The Huttig news. (Huttig, Ark.) 1907-1955, 1912-12-07
CHAPTER w.
Sweet Little Miss Clarke.

breakfast.table. II was with the feel
ing of being no longer looked upon
as connected in any way with this
case. Yet our interest in it was, if
anything, increased, and when | saw
George casting furtiye gtances at a
certain table behind me, | leaned over
and asked him the reason, being sure
that tie people whose faces | saw
reflected in the mirror directly before
us had something 10 do with the
great matter then engrossing US.
: His answer conveyed the somewhat
exciting information that the four
persons seated in my rear were the
same four who had been reading at
the round able in the mezzanine at
the time of Miss Challoners death
Instantly they absorbed all my at
tention, though ! dared not give Them
a direct look, and continued to OBJ
serve them only in the glass.
is it one family?a | asked
Yes, and a very respectable one.
Transients, of course, but very we'll
known in Denver The lady is not
the mother of the boys. but their
aunt The boys belong to the gen
tIeman, who is WidoWer'
Their word ought to be good
George nodded
The boys look Wide-awake enough
If the father does not As for the
aunt, she is sweetness itself. Do
they still insist that Miss Challener
was the only person in the room
with them at this time?"
They did last nisht. l don't know
how they will meet this statement of
the Doctors
George"
He leaned nearer.
Have you ever thought that she
might have been a suicide? That she
stabbed herself2.
Ne. for in that case a weapon
would have been found"
And are you sure that none was -
Positive. 6 h fact cotid not
have been kept quiet. If a weapon
had been picked up there would be
no mystery. and no necessity for
further police investigation
And the detectives are still here?"
Il lust saw one
George
Again his head came nearer.
sHave they searched the lobby?
believe she had weapon.
Laura :"
4 know it sounds foolish, but the
alternative is so improbable. A fam
lily like that cannot be leagued to-
gether in conspiracy to hide the
truth concerning a matter so serious.
To be sure. they may all be short
sighted. or SO little given TO obserya-
tien that they didn't see what passed
before their eyes. The boys look wldh
awake enough, but Who can tef2 !
would sooner believe that
| stopped short so suddenly that
George looked startled. My attention
had been caught by something new
saw in the mirror upon which my
attention was fixed A man was look
ing in from the corridor behind at
the four persons We we're Just dis
cdssing. he was watching them in
tently, and l thought knew his
face.
What Kind of a looking person
was the man who took you outside
last night" | inquired of George.
with my eyes still on this furtive
watcher
"A fellow to make you laugh A
perfect character, Laura; hideously
homely but agreeable enough. | TOOK
quite a fancy to him Why?s
7 am looking at him now"
Very likely, He's deep in this af-
fair. Just an everyday detective, but
ambitious, l suppose, and quite alive
to the Importance of being thor
ough.
lie is watching those people No,
he isn't. How quickly he disap-
peared!"
Yes. he's mercurial in all his
movements. Laura, we must get out
of this There happens to be some
thing else il the world for me to do
than to sit around aud follow up muir
der clues
But we began to doubt il others
agreed with him, when on passing
out we were stopped in the lobby by
this same detective. who had some
thing to say to George, and drew him
quickly aside.
What does he want?2" asked, as
soon as George had returned to my
side
He wants me to stand ready to
obey any summons the police may
sena me
Then they still suspect Brother.
SOM"
They must"
As We stepped out of the hotel
George gave my arm a quiet pinch
which served to direct my attention
to an elderly gentleman who was Just
aliehting from taxicab at the kerb
lie moved heavily and with some ap-
pcaranee of pain, but from the crowd
collected on the sidewalk, many of
whom nudged each other as he pass
ed. he was evidently a person OF
some importance. and as he disap
peared within the hotel entrance. i
ssKed George who this kindsfaeed,
bright-eyed old gentleman could be.