The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1909-01-08

NEhAtftth Hh"NA+Ath@FtN ~ tAh@H aNAFttf"t
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
Dirdsall marshaled the facts. there
was IN Insidious. malarious hint Of
the adyenturess, handled from place 20
place. hawking her attractions about
~wheediIng. charming for hire, entraP
ping imbecile young cubs-Larry
Hastings wasn't mere than 22-some.
how he felt a revolt against the pic.
ture and against the man submitting
it-and. confound Miillcentl
The detective changed the manner
Of his questions q little. 4 suppose
your aunt is pretty advanced IN years,
though she Is as well preserved az old
lady as | have ever met. and as
shrewd. Say wouldn't she be likely
70 leave the boy a lot Of money!"
Il dare say" The colonel was con.
scious Of an Incorporate impulse 70
Kick Blrdsall, who had been such a
useful fellow IN the Philippines.
III anything was TO happen to him.
who would get the money!"
We'll. Mrs. Melville and | are next
Of KIM returned the colonel, dryly.
"Do you suspect usY"
Il did look up Mrs. Melville" an.
swered the u~nabashed detective. but
| guess she's straight goods all right.
But say, how about Miss Smith,"
The colonel stared. then he laughed
"nirdsall. said he. there's somewhat
tho much mention Of ladies' names to
suit my vlrginlan taste. But II you
mean to imply that Miss Smith Ia 20
ing to KIN Archie to get my aunt'n
money. ! a tell You you are way
ont Your imagination Is too active
for your profession. You ought ~
hire out to the yellow journals"
His employers satire did not even
dick the dust of Hlrdsalra compla.
ccncy; he grlnned choerfully. eOh. I'm
not 80 bad aa that ! don't suppose she
ala Kill the boy think he's alive, all
right But say, colonel, III give Il 10
YOU straight; | do think the sonora
coaxed the boy of. Yon admit, don't
you. he went on. Wen. then he was
coaxed, somehow. Now, who's got in.
huence enough 70 coax him? You
cross out the maid; so do l. You cross
out Mrs, Melville Winter: so do l.. |
guess we both cross out the old lady
Well. there's you and the sonora left
don't suspect you, general"
Really don't see why. ] stand
to make more than anybody else, Il
you are digging up motives. Aud how
about the chamhermaid7"
Rlrdsall flashed d glance OF reproach
on HIS companion. Now. colonel, DO
sou think ! aln't looked her up? First
thing. Nothing In il. Decent Vermont
girl, three years In the hotel. Came
for her lungs. She amt in It. But
let's get hack to Miss Smith. Did you
know she Is Cary Mercer's sisterin.
lawg'
lie delivered his shot in a eesuai
way. and the colonel took It stonily;
nevertheless, it went to the mark
Blrdsall continued: Now. question IL,
was Mercer the secretary You didn't
IL the man in the elevator, except his
back. Had he two moles2e
Il couldn't see. He had different
clothes; but still there was something
ike Mercer about the shoulders
eBurney didn't get a chance TO take
a snapshot, but he did snap the stove
man. Here it IS. Pull that boolf out
Of my pocket"
Obeying. The colonel lifted 4 couple
Of small prints which he scrnlinlzad
%lntently. at the end admitting Yves.
Il is he ali right. Now, do you know
what j think7H
Birdsall couldn't form an Idea.
4 think the keateham party y IN
II. and | think they are after bigger
game than Archie Maybe the train
robbers were 4 part Of the ncheme
although I'm not 80 sure Of that"
ooh, the robbers we're In It all
right. But now come to Miss Smith
where does she come in2 Or are you
as sure OF her aa Mercer was in Chi
ongo?"
If he had expected to get a spark
out OF the Winter tlnder by this sera.
ping stroke, he was mistaken; the sol.
dier did not even move his broodlng
gaze fxed on iba hills beyond the
house roofs: and he answered in a
level tone: did You get that story
from my aunt. or was It Mrs. Melville?
I'm pretty certain You got your bI.
ography from that quarter. Ny aunt
might have told her.
"That would be b~etraying 4 lady'a
confidence I'm only n detective,
whose business Is to pry, but ! never
go back on the ladies'. And ! think
same's you. that the lady In question
Is a real nice, heightened lady; but
cant disregard the evidence. I never
give out my system. but I've got one,
all the same. Look here. see this
paper9"-he had replaced the envelope
in bis pocket; he pulled II out again;
or. rather. so the colonel faneled, until
Birdsall turned the envelope over, re.
yeaiing Il TO be blank. There's a
sheet Of paper inside: lake It ont.
Look AZ The watermark, look ai the
pattern; then compare It With this
etler-banding the colonel The orig
mai onxalone. Same exaetly. ain'L