The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1909-06-03

an right worried
of course / believe you" purred
the detective. so softly that the colo
mel knew he did not believe any more
than Mercer suspected. "of course, !
believe you: but don't know what 10
DO. 1t amt on the map. 1 guess it's
up TO you 70 throw a little light I've
called the boys OF twice already and
told EN- TO wait an hour or a half
hour longer. / got 10 see the colonel"
Il can trust my intuitions. or can
trust the circumstantial evidence"
thought the colonel He jumped UP
and began TO pace the court
Seems 10 be like a game OF bridge
before one can see the dummy" he
complained; and. as so often happens
In the crises Of life. a trivial illustra'
ton struck a wayering mind with the
force % an argument His thoughts
reverted whimsically to the card
table: how many times had he hest
tated over the first lead between even
IL balanced suits Of four: and how
often had he regretted or won. depend
ing solely upon whether BIS card In
stiact had been denied or obeyedi II
might be instinct. this much-discussed
card instinct" or Il might be a sum
ming up OF logical deductions so swift
that the obscure steps were lost. and
the reasoner vas unconscious OF his
own logical processes. Now"
groaned Rupert Winter. 4 am up
against H. She looks Ike a good
woman: she seems like a good WON.
an: but I have only my impressions
and Aunt Rebecca's against the ap-
parent facts In the case. Well. Aunt
Rebecca Is a shrewd one" lie sat
down and thought harder. Finally he
rose. smiling. He had threshed out
his problem: and his conclusion. In
audibly but very distinctly uttered 10
himself. was: Me for my own i'm
pressionsi II that girl IS in with this
gang. either what they are after isn't
50 had-or they have made her believe
Il isn't had"
He looked idly about him at the
arched doorway Of the outer court Il
vas carved with a fayorlte mission
design Of eightpointed flowers with
vase-like futing below. There was
tiny crack IN one Of the flowers. the
tinies: crack In the world. lie looked
az Il without seeing Il. or seeing Il
with only the outer half OF his senses.
but--he could not have told how
into his effort 20 pierce his own tan
gle there crept a sudden interest. n
sudden keenness OF scrutiny q this
minute. Insignificant crack In the
stone. He became aware that the crack
was singularly regular. preserving the
form OF the flower and the Huting be-
meath. Kito. the japanese. who was
sitting az the far end OF the court. con
yersing in amlty with Haley, Just here
rose and came 10 this particular pill
lar. The Irlshman sat alone. trimmed
by the sunset gold. little spangles OF
notes drifting about him; for the mer.
est second Winters glance fingered on
him ere II went 10 the Jap. who passed
him. courteously saluting.
After he had passed. the colonel
looked again at the column and the
NlaIh--At y Is nut
"chIto. chlto," muitered the colo
mel Carelessly he approached the
column and took the same posture as
the Jap. Unobtrusively his fingers
strayed over the stone. He scratched
the surface. not stone. but cement.
He tapped cautiously. keeping his
hand well hidden by his body: no hol-
low sound rewarded him: but all at
once his cropping fingers touched a
little round object under the bold point
OF an eight-pointed flower. He didn't
dare press on Il; instead he resumed
his cautious tapping. He glanced
about him. Save for Haley he was
alone in the patio. He pressed on the
round white knob. and what he had
half expected happened: A segment
OF the column swung on inner hinges.
disclosing the hollow center OF the en-.
gagged columns on either side. He
looked down. Nothing but darkness
was visible, but while he stood. tense.
ly holding his breath. his abnormally
sensitive auricular nerve caught dis
tinctly the staccato breath OF that kind
Of sigh which is like a groan. and a
voice said more YEARLY than angrily:
"Oh, damn Il all"
Almost simultaneously, he heard the
faint footballs OF the men within: he
must replace his movable flower. The
column was intact, and~he was bend.
ing his frowning brows on the style.
bate OF another when Birdsall and
Mercer entered together. Mercer. with
a shrug OF his shoulders at the detect
ives logged suspicion. preceding the
latter.
WELL" said the colonel. did you
get my aunt?"
Yes. sub. got your aunt herself"
responded Mercer. with his Virginian
survival OF the formal civility OF an
earlier generation. Yes, sub: but
regret to say Archie is not there"
Where is he?" The soldiers voice
was curt.
Honestly" declared Mercer. Il wish
| knew. sub. certainly do. But"
MERGERS Jaw fell; he turned sharply at