Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1903-01-28

4
erty to run them up before Miss
FarnhaNn came in. And since he was
| finding it necessary to read much be-
/; tween the lines of her guarded an
swers to his questions, he did not
regret the precaution.
You say he admitted his guilt to
you, Miss Farnham, before the boat
reached st. Louis?''
Yes
May I ask how he came to do
that?"
must 1 answer that?" she fall
tered.
Il need hardly say there is no
must about it. 1 am an officer of
the law, and / am anxious to find
the man. 1 am sure you will tell me
everything which might help me, and
[ don't ask to know more"
She considered it for moment,
and then took counsel of frankness.
HE admitted it because / asked
him.
Griffin smiled, and then explained
the smile.
Pardon me-" he said. 81 was
thinking that no one but a woman
would ever have thought of doing
such thing as that. 1 fancy you
surprised the admission out of him"
mo, l do not think 1 did. He adj
mitted the fact very willingly,
though he would not admit that it
was wrong"
"Ah: that helps more than you
might imagine. They have all been
looking for a seasoned criminal, you
know"
HE wasn't that" she said, with
an air of conviction. apart from
this one great wrong which he had
done. he seemed to be gentleman.
1t may seem incredible to you, but
he fairly insisted upon my writing
to Mr.. Galbraith."
Griffin smiled again and nodded re-
assuringly. What she was telling
him fitted in admirably with the only
tenable theory he had formed; that
the robbcr was no criminal; that he
was only monomaniac ON the social
side.
"And when he did that he doubt
less assured you that he would con-
slider himself bound in honor not to
take advantage of your frankness?'
He did just that. How did you
know?" she asked.
II merely inferred it. And his
parole was to expire at St. LOUISE"
1T vast did"
Griffin rose and found his hat.
~ am greatly obliged to you, Miss
Farnham. ] know you haven't found
it easy to speak of this to stran-
ger"
While the identity of the man is still
mystery, you have helped more
than you know. Good morning"
Griffin left the house, but instead
OF taking the street, he turned aside
to stroll aimlessly along the lake
shore, giving a new theory time to
grow little more definite. AS has
been said. his trade of man-catcher
had come to be passion with him.
and he had genius where others Ia
bored only with talent. When the
new theory had taken shape. it
slipped into musing speech.
"She can't account for his little
vagary, but I can. He simply fell in
love with her at first sight, and be-
cause he was in love with her he
made her do that which she knew to
be right, at whatever cost to himself
That being the case, he is as sure to
turn up here sooner or later as the
sun is sure to rise tomorrow morn
ing. Better than that. he may be
here now. I'll camp down and study
my environment for awhile. It's a
pretty place, and I'll call it my va
cation"
In weeks time Mr.. Thomas Grit
fin had learned more about Wahaska
than the ordinary summer visitor
would have learned in a years resi-
dence. He knew Jasper Grierson and
his ambitions, and Jasper Grierson's
daughter and hers. He knew all
about the social teapot tempest, and
could identify the adherents of each
of the factions. He knew that An
drew Galbraith was a guest at the
summer hotel on the point, and vas
soon able to draw his own concur.
sions touching the growing intimacy
between Grierson and the New Or
leans banker.
But in another field Griffin sent his
arrows of investigation nearer the
target, and that without knowing it
He came to know all about the Ray
mers, the iron works company, ano
the reorganization of the same with
one Kenneth Griswold for a partner
Probing bit deeper into this. more
> IN account for the odditv of mar