The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1908-05-08

window open ana the burglar alarm
turned off. The providers explanation
had been quite simp.- Mr.. Renwyck
had honestly striven IL persuade him
self that ii was entirely satisfactory,
although be could not drive. away
sneaking suspicion that everything was
not just right. In the light OF present
developments his mind REQUIRED to this
suspicion with added force. Then there
was that draft which the earl had so
ineXplicably refused to sign after first
Offering to do so, a small matter in
itself. yet coupled with the strange
nocturnal wanderings of a gentleman
who wished to seek for book at a
quarter past o'clock in the morning
well. 1t troubled Mr.. Renwyck not
little. All the way to Iryington he had
turned the matter over in his mind,
yet on meeting Lord Croyland on the
front veranda he was forced to admit
that the frank appearing young man
looked as little like burglar as him
self.
Mr.. Corrigan was the first to give
his evidence. He explained about the
tramp with cast in his eye and told
how he had first observed the man on
the train coming from New York, then
how the same man had come to Rest
more begging. He offered to bet his
brother-in-law thousand dollars to
five hundred that the cock eyed fellow
was the robber, but Mr.. Renwyck cold
~ declined to take the wager.
I,n
ance of the man with enthusiastic mi
nuteness. at which the foremost Of
the detectives smiled an oily smile.
"Well, by gad." he exclaimed indeli-
catelv, IF that doesn't hit Jack Bibbs,
then I'm Dutchman! If Jacks got
your sinners, Mr.. Renwyck. you'd bet
ter whistle for en-
"Why?" asked Mr.. Corrigan.
Because he's the slickest crook in
seven states" returned the sergeant,
nodding vigorously. He's a hundred
and fifty miles away by this time,
sure"
UNI" said Uncle Michael. IF you
had listened to me, Jake, instead Of
trying to be humorous. YOU
"Oh, shut up, will you?" growled Mr..
Renwyck. "This is no time for recrim-
ination. You'd argue the sun, moon
and stars out of the sky together if
you found any one to listen to you"
Nov. who ever saw sun, moon and
stars in the sky at the same tine"
queried the irrepressibe Michael.
There you co." retorted his brother
in-law. Your story of the tramp is
just as absurd now as it was in the
beginning. Come; let's get down to
business. Call everybody in. These
officers will question every inmate Of
the house. Gentlemen" he said, turn
ing to the detectives. you have my
perm ission to proceed in any manner
which seems best to you. We are en-
tirey in your hands
"All right. sir" answered the de-
tective sergeant. whose name was
Flint. "We'll take the servants first"
Richard was crossing the hall in a
vain search for Harriet when he
CHANGED to overhear this last remark.
His heart went down again. If Wool
sey Bills were questioned 1t would
mean far more than turning a guilty
villain over to the authorities He. the
master. would be forced to explain
Also and, taken in conjunction with
his own meeting with Mr.. Renwyck in
the library, the outcome would be
CHASTITY, to say the least. Yet he must
act on the detectives suggestion at
once.
"Shall I send for my man" he asked
of Mr.. Renwyck, who at that moment
came out into the hall.
mo" said his host; well take my
own servants first. James," he called
to sphinSlike butler in the hall. "tell
NIL the servants to come into the libra
ty-all of them. Understands
Eyes. SIR" answered James, with a
solemn bow, and departed on his mis-
sion.
Richards heart went up again. He
had slight reprieve. 1t would last
perhaps twenty minutes, yet much
might happen in that span Of time.
He wondered idly If they would put
handouts en- him. but dismissed the
thought in his determination to pay
for the stolen diamonds, inasmuch as
he Ielt TeSpOuSlDie IOr WOOlSey DliiS.
When the time came he would confess
like man and take his medicine. He
would be denounced. 1t would be
dramatic. like the play Of the Man
and the Bird" only the name would
be changed. 1t would now be the
"Man and the Jailbird." How simple
20 have opened that library window.
while Bills went out into the night,
boarded freight and deposited the
plumber in New York! The Texan was
innocent, of course but would .other
people think so? Yet she would. There
was comfort in that. If she believed
In him, nothing else mattered very
much.
At this stage of the proceedings there
was quite commotion on the front
porch, due to the arrival of several
visitors. Harriet and Imogene went
out and greeted Miss Sempton nerv-
ously. explaining the state of affairs
briefly, while Mr.. Renwyck also came
to the door. impatient at the unlocked
for interruption.
ttCtrO onacfiopa1 tbn ,~oo,no,,. r.