The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1912-02-01
CHAPTER xiI.-(Continued.)

And the door at the head of the
stairs which leads from here into the
kitchen, was that disturbed?" I asked
her as my first sensations faded. She
WAS painting from excitement and the
haste Of her movements.
No, the door was locked and Just
as l left it last night with the key
STALL on the inside. He could not
have gone up higher than the head
M the basement stair. Just hap
pcsDed to remember that | had left a
arCom down here yesterday, and when
came down after it noticed this
Sfo1r right away. Who on earth do
YOU suppose could have done it," She
YVES wrlnging her hands weakly, the
lverspiration of nervousness popping
sr0u1 her forehead
Being in total darkness myself. |
made no attempt to enlighten her as
carefully examined the place. Out
side of the scanty supply of coal that
Remained from last winters supply
the basement contained little save an
accumulation of odds and ends and
an old chest Of mine that contained
articles that had stored away years
before. However, | still retained the
KEY to it, and I now opened it and
made a careful inspection of its in
rtaz3Or. So far. as [ could discover by
~ minute scrutiny the articles within
u had remained untouched since had
iast placed them there. and satisfied
an that point | shut and locked it
again without having as yet received
The faintest ray of light to assist
my search. | must have spent at i,.-sy
half an hour in my examination of the
place and my questions of the house
keeper, but at the end of that time
YVES compelled to give up with abso-
autely nothing learned that | had not
ssnown to start with. Another thing
that perpleyed me somewhat was as
cfD whether or not should inform my
uncle of this new crime. ! did not
sec that anything would be gained by
telling him, while it would most GER
tainly agitate him and lead 10 further
outhursts; therefore ! decided to
leave him in ignorance of it and re.
qysested Mrs. Tebbets to do the same.
= aiso decided to see LeDuc and get
ais opinion on The matter, and repair
Eng the outraged doors as best could
with hammer. boards and nails, and
soothing the housekeeper by my as
suTances that the incident was a triv-
salty to which she need pay no further
attention, went upstairs and sat
down TO nay breakfast with Uncle Alb
Dsr as usual. But an hour later when
z bad reached my office teiephoned
the detective with the request that he
meet mo at the noon hour. He readily
assenbcd and I then went about my
daily work.
He met me at luncheon and ey.
planned the matter to him without
pTelude. He looked serious minded
as | finished. What do you think of
EeT' ] asked. In his abstraction he
delayed his reply for perhaps 30 Sec
oDds.
1T seems peculiar. But ] am more
inclined TO consider 1t as a separate
and distinct offence rather than as
an aftermath Of the original happen
ing. Further than that | don't be-
lIeve I have any theory to advance as
yet. However 1t may all come out in
the final solution. provided there is
one, and In the meantime I would dis
s0Siss IL from my mind IL were you
~ you find that difficult, you may
look upon 1t in this light. If re-
member, We had sharp shower last
Dight-the thunder awoke me- 1t is
not unreasonable to assume that some
back-yards prOwler caught in The
storm may have forced his way in
merely to secure dry nest in which
TO sleep" While I did not take much
stock in that explanation and so in
formed him, ! added that being in q
receptive mood I would file il in, my |
mind for future reference, and then
began interrogatiug him as to his own
novem ents since we had last fore
gathered. But when it came to that |
nc had little to say and ut first |
seemed disinclined to cart with oyen
that. Later on as we ate, however. |
he became tribe more communi- |
cative. Under the warming influence |
nj tobacco and coffee he began TO
make more satisfactory replies 10 ny
quiszings, but IL he had learned any.
thing Of Importance he did not bctray |
10. Since the day upon which be had |