The Raymer enterprise., 1911-04-20

your troubleT' reaching under the
counter for her pocketbook.
Not a cent" said Valentine. bow.
ing and smiling. only should like
to know the name Of the young lady
have been able to serve"
"Meanin' me?' queried the flower
nymph. I'm Miss Virginia Heyam,
though my gentleman friend likes
Virgie best" she explained. dimpling
and smiling self-consciously.
He must be young man Of excel.
lent taste-for of course he's young"
said Finney Valentine. Wonder II |
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 start Of surprise at this queer
| coincidence. Unconsciously the girl
helped him by saying. as he started
| for the door:
I'm everso much-ob II you'll
tell me your name and address III
send you some flowers"
Valentine bowed his thanks and
scribbled on one OF the blank cards
lying on the counter: "Mr. Fnney."
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 II
woman's 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 rapidlty his
fertile mind forged the connecting
links: Felix might have abstracted the
pin during the performance at the
Garden. allowing the girl to think 1t
lost with the intention Of using 1t as
lethal weapon, and one likely to
leave no trace, on old Winnett. 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 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 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." It ran. such a
funny thing happened! I've found my
real pin, not broken at all. One of
the ushers at the theater brought It
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 10 let Master Felix
out" he mused 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 at
the florists TO interview Miss Virgie
HeXam. Mistaken? Not on your
life, Course, the two heads was Just
alike, but that was nothin Hatpins-
even valuable ones like these here
was turned out by hundreds. But II
suttin'ly was -perfec' scream that
two OF EN- should a been lost tn same
night" And so on, ad infnltum, until
Mr.. Finney" made his escape. He
had no further use for Virge Hexam
In solving the mystery attending
Caleb Winnetts death.
Ever fertile In resource, Valentine
| concluded to do a little advertising on
| his own account-a random shot, a
back fire, as It were, which might bag
some game. So next days Herald
contained this cunningly.worded ad.
| vertlsement:
| FOUND.-Under suspicious clrCum-
stances. a gold and silver fligre- hat pin
| Owner will do we'll to call In person upon
| MIR. Atwater Room go. Westover Build
| ing any afternoon from i-6. and save
| trouble to innocent persons.
Both name and address were dis.
| guises which the inspector used and
found useful upon occasion in the
ramifcations Of his work. The adver.
tisement was merely chance-but
chances In the detective world some.
times prove better than certainties.