, 1910-12-29

HI might have been under
the train by the force Of the shock"
/ said TREMENDOUSLY.
Gertrude s~huddered.
I'VE examined every inch of track.
There was-no sign"
But surely-he can't be-gone!" 1
cried. Aren't there traces in the
mud-anything?"
There is no mud-only dust. There
has been no rain. And the footpath
there is of cinders. Miss Innes, / am
inclined to think that he has met with
bad treatment, in the light of what
has gone before. l do not think he
has been murdered" / shrank from
the word. Burns is back in the coun-
try on a clew we got from the night
clerk at the drug store. There will be
two more men here by noon, and the
city office is on the lookout"
THE creek" Gertrude asked.
THE creek is shallow now. If 1t
were swollen with rain it would be
different. There is hardly any water
in it. Now, Miss %Innes," he said,
turning TO me, 81 must ask you some
questions. Had Mr.. Halsey any pos
sible eason for going away like this.
without warning?"
None whatever"
HE went away once before" he
persisted. And you were as sure
then"
He did not leave the Dragon Fly
damned into the side of a freight car
before"
mo, but he left it for repairs in
a blacksmith shop. a long distance
from here. Do you know if he had
any enemies? Any one who might
wish him out of the way"
Not that ] know of, unless-no, I
cannot think Of any"
Was he In the habit of carrying
money!"
"He never carried 1t far. No, he
never had more than enough for cur
rent expenses"
Mr.. Jameson got up then and be-
gan to pace the room. 1t was an I'M
wonted concession to the occasion.
Then ! think we get at 1t by elm
nation. The chances are against
flight. If he was hurt, we find no
trace of him. 1t looks almost like an
abduction. This young DR.. Walker
have you my idea why Mr.. lines
should have gone there last night"
81 cannot understand it," Gertrude
said thoughtfully. 81 don't think he
knew DIR. Walker at all, and-their re-
lations could hardly have been cordial.
under the circumstances"
Jameson pricked up his ears, and
little by little he drew from us the
unfortunate story of Halsey's love af-
fair, and the fact that Louise was 60
ing to marry DIR. Walker.
Mr.. Jameson listened attentively.
There are some interesting devel-
opments here" he said thoughtfully.
The woman who claims to be the
mother of Lucien Wallace has not
come back. Your nephew has appar-
emily been spirited away. There is an
organized attempt being made to en-
ter this house; in fact, 1t has been
entered. Witness the incident with
the cook yesterday. And ! have a
new piece of information" He looked
carefully away from Gertrude. Mr..
John Bailey is not at his Knicker-
booker apartments. and I don't know
where he Is. It's a hash, that's what
it is. It's a Chinese puzzle. They
won't fit together, UNDERSTANDINGS Mr..
Bailey and your nephew have again"
And once again Gertrude surprised
me. They are not together" she
said hotly. "1-know where Mr.. Bailey
is, and my brother is not with him"
Miss Gertrude" he said, IF you and
Miss Louise would only tell me every
thing you know and surmise about
this business, ! should be able to do q
great many things ] believe | could
find YOU brother, and / might be able
to-well, to do some other things"
But Gertrude's glance did pot falter.
Nothing that ] know could help
you to find Halsey." she said stubborn.
ly. Il know absolutely as little of his
disappearance as you do, and ! can
only say this: / do n o trust DR..
Walker. i think he hated Halsey,
and he would get rid of him If he
could"
Perhaps o are right. In fact, ]
had some such theory myself. But DR..
Walker went out late last night to a
serious case in Summitville, and is
still there. Burns traced him there.
We have made guarded inquiry at the
Greenwood club and through the vii
lage. There is absolutely nothing to
go on but this: On the embankment
above the railroad, at the point where
we found the machine, is a small
house. An old woman and a daughter,
who ia very lame. live there. They
say that they distinctly heard the
shock when the Dragon Fly hit the
car, and they went to the bottom Of
their garden and looked over. . The
automobile was there; they could see
the lights, and they thought some one
had been injured. 1t was very dark,
but they could make out two figures,
standing together. The women were
curious, and, leaving the fence, they
went back and by a roundabout path