The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1910-10-27
CHAPTER XVII.
Who Is Nina Darlington?

The four days. from Saturday to the
following Tuesday, we lived, or ex-
| listed, in a state of the most dreadful
suspense. We ate only when Llddy
brought in a tray. and then very little.
| The papers, OF course, had got hold
! of the story. and we were besieged by
newspaper men. From all over the
country false clews came pouring in
and raised hopes that crumbled again
to nothing Every mOrgue within 100
miles, every hospital had been Wis
| tied, without result.
The inaction was deadly Liddy
cried all day, and, because she knew
objected to tears, SMILED audlbly
around the corner.
| For heaveas sake, smile. l
snapped at her And her CHASTITY at
tempt at grin. with her swollen nose
and red eyes, r'ade me hysterical. |
| laughed and cried together, and pref
ty soon, like the two old fools we
were, we were sitting together weep
ing into the same handkerchief
On Tuesday then, sent for the car
gnd prepared to go out AS | waited
| at the porte-cochere I saw the under
gardener. an inoffensive, grayish-
haired man, trimming borders near
the house. The day detective was
watching him, sitting on the carriage
| block. When he saw me- he got up.
Miss Innes," he said, taking off his
hat, do you know where Alex, the
gardener, is?"
why, no. Isn't he here?' l asked.
He has been gone since yesterday
afternoon. Have you-employed him
long,"
Only a couple of weeks.
us he efficient? A capable man."
II hardly know" I said vaguely.
THE place looks all right, and l 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 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 man who cuts grass isn't a
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.
l went first to DR.. Walkers I was
tired of beating about the bush, and |
felt that the key to Halsey's disap-
pearance was here at Casanova, in
spite of Mr.. Jamieson's theories.
The doctor was in. He came at
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
I'D u iii wv II vi 1llt an vi II lClullutSoy
and thought, too, that he looked anx-
ious and haggard.
Or. Walker" I said, 81 have come
to you to ask some questions. l hope
you will answer tenn. AS you know,
my nephew has not yet been found"
$50 | understand" stiffly.
81 believe, if you would you could
help us, and that leads to one of my
questions. VIII you tell NE what was
the nature of She conversation you
held with him the night he was at
tackled and carried Off"
Attacked! Carried off," he said,
with pretended surprise Really. Miss
lines, don't you think you exaggerate?
l understand it is not the first time
Mr. Innes has-disappeared.
you are clubbing, 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. l am violating professional
ethics when tell you even as much as
that"
| could not tell him he lied. / think
l looked it. But l hazarded a random
shot.
81 thought perhaps" 1 said, watch
ing him narrowly, that it might be
about-Nina Darlington"
For q moment | thought he was 60