I thought last night that I could, but--I
couldn't, really."
"I'm afraid Wade will tell all about the party if we don't stop
him."
"Then we'd better hunt him up." Kirk resumed his dressing, while
Runnels consulted his watch.
"No. 5 is due in twenty minutes. We'll probably find him at the
office."
Together they hastened to the railroad building, Runnels telling
all he knew of the tragedy as they went along. Cortlandt's body,
it seemed, had been found about daylight by a Spiggoty policeman,
who had identified it. Becoming panic-stricken at the importance
of his discovery, he had sounded the alarm, then reported directly
to the Governor, whose house was close by. It was General Alfarez
himself who had informed Mrs. Cortlandt over the telephone of her
husband's death. The whole city was alive with the news, the
police were buzzing like bees. Rumors of suicide, murder, robbery
were about, but no one seemed to know anything definite. Colonel
Jolson in his motor-car had just come from Culebra, and Colonel
Bland was on No. 5 from Gatun, hence Runnels' desire to be at the
station.
"It was suicide," Kirk averred, with conviction. "The man was
insane last night, and that accounts for what he said about me.
He's been sick for a long time.
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