The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1907-07-05

that KronOld had played continuously
for some time preceding Mrs. Culver's
leaving the room. Nevertheless I yield
ed to the musicians plea and helped
him search himself. lie did not have
the money.
Then Derby stepped forward. his
hand in his breast pocket, and, with
most moving evidences of shame and
contritiOn. he produced a letter adj
dressed to Mrs. Culver and bearing
the return stamp of well known en-
plOymeht agency He had given her
the letter when she came in with
KrOnOld and had seen her put it upon
the table in the drawing room. Some
days before he had incurred the lady's
displcaSure. and he feared this com
munication dealt with the question OF
his successor, so he had so far debased
himself at the behest of natural curios-
ity as to go in and get the letter, in
tending to read it in the hall and re-
turn it to its place before Mrs. Culver
should miss it,
But l didn't take the money" he
declared, with tears in his eyes.
And, if he had taken if, what in the
name of all mystery had he done with
it? He could not have hidden it in the
hall, because my eyes were on him.
and he had been nowhere else except
in the drawing room itself, and there
not more than one minute, as l could
testify. Moreover, if Mrs. Culver had
left the bag closed. how could Derby
have known that the money was in it:
Kronold knew. for Mrs. Culver had
told him. bat the lady had opened the
bag after entering the room and had
seen The money in it. Therefore if
Kronold had taken it it mu2t still be in
the room. But the table was at least
fifteen feet distant from the piano. and
my own ears bore witness that Kro-
mold had played all tie time that he
was alone.
Mrs. Culver evidently believed that
Derby had hidden the money in the
room. and she began search. Derby
meanwhile was leaning against the
wall, Z figure Of wood. Kr0nold took
me aside He had the bag in his
hands. ana he covertly showed me Il
small moist stain upon it.
THAT looks to me like Blood said
he. do you observe that Derby has a
scratch across two OF his fingersT'
Yes l answered, but it doesn' t
seem to be bleeding"
Il saw him wiping it with his hand
kerchief,' said he. Now, if this stain
is blood that shows that the fellow is
lying, for he said that he did not touch
the bag. It's only Il step to the Chill
dren's hospital, and one of the doctors
over there could tell me in jify
whether it's blood or not. Then we'd
have Derby in a moose"
At this moment Mrs Culver in her
search approached the piano, and
saw spasm of uncomfortable nervous
terror sweep over Kr0nOld's face. \
great illumination dawned upon my
mind-the money was in the piano.
Mrs. Culver had not remembered just
where she had put down the bag. She
must lave put it on the piano and not
Oh L." ia le. Kronold had opened it
W. cac hand, while pounding the
keys with the other, had taken out the
money and then had cleverly tossed
the bag to the table.
l may as we'll say at once that my
deductiOns-except as 10 the hiding
place of the money-were absolutely
accurate. That is precisely the way in
which the robbery was committed.
Subsequent Investigations proved Iro-
mold to be beast of prey, with long
record ON the other side of the Allan
tic. He was, besides, as clever as a
conjurer and one to whom the trick of
the bags lock was simple as 4 BIC.
At that moment 1 had an inspiration
to save Mrs. Culver Il shock. A painful
scene was inevitable, but it would bet
ter involve no one except the thief and
myself
Mr. Kronold has made Il brilliant
suggestion said l, addressing the lady.
ut will necessitate our going out to-
gether for i few minutes. May l ask
you to remain in this room, keep Derby
here and admit no one else?"
Mrs. Culver. assented without ques-
ton, and Kronold and l left the room.
The musician seemed glad Of my COM
pany. and rs l stepped out from Mrs
Culver's portal into the glare of the
western sun my mind was Busy with