The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1908-03-29
III.

Il was a woman who now entsrsd, care
fully looking tbs door behind hsr; a vonap
whose age was tbs only uncertain personal
element, 70 determined was her poiSo, 70
COMPOSED was her not unO6mely face.
Not WHEN she sbspped TO the swinging
shelves and raised har hand TO the empty
spece before observing that the history Of
| the sporting ring had bsen withdrawn;
not even when chs pioksd up the history
from tbs stand and shook fts kaveB in vain
! did shs show dsnS OF confusion.
With the automatic dehberateness Of one
in a brown study abs STATED hsrSeh In tbs
armchair under tho central lights scrupu-
| lously smoothing out her skirt.
swhat A web Of dreadful mistakesl' she
reflected aloud. her he'd on her hand.
First, I learned this afternoon, when the
eervants were here, that Edward had never
noticed my letter 10 bis book. And nov
when / come for It, equally suTe that II
has not been molested and that no great
harm has been done, It Ia gone, Il Is gonel
Even yet, II ] only knew where Il vas,
who had taken II, l might, ! might
Abe Cronkite stepped quickly out from
the wardrobe, closing tie door and facing
the woman In a turn.
let me relieve yOuf mind on that point,
madam no Said. Il have the letter.
She raisei her head. great with is masses
Of fluffy hair, and met HE gaze calmly,
unhinohingly.
Plain clothes or priyateH' she asked.
Private" replied Cronkite AZ simply,
taking the chair between her and the door.
Nov much, them Zee, ! have plenty
here, more elsewhere and she displayed
q we'll hlled purse.
For answer the detective took the letter
from his pocket and cut lie envelope.
you haven't read IT, she continued.
Then give It TO me. How much, I eayI'
Il am going to read II now he declared,
swinging about In his chair 90 that the
light might better strike the open page.
II was a csSeless act surely on the part
OF one trained TO never take an .
sary risk. As Cronkite bent to his reading
the aide pocket Of HE sack ooat nearest
10 the woman eaped suhicient 10 expose
the form and sven q glimpse Of the plain
ivory handle Of the stiletto he had taken
from the Hindu,
True, II Was possible for him to watch
her through the mirror he faced Ut IN the
wardrobe door; but even then a dagger is
suoh 4 tempting weapon, its work can Be
40 sure, 90 swift In the hand Of q desperate
womapl And indeed IL did happen like q
fash.
Quick as her perception Of the chance,
the woman availed herseli Of it. She
spranE 10 HE back. Her hand SAftsd
down, in, out and up. the stlistto in hsr
Grasp. Her frenziSd eyes followed 1t ~
H poised for aim, then down II dropped.
10 ring and Nrithe harmless on the floor.
In a heap beside II feii the woman, CON-
posed no longer, but Swaying to and fro In
soS' nercsiui Cod moaned the m
'The dagger. the dagger, with Hcrace's
blood on it,
Il thought you might recognise Il,
madam" said Cronkite, still with eye
on the letter and the other on the gless,
~ gave you a proper opening. Suppose
We resume our former J~uxtApCsftion; Il
vas 90 conducive TO pleasant talk And
he raised her TO her chair and again moved
bic own opposite 70 her
hubble, her face hAg6AFd, this letter Of
yours-of course, II iin,t sIsnsd, but you
ADMITTED Il was yours, you may remember,
when bIking 10 yourself before We mot
this letter Of you're would he accepted IN
any court az proof thAt you were accessory
before the fact b the murder,
Sfou wrote hon tho day before the muir
der ooourrod, eating Chat something awful
was about 70 happen 10 Mr.. MAROON. Hou
addressed Il on lhA outside 10 Mr., Edward
~Skene-that 10 what called my Attention
10 it--abd on tho inside 70 my dear son;
but ell the circumstances show that you
intended Il FOR the occupant Of this room,
Edward nAsoom. 80"
sYou warned him, then. Bascom, your
son, 10 I've yigihnt, pTeoeret 10 assert his
rlehta, YOU assured him that you were
near, ready, eaRW 10 face scandal and
disGracS 20 help him.
sNow, what interest have . private
detective, coutemptible In your eyes. In
this mAtteri Simply this; my patron,
Judge Marcellus, was MI, Magoon,a lawyer,
is administrator Of his estate for bis niece,
the heir.
strnotlons to be Opened only In the event
OF his violent death telling the Judge that
ysers before IN India ne had become COM
plicat-d With q woman by the name OF
Ekepe. had even made some trumpefy sort
Of q viii Ia favor Of her con, who might
possibly slso be his
ooh, ahamsfull' screamed The woman,
SHAKEN by On aFony Of hystsrtcRl teare.
II was whIls Cronkits WA standing over
her, urging her to be oalm. 70 face the hitua-
,tion for her own good. mat ther6 wfs a
aliRht click and then q Silvery voios speaking
with trauouinlztng eject.
EXCUSE une for entering the wrong room
II said. II t6af tbete pass keys are al
alike
And Croukite swung around Just IN time
70 Ne q yelled woman, handaomely clad,
bow O~ouTts0ISiy and then giids from the
Oonn
----
". '
Though the detective was both yexed
and perpleIed by the incident, he saw
present good notwithstanding, and With
An,A aFf aVatlNd hinAei Of A Thu unsr.