Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-09-09
ravel the mystery" and Sylvia agreed with him. si
CHAPTER XVII.

IT was kept closely to work 1T
 P5Sx the office reading a number
 ~ of tales which were awaiting
 his Judgment. After hours he severa
 times tried to see Billy Hurd, but
 was unable to meet him. He left q
 note at the Scotland Yard office. ask
 ing if Hurd had received his com
 munication regarding Mrs. Krill, and
 if so, what he proposed to do con.
 cerning it. Hurd did not reply to this
 note, and Paul was growing puzzled
 over the silence of the detective. At
 length the answer came, not in writ
 ing, but in the person of Hurd himself.
 who called on Beecot.
 The young man had just finished his
 frugal meal and was sitting down to
 an evenings work when there came a
 knock to the door. Hurd, dressed in
 his usual brown suit, presented him.
 self, looking cool and composed. But
 he was more excited than one would
 imagine, as Paul saw from the ex-
 pression of his eyes. The detective
 accepted cup of coffee and lighted
 his pipe. Then he sat down in the
 armchair on the opposite side of the
 fireplace and prepared to tain. Paul heaped on coals with a lavish hand, little as he could afford this extrava- gance, as the night was cold and he guessed that Hurd had much to say. So, on the whole. they had very con- fortable and interesting conversation.
 T suppose you are pleased to see me-? asked Hurd, puffing meditative- ly at his brier.
 Paul nodded. "Very glad" he an- swered, that is, if you have done anything about Mrs. Krill?'
 "Well," drawled the detective. smil- ing, T have been Investigating that murder case"
 Lady Rachel Sandals?" said Bee- cot eagerly. "Is it really murder?"
 T think so, though some folks think it suicide. Curious you should have stumbled across that young lord" went on Hurd musingly. "and more curious stiQ that he should have been in the room with Mrs. Krill without recollecting the name. There was a great fuss made about it at the time."
 'Oh, can understand Lord George" said Beecot promptly. "The murder, if it is one, took place before he was born, and, as there seems to have been some scandal in the matter, the family hushed it up. This young fellow proba- ply gathered scraps of information from old servants, but from what he said to me in the cab I think he knows very little."
 Quite enough to put me on the track of Lemuel Kri!ps reason for leaving Christchurch"
 ''Is that the reason?"
 "Yes. Twenty-one years ago he left Christchurch. at the very time Lady Rachel was murdered in his public house. Then he disappeared for a time and turned up a year later in Gwynne street, with young wife | whom he had married in the mean time"
 "Sylvia's mother?' Ltna ..ltr.a-. 1
 "Exactly. And Miss Norman was born a year later. She's nearly twenty one, isn't she?"
 "1es. She will be twenty-one in three 
 Hurd nodded gravely. "The time cor 'esponds," said he. "As the crime was committed twenty-three years back md Lord George is only twenty, I can understand how he knows so little bout it. But didn't he connect Mrs. Arill with the man who died in iwynne streetT'
 "No. She explained that. The name # Krill appeared only a few times in he papers and was principally set orth, with the portrait, in the hand ills. I shouldn't think Lord George vas the kind of young man to bother bout handbills."
 "All the same, he might have heard ak at his club. Every one isn't so tupid."
 "No; but, at all events, he did not eem to connect Mrs. Krill with the cad man. and, even with regard to the cath of his aunt. he fancied she might ct be the same woman" What m ass he must ber' said Turd contemptuously.
 'I don't think he has much brain," Paul, shrugging his shoui- CTS. "but he asked me If thought Irs. Krill was the same as the land dy of the Red Pig. and denied that le was. don't like telling Hes. but this case I hope the departure from 'uth will be pardoned." You did very right" said the detec- ve. "The fewer people know about lese matters the better. especially a latterbox like this young fool" Do you know himT' "Yes. under the narse of the Count ! } la Tour. But I knsv7 of him in an- ' her way. which I'll reveal later. t ny is still 1eecing himT' He is. But Lord George seems to growing suspicious of Hay" and { null related the conversation he had , ith the young man. t Hurd grunted. I'm sorry," he said.
 want to catch Hay redhanded, and e Lord George grows too clever I may f be able to do SO" u Well" said Paul. rather impatient s never mind about that fellow just V ". but tell me what you fave dis t vered." s 'oh. a lot of Interesting things. ', hen I got your letter of course at q ce connected the opal serpeut with ls