The Washington times., 1911-03-11

tionless, he gaped at his COM
panions
Sheer bewildarment seemed to have
relaxed Barker's facial muscles. The
lawyer smiled weakly, uncOmprehend-
ingly and shook his head in
vague denial at Barrows. thunder
struck across the room.
why Gerald-Gerald-" the law
Yer stammered
"WaitT' Gray swallowed hard and
drew i long breath; then with the in
strument at his ear once more. Bur
ton! 1 say. Burton! What
yes"
lie ceased speaking. The others
watch him breathIessly. striving in
vain to gain some inkling of the It'd
ings that We're coming over the wire
Gray, breathing hard. listened with
out comment to the end; and his voice
came thickly as he said at last:
Yes. All right, Burton. Right
away"
He turned and fairly shuffled back
to his chair. and there he sat down
heavily and muttered:
"I guess it's a fact
"But-WhY, it's impOSSible!' burst
wildly from Barker. No.
Impossible or not, that is why We
couldn't get any trace of Forbes" Gray
answered. He was down at the bottom
of that private lake His body came to
the surface this afternoon"
Drowned
No" The bewilderment was strong
still in Gray's, eyes, as he looked from
one TO the other. Evidently not. He
was stabbed to death"
Great Cod
And the dagger was still in his heart
when they found him" Gray shuddered.
Barrows gasped aloud. Barker, white
and sick, reeied in his chair for an in
slant and pulled himself up with an
effort.
'The-boy murdered?"
Yes
And it must have happened the same
night" BarrOwS cried.
'UnqueStiOnably."
Stunned silence settled on the room.
The lawyer was shaking very frankly.
The two detectives were staring stupidity
at one another: Then. after time,
Barker muttered:
WHAT else did he say-Burton?"
WHAT" The detective rose and
squared his shoulders. 'He-brrr!-he
said that we'd better come up as soon
as possible. He was right"
'Fabre is waiting!'' Barker said
family.
Then come along. Its all beyond
me now. Perhaps" Gray stam-
mered. Come
Barrows reached for his hat with an
ton, and made hastily Tor the door, as
If doubtful of his ability to 90 at al,
should he take time for thought. Bar
ker, dazed. breathing heavily, gnawed
his mustaChe and walked out silently,
head down. Gray's forehead was an
UnhrOken mass of fine wrinkles as he
followed
Without a word, too. they entered the
motor and rolled away, out of the vii
lage and toward the stricken home of
the Destons.
smaller machine whizzed into the
grounds ahead of them: md Barker
noting the sCowling little man beside the
chauffeur, tapped Gray's arm and said
softly:
"Fitch-the coroner"
"Eh?' Gray squinted ahead Burton
might have waited a little before noti-
flying him.
The smaller machine stood before the
house as they arrived. Willis, very
white. indeed, opened the door and thev
looked at him questioningly.
In them the little room at the end
with some difficulty. DIR. Fitch is
there"
And Mr.. Burton?"
He is there, too"
Barker and Gray glanced at one an
other, and their teeth were hard shut.
Barrows. with visible, shudder. shook
his head.
II think I'll stay mere" he num-
bled
Aren't you coming to examine
. No, IL don't think l care to- said
the younger man.
Lost YOUR nerve?' Gray queried.
'I-may be"
The elder detective turned away with
a shrug. Barrows plainly meant to
stay where he was, and Gray took
Barker's unsteady arm and headed
down the corridor.
Barrows looked heSitatinEly at the
second man; the latter nodded his un-
deTstanding with:
Il haven't seen him either, sir
when was tho body found?''
Not an hour ago"
And who found it, WiIlis?" Barrows
went on.
Morton, the head gardener, was pass
ing by the lake, sir. He-he saw 1t, and
he and two of his men brought ii TO
shore lists a terrible thing, SIR
Its a terrible thing, Whilst" Bar
rows assented, thiCkly. "I-almost wish
that I'd never
He broke off and walked unsteadily
into the small reception room. And
there. staring out of the window. Mr..
Barrows remained for many, many
minutes, trying to curse his ow;l
weakness and finding that no enthus-
tasm at all went into the job. Bar
rows whose work had laid largely
in the world of big business affairs,
began to suspect that the investiga-
tIon of such eccentricities as develop