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GRADY COUNTY PROGRESS-PAGE
-■0
The Window
at the
White Gat
By MARY ROBERTS
RINEHART
Copyright, 1910, by Bobbs-Mer-
rill Co.
As He Struck Her Hand Aside the Ex
plosion Came,
| fore the .woman made u bolt.," He
iheld out a small object on the palm of
I his hand. .
•*i would rather have done 1t nloue,
jMr. Schwann." he said. "1 found this
[ring in Brigg's pocket' this morning. It
Pokings to the,girl.”
Schwartz swore and, picking up the
ring, hold it to the light. Then lie
[made an angry motlou to throw it out
of the window, hut slid it lilt# his vest
]pocket instead.
"You’re poor stuff, Davidson,” lie
isaid, with a snarl. "If she’hasn’t got
Them, then Wnrdrop has. Tell Me-
IFeely I want to see him.”
Davidson left, for 1 heard the door
iclose. Schwartz held the ring to the
; light. 1 looked at my watch. The
Time was almost np.
A fresh burst of noise came from be
low. 1 leaned out cautiously and look
ed down at the lower windows; they
twere still closed and shuttered. When
■I raised my eyes again to the level of
The room across, 1 was amazed to see
a second figure in the room—a woman
•at that.
S.chwartz had not seeu her. He
stood with his back to her. looking at
the ring in his hand. The woman bad
Thrown her veil back, but I could see
nothing of tier face as she stood. She
jlooked small beside Schwartz’s tower
ing height, und she wore black.
She must huve said something just
then very quietly, for Schwnrtz sud
denly wheeled on her. 1 had a clear
view of him. and if ever guilt, rage
and white lipped fear showed on a
.man’s face it showed on his. He re
plied—a half dozen words in a low
tone and made a motion to offer Jier a
chair. She paid no attention.
I have no idea how loug a time they
talked. The fresh outburst of noise
below made it Impossible to hearWhat
they said, and always there was the
maddening fact that I could not see
'her face. I thought of Mrs. Flem
ing. bjit this womnn seemed younger
tyid more slender. Schwartz was argu
ing, 1 imagined, but she stood immo
bile. scornful, watching him. She
seemed td have made a request, and
the man’s evasions moved her no whit.
It may have been only two or three
minutes, but it seemed longer.
Schwartz had given up the argument,
whatever it was. and by pointing-out
the window 1 supposed he'was telling
b.or lie had thrown what she wanted
out there. Eveu then she did pot
turn toward- tno. 1 could not see even
her profile.
What happened Dext was so unex
pected that it remains little n)ore than
a picture in my mind. The man throw
out his hands as if to Show he could
not or would not accedeTo her request.
1-Ie was flushed .with rage, and even
ut. that distance the, ugly scar on his
forehead stood Out like a welt. The
next moment I saw the woman raise
her fight barid with.something in it.
I yelled to Schwnrtz to warn him,
Out he htld already seen the revolver.
'As he struck her hand aside the ex
plosion came. I saw her * stagger,
'clutch at a chair and fall backward
ueyono-my range ui >inuni. 1 —“
Then tile light went out. and I was
staring nt a black brick wall.
I fell rather than ran dowu to the
floor below and got to the street, 1
found 1 ho gate to the White Cut with
out-trouble. The Inner gate was un
locked, ns Burton hail said he would
leave It. and from the steals of the club
I could hear laughter and tile refrain
of a popular'song.
Burton was there In the kitchen, with
two other men whom I did not recog
nize, each one holding a stein of beer.
Burton had two, and he held one out
to me ns I stood trying to get fay
breath. •
'‘You win," he said. “Although I'm
a hard working journalist and need the
uriopey l won’t lie. This la Osborne of
the Star and Mcjriglte of the Eagle, Mr
Knox. They heard the shot in there,
unci II' I hadn't told the story, there
would have been a paulc. What’s the
matter with you?"
"For Cod's sake. Burton,” 1 panted,
“let's get upstairs quietly. I didn't fire
any shot. There's u woman dead up
there!" .. • ,
With characteristic poise the three
reporters took the situation quietly.
We tiled through the grillroom as casu
ally as we could. With tlit* door clos
ed, however, we throw caution aside.
I led the way up the stub's to the room
where l had found Fleming's body and
where 1 expected to And another.
On the landing at the top of the
stairs l came face to face with David
son, the detective, and behind him
Judge MeFYvIy. Davidson was trying
to .open the door of the room where
Fleming iliil been,shot with a skeleton
key. But it was bolted inside. When
I had got the door open and had not
felt Schwartz’s heavy hand at my
throat I drew a long breath of relief.
Burton found the electric light switch
and turned It ou. . And then—I could
hardly believe my senses. The room
was empty. But 1 p’ickcd up a small'
nickel plated revolver from the floor!
Burton, niter all, was the, quickest
•wilted of the- lot. He threw open 'one
of the two dhot's in the room, revealing
a shallow closet with papered walls
and a row of hooks. The other door
stuck tigln. One of tho men pointed
to the floor,- A hit of black ;cloth had
wedged it from the other side. Our
combined efforts got it open at last,
and we crowded in tho doorway, look
ing down a flight of stairs.
Huddled just below us. her head at
our feet, was the body of the missing
woman. •
“My God," Burton said lionrsiily,
“who is it?” -
We got her into the room and on the.
couch before 1 knew her. tier fair
hair had fallen loose over her face,
and one long, thin hand clutched still
Ut the bosom of her gown. It was El
len Butler.
“She's got about an hour. I should
say.” said one of the newspaper nieu.
“See if Gray is around, will you, Jim?
He’s mostly here Saturday, night"
Whatever surprise Gruy may have
felt at seeing a woman there, and dy
ing. lie made no comment. He said she
might live six hours, but the end was
certnip. We got a hospital ambulance,
and with the clang of its bell as it
turned the 'corner and hurried away
the White Cat'drops out of this story,
so far as action is concerned.
Three detectives and as many report
ers hunted Schwartz all of that night
and the next day to get his story. But
he remained in' hiding. Even in her
agony Ellen Butler's hate had carried
her through the doorwny after him. to
collapse ou the stairs. I took a car and
rode to the hospital. A night watch
man in felt shoes admitted me and
took me upstairs. ,
The cover was drawn up to the in
jured woman’s chin, where it was fold
ed neatly back. Her face was blood
less, and her fair hair had been gath
ered up in a shaggy knot. She was
breathing slowly, but 1’egnlnrly. and
her expression was relaxed—more rest
ful thnn i had ever seen it. As I stood
at the foot of the bed and looked down
Ut her 1 knew that as surely as death
was coming it would be welcome.
Edith and Fred were there. As, he
sat there beside the bed I knew by bis
face that- he was repeating und repent
ing every unkind word ho had said
about Ellen Butler. Once she asked
for water without opening her eyes,
and Fred slipped n hit of ice between
her white lips. , Later in the night she
looked up for an instant at me.
“He struck my hand,” she said, with
difficulty.
By morning she was rallying a little
from the shock. I got Fred to take
Edith home, and 1 took her place by
the bed.
1 jioped to get , some sort of state
merit before the injured'woman was
taken to the operating room, hut she
lay in a stupor, und 1 had to give up
trie .idea. It was two days before 1
got her deposition, and iu that time
I had learned many things.
Qn Mouday I took Margery to Bell-
wood. She had receivecf the news
about Mrs. Butler more calmly than I
had expected.
”1 do not think she was quite sane,
poor woman,” sho said,' with a shud
der. "She had had a great deal of
trouble. But how strange—a 'murder
nud an attempt at murder—at that lit
tle club in a week!"
I She did not couneet .the two, and 1
let the thing rest at that. < Once on
the [train, she asked, "Don’t you think
cDUt amu uau u auri ui auuncumi in a-
tihi and that she tried to kill me with
chloroform?"
"i hardly think so." t returned eva
sively. "1 am Inclined to think some
one nettmlly got in over tho porch
roof."
“It is very comforting to have a
friend one can rely on." she said, and
the little bit of kindness went to my
head. If she bad not got a cinder In
her eye nt that .psychological moment
I'm afraid I would figuratively have
trampled Wnrdrop underfoot right
there."
\Ve found Miss Lotitla In the lower
hall arid HeppHt on her knees with a
hatchet. Between them sat a packing
IijjS.
"Here, give it to mo," Miss Letitia
demanded as wo stopped in the door
way. "Like as not it’s a mistake’’—
batig—“but the oxpressage was pre
paid, If it’s mineral water"—crash!
Something broke inside.
"If it’s mineral water,” I said, "you'd
hotter let me open it.”
She watched me suspiciously while
I straightened the nails she had bent
and lifted the boards. The article that
had smnshed under the vigor of Miss
Letitia's seventy yenrs had been n tea
pot of some very beautiful ware. 1
have called just now from my study
to ask what sort of ware It was, and
the lady who sets me right says it was
crown Derby. Then there were rows
of cups und saucers and heterogeuoous
articles in the same material that the
women folk seemed to understand. At.
the last, when the excitement seemed
over, They found a toast rack iu a
lower corner of the box; and the.
“Ohs!" and "Abs!" had to be done all
over again.
There was not .the slightest clew tb
the sender; hut. while Miss Lotitla rat
ed Hepple loudly in the kitchen' and
Bella swept u() the hall. Margery voic
ed the'same idea that had occurred to
me. '
“If—If Aunt Jane were all right,"
she said tremulously. "It would be just
the sort of thing she loves to do.”
“I'm not pretending to know what
took Jane Maitland it.way from this
house iu the middle of the night,” said
Miss Letitia, "She was.a good bit of a
•fool, Jane was. She never grew up.
But if 1 know Jane Maitiand, she will
come back and be buried with her peo
ple if it's only to put Marys husband
out of the end of the lot. And another
thing, Knox. I told you the last time
you wt're •iiei’o that I hadn't been rob
bed of any of the pearls, after all.
Half of those pilaris were Jane’s, and
she had a‘perfect right to take forty-
nine of them il' she wanted. She—she
told mo she was going to take some,
and it slipped my mind.”
1 believe it was the first lie she had
ever told in her hard,, conscientious old
life. Was she right? I wondered. Had
Miss Jane taken the pearls, and if sho
had, why?
CHAPTER XVIII.
Wardrop’s Story.
ARDROP got back about 5,
und as Miss Letitia was in
the middle of a diatribe
against white undergar
ments for colored children Margery
and he had a half hour alone together.
1 had known, of course, that it must
come, but under the circumstances,
with iuy whole future existence at
stake, l was vague as to whether it
was colored undergarments on white
orphans or the other way round.
When l got away at Inst 1 found Bel
la waiting for me iu the jlihll. Her
eyes were red with crying, and shphud
a crumpled newspaper in her hand.
She broke down when she tried to
speak, but 1 got tho newspaper from
her, and she pointed with one work
hardened firiger to a column ou the
first page, it was the announcement
of Mrs. Butler’s tragic accident and
the mystery that surrounded it. There
was no mention of Schwnrtz.
Bella to,Id me that she had lived with
Mrs. Butler since she was sixteen nud
had only left when the. husband’s sui
cide had broken up the home. I cculd
get nothing else out of her, but grad
ually Bella’s share in the mystery was
coming to light.
Wnrdrop was looking better that aft
ernoon than he had when I saw him
before, but the news of Mrs. Butler’s
approaching death and the manner of
her injury affected him .strangely. He
had seen the paper, like Bella, and he
turned on mo almost fiercely when I
entered the library. Margery was nt
the window.
"Is she conscious?” Wardrop asked
eagerly, indicating .the article in the
paper.
"No, not now; at least, it is not like
ly.” 1
He looked relieved. Then he paced
Hie room nervously. His next action
showed the development of a resolu
tion, for he pushed forward two chairs
for Mnrger.v and myself.
“Sit dowu, both of you,” he directed.
“I’ve got a lot to say. and I want you
both to listen, -When Mnrger.v has
heard the. whole story she probably
will despise-me for the rest of hot - life
I can't help It I've got to tell, all 1
know, and it isn't so much after all
You didn’t fool me yesterday. Knox
I knew' what that doctor was after
But he eoiildn't make me tell ivln
killed Mr. Fleming because, before God
I didn’t know. 1
-i uuvo to go duck to tno uignt miss
Jnne disappeared—und that’s another
tiring that has driven me desperate.
Will you toll mo why I should he bur-
pected of having a hand la that when
sho had been n mother to me? If sho
is donil she can't exonerate me: If she
Is living and we find her sho will till
you what I tell you—thnt I know
nothing of tho whole terrible business,"
"I am quite certain of thnt, War-
drop.” 1 Interposed. "Besides, I think
I have got to the bottom of .that mys
tery," , .
'Margery looked nt me quickly, hut 1
shook my head. It was too early to
tell iuy suspicions,
“The things that looked black rignlnst
me were bad enough, but they mil
uothing to do with Miss Jane. I will
bnve to go back to before the night
she went away,'back to-the time Mr.
Butler was the state treasurer and
your father, Margery, was Iris cashier.
"Butler was not a business man.
He let too much responsibility llo with
Iris subordinates, and then, according
to tho story, he couldu’t do much any
how ngnlnst Schwartz. Tho cashier
was entirely under machine control,
and Butler was neglectful. Yon re-
meinher. Knox, the crash when three
banks, rotten to the core, went under
and It was fouud n large amount of
state money had gone, too? -It was
Fleming who did It. 1 am sorry,
Margot 1 }-, but (his Is no time to mince
words. It was Fleming who deposit
ed the money In the wrecked hanks,
knowing what would happen. When
the crash came Butler’s sureties to
save themselves, confiscated every dol
lar he had In the world; 1 Butler went
to the penitentiary for six mouths on
some minor count, and when he got
out, after writing to Fleming and
Schwartz protesting Ills Innocence nud
asking for enough out of tl?e fortune
they had robbed him’of to support Iris
wife, he killed himself at the White
Cat.”
Margery was very pale, but quiet
She sat'with tier lingers locked In her,
lap nud her eyes on Wnrdrop.
‘it was a had business,” Wardrop
went on wearily, “Fleming moved
Into Butler’s place ns treasurer and
took Llghtfoot us Iris cqshler. That
kept the lid on. Once or twice when
there was an unexpected call for funds
the treasury was nlrnost empty, and
Schwartz carried things over himself.
I went to Plnttsburg ns Mr. Fleming’s
private secretary when ho became
treasurer, and from tho first 1 knew
things.were even worse than tho aver
age state government
“Schwartz and Fleming, had to hold
together. They hated each other, and
the feeling was trebled when Fleming
married Schwartz's divorced wife.”
Margery looked at me with startled,
incredulous eyes. What she must have
seen eonflrhied Wardrop’s, words, und
she leaned back In her chair limp and
unnerved. But she heard and compre
hended every word Wnrdrop was say
ing.
. “The woman, was a very ordinary
person, but it seems Schwnrtz cared
for her, arid he tried to stab Mr. Flem
ing shortly after the marriage. About
n year ago Mr* Fleming said another
attempt had been made on his life with
poison. Things were not going well
ut the treasury. Schwnrtz nud his
crowd were making demauds that were
hard to supply and behind all that
Fleming was afraid to go out alone nt
night. He employed a man to pro
tect him, a man named Carter, wito
had been n bartender in Plnttsburg.
When things began to happen here in
Manchester he took Carter to the home
ns a butler.
“Then the Borough bank got shaky..
If it went down there would be nri
ugly scandal, nnd Fleming would go.
too. His riotes for half a million were
there, without security, nnd he dnred
not show the canceled notes be had
with Schwartz’s Indorsement.
“I’m not proud of the rest of the
story. Margery.’’ He strfod looking
down at her. "I was engaged to marry
a girl who was everything on earth to
me, nud—I was private secretary to
the state treasurer, with the princely
salary of such a position.
“Mr. Fleming crime bnck here when
tho Borough bank Threatened failure
and tried to get money enough to tide
over the trouble. LA half million would
hnve done It. hut he couldn't get it.
He was In Butler’s position exactly,
only he was guilty and. Butler was lu-
-nocent. He raised a little money here
nnd I went to-Plnttsburg with securi
ties and letters. It isn’t necessary to
go over the things I suffered there. T
brought back $110,000 iu a package in
my Russia Ienther bag. And—I hud
something else."
He wavered for the first trine in his
recital. He went on more rapidly and
without looking at either of us.
"I carried, not in the valise, n bundle
of letters, five in all, which had been
. Not a single day comes—Sun
day excepted—that we don’t add
some subscriber to our list; but.
still we want more_. If you are
not on, come and go with us. tf
written by Henry Butler to Mr. Flem
ing. letters that showed what a dupe
Butler had been, that lie had been
negligent, but not criminal; accusing
Fleming of having ruined him nnd
demanding aorta In notes thnt would
have proved It. If Butler could have
produced the letters at the time of his
trial tlriugs would have hoop differ
ent." »
“Were you going to sell tho letters?"
Mnrger.v demanded, with quick scorn.
“I Intended to, hut— 1 didn’t. It was
n little hit too'dirty, after all. I mot
Mrs. Butler for the second time in my
life at the gate down there ns I came
up ft'otri the train' the night I got here
from Plnttsburg. She bad offered to
buy the letters, nnd 1 had brought
thenr to’sell to her. And then at the
last minute I lied, I snld 1 couldn't
get them—that they were locked in
the Monmouth avenue house. L felt
like a end. SJie wanted to clear her
husband’s memory, and 1—well, Mr.
Filming was your father, Margery. 1.
couldn’t hurt you like that.”
“Do you Think Mrs. Butler took your i
leather bag?” 1 asked.
“I do .not think so. It scums to he ;
the only explanation, but 1 did uot let j
it out of my hand one moment while ,
we wore tn»';ing.. My hand was cramp- j
ed from holding It when she gave up
in despair at Inst,and werit back to. tho ;
city.” ' )
“What did you do with tho letters
she wanted ?"
“I kept (t hem with me t hat night and
the next morning hid them in the se
cret closet. That was when 1 dropped •
my fountain .peril”.
"And the pearls?” Margery asked.
“When did you get them, Harry?” i
To my surpriso his face did not
change.
“Two (lays before I loft," he said..
"We Were using every method to get
money, and your father said to sacri- i
flee them if necessary.”
“My father!"'
He wheplcd on us both.
“Did you think I stole them?" he do- ,
mnnded. And I confess that I was
ashamed to’ say I had thought precise-
)y thnt.
“Your father gave mo nine unmbunt-.
ed pearls to sell." he reiterate^. "I
got about a thousand dollars for them
—eleven hundred and something, I be- 1
lleve.”
1 think Margery was fairly stunned
to learn that her father had married
again, that ' he. had been the keystone :
in an nrch of villainy that, with him :
gone, was now about to fall and to as
sociate him with so stria 11 nudTneau a i
thing its the theft of a handful of
pearls. f
“Then,” I said to bring Wnrdrop*
back to his story, “you foutul you.had.'
been robbed of the money, nnd you'
went in to tell Mr. Fleming. You had
some words, didn’t you?”
“lie thought what you all thought.’’
Wardrop said, bitterly. "He accused
me of stealing the money. I felt worse
• thnn a ihlef. He was desperate, and
I took Iris revolver from him.
, “I came back here to Bellwood,’ and
the -first tlitug I learned was about
Miss Jane. When-I saw. The b.ood
print ou the stair rail 1 thought she
was murdered, and I had more titan I
could stand. I took the letters out of
the secret closet before 1 could show it
to you and Hunter, and -later 1 put
them in the leather hag 1 gave yop and
locked it. You have it, haven’t you,
Knox?”
1 nodded. 1 . v
"As for that night nt tl)e club, I told
tho truth then, but uot all tho truth. I
suppose 1 am a coward, but I was
afraid to. If you knew -Schwnrtz you
would understand.”
(To Be Continued)
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