Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1910-01-28
CHAPTER III.-Continued.

charm peculiarly her own.
al am afraid was not considering Mr.
rantrishe's feelings" said Montresor
bluntly, "but"
aMr. Montresor and t. broke in
xangrishe handy, shave both suffered
disappointment today. We we're both
convinced that we held the clue to the
Tevenhan mystery, and nothing has
vsme of my conviction or of his. So
understand, we both feel small, and we
would both sooner avoid the subject if
we could"
ut is a pity" Mrs. Matthieson said,
with scarcely perceptible glance at her
daughter, shat any of these mysteries
should be so much discussed"
Denzilia Lavenham was not spoken of
again during dinner, but when the
mother and daughter were alone in the
drawing room the girl exclaimed, with
more excitement than she generally per-
mitted herself to show
"How very strange both those men
were ! There must have been something
behind it."
Mrs. Matthieson acquiesced in this
very obvious view of the case.
aWe have known him all these
months," Agnes went on, "and he has
never once betrayed that he knew this
DenziliA Lavenham."
Mrs. Matthieson unused q moment.
ut is true" she answered II think"
she looked away from her daughter as
she spoke, and seemed absorbed in low
ering the lamp-''he must have been in
love with her"
"I,suppose So" said Agnes slowly. She
sat silent for five minutes, and then rose
and went to the piano.
In the meantime, the moment the
dining room door had shut on the two
men downstairs, Montressor TUNED to
Langrishe.
Look here" he said, eve must work
this out togetherl"
The other slightly raised his eye
brows, but said nothing.
"You are interested in finding her.
in his excitement Montresor never
thought of specifying whom he meant
by "her"-"and so am !. You think it
COMPOUNDED cheek in me to take any in
terest in the matter, but l can't help
that. I am interested in it. We must
work together. We will find her, and
when we have found her"
when we have found her." said lang
rishe, with a bitterness that or1tfavored
his habitual cynicism, "she win break
your heart, as she has broken mine"
He was desperately ashamed of this
speech the moment he had uttered it.
For a moment Montresor could not con-
cea1 his surprise, then he said lightly
Il am willing TO give her the chance"
II never saw you before" the other
went on with the same desperate and
unwonted candor, "and Il don't like you
now do see-but Fate has willed that
we should be associated in this task"
DO you think old Caterhouse has had
hand in his niece's disappearance ?"
asked Aubrey boldly.
81 should not like to think So" Lang
rishe answered slowly There is some
thing about him that reminds me
strangely, attraetively, of Miss Laven-
ham herself. but this is no time to
discuss the matter. Come back with me
to my rooms tonight. And now let us
join the ladies'"
Agnes was still at the piano when
they entered the drawing room, and
Langrishe at once advanced to her side,
leaving Montresor to make himself
agreeable to Mrs. Matthieson.
The girl smiled with usefulness of
which she was herself unaware when
Langrishe approached, but she went on
playing without speaking. he leant
his elbows on top of the piano and
looked straight into her face.
Miss Matthieson," he began, IT am
going to confide something to you, and
ask you to do something for me-"
"All right" she said coolly. Gust
put back those photos. You are spelling
them"
He carelessly pushed back the heap of
unmounted proofs that lay under his
elbow, and went on
You probably thought Mr.. Montresor
and me very odd just now about Miss
Denzilia LavenhamT
Il did think So" she returned com
posedly.
1T is true we did think we had clue.
we both saw her at Nottingham last
night"
Agnes almost sprang off her chair For
moment she forgot herself.
Poor grill" she cried. "Then she was
murdered last night"
No, mol" replied Langrishe, every
ND1OA aSbiuB' 40 uoC DenSF6 IL,
MISS Matthieson. could not bear to
believe it."
I understand" Agnes answered in a
very low voice.
What I want you to do Ia to say
nothing to any one Of mine or Mon
uesors interest in her"
Mr., Montresori Why on earth
should he be interested in herr" asked
Agnes, stopping in her operations and
looking at Langrishe.
Poor fellow He has only seen her
once and is already in the same case
as myself"
Agnes thrust back heap of music
mat lay on the turned back piano lid
with so rough and careless a movement
mat she knocked over vase of flowers
that stood on the far end of the piano.
Inc water instantly flooded the top of
the piano, and then, deluging the loose,
enmounted photo proofs that lay there,
Iell thence in a rapid stream on the
carpet.
~ 4