The Caldwell watchman. (Columbia, La.) 1885-1946, 1911-04-28
your trouble?' reaching under the
counter for hor Doolo+hool-

your trouble?' reaching under the
counter for her pocketbook.
Not a cent" said Valentine, bow
ing ana smiling. Only l should like
10 know the name of the young lady
| nave been able to serve"
"Meanin' me?" queried the flower
hymrh. I'm Miss Virginia Hexam,
though my gentleman friend likes
Vlrgle BEST" she explained dimpling
and smiling self-consciously.
He must be young man of excel
lent taste-for OF course he's young"
said Ffnney Valentine. Wonder if
know him.
His names Carnaby-Felix Car
naby, volunteered Miss Hexam,
watching her caller for any sign of
recognition. Only Valentines habitual
facial control saved him from betray.
ing a start of surprise at this queer
coincidence. Unconsciously the girl
helped him by saying, as he started
for the door:
I'm ever-so-much-obliged. If you'll
tell me your name and address I'll
send you some flowers
Valentine bowed his thanks and
scrubbed on one of the blank cards
lying on the counter: "Mr. Finney,'
with his private street and number
That will find me-" he said, since
you mean to be so kind" He wanted
to get away. A hat-pin might be Il
Womans weapon, as Zabriskie had
suggested, but here was evidence link
Ing Felix Carnaby with the possible
possession of Just such a weapon, the
head OF which had been found on the
scene Of the murder only the night
before. With lightning rapidity his
fertile mind forged the connecting
links; Felix might have distracted the
pin during the performance at the
Garden, allowing the girl to think it
lost, with the intention of using it as
lethal weapon, and one likely to
leave no trace, on old Wtnnett. To
that end he could have stealthily let
himself into his step-mother's house,
sought an interview with his victim,
and after vainly demanding consent to
his niece's marriage, have stabbed
the old man in cold blood, thus ma.
king sure of Zenith Winnett and her
fortune! And the fact that while en-.
gagged to one girl he was escorting
another to theaters and late suppers
did not argue absolute impeccability
on the young mans part.
1t was a working hypothesis, Ger.
tainly, yet Finney Valentine was too
old bird to snap at mere probabili.
ties. He must have better proof, but
IT certainly looked black for Felix
Carnaby!
Back at his desk again, his first
move was to put a careful member Of
the detective squad on the job Of
shadowing young Carnaby. Then per-
force other routine cases demanded
his attention for the rest of that day
and late into the night But next
morning fresh surprise met him in
the shape of violently perfumed pink
note from Miss Virgie Hexam, dated
the previous evening.
Dear Mr.. Finney,' 1t ran, such a
funny thing happened! I've found my
real pin, not broken at all. One of
the ushers at the theater brought 1t
round. 1t must have dropped under
the seat. Won't you please come and
get the one you left and, believe me,
your friend, V. Hexam."
THAT seems to let Master Felix
OUT he unused with quizzical smile
as he ate his frugal breakfast. "But
it certainly thickens the mystery
There must be two pins exactly alike
Wonder who owns the one that did
the mischief"
On his way downtown he stopped al
the florists to interview Miss Virgie
Hexam. Mistaken? Not on your
life! Course, the two heads was JUS,
alike, but that was nothin'. Hatpins-
even valuable ones like these here
was turned out by hundreds. But II
suttinly was a perfec' scream thai
two of 'em should a. been lost tn same
night" And so on, ad infinitum, unit
mr.. Finney" made his escape. He
had no further use for Virgie Hexan
in solving the mystery attending
Caleb Winnett's death.
Ever fertile in resource, Valentine
concluded to do a little advertising OF
his own account-a random shot, {
back.fire, as it were, which might bal
some game. So next days Herald
contained this cunningly.worded ad
vertisement:
FOUND.-Under suspicious circum
stances, a gold and silver fligree hat-pin
| Owner will do we'll to call in person upol
Mr.. AtWater Room 220, WestOver Build
ing, any afternoon from as. and saw
| trouble to innocent persons.
Both name and address were dis
guises which the inspector used ant
found useful upon occasion in thu
ramifcations Of his work. The adver
| tisement was merely chance-bu
chances in the detective world some
times prove better than certainties
For he argued that the guilty person
man or woman-would be conscious
Of the damning evidence left behind
And the very fact that he had care
fully suppressed all hint that crime
had been committed would be apt t.
strike terror to a guilty soul-espe
cially should 1t prove that the culpri
was a novice. Nor was his reasoning
| at fault.
Three days went by without a nib
BILE. Then on the fourth afternoon
as the inspector sat in Room 220 IL
| the Westover building, his patience
| was rewarded.