Newspaper Page Text
THURSDAY, APRIL 9.
The Case of Jenny Brice
By MARY ROBERTS RINEHART
PROLOGUE.
- Was Jennie Brice murdered?
If she were murdered, who wo
guilty of the foul deed?
If she were not done awo
with by an assassin, what becani
of her?
Whence did she disappear?
These and a few other intei
esting questions are raised a
once in this very clever tale o
mystery written by a woma>
who is not only an adept u
writing Jiction of this chara t
ter, but the possessor of a styl<
that chains the interest by it.
clearness and directness am
wins by its rich humor.
Continued From Yesterday
Tie left me. huuvvi-r, at the |»o!i.
station "I'd rather not appear In tin
Mrs. Pitman." he said apologetically
"and 1 think better along my o\v
Maes not that 1 have anything again*
the police; they’ve done some splendi
work. But this case takes lmagln
tlon. nnd the police department deni
with facts. We have no facts ye.
What we need, of course, is to hav
the man detained until We are sure o
our case.”
He lifted his hat and turned away
and I went slowly up the steps to th
police station Living, ns I had. In ■
neighborhood where the police, like th
poor, are always with us, nnd wher.
the visits of the patrol wagon are on
of those familiar sights that no nmoitt
of repetition enabled any of us to trea
with contempt. 1 was uncomfortabi
until I remembered thut my grand fa
ther had been one of the lirst mayor
of the city and that, if the patrol hn<
been at my house more than once, the
entire nelghltorhood would testify thal
my boarders were usually orderly.
At the door some one touched me ot.
the arm. It was Mr. Holcombe again
"I have been thinking it over.” hi
said, ‘‘and I believe you'd better noi
mention the piece of paper that yoi
found behind the wnshstnnd. They
might say the whole thing is a bonx '
“Very well,” I agreed, and went in
The police sergeant in charge knew
me at once, having stopped at my
house more than once in flood time foi
a cup of hot coffee.
“Sit down. Mrs. I’ltman.” he said. "I
suppose you are still making the besi
■offee and doughnuts in the city of At
legheny? Well, what's the trouble in
your district? Want an Injunction
against the river for trespnss?"
“The river has brought me a goo
bit of trouble.” I said. “I'm—l'm wot
ried, Mr. Sergeant I think a womai
from my house hns been murdered, bu
I don't know.”
"Murdered!" he said, and drew ti|
his chair. "Tell me about it.”
I told him everything, while he sn
back with his eyes half closed and 111
fingers beating a tattoo on the arm o
his chair.
When I finished he got up and wen
into an inner room. He came back ii
a moment
“I want you to come in and tell thin
to the chief," be said, nnd led the way
All told. I repeated my story three
times that afternoon—to the sergeant
to the chief of police and the third
time to both the others and two de
tectives.
The second time the chief made notes
of what I said.
“Know this man Ladley?" he asked
the others. None of them did, but they
all knew of Jennie Brice and some of
them had seen her in the theater.
“Get the theater, Tom." the chief
said to one of the detectives.
Luckily’ what he learned over the
telephone from the theater corrobor
ated my story. Jennie Brice was not
In the cast that week, but should hnvo
reported that morning (Monday) to re
fPfs;'
t rrri
I Told Him Everything.
hearse the next week's piece. No mes
sage had been received from her and
a substitute i p...
The chief hung up the receiver an
turned to me. “You are sure about Hit
flock. Mrs Pitman?" be asked. "It
was there when they moved upstairs
(o the room?"
“Yes. sir."
"You are certain you will not find It
on the parlor mantel when the water
goes down?"
"The tnnntels are uncovered now
It is not there."
"You think Ladley has gone for
good?"
“Yes. sir."
"He'd be a fool to try to run nwn,>
unless— Graves, you'd Itetter get Im
of the fellow, and keep hint until
either the wontnn Is found or the body
The river Is falling, in n couple «l
days we will know If she is around
the premises anywhere.'
Before I left 1 described Jennie Brin
for them carefully. Asked what sin
probably wore. If she had gone nway
as her husband said. I had no Idea
she had a lot of clothes, and dressed .
good bit But 1 recalled that I bai
Been lying on the bed the black un
white dress with the red collar, tin
they took that down, as well as th
brown valise.
The chief rose and opened the do.
for me himself. "If she actually lei
town at the time you mention." I.
said, "she ought not to be hard t
find. There are not many trains b
fore 7 in the morning, and most u
them are locals."
"And—and ts she did not. If he cl
you think she is in the house—or-or
the cellar?"
"Not unless Ladley Is more of a fen
than 1 think lie is." he said, smllln.
“Personally I believe she hns goi:
away, as lie says she did. But if sli
hasn’t— He probably took the bod
with him when lie said he was gettin
medicine and dropped it In the currei
somewhere. But we must go slow wit
all this. There's no use shouting 'wolf
yet.”
“But—the towel?"
“He may have cut himself shnvlnp
It hns been done.”
“And the knifer
He shrugged Ills shoulders good na
turedly.
“I’ve seen a perfectly good knlb
spoiled o|iening a bottle of pickles."
“But the slipper? And the clock?"
“My good woman, enough shoes an
slippers are forgotten In.flhe bottom
of cupboards year after year in t’oo
time and are found fionting around tli
streets to make all the old clothes me.
in town happy. I have seen itlnu
everything floating about during one
these annual floods."
“I dare say you never saw an onyx
clock fionting urouud." I replied a liftl
sharply. I had no sense of humor that
day. He stopped smiling at once am
stood tugging at bis mustache.
“No." he admitted. "An ouyx doc 1
sinks, that's true. That's a very nb
little poiut, that onyx clock. He mu.
be trying to sell it or perhaps"— II
did not finish.
I went back Immediately, only stop
ping at the market to get meat for Mi
Reynolds' supper. It was after bill
past 5, and dusk was coming on. !
got a boat and was rowed direct!
home. Peter was not at the foot of tli
steps. I paid the boatman and let liin
go und turned to go up the stairs
Some one was speaking In the hall
above.
I have rend somewhere that no tW'
voices are exactly alike. Just as n<
two violins ever produce the satin
sound. I think It Is what they cal
the timbre that is different. 1 have
for instance, never heard a voice like
Mr. Pitman's, although Mr. Harrj
Lauder's In a phonograph resembl *
it And voices hate always done to:
me what odors do for some people, re
vived forgotten scenes and old mem
ories. But the memory that the voice
at the head of the stairs brought back
was not very old. although I had for
gotten it. I seemed to hear again all
at ouce the lapping of the water Sun
day morning as it began to come In
over the doorslll; the sound of Terry
ripping up the parlor carpet and Mrs
Ladley calling me a she devil in tin
next room, In reply to this very voice
But when I got to the top of tin
stairs It was only Mr. Howell, who
had brought his visitor to the flood
district, nnd on getting her splasliei
with the muddy water hud taken her
to my house for a towel and a cake oi
soap.
I lighted the lamp In the hall and
Mr. Howell introduced the girl. Sin
was a pretty girl, slim and young, nnd
she had taken her wetting good
naturedly.
“I know we are intruders, Mrs. Pit
man,” she said, holding out her hand
■"Especially now. when you are In
trouble."
”1 have told Miss Harvey a little."
Mr. Howell said, "and I promised to
show her Peter, but he Is not here."
I think I had known it wus my sis
ter's child from the moment I lighted
the lamp. There was something of
Alma In her. not Alum's hardness or
haughtiness, but Alma's dark blue
eyes with black lashes, and Alma's
nose. Alma was always the beauty of
the family. What with the day's ex
citement and seeing Alma's child like
this. In my house. I felt things going
round and clutched at the stair rail
Mr. Howell caught me.
“Why. Mrs. Pitman!” he said
“What's the matter?"
I got myself in hand in a moment
and smiled at the girl.
“Nothing at all," 1 said. “Indigestion
most likely. Too much tea the last
day or two uml not enough solid food.
I've been too anxious to eat"
lida -for she wus that to me ut
once, although I had never seen her
before—Lida wna nil sympathy and
sweetness. Sim actually asked me to
go with her to a restaurant and have
a real dinner. 1 could imagine Alma,
had she known! But I excused myself.
"I have to cook something for Mr.
Reynolds," 1 said, "nud I'm itetter
now, anyhow, thank you. Mr. Howell,
may 1 speak to you for a moment?”
He followed me along the hack hall,
which was dusk.
"I have remembered something that
I had forgotten. Mr. Howell.” I said.
“On Sunday morning the Ladleya had
a visitor.”
“Yes?"
"They had very few visitors."
"I see.”
“I did not see him. but I heard his
voice." Mr. Howell did not move, but
I fancied lie drew his breath.in quick
ly. "It sounded—lt was not by any
chance you?"
"I? A newspaper man. who goes to
bed at 3 a. m. on Sunday morning,
up and about at 10!"
“I didn’t say what time it was." I
said sharply.
But at that moment Lida called
from the front hall.
"I think I hear Peter." she said. “He
is shut in somewhere, whining."
We went forward at once. She was
right. Peter wus scratching nt the
door of Mr. Ladley’s room, although 1
bad left the door closed and Peter in
the hail. I let him out. and he crawl
ed to me on three legs, whimpering.
Mr. Howell bent over him and felt the
fourth.
“Poor little beast!” he said. “His leg
is broken."
He made a splint for the dog, and
with Lida helping they put him to bed
In a clothes basket in ray upstairs
kitchen. It was easy to see how
things lay with Mr. Howell. He was
all eyes for her. He made excuses to
touch her hand or her arm, little ca
ressing touches that made her color
heighten. And with it ail thpre wns a
sort of hopelessness in his manner, as
If he knew how far the girl was out of
his reach. Knowing Alma and her
pride. I knew better than they how
hopeless it was.
I was not so sure about Lida. 1
wondered if she was in love with the
boy or only in love with love. She
was very young, as I had been. GOd
help her if. like me. she sacrificed ev
erything to discover too late that she
was only in love with love.
CHAPTER V.
M*' \R. REYNOLDS did not come
home to dinner at all. The
WjjPl water had got into the base
nieut at the store, he tele
phoned, one of the flood gates in a
sewer having leaked, and they were
moving some of the departments to an
upper floor. 1 had expected to have
him in the house that evening, and
now I was left alone again.
Rut. as it happened. I whs not alone
Mr. Graves, one of the city detectives,
catue at half past 6 and went carefully
over the Ladley*’ room. I showed him
the towel and the slipper nnd the bro
ken knife and where we hud found the
knife blade. He was very noncommit
tal and left in a half hour, taking the
articles with him in a newspaper.
At 7 the doorbell rang. I went
down as far us 1 could on the staircase,
and I saw a boat outside the door,
with the boutmHn and a woman in it.
1 called to them to bring the boat back
along the hall, and I had a queer feel
ing that it might lie Mrs. Ladley and
that I’d been making a fool of myself
all day for nothing. But it was not
Mrs. Ladley.
“Is-this No. 42?” asked the woman,
as the bout came back.
“Yes.”
“Does Mr. I .ad ley live here?”
“Yes. But he is not here now.”
“Are you Mrs. Pittock?”
"Pitman, yes.”
The boat bumped aguinst the stairs,
and the woman got out. She was as
tall as Mrs. Ladley. and when I saw
her in the light from the upper hall 1
knew her instantly. It wus Templ6
Hope, the leudlng woman frojp the
Liberty theater.
"1 would like to talk to you, Mrs.
Pitman." she said. “Where can we
go?”
1 led the way back to my room, and
when she had followed me in she
turned and shut the door.
“Now, then." she said without any
prelL. oury, “where is Jennie Brice?"
“I don’t know. Miss Hope," I an
swered.
We looked at each other for a min
ute, and each of us saw what the other
suspected.
“He has killed her!" she exclaimed
“She was afraid he would do it, and
be has."
"Killed her and thrown her Into the
river." 1 said. “That’s what I think,
and he'll go free at that. It seems there
isn't any murder when there isn’t any
corpse."
“Nonsense! If he has done that the
river will give her up eventually."
“The river doesn't always give them
up,” I retorted. "Not in flood time, any
bow. Or when they are found It is
months later, and you can't prove any
thing."
To Be Continued Tomorrow
THE AUGUSTA HERALD. AUGUSTA. GA.
| WISE If
90 inch all linen Shoot
ing, worth SI.OO,
at 79<*
35<* 30 inch all iinen
Shooting, at 25^
30 inch Natural Linen
Suiting, at 35^
20c brown dross and
blouse Linens, at .14?
35c Colored Ratines,
at 29^
25c White Voiles,
at 10*
25e Colored Madras,
at 19*
98e 45 inch White Em
broidered Crepe
Flouncings, at .. 69*
25c 30 inch White
Crepes, at 19*
$2.00 40 inch Crepe de
Chines, at .. ..$1.49
$1.25 40 inch allover
Shadow Laces, at 75*
20c to 25c Shadow
Laces, at 10*
24 inch Silk Poplins in
the newest shades,
at 69*
10c 40 inch White
Lawns, at 5*
25c Clunv Lace
Bands, at 10*
30 inch Wash Silks in
neat stripes, at .. 85*
30x30 inch all pure
linen hemstitched lunch
Cloths, worth SI.OO,
at 75*
45 x 45 inch all pure
linen hemstitched lunch
Cloths, worth $1.25,
at sl-00
54 x 54 inch all pure
linen hemstitched lunch
Cloths, worth $2.00,
at $1.25
Ladies’ $1.25 House
Dresses, at 98*
$1.98 new Spring Shirt
waists, at . . ... $1.19
25 inch Straw Suit
Cases, at 98*
WISE DRY GOODS COMPANY
Broad Street ------ Augusta, Georgia
LIST OF SPECIALS
========== FOR ======
FRIDAY
—at the .
Wise Dry Goods Co.
Children's School Dresses
Ladies' and Misses' Dresses
One lot of embroidered
Voiles Crepons in white and
delicate shades, made in the
very tip of style, worth up
to SIO.OO each,
Special at q>*t**/U
One lot of handsome Linen,
Voile and Crepe Dresses, all
brand new, chic and span;
the latest creations, worth
SIO.OO to $12.50 $7.50
at
One lot of $12.50 to $15.00
Crepe and Voile Dresses,
Special selling $9.95
at ’
$25.00 Crepe de Chine, Crepe
Meteor and Can-dJQ QS
ton Crepe 1 O
Children's Gingham, Percale and
Linene Dresses, 2to 14 years old,
nothing in the lot that is not worth
75c to SI.OO, Special in
this sale at
One lot of Children's and Misses'
fine Percale and Gingham Dresses;
Some Balkan styles, large range
of new shades to select from. They
wash beautifully and would be
good value at $2.50, ourC* I /Q
Special selling price is •
FIVE