Morgan County republican. (Versailles, Mo.) 1906-1914, 1907-05-30
CHAPTER v.-Continued.

. nv MN VI ~ VApOl iu ~
morning, taking care not to omit a
single detail of what ] had observed
in my interview with either Carney or
Bobbs. When I had finished he re.
marked. with equal brevity:
We'll. what Of I'll"
That's the way with MacArdel!
He can be, and usually IL, the most
exasperating fellow that ever lived.
What OF IT." I exclaimed. There's
a deuced lot of 1t, ! tell you! ] want to
find out what this fellow Ia doing and
get him to leave II alone. II you had
over seen his sister and could under.
stand, as ] do, the desolateness Of her
position, you'd be as anxious al ! am
to reform him"
woman in the case, OF course"
murmured MacArdel softly, taking a
deep pun Of smoke which he held In
his mouth for o moment and then
blew out slowly in a long thin cloud.
This is one Of the most insulting
things that a man can do, and MacAr.
del knows 1t perfectly well. ! was In.
clined to knock him down, but ] think
too much OF him for that. 30 ! merely
said:
mo. Mac, don't be a fool, but try
TO listen to reason. II you cam"
"Impossible when you're talking"
he observed softly.
ignored this and continued: my
only interest In Miss Carney IL that Of
lawyer to client and I'm not I'm love
with her or thinking OF marrying her.
In the first place, I've only seen her
once or twice In my. life, and In the
next, the difference in our financial pc
s%itions, to speak OF nothing else. Is
quite enough to put out OF the ques-
ton any such idea on my part"
"Cat.look- king" said MacArdel. be-
tween puffs.
II suppose you mean by that to In
fer that a dog may look at a qucen!"
] replied testify. but ] tell you, man,
It's all nonsense-utter nonsense"
Looks bad, thought" said MacAr.
del, Especially when a fellow com.
pares himself to a dog, and the lady
to a queen" and he touched the bell
on the little table between u.s."
Whats that for?". ! asked. I've
got plenty OF cigars here in my
pocket"
yellow chatreusc." he replied. u
think you need It."
Now, seriously, Mac!" | resumed.
What do you think Of this man Car
ney's virtual denial Of any excesses?"
Lie" said MacArdel.
"Well," ] went on, what do you
think OF the servants behavior In
practically admitting the whole bust
mes aud then turning about as he did
at the last mOment?'
"Nother lie." he replied.
Then You think they are a pair OF
prcscious sc0undrels?" | asked.
mo; damned %scoundrels," he said
slowly. II think they are unless the
matter can be explained IN another
way. But I'm not at all sure Of II.
That's merely the way things look
now"
Mac" said, you don't know az
much as | do"
"That," he replied, is the most 'un.
kind thing you ever said to me. I
hh'V thIhSo' ~ wy liza yout Huiius-
ophy never dreamed Of, ! have been
trying to think. while YOU have been
talking, and. In spite OF you. ! have
thought TO some purpose.
In the first place, az ! said a min.
ute ago.. ! think the man il an ordi.
nary drnnkard and that this servant
Of his IL In league with him to keep
the facts from you and his family.
Now, ] only think this because Il Is
the most plausible explanation that of.
fers; ] am net sure OF II by any
means. and ! want that distinctly un.
derstood. .
In the second place. you don't know
anything about It at all, and yet, In
your monumental assurance, you have
settled the whole thing with the ex.
ception Of one detail. and you have
come to me, as a physician. to supply
you with that necessary link In your
chain Of evidence. You think he ia
the victim Of some drug habit and you
want me to tell you. from his symp.
toms. what drug he IL using. Isn't
that so?' and he blew out another of
those insulting streamers OF smoke.
was forced to admit sheepishly that
he was right. and my good opinion OF
myself faded away like the smoke OF
u cigars.
well" he continued, the symp.
toms he presents could not be caused
by opium. nor by cocaine. nor by hash.
eesh. Whisky Is the mostly likely