The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-07-01

been given to the Irish tramp when
their owner was in prison? The man.
thought Hagar. might be innocent, after
all, in spite of his strange silence. Still
not knowing all the circumstances OF
the case-save the garbled and bare re-
port in the newspaper-the girl did not
and could not. make up her mind in
the matter. At the present moment, her
sole course was to write and state that
the boots had been pawned. This Ha-
gar did at once. and the next day re-
ceived visit from the detective who
had charge of the case.
He was called Julf, lean, tell. dark.
and solemn creature, who went very
cautiously to work-especially in cases
of murder. He had a conscience. he
said. and would never forgive himself
did he hang the wrong criminal. Julf
knew low often circumstantial evidence
helped to condemn the innocent: how
likely even the most acute detective was
TO be deceived by outward appearances
and how intricate and dark were the
paths which led to the discoveries of
mysterious crimes. Hence he was slow
and cfrcumspect in his dealings.
On arriving at the Lambeth pawn
SHOP he examined the boots, asked Ha-
gar a few questions, and then sat down
with her to thrash out the matter. Julf
saw that the girl was shrewd and clever
from the remarks she had made anent
the pdWning of the boots, so he was
quite willing to discuss the affair free
ly with her. In contrast to many self
sufflcient detectives, Julf always be-
lleVed two heads were better than one,
especially when the second head was
that OF a woman. He had great re-
spect for the instinct of the weaker
sex
I'm afraid the mans guilty, right
enough" he said, in his solemn way.
He had quarreled with Sir Leslie over
this girl, and had been dismissed for
insolence. Besides, he was seen coming
out of the park at 10 o'clock-just after
the murderi''
Had he his gun with him."
No; but that's no matter. Sir Leslie
was shot through the heart with a pis-
tol. Now, Kerris had a pistol but that
can't be found either. You didn't have
a pistol pawned here, did you?"
Nothing was pawned but the boots. f"
said Hagar. land Kerris could not have
given them to Micky; it seems that he
was in prison on the day the lad got
them
That is true enough. We must find
this boy. AID learn who gave him the
boots on that day. But if Kerris is in
nocent. why doesn't he say SOP
1t is a mystery" sighed Hagar.
You say that Kerris' pistol cannot be
found?"
mo: not in his house; so 1 daresay
he flung it away after killing Sir Les
lie"
"Oh, ho!" said Hagar. shrewdly.
then the weapon with which the muir
der was committed can't be found
either"
But the pistol is the same; Kerris
used it, and then got rid of it,
Why don't you search for it?"
we have searched everywhere, but
it cannot be found
Have you drained the pond near
which the crime was committed?"
Why. no." said Julf. meditatively:
I'VE haven't done that. It's a good
ideal"
Hagar sighed impatiently. Il wish
/ had this case in my own hands," she
said sharply; II believe I'd find the
assassin"
ave have found him, replied the de-
tective 5tolidly. 'Kerris killed Sir Les
lie"
Il don't believe it,'
Then why doesn't he deny it?''
Il can't say. Is Kerris much i'm love
with this Laura Brenton?" asked Ha-
gar, turning her large, bright eyes on
Julf.
Il should think so. He's madly in
love with her"
And she with him?''
"Oh. | don't say that" replied Julf:
that is quite another thing. I fancy
from what / have heard that she gave
far too much encouragement to that
young baronet Kercis evidently had
cause for jealousy; so l do not wonder
he killed Sir Leslie
You have yet to prove that he did"
"Bah!' said Julf, rising to take his
leave. HE quarre,ad with the baronet;
he was discharged. His own pistol Is
missing. and the lead man was shot
with a pistol. Then. there is the evil
dence of the boots with his initials on
the soies. You can't get over thar.
Don't you talk nonsense, my girl, there
is strong case against Kerris"
Il can see that; but there is one point
in his favor. He did not give those
boots to Micky."
Evidently not. But to prove that
point we must find the lad
This was easier said than done, for
Micky and his mother had disappeared
as completely as though the earth had
swallowed them up. All the police and
detective forces in London tried to find
the boy, but could not. Yet on his evil
dence turned the whole case And all
this time George kerris, in the NARROW
prison, refused to open his mouth Most
people believed him to be guilty on the
evidence Of the boots; but Hagar, on
the evidence of the pawning insisted
that he was innocent. Still, she could
not understand why he held his tongue
at such crisis.
1t has been stated several times that
Hagar found her life in the IaWnshop
dull and seized every oppor-
tunity to gain for herself a little diver
sion. A chance of amusement in un-
raveIing the mystery of the roots Of
fered itself now. and this she resolved
to take. Also the conduct of the case
would necessitate a visit into the coun-
try: and. weary of the narrow streets
of Lambeth, Hagar eagerly desired a
breath of fresh air She left the shop
in charge of an elderly man. who had
been ner assistant since BOXERS de-
and took the train to NARROW.
When she arrived there. Juif. more SOL
emn than ever, met her at the railway
station
Good day." said he quietly. You
see. | have agreed TO let you assist me
in finding out the truth of this case,