Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-04-03

lntO MS mouth. AFTER THIS dime mover
nonsense of poisoned bouquets don't
care to have anything more from you.
Get out"
you're making a mistake" said
Barnes and tten backed out of the
room, grinnng like n monkey, as Ken
dali advanced toward the door.
Brenda replaced the note among the
flowers and gave her free hand to AL
den. bidding him good night.
81 shall not be far away" he said as
the woman preceded Kendall out of the
room. "There's lodging house next
door. I shall get place to sleep there.
Sleep? Well, at least shall be there.
You will not fail to summon me tiff
there should be any reason for it?"
"You may depend upon me-" said
Brenda from the threshold, where she
had paused moment while he spoke.
Kendall went with her to the mouth
Of the long corridor and then returned
to the reception room.
THAT man must be insane" he said
to Elmendorf. what did he mean by
coming here with such absurdities"
Gle didn't believe in them any more
than you do" replied the detective.
"Ile had no idea that there was any
thing wrong with the violets or with
the note. He was simply obeying or
ders."
ORDERS" echoed Kendall "Who
could have ordered him to do such a
thlngr
81 guess Mr.. Alden knows" respond
ed Elmendorf. "And, between our
selves, l think Mr.. Alden should have
permitted the note to be read right
here. l hope Miss Miller won't destroy
it,
Kendall looked at Alden as II to in
quire whether such thing was likely,
but CLEANED no answer. Alden's face
had resumed its rightly, and the ex-
preston which it wore was intense but
difficult to read.
However," continued Elmendorf, "if
1t hadn't been that it would have been
something else. You're going to see a
good deal Of this sort of thing in the
next few days, Mr.. Alden"
"a good deal of what" said Alden.
st is technically known as making
trouble for n man." replied the de-
tectlve. 81 don't know why l should
put you on, but I'm doing it just the
same.'
do you mean to tell me-" demanded
Alden, that Captain Neale expects to
eXtort an important secret from me by
childish tricks of annoyance such as
this?"
Certainly not" answered Elmen-
dorf. Joe Neale is no such donkey.
Why, he's worth n quarter of mil.
lion dollars, and it's wise man who
can save as much as that in few
years out of salary of twenty five
hundred. BY simple arithmetic it
would take man just a century to
do it If he lived meanwhile on what
the neighbors sent in. as they used to
say in Massachusetts. where l was
brought up. Joe Neale knows that
when man is worried he talks; he
must talk to somebody. And the cap
would just as soon get your secret
out of John Doe as out Of you-a little
rather, in fact because then you
wouldn't know that he had it. Now.
I've said enough to cost me my job"
Nothing you say to me will ever
cost you anything" said Alden. I'm
not talking man. BY the way, who
are your
Introduce me-" said Elmendorf to
Kendall. and the doctor complied.
81 am pleased TO meet you" said
Alden. Offering his hand. "Ir you find
out anything important in this case, |
want you to tell me first. Ill make 1t
worth your while"
NO, thank you" said Elmendorf
hastily. LAS = rule I'm as corrupt
as the devil-but not this time"
Meanwhile Brenda had delivered the
posics to Elsie-whom pain had wax.
,ned from q little slecp-with the gen.
tlcst possible words and ways. She had
not at all the manner of a nurse, but
rather that Of an exceedingly tactful
and well bred young doctor.
Elsie took the bouquet and very
quietly cried over it for some minutes
| W Illlput uISCON cI INC hott W VA
| it contained. She did not say any
thing; she did not ask n question about
what Alden had said or done, whether
he had gone away or was Still waiting
or whether he had seemed much dis
trc>sod by her misfortune. Brenda had
merely said that he had called, and
that he had sent the violets because
| they We're Elsie's fnvorte flower. This
seemed TO satisfy the girl completely.
Brenda had supposed that she would
! see the message at the first glance and
| indeed believed for some little time
that she had done so, but did not wish
| to read it Immediately. Finding this
an error and fearing that the sudden
| discovery of it might s,artle her, Bren
da told Elsie that there was message
and pointed out its place.
Then she turned away, as IF unwlll
Ing to accept the chance of guessing
from Elsie's face what the note might
contain. When she judged that tho
proper interval had elapsed, she ap
! preached the bed once more.
Elsie's eyes were shut The tears
were drying on her cheeks, that were
a. delicate as rose leaves, and her right
hand was against her breast, tightly
| closed Thus she remained until she
fell asleep.