Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1902-08-14
CHAPTER xxxIv
The PuERlfnw OF Henson.

chris smiled with the air or n VINO
is perfectly satisfied with her work.
For the present / fancy we have
done enough" she said. II want to go
to bed row., and / want you both to do
the same. Also. I shall be glad If you
will come down In the morning as IL
nothing had happened. Tell Reginald
HenSon, casually, that you rave been
convinced that you have done DR.. Bell
a grave injustice, and give no kind OF
particulars. And please treat Mr..
Henson in the same fashion as before.
There is only one other thing"
Name it, and II is yours, LiJtrmer
cried.
Wen cut the margin Off that print,
or, at any rate, turn the margin down,
fit II into the frame, and hang II up.
as IL nothing had happened"
Littimer looked at Chris with a puZ-
zled expression for a moment, and then
his features relaxed INTO a ~satyr-iike
grin.
Capital" he said. 81 quite under
stand what you mean. And I must be
there to see, eh?-yes. / must be there
TO see. ] would not miss it for straw
berry leaves!"
The thing was done, and the picture
reFtored to it's place. Bell drew Chris
aside for a moment.
do you rise early in the morning.?
he asked, meaningiy.
Always" Chris replied. demurely.
IT find the terrace charming before
breakfast. Goodnight"
Bell was down betimes, despite the
L. WTna
in bed. Along the terrace looking over
the cliffs Chris was already walking,
great cluster of red and yellow roses In
her hand. She looked as fresh and
bright as IL she and excitement were
strangers. All the same. she seemed
to avoid Bells eyes.
"rsn't il lovely here2' she exclaimed.
And these roses with the dew still up
on them. Well. DR.. Bell, have you
made fresh discoveries?"
81 have discovered that Henson Is
going to lake his breakfast In bed,"
Bell said, gravely. ALSO, that he re-
quires a valet at half-past ten. At
that time / hope to be In the corridor
with lord Littimer and yourself. Al
so, / nave made a further discovery"
And what Is that, DR.. Bell?"
''That you and I have met before
once before when I attended you In a
kind OF official capacity, and. when /
behaved in a distinctly discreditable
professional manner. DIR. Walker was
present, DR. Walker seems TO have
been s~ingularly shortsighted."
Tn crosses fell from Chris's hands on
the path. Her fac had grown very
pale. indeed; there was d frightened.
appealing look in her eyes.
"Dr. Bell she gasped, d you sup
pose tina anybody else knows-Hen-
see, for instance7 And I imagined that
I had utterly deceived hint"
Bell smiled, m~eaningly.
II don't think 0 need have the
slightest anxiety on that score" he
said. You see. Henson is comfortably
assured that you are dead and buried.
Whereas, I know all about II. For
tunately for me, ] became mixed up In
this strange business in behalf of my
friend. David Steel; indeed. but for
steel, I ehouid probably have given
you away to our friend Walker"
"But. surely, you guessed that
mot for the moment. You see. 1t
was only q few minutes before that
a food OF interesting light had been let
In upon Henson's character by your
sister TO me, and my first idea was that
Henson wa poisoning o for some
/ purpose of his own. Subsequently
Steel told me all about that side of the
story on our way back to Brighton"
"But how did you penetrate my dis
guiseT"
my dear young lady. I have not pen
etfated your disguise. FOUR disguise
- = 4 Artaw-
inal-and would deceive even Henson's
eyes. I guessed who you were directly
I found that you were taking a philan-
thropic interest in our friend. 1t came
to be by a kind of intuition, h knack
that stood me In such good stead In my
professional days. When you said that
YOU had been warned of Henson's COM
ing by telegram, I vas certain"
Then perhaps you guessed that Enid
sent me the telegram"
THAT was obvious. Also, II was OBJ
vious that Henson brought Frank Lit
timer along"
"oh, he did. It was Franks mission
to steal the picture. I confronted him
with q revolver, and locked him In one
of the bed rooms. It took all my cour-
age and good resolutions to prevent
me from b~etraying myself TO the poor
fellow"
Rather cruel of you. wasn't IT."
well, yes. But / wanted to make
! the exposure as complete az possible.
When the time comes to strip Reginald
Henson OF his ~pretensions and fog him
from the family. the more evidence we
can pile Up the better. But Frank is
not bad: he Is merely weak. and ut
terry in the power OF that a II we
can only break the bonds Frank will be
a powerful factor on our side"
1T dare say. But how was the REM
brandt stolens Littirners. 1 mean"
1T was worksa through an accom-
piice." Chris explained. TT had to be
done before you arrived. And there
was no better time than night for the
operation. I guessed that when Hen
son drew TIE fact from me that I liked