Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1909-05-13

/ had been conveyed away in this man
| ner.
The ball room, picture gallery, occu-
i pied bed rooms, state bed rooms, bou-
doris were all alike scrutinized with
absolute scrupulousness.
In the middle of TIE search Miss
/ Decies was seen coming up the great
central staircase towards the gallery.
"Whot is that LADY," Downs whis-
| pered to Michael Grant.
Miss Augusta Decies," the athlete
whispered hack. Her Grace's aunt:
a very shrewd and sensible old lady.
/ / think
"Then she'll be help to u.s." the
detective answered Il expect she's
got little tired of the duke of Perth
and Sir Anthony in the drawing room,
and, of course, the duchess herself is
naturally too upset to be of any USE
It's a. strange thing, Mr.. Grant, but
I've always found that the aristoc-
racy, with all their cleverness in 9TH
er directions, are generally singularly
at fault and useless when anything
really happens. You'll excuse me,
sir, for saying this. You've come,
hope?"
Has anything yet been discovered,
| inspectors" Miss Decies said. Haven't
you found anything yet? I'm afraid
| her grace will have a collapse in a
few minutes 1t will be as well to
send for Sir William Larus. Where
have you been, Mr. Grant?"
We have been everywhere, Miss
Decies,' Michael answered.
"And you've found nothing at all?"
she asked.
There's something very queer here,
madam" the detective broke in, "be-
cause we really have not found any
/ thing at ALL
AS he spoke they had been walking
towards the door which led into the
old lady's private apartments.
Come in here for one moment"
she said. Give me your ideas of
what can have happened
They entered the sitting room, brill
iantly lit with electric light, as was
the bed room which opened into it.
'Now, then" Miss Decies asked,
turning to the detective, what is
| your opinion? What can have hap
pened?"
Madam" the man answered, pull
ing at his moustache in angry irrita-
ton, I'VE have been through every
room in this house, and we have dis
covered nothing at ALL To cut it
short madam, l confess myself abso-
lutely at loss.'
The old lady and the man from
Scotland Yard were facing each 9th
err, and Michael Grant was standing
a little on one side. AS the inspector
made his frank confession he thought
he saw that the old lady's clasped
hands suddenly relaxed, and he i'm
agined at that moment that look al
most of relief came upon those hard
old features.
The thought came to him and pass
ed, and it was not not until long after.
wards that he remembered it.
Then what is to be done?" Miss
Decies asked.
"The only thing. madam" the de-
tective replied, "is to go downstairs
and tell the duchess that we have
failed to discover anything; only we
had better do that at once, and then
I will telephone to my chief and some
more men will be sent up immedi-
ately"
You're quite right" Miss Decies
said, tapping Downes upon the arm,
'and there is no time to be lost
Come down at once and tell them"
With that she swept out of her
room and Grant, with the detective,
followed her quickly.
They all went down the great stair.
case together and walked across the
hall to the door of the small blue
drawing room.
A Strange Episode Which Concludes
the Fourth Chapter.
Capt Basil Marriott Lad left the
Cocoa Tree club with his father close
upon o'clock The admiral had gone
back to the Albany, and Basil to his
own rooms in Jermyn street. The
admiral was dining in Cadogan
square, while Basil himself had no
had no dinner engagement Father
and son, however, were to meet at
Mrs. Edward Isaacs' dance III Half
Moon street.
(To Be Continued.)
/ 81 a. y