The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-10-23
(Continued.)

l termined, relentless man in the state on your track. You can't carry this | thing through single-handed. I offer 1 my help, and make only one condition, that you don't compel me to go it l blind. No man worth his salt will give you help on less"
 "I1l tell no nan anything that ] | haven't already told you" Then, with all due respect, let me | tell you, you're a fool" "So be it." Calden replied. but with out the faintest show of anger What are our relations to be?'' sPersonally. if I see chance to help you, I'll do it. From this moment I'm | out of the case as a case.'' For 8 minute it seemed to them both that this was the end of the | matter, but before Calden could find a quite decent way of leaving Beck with's irritation under opposition, which he was ordinarily able to ride down, found voice:
 eTrafford knew already when he met you here that you were there that night I've no doubt he knew you for the guest. Now he is certain twas you called Grimbleshaw. and can't tell him it wasn't. It's only his d-d in scrutable way of working that leaves you at liberty this long"
 '-Liberty!" exclaimed Calden. T feel that he knows if I breathe an extra breath in twenty-fo hours!'
 ~That's simply because he saw you come out of Grimbleshaw's and then played that telephone trick" sneered Reckwith.
 CaIden had come directsfrom his en- counter with Grimbleshaw at the Al tenburg house to tell Beckwith of this new development, and the result had been the break of relations between them which, for the moment at least, Beckwith seemed to resent more than did Calden.
 Ut isn't that alone" 3said Calden, slowly. "and, in fact. don't know as it's that mainly. He creates the sense in me that he's at my elbow. and that I've only got to turn round at any time. day or night, to come face to face with him.
 Just then the office boy came in with slip of paper. which he handed to Beckwith, who read it and gave a low whistle.
 Speaking of the devil,' he began and then interrupted himself to say to the boy. 'Tll see him in five minutes" ;"
 "Trafford?" asked Ca1den. Beckwith nodded and the other reached for his hat
 Hold on.'' said Beckwith. 'sWhat- ever am to say to him? ?'
 "That you're out of the affair.
 "Pll be d-d if do! You go to the other side of the hall and wait I'm not going to see you run your head into a moose. if I can help it!''
 q don't see the good,'' said Calden. sharply. ''After what's happened, I can't"
 "Do as tell you." said Beckwith, brusquely, and with just a shade of hesitancy Calden obeyed. going out of the one door only second before Trafford came in at the other. "Mr. Beckwith.'' said Trafford. conn- ing at once to the point. I'm here only to say two things and then go. First. try and bring your client to some glimmerings of sense. Second. if there's been any implied agreement that I wasn't to talk with him ex- cepting in your presence. I release my self from it.
 "Mr Trafford.'' said Beckwith, grave 1y. CT tell you that. honestly. I think you're working on wrong lines.''
 T didn't know that you knew on what lines I am working"
 Beckwith flushed. He was as little likely as any man to feel unduly a repulse of this kind, but it seemed to him particularly brutal. under the cir cumstances.
 1T admit. of course" he hastened to say, 'sthe possibility that I am de- ceived. but you ought to know that what's on the face of this affair is too clearly there to be it's solution" F Therefore, I am to understand that you conclude that I'm working along the lines of what's clearly on the face of this affair.""
 'It does seem littlee that way" Beckwith admitted. 'but that isn't just what I mean
 Perhaps" Trafford suggested, f'you think the fact that your client was at the house almost at the moment of the murder, assuming that a murder has been proved. or. might say, quite at the moment. is one of those facts so clearly on the surface as to be meaningless. If so, it isn't nearly so clear why both you and he care fully withheld it when I invited abso- 1ute confidence on your part. You must have known that it's smallest weight would have been in it's coming to me through his voluntary state ment. But ne hasn't told me even yet. What am I to conclude? That he would have me attach an importance to it that it doesn't possess? If so, doesn't that in itself point to some thing that isn't quite so clearly on the surface? He couldn't have thought I wouldn't find it out. Indeed, Pm not certain but ne thought at the time that I knew it.''
 How could such a fact be given un- due importance?" Beckwith asked, his instinct making for aid to the man who a quarter of an hour before he had refused further to serve.
 I'm not wasting time in idle guess ing" Trafford replied, leaving it to Beckwith to give the remark a nega- tive or positive interpretation, as he