, 1912-12-26

through the top of the elevator cage
until it had descended out of sight.
CHAPTER n.
Uneasy Approximations. q
AM afraid it was q queer hodge
podge Of clews and sentiment that
poured out to Hunter, the de-
tective, when he came up late
that afternoon.
They're rotten clear through" Hun.
ter reflected. .This administration ia
-wcyse than the last, and it was q
peach. There have been more suicides
than I could count on my two hands
I'm the last ten years. I warn you
you'd be better out of this mess"
what do you think about the eiev.
On twenty-twof" I asked.
'It might be that many dollars or
the time a train starts, or II might be
the eleventh and the twenty-second
letters Of the alphabet-k-v." ?
XIV" ! repeated why that would
be the Latin caye-beware."
Hunter smiled cheerfully.,
"You'd better stick to the law. MI.
Knox" he said from the door. I'VE
don't use Latin In the detective bust
ness"
uPfattsburg was not the name Of the
capital, but 1t will do for this story.
The state doesn't matter either. We
will say that my home city is Man
chester. live with my married broth,
er, his wife and two boys. Fred Is
older than I am and he Is an excep.
.tional brother. On the day he came
home from bis wedding trip I went
down with my traps on a hanson In
accordance with a prearranged sched.
ule. Fred and Edith met me inside the
door.
Heres your latehkey. Jack" Fred
said as he shook hands. "Only one
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES we are stran.
gers in the vicinity and try to get
home before the neighbors are up. We
have u regulations to think Of"
There II no hour for breakfast
Edith said as she kissed me. "You
have a bath Of your own and don't
smoke in the drawing room"
Fred was always q lucky devil.
! had been there now for six yeaFs
I had helped to raise two young Knox
es-bully youngsters, too (the oldest
one could use boxing gloves when ht
was four)-and the fnest collie pup In
our end Of the state. I wanted to raise
other things. The boys liked pets, but
Edith didn't ARE for animals.
On the day that Margery Fleming
came to me about her father l went
home in a state of mixed emotion
Dinner was not a quiet meal. Fred
and l talked politics generally, and az
Fred was on one side and l on the 9th.
,er there always was an argument on.
what about Fleming?" l asked al
last when Fred had declared that In
these days of corruption no matte
what the government was he was for
ninst" 1t. Hasn't he been frightened
into reform"
bad egg" he said. jabbing his pota
10 as If It a been a politician. ant
there's n 10 way to improve a bad egg
except to hold your nose. That's wha.
the public Is doing-holding it's nose"
Hasn't he a d~aughterT 1 asked
casually.
"Yes-s lovely girl. too" Edith a.
scented. Tits his only redeeming quail
ity."
"Fleming II q rascal, daughter or M
daughter" Fred persisted "Ever since
be and bis gang got poor Butler into
trouble and then left him to kill him
self as the only way out l have fell
that there was something coming to al
OF them-Hansen. Schwartz and the
rest. ! saw Fleming on the street to
dsy."
"Whatr' I exclaimed, almost Jump
ing out Of my chair.
Fred surveyed me Quizzically.
"'Hasn't be a daughter" be quot
ed. Yes. I saw him, Jack. this very !
day In m .unromantic tour wheeler,
and he was swearing at a policeman"
"Where was.itr
Chestnut and Union. Ais cab had
been struck by a car and badly dam
aged. but the gentleman refused to gel
out No doubt you could get the de !
tails from the corner man"
Look here, Fred" | said earnestly I,
'"Keeprtbst to yourself. will you? And
you too. Edith? It's a queer story, and
I'll tell you some time"
As we left the dining room Edith put
her hand on my shoulder.
Don't get mixed up with those PEG
pie, Jack" she advised. "Margery's Q
dear girl, but her father practically
killed Henry Butler. and Henry Butler
married my cousin"
"You needn't make 1t u family af.
fair." l protested. 81 have only seen
the girl once"
But Edith smiled. "a know what I
know" she said. allow e~xtravagant