The sun., 1902-09-07
they were busy at work early in the morn

until, in recess OF tho vail cunhhgiN
bricked over, was found the body Of Mr..
Nay. his head crushed by some heavy
| blow from behind.
| The scene that ensued when the body
was borne to the house was pltifnl IN the
extreme. The poor young daughter, Ber-
| tha now doubly an orphan, last representa- :
| tive OF all the wealth and power that had
| proved SO vain and impotent, tainted IN
the arms Of Mr.. Acres, clinging To hlm
with touching reliance in him a. her sole
protector.
| The servants and the hands raised n
| wild lamentation-a Greek chorus TO her
| grief Even Miss Randall. the house.
| keeper, handsome. stately, composed. a.
| she managed the necessary details, showed
| by suffused eye and pallid lip how deeply
| the spectacle Of the two lovers affected
| her
| 1T il an awful gift you possess, said the
manager 10 Mr.. eavers when at length
| proper seciusion prevailed and they walked
| back through the park; as awful as II ls
| wonderful
! -Oh, / don't know" replied Mr.. Beayers,
| modcstlv. 1T all comes with tralnnh.
| you know, this comprehension OF the inter.
| relation Of events and the sure sequenceot
! cause and effect.
Well satisfied az Mr. Beavers was with
! his success he regretted its int"riolationS
and sequences that evening when the door
| of his room opened while he was busted over
an elaborate report to the Judge ana one 81
| the foreign laborers entered. Thoughts Of
| the revengeful methods by which they
| took the law into their own hands flashed
over his mind al he reached for his ra-
volver, keanly alive 70 the fact that he
had prudently refrained from loading 1t;
and great war his relief when in q Few move
ments. marvelously swift, the familiar
| form and features of Abe tronkite emerged
| from the rude dirguis".
Ia, l.tn
| mind telling me what YOU have been about
Mind? Mr. Beavers was delighted. with
| an eyactitude acquired in his faithful and
aborous clerical service the young lawyer
detailed every word and step of his eN-
perience, confidently looking up for APP
proval when he had finished.
Mr.. Acres couldn't have done II better
himself" was tho Detectives comment
"NIr. Acres?" faltered Mr Beavers.
Yes. sir Mr. Acres. You have been
an automaton in his hands moving as he
has pulled the string-, discovering what
re would have YOU discover. Don't be
angry, sir; II is all the better so long as ne
doesn't know that We do know
Let me convince you, first. That scene
bet wepn the boss mason and the foreign
laborers was inspired bv Mr.. Acres. How
do | know Because | heard him give
the obnoxious directions 20 Mr.. Rufies
the moment you were seated by the window
Again. who was il who pointed out 20
Won the fancied resemblance OF Mr. Nay
10 Nr Ruffles? Who explained hat the
body couldn't have been hid in the woods
and offered the gratu,ous remark that
the men were working unusually early
on the wall on the following morning, thus
drawing YOU by tho nose. il ! may say II,
| sir, to the one inevitable conclusiOn'
More than this, he lied. You Will rccol-
lect that Mr. Nays body was dressed when
found in evening clothes, and the time
/ book shows That the men began work AT
the usual time. unconsCiously brlcking
over the remains that some one else had
hid. | have been among them; they are
innocent. ignorant even OF why they are
sus--
-Some one else?- repeated Mr., Beavers.
'In Gods name, who?'
who is il TINT misleads. that invents
| false clues that digs pit into which honest
men may fall: the innocent or the guilty.
But Why, why? Mr. Nay was his bene-
factor, his friend: he Is beloved 10y Mr..
Nays daughter. Everything the heart
| Of man can wish for was about 20 come 10
| him naturally. honorably. Why, oh. Why
| "You are getting out into the depths
when You talk about the limitations OF the
| heart Of man." replied Cronkite gently.
'Of course in detecting we Erope IN the
| dark. often misled by will o the wirps, yet
| again guided by faint, transient CLEANS
| to the light. 90,
| face as she saw Miss Bertha soothed and
| comforted by the manager, and they be-
| tokened more closely the repressed rage
| Of such elemental passions AZ distr,ist,
| jealousy. hate, than free and open human
sympathy, let me give you wortlng
| hypothesis ,
keeper have plotted together 70 get posses
sion Of This vast property: what are the
essential steps? First Mr.. Acres must
WOO and win Miss Berthas affections.
| Next. Mr.. Nay must die.
| Next, Miss Bertha and Mr.. Acres must
marry Next, Miss Bertha must die, leav-
/ ing her inheritance to her husband. Do
voI see the sequence. the interrelation'
| Three steps have already been taken; II
remains for us, not me, mark you, but you
| and me, TO prevent
| "Oh. what shall do? What can | do?'
| cried Mr. Beavers, wringing his hands.
| Cultivate the manager. Find ont by
| studying his insnuating indirectness the
| thing that he wants you most to do, then do
| the opposite.
1T is early vet; this Is the time 10 make,
| not write reports. Go over To the house,
| then and do your best; and this, for your
| comfort II is my observation hat the
| most dangerous hour for criminals j. imme
| diately after what they deem the success
ful parpetration Of crime. The un-
natural rest raint Is abandoned, the un-
guarded impulse Of the emotions i per-
| mitted
Il count much on the ever urgent force
| Of jealousy. Suppose Miss Randall realizes
| that her hold on the manager is but weak,
that now, when he Is pract ically In posses
sion through one crime, he may hesitate
| at another.
Miss Bertha is young and attractive,
| while she herself Is past her prime Do
| YOU not see chances In such fierce con-
fict between the will and prudence?'
Nr. Beavers hurried over 10 the house
In the library, he found Miss Randall and
Mr.. Acres together. The lady greeted
him with equable elegance. hu, there was
| a shade Of annoyance In the managers
| manner.
Il was Just about to depart for the night
he said sit seems only decorous TO have
the house quiet, and no one except its
| regular members present.
Il was hoping To be OF some service,
| explained Mr.. Beavers.
sOh, as for that" Mr.. Acres went on,
"you have done so admirably that we ought
not to expect anything further. or course,
the Sheriff will be- here tomorrow with his
| posse, and. no doubt will round up the
| murderers.
Il suppose they are in close consulta alton
now in their huts, Probably keen. prac-
tised man. by approaching stealthily. "a
| one Of His experience, his talents, would
know how to do. could overhear much to
the point OF conviction but ---"
| Il will do that" said Mr., Beavers, read
ily. Il will make a try Of it ut once.
| What like about YOU, Mr.. Mason, said