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TUESDAY, APRIL 7.
The Case of Jenny Brice
PROLOGUE.
* Vo* Jennie Brioe murdered?
> If the were murdered, who was
guilty of the foul deed ?
If she were not done away
with by an assassin, what became
of hsr?
Whence did she disappear?
These and a few other inter•
osting questions are raised at
onoe in this very clever tale of
mystery written by a woman
who is not only an adept at
writing fiction of this charac
ter, but the possessor of a style
that chains the interest by its
clearness and directness and
Wins by its rich humor.
J 1
Continued From Yesterday
“The pillow will have to be paid for.
too, Mr. Ladley." 1 said. “And there's
• sign nailed on the door that forbids
■molting In bed. If you are going to
■et lire to things I shall hnve to charge
extra.”
"Really!” he jeered, looking at me
with his cold, fishy eyes. “Is there
any sign on the door paying that board
ers are charged extra for seven feet of
filthy river In the bedrooms?”
I was never a match for him, and 1
make It a principle never to bandy
words with my boarders. I took the
pillow and the slipper and went out.
The telephone was ringing on the stair
landing. It was the theater, asking
for Miss Brice.
“She has gone away,” I said.
“What do you mean? Moved away?"
“Gone for a few days’ vacation,” 1
replied. “She Isn’t playing this week
Is she?”
“Walt a moment” said the voice
There was a hum of conversation from
the other end, and then another man
came to the telephone.
“Can yon find out where Miss Brice
has gone?” *
“I'll see.”
I went to door and knocked.
Mr. Ladley answered from Just be
yond.
"Tlie theater Is asking where Mrs.
Ledley Is.”
“Tell them I don’t know,” he snarl
ed, and shut the door. I took his mes
sage to the telephone.
Whoever It was swore and hung up
Jhe receiver.
All the morning 1 was uneasy—l
hardly knew why. Peter felt It as I
did. There was no sound from the
Ladleys’ room, and the house was
quiet, except for the lapping water on
the stairs and the police patrol going
back and forth.
At 11 o’clock a boy in the neighbor
hood, paddling on a raft, fell into the
water and was drowned. I watched
the police boat go past, carrying his
little cold body, and after that 1 was
good for nothing. I went and sat with
Peter on the stairs. The dog’s conduct
had been strange all morning. He
had sat Just above the water, looking
at it and whimpering. Perhaps he
iwas expecting another kitten or—
It is hard to say how ideas first en
ter one's mind. But the notion that
Mr. Ladley had killed his wife and
thrown her body Into the water came
to me as I sat there. All at once I
deemed to see It all—the quarreling the
flay before, the night trip In the boat,
the water soaked slipper, his haggard
face that morning—even the way the
spaniel sat and stared at the flood.
Terry brought the boat back at half
past 11, towing It behind another.
"Well,” I said from the stairs, “I
hope you've had a pleasant morning.”
"What doing?” he asked, not looking
It me.
"Rowing -about the streets. You’ve
had that boat for hours.”
He tied It up without a word to me,
lut he spoke to the dog. “Good morn
ing, Peter,” he said. “It's nice weath
p—for fishes, ain’t it?"
He picked out a bit of floating wood
from the water, and, showing it to the
log, flung It Into the parlor. Peter
gent after it with a splash. He was
pretty fat and when he came back I
heard him wheezing. But what he
brought back was not the stick of
good. It was the knife I use for cut
ting bread. It had been on a shelf in
the room where I had slept the night
before, and now Peter brought it out
bf the flood where its wooden handle
Ead kept It afloat. The blade was bro
en off short.
It la not unusual to find one’s house
hold goods floating around during
lood time. More than once I've lost a
tbair or two and seen it after the wa
ter had gone down, new scrubbed and
painted, In Molly Maguire’s kitchen
text door. And perhaps now and then
l bit of luck would come to me—a dog
kennel or a chicken house, or a kitch
»n table, or even, as happened once,
l month old baby In a wooden cradle,
that lodged against my back fence and
bad come forty miles, as It tnrned out,
gith no worse mishap than a cold In
Its head.
But the knife was different. I had
put It on the mantel over the stove I
gas using upstairs the night before
ind hadn’t touched it since. As I sat
ltaring at It, Terry took it from Peter
ind handed it to me.
“Better give me a penny, Mrs. Pit
nan,” he said in his impudent Irish
gay. “I to give yon a knife. It
nay cut our fri* r> ' , “ h,r> ” ——-
By MARY ROBERTS RINEHART
I reached over (o iiil him u clout on
the head, but 1 did not The sunlight
was coming In through the window ut
the top of the stairs, and shining on
the ro[>o that was tied to the banister.
The end of the rope was covered with
stains, bright with a glint of red In
them.
1 gut up shivering. “You can gel
the meat at the butcher's, Terry,” 1
said, “and come back for me lu half
an hour." Then 1 turned and went
upstairs, weak in the knees, to put
on my hat and coat. 1 had made up
my mind that there had been murder
done.
I looked at m.v clock as I wcut
downstairs. It was Just 12:30. 1
thought of telephoning for Mr. Itcyn
olds to meet me, but it was his lunch
hour, and besides, 1 was afraid to tele
phone from the house while Mr. Lad
ley was in It.
Peter had been whining again.
When I camp down the slulrs he bad
stopped whimpering and was wagging
hls tail. A strange boat had put Into
the hallway nnd was coming back.
“Now, old boy!" somebody was say
ing from the boat. “Steady, old chap!
I’ve got something lor you!”
A little man, elderly and alert, was
standing up in the boat, poling 11
along with an oar. Peter gave vent
to Joyful yelps. The elderly gentle
man brought his boat to a stop at the
foot of the stairs and, reaching down
into a tub at his feet, held up a large
piece of raw liver. Peter almost went
crazy, and I remember suddenly that
I had forgotten to feed the poor beast
for more than a day.
“Would you like 11?" asked the gen
tleman. Peter snt up, as lie had been
taught to do, and barked. The gen
tleman reached down again, got a
wooden plutter from a stack of them
at hls feet and, placing the liver ou it.
put It on the step. The whole thing
was so neat and businesslike that 1
could only gaze.
“That's a well trained dig. madam,”
said the elderly gentlemaK beaming
at Peter over hls glasses. “You should
not have neglected him.”
“The flood put him out of my mind.”
I explained, humbly enough, for I was
ashamed.
“Exactly. Do you know how many
starving dogs and oats I have found
this morning?” He took a notebook
out of his pocket and glanced at it
“Forty-eight; Forty-eight, madam:
And ninety-three catsl 1 have found
them murooued in trees, clinging t<
fences, floating on barrels, and 1 have
found them iu comfortable house?
where there was no excuse for theii
neglect. Well, I must be moving on
I have the report of a cat with a new
litter In the loft of a stable lieu,
here.”
He wiped his hands carefully on a
fresh paper napkiu, of which also :
heap rested on one of the seats o
the boat, and picked up an oar. soil!
lng benevolently at Peter. Then sud
denlv he bent over and looked at tin
stained rope end tied to the stair rail
"What’s that?” he said.
"That’s what I’m going to find out,'
I replied. I glanced up at the Dad
leys' door, but it was closed.
The little man dropped bis oar and
fumbling in his pocekts, pulled out :
small magnifying gloss. He ben
over, bolding to the rail, and inspect*'
the stains with the glass. I had tak
en a fancy to him at once, and iu spi'
of my excitement I had to smile a little
“Humph,” he said and looked up a.
me; “that's blood! Why did you cut
the boat loose?”
"I didn't,” I said. “If that is blood
I want to know how it got there
That was a new rope last night” 1
glanced at the Ladleys’ door again
and he followed my eyes.
“I wonder,” he said, raising hi
volce a little, “if I come into yom
kitchen If you will allow me to fry a
little of thnt liver. There's a wretch
ed Maltese in a tree at the corner ol
Fourth street that won't touch it
raw.”
I saw that he wanted to talk to me,
so I turned nround and led the way to
the temporary kitchen 1 had made.
“Now,” he said briskly when he had
closed the door, "there’s something
wrong here. Perhaps If you will tell
me I can help. If I can't it will do
yon good to talk about It. My name’s
Holcombe, retired merchant. Apply to
First National bank for references.”
“I’m not sure there Is anything
wrong,” 1 began. "1 guess I’m only
nervous and thinking little things are
big ones. There's nothing to tell.”
“Nonsense. I come down the street
In my boot A white faced gentleman,
with a cigarette, looks out from a win
dow when I stop at the door and ducks
back when 1 glance up. I come In and
find a pet dog. obviously overfed at or
dlnary times, whining with lyinger on
the stairs. As 1 prepare to feed him a
pale woman comes down, trying to put
a right bnnd glove on her left hand
and with her jacket wyrng side out
What am I to think?”
I started and looked at my coat. He
was right And when as I tried to
take It off he helped me and even pat
ted me on the shoulder—what with his
kindness and the long morning alone,
worrying, and the sleepless night. 1 be
gan to cry. He bad a clean handker
chief In my band before I had time to
think of one.
"That’s it” he said. "It will do you
good, only don’t make a noise about It
If It’s a husband on the annual flood
spree don’t worry, madam. They nl
wars come around In time to, white
wash the cellars.”
“It Isn't n husband. 1 sniffled.
"Tell me about It.” he said. There
Was something so kindly In hls face
and It was so long sit,ice 1 had had a
bit Qf human sympathy that 1 utmost
broke down again.
CHAPTER 111.
fTI SAT there, with a crowd of
j| children paddling on a raft
outside the window, and
Molly Maguire, next door,
hauling the morning's milk up In n
pall fastened to a rope, her doorway
being too narrow to admit the milk
man’s bout and 1 told him the whole
story. .. j
"Humph?" he exclaimed, when 1 had
finished. “It's curious, but—you can’t
prove a murder unless you can pro
duce a body.”
"Wheu the river goes down we’ll
flud the body." said I, shivering. “If*
In the parlor."
“Then why doesn't he try to get
away ?"
"He Is ready to go now. He only
went back when your boat came In.”
Mr. Holcombe ran to the door and,
fllngiug It optu, peered into the lower
hall. He was too late. Hls boat was
gone, tub of liver, pile of wooden plat
ters and ail!
We hurried to the room the Ladleys
had occupied. It was empty. From
the window, ns we looked out. we
could see the bout, almost a square
away. It had stopped where, the
street being higher, a doorstep rose
above the flood. On the step was sit
ting a forlorn yellow puppy. As we
stared Mr. Ladley stopped the boat,
looked back at us. bent over, placed a
piece of liver on n platter and reached
It over to the dog. Then, rising lu
the boat, he bowed, with his hat over
hls heart. In our direction, sat down
calmly and rowed around the corner
out of sight.
Mr. Holcombe was In a frenzy of
rage. He Jumped up nnd down, shak
ing hls list out of the window after the
retreating boat. He ran down the
staircase, only to come back and look
out the window again. The police boat
was not lu sight, but the Maguire chil
dren had worked their raft around to
the street and were under the win
dow. He leaned out and called to
them:
“A quarter each, boys,” he said, "if
you’ll take me on that raft to the
nearest pavement"
“Money first.” said the oldest boy,
bolding his cap.
But Mr. Holcombe did not wait. He
swung out over the window sill, hold
ing by his hands, and lit fairly In the
center of the raft
“Don t touch anything in that room
until I come back!” he called to me,
and, Jerking the pole from one of the
boys, propelled the raft with amazing
speed down the street.
The liver on the stove was hurntug.
There was a smell of scorching through
the rooms and a sort of bluish haze of
smoke. I hurried back and took It off
By the time I had cleaned the pnn Mr.
Holcombe was back again in hlB own
bout. He had found It at the end of
the next street, where the flood ceased,
but no sign of Ladley anywhere. lie
hud not seen the police boat
“Perhaps that is just as well," bo
said philosophically. "We can’t go to
the police with a wet slipper and a
blood stained rope and accuse a man of
murder. We have to have a body.”
“He killed her,” 1 said obstinately
"She told me yesterday he was a llend.
He killed her and threw the body In
the water.”
“Very likely. But he didn’t throw It
here.”
But In spite of thnt he went over all
the lower hall with Ids boat, feeling
"Don't touch anything in that room."
every foot of the floor with an onr.
and finally, ut the bark end, he looked
ap at me n* 1 stood on the stairs.
“There's -i.; I'lho; I to,'' In* " id
To Be Continued Tomorrow
“I SAW IT IN THE HERALD”
THE AUGUSTA HERALD. AUGUSTA, GA.
IN “REEL” LIFE
rs- mom- Ye Bis S<?oink^||
~ J DON'T Try To-s Tart J
<*> V I NOTmi*.' /wound Hene
y. \ While r* sheriff- /
' V*- "* ai /•
ilk THt PftRK CoNTiNT JP '' , . _ =
. ~~ ~ ---
BERLINGUETTE
(By Joseph Valle.)
While we were sitting In our, favor
ite case smoking our pipes and drink
ing our beer, Adhemar told us this
story:
"We called her Berlinguette though
her real name was Ixjulse Trlmard.
She was an orphan, pretty and gay an
a lark. I had made her acquaintance
one morning while I was on my way to
my studio. We became engaged and
arranged to marry as soon as I had
finished my imilitary service.
“While I was with my regiment In
Paris I waited for her every night out
side the establishment where she was
employed as a modiste and every Sun
day when I was off duty and the,
weather permitted, we made short ex
cursions Into the county. Several com
rades, art students or Boldlers like my
self, generally went along and we al
ways had a very merry time. The
others all treated Berlinguette like a
comrade but at the same time with the
greatest respect.
"On a Sunday In July seven of u*
had gone to St. Cloud, walking
through the Boia de Boulogne. We
were unusually hard up that day, pos
sessing only six sous between us but
this did not Interfere with our pleas
ure a*id we had a very Jolly time.
“Care free and merry as you nfn
only when you are twenty, wp danced
along the walks, scaring the numer
ous couples who were sitting on the
benches In quiet spots, eating their
ham sandwiches and drinking their
vln ordinaire.
“Pharamond, the Paganini of the
company, had brought along his violin
and we took turns dancing with Ber
linguette who had the time of her life.
Having quenched our thirst In lemon
ade which we bought from an old
woman we did not. have a penny left,
so w* had to hoof It bock as we had
come, very hungry but cheerful In the
knowledge that In a certain little res
taurant on the left hank of the Seine
In Paris, we could get a good meal on
trust.
“We had come close to the bridge.
It was the aperitif hour and the pide
walk outside the cases wore crowded
with people surrounded by beggars.
Among these latter we noticed a man
of about fifty with a big beard and so
thin that you could almost see the
bones through the, miserable clothes he
wore.
“Too timid to beg openely he was at
a disadvantage among this crowd of
professionals, and there was not a
single sou in his old hat which he held
out with a mute appeal.
“Instinctively we searched our pock
ets quite forg-Hlng they were quite
hs empty as his and we felt very much
ashamed at our inability to help him.
Then Berlinguette’s face suddenly
cleared up and she whispered some
thing into Pharamond's ear.
“The latter smiled, uncovered his
Btradivarlus and struck up a tune
while Berlinguette Jumping up on a
vacant chair sang an old ballad In her
baeutlful young voice, Pharatnond ac
companying her.
"A storm of applause followed and
people called for another song. Hhe
smiled and sang another and then an
other. When she had finished this
she snatched the beggar’s old hat, took
him by the hand and went from one ta
ble to another reaping a harvest of
copper and sliver which she smiling
ly turned over to her companion,
whose eyes filled with tears of Joy
and who thanked her in a strange mix
ture of French and Hpanlsh. Then ho
bought her a bouquet of wild flowers
from a little boy and chivalrously
handed it to her, applauded by the
crowd when he bent his gray head and
kissed her hand.
“We made our escape from the ova
tion which followed and returned to
Paris as happy as If we had won a
fortune at the laces and more proud of
Berlinguette than ever.
"Eighteen months had passed since
this little incident, which we had quite
forgotten. X had served my term and
had married Berlinguette. X had taken
up rny work as a painter but orders
were scarce and we were generally
more than hard up, when one even
ing, as we were taking our modest
meal In a little dairy shop, an old man
entered, his fingers all covered with
rings and addressed u*v wife;
”1 am the beggar from St. Cloud.
y ou don’t know me, 1 see, but I know
you and 1 have not forgotten you, The
money your beautiful voice made for
me brought me luck. I nave Just Came
bock from Buenos Ayres, where I have
made a fortune, and I have come here
to settle my debt of gratitude.”
“He dug his hand Into the Inside
pocket of his coat and produced a big
wallet stuffed with bills of which he
placed several piles on the table and
said:
"Do me the pleasure to accept this
small sum In memory of a man you
have made happy and may It bring
you as much happiness as your money
brought me. I return to Argentina In
a month, but you may be sure you shall
hear from me later on.”
When he had gone we went horn to
the studio and counted our fortune,
which amounted to M.OOO. Berlln
guette danced around mad with Joy
and I don’t think I behaved much more
sensibly. The beggar from Ht. Cloud
proved as good as his word and
through hlru 1 got a number of or
ders for portraits, which rupidJy made
THE BARGAIN SALE
A very short lady was In the very
center of the pushing. Impatient crowd
tn the store.
Her fair hair was already falling Into
disorder under ins' velvet toque and she
felt us If she were standing at 'he bot
tom of a deep narrow shaft. The only
free space around her wan that above
her head and she lined It to hold up her
hands, waving her purse and the bill.
When her turn to puy would come
she did not know, for the living wall in
IVont of her prevented her from seeing
the cashier's desk. From rar ar.iy
came the voices of the nervou i cashiers,
“Please don't throw the hills about.”
Hlowly, almost Imprceptlbly tin crowd
moved forward. There was silli a hu
man circle all around the shirt lady,
groaning and sighing.
The short lady (Moil close behind Mox
and Annie Claus. II was really they.
Ho that capricious woman had even be* n
able to persuade hsr giant of a husnond,
who was very much In love whh her, to
come with her to a bargain sale. A man
can give no greater proof of nl-i iovo.
Admiringly the short lady s eyes ros -
ed on Anne's beautiful face and wonder
ful complexion, that so strongly con
trasted with (he pale or sal lev color of
the faces 'Wound her. The fasclna’ing
expression which ordinarily made the
young wife’s eyes so dangerous to Hie
hearts of men seemed to have disappear
ed. The snort lady even thought she
saw an expression of anxiety In them
and her color came and went quickly.
Max Blaus stood apparently unmoved
next to his wife, hilt Ids face looked like
a inask that concealed something.
Suddenly the Inquisitive eyes of the
Short lady opened wide. Hhe had dis
covered the cause of Anne's nervousness
and anxiety Louise Helsen, fair and tall
find srlstocretlc looking ns always, stood
right next to Anne. Her expression did
not hoirsy thnt she lm*l discovered tlm
Irony of fate In placing her next to thi
young couple.
T.verypody Including Anno of course,
knew that Max Claus had been madly
mhJ hopelessly In love with lyrulse and
that even now he admired her as mu n
ax ever.
The short Indy forgot all her Impati
ence and misery In her enjoyment of
this silent drama. Hut what was Anne
fingering Inside her rnuff so nervously
all the time? And why hud her blush
become permanent? The short lady kept
her eyis glued on her, she felt some
thing was going to happen.
Yes, now It did happen. For with
nimble fingers Anne suddenly put a
blue silk remnant Into the pocket of
Louise's ulster so that merely a corner
of It was visible. Pushed from every
Side Louise felt nothing.
As If she had been hypnotized the
short Indy staved at the bright blue cor
ner of the silk peeping from the pocket.
Hhe shuddered n t. the thought that Hhe
might have to testify In court ns to
what she had Just seen, Hhe noticed
an expression of relief In Anne’s face
and suddenly realized why she had been
so nervous before. She had stolen the
silk herself.
It was now the short Indy's turn to
rny name known. Since then We have
done well.”
“It Is 2 o'clock, gentlemen,” an
nounced Mme Hymptone, the proprie
tress of Case Ciunbrlnus, suppressing a
yawn An*f we understood the hint
and broke up.
IN REAL LIFE
pay but the cashier hud to remind her
twice. For u Mhm*t moment Hhe lost
Night of the Claus'*. Then Hhe Haw
them ngiiln. They were ready to leave
Mtficn an excited female voice chopped
them short. Max Claus shuddered and
elbowed bis way through the crowd.
Anne followed close behind him. Hhe
whh ghastly pale.
In front of a coldly polite afore offi
cial Htood Louise Helsen, her arlytorratlc
face flashing with anger. Indignantly
Hhe stared at the blue hIIU remnant, the
man held In h<H hand.
"You deny thit you stole this," he
fluid unicast Irally. "Perhaps you will
explain how it happened to get Into youv
pocket?"
The young lady wrung ner hands.
"I have not the slightest idea," she
declared.
"Oh the wind Just blew It Into her
pocket," said t coarse voice from the
crowd. An outburst of laughter fol
lowed.
The man took hold of JyOulsVs arm.
"Please come along," he Maid, but
suddenly he felt hhnself flung aside.
"You dare touch me, sir!" Louise's
eyes shot fire.
"What an actress," cried a thin lit
tle man in the front row The -office**
made another attempt to lay hlfl hands
on the "thief."
The short lady trembled. She de
clared her throat and tried to speak, but
before she succeeded she suddenly felt
Hi open spue* at her side Into which
she quickly moved.
It was Mux Claus, who had pushed the
crowd a Hide and now protecttngly placed
himself In front of Louise.
"You lire mistaken," he said and his
face wuh hh white i in a sheet. "This
young Indy Is Innocent,"
lircathleMH silence followed. The of
flHi.l bowed politely to Claus.
"Mny I risk you to step Into the of
fice, sir," he said.
Max Claus off*A*ed Louise his arm. A
piercing cry rang out behind him. He
turned around and loked Into the terri
fied face of his wife.
"Do you know who did it. Max?" she
asked.
ile had not known It until this mo
ment, but Anne's face told him every
thing He fought a dreadful struggle
with himself. ills face seemed to turn
into stone.
Without letting go of Louise’s arm he
followed the official Into the office.
Sympathetic women looked after Anne,
who had fainted.
The short lady waited outside the door
until Louise came out again alone*,
with a singular expression of happiness
in her eyes.
She did not care to discover how
Claus settled the affair and she made
up her mind never to play the part of a
private detective.
— ; * — 1 •
HELPING THE CAUSE.
A minister was horrified one Stjnd&t
to see a hoy In the gallery pletlng the
hearers In the pews with horse chest
nuts. As the good man looked up. the
boy cried: "You tend to your pleach
ing, mister; I’ll keep them awake."—
Ht. Louis Post Dispatch.
Every Little Helps.
i ——
Tlqfore we reslKn Mr. Castlll*. to
Mr. Villa, we roust be sure to jknakt
bun t»ay his tnoama lax.s-
FIVE
