Courier Democrat., 1903-02-26
CHAPTER XVII. (continued.)

II am detective come about that
,Caryl affair."" Immediately said Loud.
Il did not know but that might find
some item of information here"
Lauriats face changed in a look of
the deepest concern.
Has nothing been discovcred?" he
asked.
lit is not pleasant to my profession
al pride to own it, but nothing has
been discovered. l want to learn his
character and habits. 1t is very diff
cult to get any clue to him. He's very
shillful."
1t was evident that Loud had fallen
into the belief that Rothesay was
guilty.
His character was above suspicion,
and his habits those of a gentleman.
not of fast man in any sense" was
the emphatic reply.
Don't you think your daughter
might have heard from him?" asked
Loud. expressing an idea that had
been in his mind some time.
He had been wavering in his convic-
tion as to which one of the two girls
Rothesay loved, Laura Lauriat or Kate
Purcell He was convinced that the
one whom Vance did love would soon
er or later hear from her lover. and he
meant to know it if either did hear.
He had never seen Rothesay, but
from what he had to judge by he had
decided that the young man was an
adventurer destitute Of moral princi-
ples-one who covered his real char
acter with the utmost skill and sue
cess.
. Loud was almost sure that Kate Pur-
must he have concealed his real self
to be beloved by such woman as she.
Probably Miss Lauriat loved him
also; yes, he was very successful
among women, and 1t was undoubtedly
woman that had been the cause of
the quarrel with Ralph Caryl.
The detective pursued his inquiries
with the strictest rigor in Philadel-
phia. He found nothing but what was
to Rothesay's credit.
Vance was a lawyer. possessed of a
very small private fortune, and had
been admitted to the bar two years
before. He had been on his summer
vacation previous to his contemplated
marriage when he had taken ill at the
Nttle town on the Massachusetts coast.
Verify, Loud found the character of
the young man spotless; one or two
people with whom the detective con-
versed seemed disposed to speak in a
disparaging manner Of Rothesay, but
Loud thought nothing of that-he
know it was impossible to find any one
Of whom everybody spoke we'll.
He went back to Boston very much
lrritated with himself at his want of
success He went down to Cotton
again and met Dick Burt as he left the
railroad station
Loud drew Dick to one side and en-.
tered into conversation. He did not
forget that he had at first had fleeting
suspicious of this man. But he had
satisfied himself without doubt that
Dick had been away from the scene of
the murder.
In person he knew Burt could not
tiaye participated in that crime. And
yet the detective fancied that Caryl
might have interfered in Burt's love
affair and given Burt reason to hate
Ilm.
Loud's sharp eyes did not fail to see,
while appearing not to see that Burt
would rather not have met him, even
endeavoring to appear as though not
seeing him. for Dick had discovered in
what capacity Loud had come down to
the shore-indeed. he had seen the de.
teciiye before when investigating a.
different case.
Loud saluted Burt with apparent
cordially. and entered Immediately
into conversation.
You are just the man I wanted to
see. said the detective. walking along
the road with Dick. II must be in
luck to find you SO soon, for wanted
10 go back to town by this afternoons
train
Il don't see how can be of service
to you" said Burt. somewhat sullenly,
but unable to refuse to accompany the
officer.
do you not often carry the mail
down to the Purcells?" abruptly asked
Loud, who had discovered that he did
so.
Almost always, if there's anything
Tor them" was the reply, with a look
of amazement
81 thought so. Will you do me a
favor?"
Burt stared.
What do you mean ?" he asked.
First let me ask if you have ever
seen Vance Rothesay's handwriting?
"Yes-accidentally-a note about his
horse when he was getting WE'LL"
you would know it if you should
see it again?"
ooh, yes"
81 am asking these questions on the
supposition that he will write to Kate
Purcell"
"He! That man write to Kate Pur-
cell! What do you mean by that?"
Burt turned upon the detective
fiercely. an evil blaze in his eyes and
a quick rush of blood sweeping over
his tanned face.
81 mean only that have suspicion,