The Nevada County picayune., 1909-06-03

| T don't like these jobs in the dark but 1 like you. colonel. and tfs a go
 Keatchams valet was newt sum. moned from his vacation and became. in Tracy's phrase "a dandy subaHrsr
 The Tracys' family physician came l twice a day He was known fD be visiting one of the guests who had fallen i'll. Mercer sent thre. or four | telegrams a day to Seattle and tu New i York to Keatcham's associafes Soy eral times he held conversation Of importance over the telephone With the man who acted as distributor af intelligence Warncbold. himself. came on to San Francisco from seattle and was received with every courtesy. lie questioned Kito. questioned Mercer. questioned tn, colonel Tracy had effaced himself and was in Pasadena for a day or two.
 The colonel was the star witness lat least this was young Arnold's verdict His narrative was to the effect that he had gone out to see Mercer who was a family connection; mo- he was not alone. he had young friend with him; confidentially, he would admit that the friend was MT Tracy's son, and. while he could not be sure he had reason to suspect that he, young l Tracy had been conducting some delicate negotiations with Mir. keatch- am. At this point the interlocutor nodded slightly; he was making the deductions expected and explaining to himself Keatchams astonishing com. munication over the telephone. So. he was surmisng shrewdly, that was the clew; the old man had been making some sort Of a deal with Tracy through the son; well. they were pro tected, thanks to keatcham's orders. Likely as not they never would know all the reasons for this side-stepping
 'I understand, then" he said, as one who holds clew but has no notion of letting it slip out of his own fingers. you and young Tracy got here and you found MT. Keatcham? How did ], you get in? Did Mir Mercer let you in? How did it happen he didn't dis l cover MT. Keatcham instead of you, or did you come in on the sde?'
  had a diversion ready, but it was not needed; the colonel answered unhesi tatingly, with a frank smile: No, we came in ourselves; young Tracy had a key
 "Oh he had, had he?" returned Warnebold, with shrug of the shoul- | ders.
 He is a great friend of young | Arnod's; they were at Harvard to- gether, belonged to the same soci- cites.
 Yes, l understand; wel--'' The rest of the interview was clear sailing. Mrs. Winters presence was | explained in her very own words. "Of course l was put out good deal at first" added the colonel by the wom en getting mixed up in it; but Miss Smith undoubtedly saved MT. Keatch ans life. I never saw any one who seemed to think of so many things to do. Half dozen times that first night, he seemed to be fading away; but every time she brought him back. I was anxious to have a doctor called in; but Mercer seemed opposed to making d stir
 He knew his business thoroughly" interjected Keatchams confidant he undoubtedly had his instructions to keep Keatcham's presence here a secret"
 He had" said Mrs Winter; ''be sides, Miss Smith is his sister-in-law and he knew that she could be trusted to do everything possible And, really, 1t didn't look as if anything could help him. l hardly believed that he could live an hour when l saw him"
 Nor I" the colonel corroborated.
 Warnebold. plainly impressed by Mrs Winters grand air, assured them both that he felt that everything that could be done had been done; Miss Smith was quite wonderful; and he ,, , would admit (of course, confidential | ly) that MT Keatcham did have a 1 heart trouble; MT, Mercer had recalled ! one or two fainting fits; there was some congestion; and the doctor found a sad absence of reaction; he believed that there had been a-er-syncope of l some sort before the stabbing; MT 1 Keatcham himself, although he was still too weak to talk much. had no recollection of anything except very great faintness. Mir. Mercer's theory seemed to cover the ground.
 Except as to who did the stabbing, said the colonel
 Has MT. Keatcham any bitter one' mies?" asked Aunt Rebecca, thought fully.
 What man who has made great i fortune hasn't?" demanded Warnebold with saturnlne wrinkle of the lips. But our enemies don't stab CT shoot us. nowadays"
 They do out west" said the colonel,