The Tupelo journal., 1910-10-07
CHAPTER XVII.
Who Is Nina Darlington?

r- VINO is tNind
The four days, from Saturday 10 the
following Tuesday, we lived, OF e..
listed. in a state of the most
susuense. We ate only when Llddy
brought in a tray, and then very niue,
The papers. of course, had got holo
of the story. and we were besieged by
newspaper men. From all over tne
country false clews came pouring III
and raised hopes that crumbled again
to nothing. Every morgue within loo
miles, every hospital, had been Wis
tied, without result.
The inaction was deadly. Liddy
cried all day, and, because h knew
| objected to tears, SMILED audlply
around the corner
For heavens sake, smile!
snapped al her. And her CHASTITY at
tempt at a grin, with her swollen nose
n red eyes, made me hysterical.
laughed and cried together, and pref
ty soon, like the two old Tools we
were. we were sitting together weep
ing into the same handkerchief.
On Tuesday, then, l sent for the car
and prepared to go out. AS waited
at the porte-cochere saw the
gardener, an ~inoffensive, graylsh-
haired man, trimming borders near
the house. The day detective was
watching him, sitting on the carrlagf
block. When he saw me, he got up.
Miss %Innes," he said, taking OIL III
hat, do you know where Alex, II.
gardener, is"
"Why. no. Isn't he here" ! asked
ssHe has been gone since yesterda!
afternoon. Have you-employed hin
long,"
only a couple of weeks"
SIS he efficient? A capable man.?
81 hardly know" l said vaguely
1.-THE place looks all right, and / know
very little about such things. l know
much more about boxes of roses than
bushes of them"
This man. pointing to the assis-
tant, Says Alex isn't a gardener. That
he doesn't know anything about
plants"
That's very strange" I said, think
ing hard. why, he came to me from
the Brays, who are in Europe"
Exactly" The detective smiled.
Every mar who cuts grass isn't a
gardener, Miss lines, and just now it
is our policy to believe every person
around here a rascal until he proves
to be the other thing"
Warner came up with the car then,
and the conversation stopped. AS he
helped me in, however, the detective
said something further.
mot a word or sign to Alex, if he
comes back" he said cautiously.
/ went first to DR.. Walkers. / was
tired of beating about the bush, and l
felt that the key to Halsey's disap-
was here at Casanova, in
spite of Mr.. Jamieson's theories.
The doctor was in. He came at
once to the door Of his consulting
room, and there was no mask of cor
diality in his manner.
please come In" he said CURLY.
81 shall stay here, I think, doctor"
I did not like his face or his manner;
there was a subtle change in both. He
had thrown off the air of friendliness,
and / thought, too, that he looked anx
ious and haggard.
"Dr. Walker" I said, II have come
to you to ask some questions. / hope
you will answer them. AS you know,
my nephew has not yet been found"
$50 | understand" stif1y.
81 believe, if you would, you could
help us, and that leads to one of my
questions. Will you tell me what was
the nature of the conversation you
held with him the night he was at
tackled and carried off?
Attacked Carried off" be said,
with pretended surprise. Really, Miss
Innes, don't you think you e~xaggerate?
/ understand it is not the first time
Mr.. Innes has-disappeared."
you are quibbling. doctor. This is
a matter of life and death. Will you
answer my question:"
Certainly. He said his nerves were
bad, and | gave him a prescription for
them. / am violating professional
ethics when | tell you even as much as
that"
/ could not tell him he lied. / think
] looked it. But | hazarded a random
shot.
Il thought perhaps" l said, watch
ing him narrowly, that it might be
about-Nina Darlington
For a moment / thought he was go
ing to strike me. He grew liyid, and a
small crooked blood-vessel in his tenn
pie swelled and throbbed c~uriously.
Then he forced a short laugh.
who is Nina Darlington? z" he asked.
Il am about to discover that / re-
piled, and he was quiet at once. 1t
was not difficult to divine that he
feared Nina Darlington a good deal
more than he did the devil. Our leave
taking was brief; in fact, we merely
stared at each other over the waiting
room table, with its litter of year-old
magazines. Then ! turned and went
out.
TO Richield.s ! told Warner. and