, 1910-11-10

him. didn't he?"
"oh. for heavens sake don't say
that" I implored. THE detective
thinks possibly Jack Bailey came back,
and-and the thing happened then"
He didn't come back" Halsey said
sternly. Gertrude. when you brought
down a revolver that night for Jack
J to take with him, what one did you
bring? Miner"
Gertrude was defiant now.
No. Yours was loaded, and I was
afraid Of what Jack-might do. I gave
him one I have had for a year Or tveA
1t was empty"
Halsey, threw up both hanAs -
spairingly.
"Tf that isn't like a grill" he sail-
why didn't you do what i asked you
%. Gertrude? You send Bailey OF
with an empty gun. and throw mine
in . tulip bed, of all places On earth!
Mine was Q IS caliber. The inquest
will show, Of course, that the bullet
that killed Armstrong was q IS. Then
where shall I BET"
"You forget" / broke in, "thst l
have the revolver, and that 40 n
knows about it."
But Gertrude had risen .sngrily.
II cannot stand 1t; 1t is always
with me-" she cried. "Halsey, I did not
throw your revolver into the tulip
bed. think you did-it-your-
self"
They stared at ZACH other across
the big library table, with young eyes
all at once hard, suspicious. And
then Gertrude held out both hands to
him a~ppealingly.
I'VE must not" she said brokenly.
"Just now, with so much at stake. It
lis shameful. I know you are as ig-
norant as l am. Make me believe 1t,
Halsey."
Halsey soothed her as best he could,
and the breach SCENE healed. But
long after / went to bed he sat down
stairs in the living room alone. and /
knew he was going over the case as
he had learned 1t. Some things were
clear to him thai were dark to me.
He knew, and Gertrude, too, why Jack
Bailey and he had gone away that
night, as they did. He knew where
they had been for the last IS hours,
and why Jack Bailey had not returned
with him. 1t seemed to me that with
out fuller confidence from both the
children-they are always children to
mel should never be able to learn
anything.
As / was finally getting ready for
bed. Halsey came upstairs and knocked
at my door. When I had got into a
negligee-I used to say wrapper be-
/ fore Garfr,,Ao nonna horL frnvn ophan1
Il let him in. He stood in the door
way a moment, and then he went into
agonies of silent mirth. I sat down
on the side of the bed and waited in
severe silence for him to stop, but he
only seemed to grow worse. When
he had recovered he took me by the
elbow and pulled M in front of the
mirror.
How to be beautiful" he quoted.
"'Advice to maids and matrons, by
Beatrice fairfax" And then 1 saw
myself. I had neglected to remove
my wrinkle ~eradicators, and I presume
my appearance was odd. I believe
that 1t is a woman's duty to care for
her looks. but 1t is much like telling
q necessary falsehood-one must not
| JIG u Oul. ny Nv ihC 1 8OI tu0ul
OF Halsey was serious again, and I
listened to his story.
Aunt Ray" he began, extinguish-
ing his cigarette on the back Of my
ivory ~hair-brush. 81 would give q lot
to tell you the whole thing. Butt
can't, for a day or 80. anyhow. But
one thing I might have told you a long
time a ago. II you had known 1t, you
would not have suspected me for a
moment of-of having anything t do
with the attack ON Arnold Armstrong.
Goodness knows what I might do to
q fellow like that, II there was enough
provocation, and l had a gun in my
hand-under ordinary circumstances.
Armstrong. Aunt Ray. l hope to mar
ry her some day. Is it likely I would
kill her brother?"
But the whole thing is absurd" I
argued. And besides, Gertrude's
sworn statement that you left before
Arnold Armstrong came would clear
you at once"
Halsey got up and began to pace
the room, and the air Of cheerfulness
dropped like a mask.
"She can't swear IT," he said finally.
"Gertrude's story was true as far as
1t went. but she didn't tell everything.
Arnold Armstrong came here at 2:30
came into the billiard room and left
In five minutes. He came to bring
something"
"Halsey." I cried. you must tell me
the whole truth. Every time I see
a way for you to escape you block it
yourself with this wall Of mystery.
What did he bring?"
"a telegram-for Bailey" he said
at came by special messenger from
town. and was-most important. Bailey
| n started for here. and the messen.