The Washington times., 1911-02-25
THE SINS OF HEFATHERS~Fas.,PPz,%sa11a ~Fas., P,sa11a

Evidently, he did not succeed. To
the best Of my figuring, Gerald must
have decided on one of his aII-day
tramps. That is usually his prescription
for an appetite and WEAKNESS enough
to send him to sleep at night, you know.
He went down the servants stairs at
the rear and out through one of the
back doors-probably headed straight
for the woods behind NiIdridge."
you've sent men to find him.
WiIkes?'
"Of course. No one has seen him on
the roads. That is why I assume that
he Is ten or twelve miles away now,
in the woods"
And when he comes back Bar
ker muttered. "Um!-
He left Deston to himself presently
and made his way below. There was
nothing to demand his attention, either
as lawyer or friend, just then; and
Barker slipped into the raIncoat Willis
found for him and took to the grounds
for air and solitary meditation and
mental readJustment to the new order
of things
1t CHANGED to be Forbes own coat. as
the lawyer discovered presently when
his hand located three or four old en-
velopes in the pocket-and Barker
stared at them and then at the gray
sky and the dripping trees and thought
little. Gerald had started under clear
skies and it was pouring now. Unless
he happened to own supply of rain
coats, he had started without protection
against the weather, ana the rain had
oVertaken him before this. He would
be home shortly.
Yet, little before o'clock, Barker
started when Fitch walked into the
library and asked:
We'll. is everybody on hand?"
Il think so.''
Young Forbes around? 1 haven't
seen him.
Mr.. Forbes is away. They haven't
notified him. the lawyer responded,
easily.
''Umum. All right The coroner
nodded. will you tell Deston and
Amato that 1 am ready to go through
the formalities. Barker"
Barker went for them.
Wilkes, sad-eyed and collected, was
on the point of leaving his room. Amato
Barker found pacing his apartment,
rather wild of expression still and with
twitching hands. He stared at the law
yer with:
L must go down and discuss all that
again?" in the faint foreign accent.
You will only have to listen. I don't
think Fitch will call upon you for any
testimony
The elder man set his teeth and, after
a glance in the mirror, followed with
plain reluctance.
Below, in the smaller drawing room,
Fitch was indeed ready. His jury of
sober-faced men, a few Of their faces
unfamiliar, was waiting silently; the
servants were there and Wilkes Deston,
who beckoned Amato to the empty
chair beside him and, folding his arms
once more, took to looking straight
ahead again.
Barker found a chair at one side and
settled into it noiselessly as Fitch be-
gan to speak. and he glanced absently
at Amato and the uneasy hands.
And suddenly the glance became q
gaze of mild surprise
Amato. apparently, had dropped some
thing. He had stopped hurriedly to pick
1t up. And his fingers had no more
than touched the floor. than he was
sitting bolt upright, the free hand
spasmodically at his head
Nor was that the really odd thing.
Amato's swift DlaCk eyes shot from side
to side and then behind him, as II to
ascertain whether he had been watched
and his face turned from pallor to deep
crimson!
Continuation of This Story VIII De
Found In TomOrrOw's Issue