Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-01
XVI.
XVI.
Somebody telephoned your

| Miss Mapes had telephoned me, and 1 had
| mistaken her voice for Barbara Frayne's
| That was perfectly clear. But why had
/, the woman communicated with me at ALL
and what was the meaning of her message?
| Why should she advise ME of fact which
sne had already communicated to Miss
| Emorys lawyer? But had she really done
| SO? OF course Barstow must be aware
| that his client had not occupied her room
INor the night of the murder. She would
! certainly have told him this herself but
i did not necessarily follow that she knew
! her friend, the housekeeper had taken her
| place. No sane lawyer would try to sup
press a vital fact of this kind and at
| tempt to persuade the only witness by
| which he could prove 1t to leave the state
1t was incredible that he had been advised
| OF the true state of affairs.
But could a woman who lied to me on
| one point be trusted upon any other? If
the housekeeper had deliberately deceived
her friends lawyer
sudden suspicion halted my thought
was she Miss Enlory's friend? What had
| driven her to make this extraordinary con-
fesslon to a man she did not know? Was
1t the prompting of u guilty conscience or
that fesistiess impulse to contide In some
body which convicts nine criminals out of
every ten? Why had she dsobeyed Bar
slows instructions and returned to the
state where she might be subpoenaed at
any moment and compelled to testify? The
scene OF the crime is said to have a fatal
fascination fer the criminal. Was this
the explanation of her presence?
shall continue prompting you until
you take the cue. Somebody telephoned
yOu?"
l glanced at Miss Frayne's bright ques-
tioning face, and all my perplexites were
instantly merged in the glad thought that
| she was not involved in the case, auk that
my suspicious and fears concerning her
wholly without f0uIda
Yes Somebody te!ephoned me-" l re-
sponded. smilingly, and l thought
You thought the somebody was l?''
Yes
What made you think 500"
II mistnok the voice.
only the voice?'
The noestlo.. Is accusing, and realizing
its justice l did rot Immediately reply
please don't trouble to explain she
continued. Il understand the matter per-
fectly. You heard something disagreeable
and attributed it to me-
Il can only apologize now I answered.
But some day will explain, and then I'll
ask you to forgive me-"
1T is much more gracious to forgive
without explanation. and want due credit
for absolV1ng you without confession. But
the next time you receive Anonymous mes
seges, won't you please give me the bene-
fit of the doubt?'
II did,
You did," The girl laughed quietly as
she hung her hat on the pOnmel of her sad
die and began pulling off her gloves. Il
shudder to think what would have hap
pened to me If / hadn't received that doubt
full benefit"
WAS 1 SO insufferable?"
Our horses We're standing head to head
and / looked straight into my companions
eyes as l put the question.
The gifl hesitated as though carefully
considering the matter, her grows knit and
her head at a judicial angle.
Not exactly nsufferable," she admitted
vlaa IrlCf mil mt u
magnifcently distant and vrtuously un-
approa chable.
She illustrated her adjectives. drawing
herself up stiffIy and scowling comically at
me under half-closed lids
You saw all that in one glance:' l
laughed.
I'm one or more. should haze express
ed ii more simply and said yod We're cross,
If you hadn't denied it,
Did / look CROSSE?
'Of course you did" she ex ,aimed. ard
you ever played poker?' she continued, her
eyes twinkling mischieVously.
Once or twice 1 answered
Did you VIM
responded.
Miss Barbara placed two long pins be-
tween her lips and began adjusting her
hat
That has its compensations. hut vou are
still a bachelor" she reflected. 80 you
can't claim to be lucky in love" she
tinued, as she speared the last pin mo
place. There must be some other reason.
Don't you know what it is?'
why / never won at poker" I pueried
Il can't say I've given any very serious
thought to the matter.
The girl laughed delightedly.
Good she exclaimed. Tn glad to
hear it. l was afraid you gave serious
thought to everything, for you're looking
as solemn as a judge this minute. Hash
anybody ever told you what an expressive
face you have?" she went Oh, sn-i!ngiy.
NO? Well. a card-player would read It
like an open book. Why, / believe | could
tell whether my hat was on 5tralgh' SIM
ply by looking in your eyes. Let's see if
couldn't. Thank you. a little TOO much to
the right? No? To the left, then? Fur
Their forward? Backward? on, might
have known this test was TOO severe lot
any mani"
| stopped and hooked up Dollys fallen
reins with the handle of my crop.
II wonder if you ever heard how duh
mirror once answered Its mistress! IN
auired, as | looked up.
She shook her head encouragngly.
my lady it responded, had | been
brighter / might have been dismissed with
a glance AS it is, have held your dear
face longer. Danish me now, If you Will.
The girl flushed, but quickly recovered
herself.
Il never heard" l answered, casually
Perhaps she discovered it wasn't as dull
as she thought. and
"Oh, she probably kept IL II Sile was suo
chptible to f1attery-otherwise not, she m
terrupted. Where were you going when
headed you off this morning?
ITO Hefryville. And your
ITO that red brick building yondef
She pointed with her whip to house some
distance down the road, as she spoke
And then?" l inquired.
Then 1 return to Pollicet,
May | wait for you?
Here? Oh, 1 wouldn't think of asking
you TO do that
..It is l who am doing the asking.
Il know. but l may be detained long
time, and besides ~,
you have made another engagement!
I interrupted with sudden jealous intul-
ton Il understand. l may see you as TAR
as the red house, may not?' l added AFTER
q pause. 49,,
The girl glanced hesitatingly down the
road 1,s -.
II think you'd better not" she replied at
last.
"Why?"
DO YOU really want to known
''If you don't mind telling me-"
mo, ] don't mind, but Wen, that
building is the county jail, and I'm going to
visit a friend. Now, you see, you snouldn
have asked me questions. Goodbye
She gathered up the reins as she spoke
and n, mot he moment she was waving her