The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1910-10-06

he mas Deen gone since yeSleiody
afternoon. Have you-employed him
long,"
only a couple of weeks
rs he efficient? A capable man."
Il hardly know. | said vaguely.
'The place looks all right, and | know
very little about such things. 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" | said, think
ing hard. Why. he came to me from
the Brays. who are in Europe
Exactly" The detective smiled.
Every man 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.
"NOt 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 |
felt that the key to IIalsey's disap-
p%earance was here at Casanova, in
spite of Mr.. Jamieson's theories.
The doctor was in. lie came at
once to the door Of his consulting
room, and there was no mask of cor
diality in his manner.
Please ONE in" he said CURLY.
"a shall stay here, | think. doctor"
I did not like his face or his manner;
there was a subtle change in both. He
had brown off the air of friendliness,
and | thought, too, that he looked anx-
ious and haggard.
"Dr. Walker | said, 81 have come
to you to ask some questions. | hope
you will answer them. AS you know,
my nephew has not yet been found"
So | understand stifly.
Il believe, if you would. YOU could
help us, and hat 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 on" ne said,
with pretended surprise. Really. Miss
1nnes, don't you think you eyaggerate?
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. ! an violating professional
ethics when ! tell you even as much as
that"
! could not tell him he lied. think
! looked it. But I hazarded a random
shot.
II thought perhaps" | said, watch
ing him narrowly. that it might be
about-Nina Darlington"
For a m Thought he was ~
i ing to STRIKE me. He g"Cw livid ard
small crooked hood vessel IN his f.,
pie swelled and throhb = "r'io
Then he forced , .''o"' 'o-~'
who is Nina CJ!rir" a9'
q 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 thar he did the devil. Our leave
taking was brief; in fact, We merely
stared al each other over the waiting
room table, with its litter OF year-old
~, ,,o.;,,, U~I1- t,,rnnI nn1 wont
put.
ITO R%ichfeld," ! told Warner, and
On the way | thought, and thought
bard.
Nina Darlington. Nina Darlington,
he roar and rush of the wheels
seemed to sing the words. Nina Car
rington, n. c." And | then knew,
knew as surely as if ! had seen the
whole thing. There had been an y. {.
on the suit case belonging to the won
IN with the pitted face. How simple
1t all seemed. Matte Bliss had beer
Nina Darlington. 1t was she Warner
had heard in the library. 1t was some
thing she had told Halsey that had
taken him frantically to DIR. Walkers
office, and from there perhaps to his
death. II we could find The m We
might fnd what had become Of Hal
Sey.
We were almost at Richfeld now,
80 | kept on. My mind was not on my
GRAND there now. 1t was back with
Halsey on that memorable night. What
was il he had said to Louise, that had
sent her up to Sunnyside, half wild
with fear for him? l made up my
mind, as the car drew up before the
Tate cottage, that ! would see Louise
II ! had to break into the house at
night.
Almost exactly the same scene as
before greeted my eyes at the cottage.
Mrs. Tate, the baby-carriage in the
path, the children at the swing-aIl
were the same.
She came forward to meet me, aud
| noticed that some of the anxious
lines had gone out of her face. She
looked young, almost pretty.
90" am glad Won have come back