The newspaper., 1910-01-14

case comes 10 you, Will 1t be too much
trouble for you to let me know"
Il shall be only too happy he said.
81 understand you have had fire up
there, too. A fire and shooting in one
night is rather lively for quiet place
like that
1T is as quiet as a boilershop,' /
replied. as l turned to go.
And you are still going to stay"
Until / am burned out" respond
ed. And then. on my way down the
steps, i turned around suddenly.
Doctor" | asked at a venture,
have you ever heard of = child
named Lucien Wallace?"
Clever as he was. his face changed
and stiffened. He was on his guard
again in a moment
'Lucien Wallace?" he repeated.
No. think not. There are plenty of
Wallaces around, but don't know any
Lucien.'
l was as certain as possible that
he did. People do not lie readily to
me, and this man lied beyond doubt.
But there was nothing to be gained
now; his defenses were up, and left,
half irritated and wholly bafiled.
Our reception was entirely different
at DR.. Stewards. Taken into the
bosom of the family at once. Flinders
tied outside and nibbling the grass at
the roadside, Gertrude and l drank
some homemade elderberry wine and
told briefly of the fire. OF the more
serious part of the nights experience.
of course. we said nothing. But when
at last We had left the family on the
porch and the good doctor was unity
ing our steed. asked him the same
question I had put to Dr. Walker.
shot" he said. BLESS my soul,
no. Why. what have you been doing
up at the big house. Miss Innes?"
Some one tried to enter the house
| during the fire. and was shot and
/ slightly injured" l said hastily.
Please don't mention il: we wish to
make as little of it as possible"
There was one other possibility. and
We tried that. At Casanova station l
saw the station master. and asked him
il any trains left Casanova between
one o'clock and daylight There was
none until 6 a. m The next question
required more diplomacy.
Did you notice on the six o'clock
train any person-any man-who
limped a little2" / asked. please
try to remember: we are trying to
trace a man who was seen lettering
around Sunnyside last night before
the fire.
He was all attention in a moment
Il was up there myself at the fire."
he said volubly. I'm a member OF
the volunteer company. First big fire
We've had since the summer house
burned over TO the club golf links
My wife was sayin' the other day.
Dave. you might as well "a saved the
money in that there helmet and shirt
And here last night they came in
handy. Rang that bell so hard /
hadn't time scarcely to get 'em on"
"And-did you see man who
I limped2" Gertrude put in. as he
stopped for breath
Not at the train. ma'm.' he said.
No such person got on here today.
But Ill tell you where l did see a
man that limped didn't wait till the
company left: there's a fast freight
goes through at 4:45, and | had to
get down TO the station. | seen there
wasn't much more to do anyhow at
the ire-we'd got the flames under con
trol''-Gertrude looked at me and
smiled-"so | started down the hill
There was folk here and there goin'
home. and along by the path TO the
Country club ! seen two men. One
was short fellow. lie was sitting on
a big rock. his back to me. and he
had something white in his hand. as if
he WAS tying up his foot After I'd
gone on a piece looked back. and he
was hohhling on and-excuse me, miss
he was swearing something sicken-
ing
Did they 20 toward the club?"
Gertrude asked suddenly. leaning for
ward
No. miss. ] think they came into
the village. didn't get a look at
their faces. but | know every chick
and child in the place. and everybody
knows me. When they didn't shout
at me-in my uniform, you know-I
took ii they were strangers.
So all we had for our afternoons
work was this: Some one had been
shot by the bullet that went through
the door: he had not left the village.
and he had not called in a physician
Also. DIR. Walker knew who Lucien
Wallace was, and his very denial
made me confident that, in that one