The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1912-07-18

Not q 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 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 If /
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 eVer-somuch-obliged. If you'll
tell me your name and address I'll
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
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
a lethai 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
young Carnaby. Then per
force other routine cases demanded
his attention for the rest of that day
and late into the night. But next
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 to let Master Felix |
out" he unused with a quizzical smile
AZ 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
he mischief"
On HIS way downtown he stopped at
he florists to interview Miss Virgie
Hexam Mistaken? Not on your
ife! Course, the two heads was just
like but that was nothin'. Hatpins--
wen valuable ones like these here
vas turned out by hundreds. But 1t
was a perfec' scream that
wo of 'em should a. been lost tn same
zig t." And so on, ad ininitum. until
Mr.. Finney" made his escape. He
lad no further use for Virgie Hexam
n solving the mystery attending
caleb Winnett's death.
Ever fertile In resource, Valentine
concluded to do little advertising on
lis own account-a random shot, a
Jack. fire, as 1t were, which might bag
ome game. So next days Herald
contained this cunninglyworded ad.
'ertisement:
tances, a gold and silver filigree hat-pin
)wner will do well to call in person upon
ir. Atwater, Room 22O. Westover Build
1g. any afternoon from 4-6. and save
rouble to innocent persons.
Both name and address were dis
'uises which the Inspector used and
ound useful upon occasion in the
OF his work The adver-
isement was merely a chance--but
hances In the detective world some
ines prove better than certainties.
or he argued that the { 4ilty person
IAN or woman-would be conscious
I the damning evidence left behind.
md the very fact that he had care
lilly suppressed all hint that crime
ad been committed would be apt to
trike terror to a guilty soul-espe-
tally should It prove that the culprit
'db uOFiCc' 1NoI was has iSaSouiu6 |
I fault.
Three days went by without nib
lie. Then on the fourth afternoon,
s the Inspector sat In Room 220 in
le Westover building, his patience
as rewarded.
There was a sudden swish of skirts
long the tiled hallway, a half-hesi
lting, half-defiant tap on the door and
, his answering Comet" there en-