The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1909-01-16

iS Y281 11&1Ss
i've with Mrs. Jones s. Hastings, a
'ich Washington woman. The lady's
only son fell in love with her; some-
how the marriage was broken off,"
what was his manner"
Lawrence. They called him Larry.
He went to Manila. Maybe you've
met him there"
Eyes, knew him; don't believe he
ever was accepted by her"
II don't know. l have only had two
days on her biography. Later, she
went to Johns Hopkins hospital. One
of the doctors was very attentive to
her-but it did not come to anything.
She didn't graduate. Don't know why.
Then she went to live with Miss An
gela Nelson, who died and left her
money, away from her, own family.
There was talk of breaking the will;
but 1t wasn't done. Then she came to
Mrs. Winter.
The colonel was silent; there was
nothing discreditable in these details.
He had known before that Janet Smith
was poor; that she had been thrown
on the world early; that she must earn
her own livelihood; yet, somehow, as
Birdsall marshaled the facts, there
was an insldious, malarious hint of
the adventures, banded from place to
place, hawking her attractions about
wheedling, charming for hire, entrap
ping imbecile young cubs-Larry
Hastings wasn't more than 22-some.
how he felt a revolt against the pic
] ture and against the man submitting
it-and, confound Millicent!
The detective changed the manner
| Of his questions a little. II suppose
your aunt is pretty advanced in years.
! though she is as we'll preserved an old
| lady as I have ever met. and as
shrewd. Say, wouldn't she be likely
, to leave the boy a lot Of money!"
II dare say" The colonel was con-
scious of an Incorporate impulse to
kick Birdsall, who had been such q
useful fellow in the Philippines.
] IF anything was to happen to him,
who would get the money!"
"Well, Mrs. Melville and ! are next
Of KIM" returned the colonel, dryly.
do you suspect us?"
II did look up Mrs. Melville" an.
swered the unabashed detective, "but
I guess she's straight goods all right.
But say, how about Miss Smith,"
The colonel stared, then he laughed.
"Birdsall," said he, there's somewhat
too much mention of ladies' names to
suit my Virginian taste. But If you
mean to imply that Miss Smith is go
ing to kill Archie to get my aunt's
money, can tell you you are way
of! Your imagination is too active
for your profession. You ought to
hire out to the yellow journals"
His employers satire did not even
flick the dust of Birdalll's compla-
cency; he .grinned cheerfully. "Oh, I'm
not so bad as that; don't suppose she
did kill the boy; think he's alive, all
right. But say, colonel, I'll give it to
you straight; I do think the sonora
coaxed the boy of. You admit, don't
you, he went of. Well, then he was
coaxed, somehow. Now, who's got in.
fluence enough to coax him? You
cross out the maid; SO dol. You cross
out Mrs. Melville Winter; so do I.
guess we both cross out the old lady.
Well, there's you and the sonora left
I don't suspect you, general"
Really? don't see why. l stand
to make more than anybody else, If
you are digging up motives. And how
about the chambermaid?
Birdsall flashed glance Of reproach
on his companion. "Now, colonel, do
you think amt looked her up? First
thing. Nothing in it. Decent Vermont
girl, three years in the hotel. Came
for her lungs. She amt in 1t. But
let's get back to Miss Smith. Did you
know she is Cary MERGERS sister.in.
law"
He delivered his shot in a casual
way, and the colonel took it stonily;
nevertheless, it went to the mark.
Birdsall continued: "Now, question is,
was Mercer the secretary? You didn' It
see the man in the elevator, except his
back. Had he two moles?"
II couldn't see. He had different
clothes; but still there was something
like Mercer about the shoulders"
"Burney didn't get chance to take
a snapshot, but he did snap the stove
man. Here it is. Pull that book out
Of my pocket"
Obeying, the colonel lifted a couple
of small prints which he scrutinized
intently, at the end admitting: Eyes,
it is he all right. Now, do you knoW
what I Think" -
Birdsall couldn't form an idea.
Fl think the Keatcham party is in
It; and think they are after bigger
game than Archie. Maybe the train
! robbers were q part Of the scheme
although I'm not so sure of that"
ooh, the robbers were in 1t all
right. But now come to Miss Smith; ;
where does she come in? Or are you
as sure of. her as Mercer was in Chi
cago?"
D. II he had expected to get spark