Well," 1 said. "I’m not going to sea j
you drop on the floor from exhaus-
tion. Just wait a minute.”
1 went back to the pantry, only to |
be confronted with rows of locked
doors and empty dlshe*. Downstairs,
In the basement kitchen, however, 1
found two unattractive looking cold I
chops, some dry bread and a piece of ;
cake, wrapped In a napkin, and from
its surreptitious and generally hang [
dog appearance destined for the coach
man in the stable at the rear. Trays
there were none—everything but tha
chairs and tables seemed under lock
and key and there was neither napkin,
knife nor fork to be found.
The luncheon was not attractive In ,
appearance, but Hotchkiss ate his cold
chops and gnawed at his crusts as
though he had been famished, while
he told ills story.
“I had been there only a few min-
utes," he said, with a chop in one
hand and the cake in the other, "when
Hronson rushed out and cut across the
street. He’s a tall man, Mr. Blake-
ley, and I had hard work keeping
close. It was a relief when he Jumped
on a passing car, although being well
behind, it was a tiard run for me to
catch him. He had left the lady.
“Once on the car, we simply rode
from one end of the line to the other
and hack again. I suppm* he was
passing the time, for he looked at
his watch now and (hen aid when 1
did once get a look at his free it made
me er—uncomfortable. lie could
have crushed me like a fly, sir.”
I had brought Mr. Hotchk'ss a glass
of wine ami he was lookfig better.
He stopped to finish It, declining with
a wave of his hand to have It refilled,
and continued:
“About nine o’clock or a little later
he got off somewhere near Washing-
ton circle. He went along one of the
residence streets there, turred to his
left a square or two. and rung a bell.
He had been admitted when I got
there, hut I guessed from the appear-
ance of the place that it wee a board-
ing iiouse.
“I waited a few minute# and rang
the bell. When a maid answered It,
I asked for Mr. Sullivan. Of course
there was no Mr. Sullivan there.
“I said I was sorry; that the man I
was looking for was a «ev boarder.
She was sure there was no such
boarder in the house; the only new ar-
rival was a man on the third floor—
stye thought his name was SWuart.
‘“My friend has a cousin by that
name,’ I said, i’ll go up and see.'
“She wanted to show me up, but I
said it was unnecessary. So after tell-
ing me It was the bedroom and sitting-
room on the third floor fiont, I went
up.
“I met a couple of men on the
stairs, but neither of them paid any
attention to me. A hoarding house ts
the easiest place In the wofld to en-
ter."
"They’re not nlways so eaay to
leave," I put in, to his evident Irrita-
tion.
“When I got to the third story I
took out a hunch of keys and posted
myself by a door near th» ones the
girl had indicated. I could Lear voices
in one of the front rooms, but could
not understand what they wv'd.
"There was no violent dispute, but
a steady hum. Then Bronson Jerked
the door open. If he had stepped into
the hall he would have seen /le fitting
a key into the door before me. But
lie spoke before lie came ov?.
"‘You’re netiug like a maniac,’ he
said. ‘You know I can got those
things some way; I’m not going to
threaten you. It isn’t necessrry. You
know me.'
" it would be no use.’ the oner man
said, i tell you I haven't seen the
note* for ten days.’
"'But you will,’ Bronson slid, sav-
agely. 'You're standing Ip your own
way, that's all. If you’re ho'dlng out
expecting me to ralsi- my figure you’re
making a mistake. It’a my lust offer.’
“i couldn't take it If It was for a
million,’ said the man Inside the room.
I'd do It, I expect, if I could. The
best of us have our price.'
“Bronson slammed the rfmr then
ami flung past me down the hall.
“After a couple of nvnutes I
knocked at the door and a tall man
about your size, Mr. Blakeley, opened
It. lie was very blond, with s smooth
face and blue cv.-h what I think you
would call a handsome man.
" i beg your pnnion for disturbing
you,’ I said. Tan you tell r,ie which
Is Mr. Johnson's room? Mr. Francis
Johnson ?’
"i cannot say,’ he answered, civ-
illy. ‘I’ve only hern here a few days '
“I thanked him and left, hut I had
had a good look at him and I think
I'd know him readily any place,”
• To UK CONTINUED.)
A High Jumper,
Horaclmn—You don't menn to ta;
you came off at that III of #
fence?
Recumbent Friend—Fence? (Ir#at
Scott, man, no' I caught la th# tele
graph wire*—TH RU*.
A Chrysanthemum Luncheon.
Judging from the numerous tetters
from brtdes-elect, Cuphl must have
been unusually busy with his little
bow and arrow. There are so many
requests for prenuptial functions, I
am sure the description of this chry
santhemum luncheon will be very ac-
ceptable.
It was gorgeously brilliant, the color
•rheme being yellow; especially fitting
for this month aa November claims
lhe topaz and the chrysanthemum; in
tht* Instance It -was also the bride’s
birthday month as well as her wed
ding day season. For a centerpiece
there was a mound of yellow “mutna,"
kept In place by embedding the stems
In sand At each place there was a
little yellow Jardiniere containing one
stiff, straight little yellow “mum" to
which the name card was attached
with n yellow ribbon The grape fruit
cock tall had a wee “mum” la the cen
ter of the fruit; around the atem of
the glaas there was a fluffy how of
white tulle. The plates on which the
frappe glasses stood had a wreath of
yellow ’’mums’’ around them and the
tee-cream was In boxes concealed by
petals of yellow crepe paper “mums.’’
The caudle sticks were of sliver and
* had yellow shades. At each place
were yellow slippers filled with salted
nuts. Just the bridal party were in
eluded in the guests, I mean the girls
in the party and two matrons of honor
hearing the monogram of the bride
and groom elect, which the guests re-
tained as souvenirs.
A Neck-TI# and Apron Party.
This rpally Is an old lime stunt, but
like many other old things has been
rejuvenated. The hostess prepare* as
many cheese cloth aprons aa there ar#
men and as many pieces of aflk or rib-
bon as there are girls When all arrive
the men are given spools of thread
and told to find the girl who haa an
apron to match it. In tbta way part-
ners are chosen and the girl* put on
the aprons after the men have sewed
the hems and sewed on tha strlnga.
Allow half or three-quarters of an
hour for tht*. Next the girl* are giv-
en the necktie pfecee and they are
gathered together and put through a
door, each girl having hold of an end,
the door la closed and tha men ar*
to come In and take bold of an end.
When each man haa an er.d, th* door
Is opened and the girl who haa bold
of the other end must fashion a neck-
tie for her swain. The latter puts It
on and the girl puts on her apron, aad
thus partners are selected for supper
or refreshments. This Is a very Jolly
party, adapted to private parties or
for a church social.
MADAMH MERIU.
A Box Shower.
A Jolly crowd wishing to "shower"
one of their number who was about
to leavo the state of single blessed
ness, conceived the bright idea of glv
ing a box shower. The hoys were In
on it too, and they had loads of fun
All the gifts were in boxes, which In
turn were put In n huge dry goods box
covered with white paper cambric on
which hearts of red, large and small
were pasted. When all hail arrived,
the bell rang and the village express
man appeared and snld he had a small
parcel for Miss B— and imagine the
surprise when ho entered with the as
slstance of several of the masculine
guests bearing the Immense box. The
honored couple were told they could
unpack, hut each package was to be
shown, the card read and speech made
before the next box was opened.
Among the articles were boxes of
paper, box of matches, box of tacks,
box of soap, of thread, of pins, work
box. glove and handkerchief box,
stamp box, tool box and a nest of
boxes ending with a wee pill box
which contained a collar button; box
of tin kitchen utensils, box of paper
napkins, box of labels, etc. When It
came to serving refreshments the bos
teas had a dainty luncheon put up In
pasteboard boxes covered with rose
wall paper, a box for each couple, cof-
fee and Ice cream completed the re-
past. There were salted almonds and
bon-bons in pretty heart shaped boxes
To Clean a Black Skirt.
To clean a black skirt, lay the skirt
ns flatly as possible on a clean table.
Remove all grease spots with brown
paper and a hot Iron, then with a
sponge dipped in strong coffee rub
over tlie whole of the dress, paying
special attention to the front and edge
of the skirt. When the whole of the
skirt has been sponged and la atili
damp, Iron on the wrong aide until
perfectly dry.
Itesmss
■ •ffiksrc
All black hats are seen In Batin, vel-
vets, brocade, hatter’s plush, velours,
beaver, beaver cloth.
More dress hats are In all-black or
black-anil white with a touch of metal
or color than In any other shade.
Ostrich feathers, willow plumes es-
pecially, are much In demand. Shaded
and two-tone effect* lead In favor.
Brimmed turbans are seen, with up-
right brims almost aa high as the hat
Itself and close to It except at th#
hack.
Hat shapes are of three aorta—tha
large, wlde-brlmmed hat (the moat
popular, the clotche, or Charlotte Cor-
day, and the turban.
Aa a variation on these there ia the
large hat with the mushroom brim In
a wide variety of shapes, all generally
following the mushroom type.
-VWWW^VWWVWWVkA^^F
For Thanksgiving
Kri
'w
VKRY housekeeper does herself
proud in getting up the Thanks
r. giving dinner. Besides the snowy
linen, sparkling silver and glass,
and savory dishes, some decoration Is
needed to inuku the fusllvu occasion
(pille complete
These decorations are no small Item
of expense If purchased In the art
shops where hand work brings Its
price Any woman or girl may, how-
ever, make her own decorations at
very sinull expense and in a short time
We are giving toduy several designs
which work out attractively In color.
The candle shade, representing the
born of plenty, nlways In evidence |#
Thanksgiving decorations, la to he
traced on thin water-color paper by
means of c-arbon paper, and tinted In
water-color. The horn is to b« purple
— not too dark the ribbons green, and
the fruit of the gay richness of the
natural color. Tho inside of the horn
may he tinted dark green.
To ndd to the effect when lighted,
put a bright bit of color on the wrong
side of the shade under any gay col
ored fruit, such as orange nr apples
Leave a little seam on each end of
the shade and fasten with brass hrods
The edge Is rut out Irregularly around
the fruit When the painting Is dona
go over all lines with waterproof black
Ink, and do the work carefully.
Four place cards are given, one a
demure Puritan maiden to be colored
In light gray gown, darker gray cap«
with bright red lining, cap to match
tlie cape with a white facing and da
and kerchief—which Just shows a lit-
tle In front.
Paint the faco and hands in the nat-
ural color. Red and yellow, if prop-
erly mixed, will give u satisfactory
flesh color for beginners.
Tha lines In nil the cards should
be gone over with a pen and Ink out-
line.
The turkey Is to he painted brown,
light and dark shades, with a hit of
red on the head, und outlined.
The pumpkin Is a brilliant orange
color with dark green leaves, and
the apples shaded in light and dark
red and green leaves, with brown
■tenia.
The water-color cards may tm bought
by ths dozen, or very stiff and heavy
water-color paper may be used
Those who do not already possess #
box of water color paints may secure w
very excellent little boa of a new rnak i
with all (he necessary cekirs, for 11
cents. A five cent Japanese liruak.
which comes to a very fine point, will
answer all ourpoaes for doing thla
work
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Williams, Carl E. Tonkawa Chieftain. (Tonkawa, Okla.), Vol. 7, No. 21, Ed. 1 Friday, November 4, 1910, newspaper, November 4, 1910; Tonkawa, Oklahoma. (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc1170999/m1/3/: accessed April 23, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.