Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1911-05-19

counter lCI neT pOckeIDOOk-
mot cent?" said Valentine, bow
ing and smiling. "Only should like
TO know the name of the young lady
I have been able 70 serve"
"Meanin' met" queried the flower
nymph. I'm Miss Virginia Hexam.
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 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 Ill
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 a
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 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 1t
lost, with the intention of using It 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 a working hypothesis, GER
tainly. yet F1nney Valentine was too
old bird to snap at mere probabili-
ties. He must have better proof, but
II certainly looked black for Felix
Carnabyi
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 a fresh surprise met him In
the shape of a 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
il 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 Just
alike, but that was nothin'. Hatpins-
even valuable ones like these here
was turned out by hundreds. But II
suttin'ly was a perfec' scream thai
two of 'em should a. been lost tn same
| night" And so on, ad infinitum. until
"Mr. Finney" made his escape. He
had no further use for Virgie Hexar
in solving the mystery attending
Caleb winrett's death.
Ever fertile In resource. Valentine
concluded to do a little advertising OF
his own account random shot, |
back.fire, as It were, which might bal
some game. SO next days Heralt
contained this cunningly-worded ad
vertisement:
FOIJND-Under suspicious circum
stances, a gold and silver nligree hat-pin
| Owner win do well to call In person upol
ing. any afternoon from 4-6. and saw
trouble TO innocent persons.
Both name and address were dis
guises which the inspector used an,
found useful upon occasion in thu
ramifications Of his work. The advor
tisement was merely q 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 consciou
Of the damning evidence left behind
And the very fact that be had care
fully suppressed all hint that Grim
had been committed would be apt t
strike terror to a guilty soul-espt
cially should II prove that the culpri
was a novice. Nor was bis reasoning
at fault
| Three days went by without a NH
BILE. Then on the fourth afternoon
as the inspector sat in Room 220 I
the westover building. his patienc
was rewarded.
There wss sudden swish OF skirt