The new era. (Walden, Colo.) 1906-19??, 1907-05-23
The Mystery
Carney-Croft
By
JOSEPH BROWN COOKE
Copyright. 1901. by story-Prsss Corporation,

DOUUS. w ucu udu uul6uCu no LO-
marked, with equal brevity:
well, what of it?"
That's the way with MacArdel!
II can be. and usually is, the most
eXzsperating fellow that ever lived.
What of it," I exclaimed. There's
. deuced lot of 1t. tell you! want to
find out what this fellow is doing and
get him to leave 1t alone. II you had
ever seen his sister and could under
stand, as do. the desolateness of her
position, you'd be as anxious as am
to reform him"
woman in the case, of course"
murmured MacArdel softly, taking q
deep puff of smoke which he held in
his mouth for a moment and then
blew out slowly in long thin cloud.
This is one of the most insulting
things that man can do, and MacAr-
de. knows it perfectly well. was in
clined to knock him down, but think
too much of him for that, so I merely
said:
mo, Mac, don't be fool, but try
to listen to reason, II you can!"
Impossible when you're talking"
he observed softly.
ignored this and continued: "My
only interest in Miss Carney is that of
lawyer to client and I'm not in 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 po-
sittons, to speak of nothing else, is
quite enough to put out Of the ques-
ton any such idea on my part
"Cat-look- said MacArdel, be-
tween puffs.
IL suppose you mean by that to in
fer that dog may look at queen!"
1 replied testify, but tell you, man,
it's all nonsense-utter nonsense"
Looks bad, thought" said MacAr-
del. Especially when a fellow COM
nRres himself to a dog, and the lady
ia queen" and he touched the bell
on the little table between u.s."
whats that for?" I asked. I've
got plenty OF cigars hero in my
pocket"
yellow chatreuse." he replied. 81
think you need it."
Now, seriously. Mac!" I resumed
What do you think of this man Car
neys virtual denial of any excesses?"
Lie" said MacArdel.
"Well," l went on, what do you
think of the servants behavior in
practically admitting the whole bust
mesa and then turning about as he did
at tae last moment"
"'Nother lie," he replied
Tnen you think they are pair Of
prescious scoundrels?" I asked.
mo; damned scoundrels," he said
slowly. Il think they are unless the
matter can be explained in another
way But I'm not at all sure CT It,
That's merely the way things look
now"
Mac" l said, you don't know as
much as l do"
THAT" he replied, us the most I'M
kind thing you ever said to me.
know things, my boy, that your philos-
ophy never dreamed Of. have been
trying to think, while you have been
talking. and, in spite of you, l have
thought to some purpose.
"In the first place, as l said a min
ute ago, think the man is an ordi-
nary drunkard and that this servant
his is in league with him to keep
the facts from you and his family
Now, l only think this because 1t is
the most plausible explanation that Of
fers; / am not sure of it by any
means, and want that distinctly un-
derstood.
IN the second place, you don't know
anything about 1t at all, and yet, in
your monumental assurance. you have
settled the whole thing with tho ex.
ception of one detail, and you have
come to me, as 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 Sym.
toms, what drug he is 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
our cigars.
Well" he continued, 'the symp.
toms he presents could not be caused
by opium, nor by cocaine, nor by hash.
sesh. Whisky is the mostly likely
thing of all, and you have nothing but
couple of vague expressions Of aston.
lshment from him and his servant to
make you search for any other solu.
ton of the problem
There is, however. one other tLlng
that might be at the bottom of it all,
but he could not get 1t here, and 1t
would be pretty hard for him to get 1t
opyvboro Moreoyer I am NOT at all
sure myself about 1t, and would have
to look 1t up before would ven
ture to say anything definite on the
select"