Daily camera., 1897-07-23
evil the arrangement suit you, Mr..
Whidby?"
"Perfectly,' answered WILDLY; and
Hendricks bowed himself out of the
room
CHAPTER XIII.

fever OF lmpatience.
81 thought you would never turn up
in the world" said Welsh, as they took
seats. "It seems to me that everything
is at standstill. The city is wild with
excitement and demanding that some
thing be DONE"
Hendricks shrugged his shoulders as
if he had only half heard the remark
and had been disturbed in some train of
thought. He reached for a cigar in a
box on the captains desk, bit the end
of it, and then seemed to sink into a
reverie again.
Welsh stared at him a moment in
veXation, then he said:
81 was on the watch myself at the
mayors last night. About ten o'clock
I>saw Mrs. Walters slip out on the lawn.
She came very cautiously from the
rear of the house. l saw her stoop to
pick up something near where your UNI
brella was left, and then she returned
by the front door,"
Hendricks nodded slowly, but did not
look up from the spot on the carpet
uU w lllCli llC Idll DSCil III SS'
eral minutes Welsh flushed slightly
and went on awkwardly:
81 had expected to find out lot about
her early life from a lady friend of
mine, but, as bad luck will have it,
the lady has left the city for the sum
mer, and | don't exactly know where
she has gone. Twas thinking of hunt
ing her up and going to see her, if you
think"
Hendricks rose abruptly.
81 must write a letter." he said. "Give
me some paper, please
Welshs face fell as he rose and drew
some writing materials from drawer
and put them before the detective.
"Do you want me to cease my investi-
gations?" he asked impatiently
Hendricks dipped a pen in the ink
well, and as he did SO he looked up and
caught sight Of the captains face.
ooh, hang it all, captain" he said
pardon me; l have not heard half Of
what you were saying. l only caught
enough at the start to know that you
were not on the right track. Let the
woman alone for awhile. Do you re-
member ! said that if ! discovered cer-
tain things about a mysterious
stranger in the city should have to
begin all over aguin?'
"Yes, certainly, but"
81 have begun all over again. And
Hendricks began TO write hurriedly.
Can ] help you in any way?'
81 am afraid not now, captain. A
little later, perhaps; but time is too val
uablc just now for useless eXplana-
tions: every minute must count. This
is the hardest nut ever tried to crack" :"
Welsh said not hing further. He sank
into Il chair and looked out of win
dow till Her bricks had finished and
sealed his letter. a.
"Now,' sa d the detective, as he rose
and grasped his hat, 81 am going out
for little lunch, and then | have an
appointment. l shall see yo,i later"
At two o'clock Hendricks rang the
bell at the Strong homestead. WILDLY
himself opened the door.
''Is Miss Delmar here?" asked the de-
tective.
"She has been here several minutes"
answered WILDLY. 'She is in the Ii
brary."
"Good!" said Hendricks "Now for
business" he went on. cheerily, as he
entered the library and bowed to Miss
Delmar "Move up your chairs, both
of you. There, that will do. Now,
here's what | want to get at. Col.
Warrenton was good enough Is ut me
on to Il little circumstance ~! ch he
says he has not mentioned to you, Mr..
Wildly, but which We must sift TO the
bottom. it may lead Us to Il motive
for the crime, and th&s : Wat we
are looking for. Do you happen to
know if your uncle had an enemy OF
any sort?''
WILDLY shook his head thoughtfully.
81 can't think who it could c, il he
had one" he said. "On the contrary,
uncle seemed to make friends with
everyone
you don't know much about Mr..
Strongs early life which he spent III the
mines out west, | believe?'
mo, l don't. He did not speak of it
cften."
"It is possible, you know, for him to
have an enemy even that far Back.
Matthews, with whom l have talked,
remembers your uncle's having a
strange visitor here q year or so ago,
while YOU were at the seashore. 1t
seems that Mr.. Strong had a sort of
quarrel with him, and, for some reason
of his own, he requested Matthews not
to mention the visitor to you. Now,
we must find that fellow if we can"
"But how are you going to do it?"
asked Miss Delmar.
That's what Pm here for replied
Hendricks. and you are both going to
help me. Now, that visitor came here
and threatened MIR. Strong about some
thing, so Matthews says, and one who
will threaten a man to his face is apt
to do so in other ways. Mr.. WILDLY,
do you remember ever having seen your
uncle receive any letter which seemed
to disturb him at all?''