The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-02-12
CHAPTER VII.
"c1RcuMsTANTIAL EVIDENCE.

"CIRCUMSTANTIAL EVIDENCE"
At Teddy's surprising news the three
women rose simultaneously. Fancy, the
youngest and most shallow, recovered the
use of her tongue first, and threw her
arms around the boys neck, weeping.
80 Teddy, I knew-I knew-you'd find
him. Where-where is he?"
The excitement died out of Teddy. and
he looked uncomfortable. II don't
know"
But, Teddy, you said he was alive"
cried Norah, her eyes flashing in very
pale face. Have you seen h1m?"
mo But 1 believe ne is alive for all
that"
Did any one ever hear the like?"
whimpered the widow. You say one
thing and mean another. 1t Is cruel of
you to raise our hopes only to disappo-nt
them. T.
You don't understand, Mrs.
mo, indeed, / dc not. Who could I'M
derstand such falsehood? If you we're
oh, mother, do be quiet" broke IN
Fancy, impatiently. Let Teddy speak"
But Mrs Wharton still continued to
mUtter to herself while she awaited the
young mans explanation. With a frater-
nal hand Teddy patted Norah on the
shoulder.
"'risn't cock-and-bull story, pom my
soul it isn't! 1 know a coed deal. even
if I don't know everything
TEL us what you do now, Teddy"
well, it's just this I've been going
by circumstantial evidence" said Vyse,
smacking his lips over the word. eyes,
bay circumstantial evidence, If you know
what that is
81 DON'T cried Fancy, who was again
eating.
Fancy, be quiet Let Teddy tell his
story
''Circumstantial evidence" said Teddy,
iearnedly, lis evidence not positive or d.
rect. Now, L went down to see Dinch
and found him with pot of white paint
about to touch UP that old barge of his
He was in a fine temper at the extra eX-
pense. as he had painted her just before
she had been taken. He showed me the
parts that needed a lick of paint, and
what l saw, although it conveyed moth
ing to Dinch. because he is a fool, limited
a good deal to a man like me-
oh, do go on" cried the impatient
Fancy. Don't jaw so! What did you
see?'
why, that the bows and one side OF
the boat were rubbed with blue paint. and
line or two OF black, rubbed, in hard,
scraped up and down. Now do you see?
Ife three women tried very hard, but
they We're obliged to confess that tn Y
did not.
Lord! How dull some peoole are.
Wen the marks on the boat showed
that she had l4nped against some larger
craft painted blue and black. The marks
We're not there when Dinch left her spiclx
and span the night before. So l ar
gced that Leonard. and whatsoever was
with him, pulled out to some vessel AMI
bearded her The beat remaining long
side took on some of the steamers paint
through knocking up against her"
Steamer? How do you know it was L
steamer asked Norah, scepticaliy.
By putting two and two together" re-
pied Teddy, loftily. Il said nothing TO |
Dinch except to ask him if a craft paint |
ed blue and black had been in the hay i
about the time his boat had been collar |
ed You see, It's not often you get blue on
a boat either above or below the water |
line. Anyhow, Dineh couldn't recolIect. |
He passed the inquiry on to some other !
fools, and, by dint of hard questioning, |
found out that steam yacht painted |
those colors had teen at anchor for a |
while week about a mile away from the !
pier. / wonder I didn't notice her my |
self, but haven't been on the pier much !
lately. /
You're blind put in Fancy 81 saw
her On Tuesday We went down to meet