Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-12-18

solving Just such battling problems
as these.
That night / bided Georges coming
with an Impotence l could not con-
troll He was late, of course, but |
when he did appear. almost forgot I
cur usual greeting in my hurry to ask |
him if he had seen the evening pa |
pers.
No. he grumbled, as he hung up
his overcoat. Been pushed about |
all day. No time for anything"
Then let me tell you"
But he would have dinner first.
However. a little later we had q J
comfortable chat. Mr.. Gryce had
made q discovery, and the papers
were full Of It.
The opinion had become quite gem
eral with those best acquainted with
the details of this affair, that the
mystery was one Of those abnormal
ones for which no solution would ever
be found, when the aged detective
showed himself in the building and
was taken to the room, whers an In
spector of police awaited him.
This is very good Of you," the in
spector began, glancing down at the
aged detectives bundled up legs, and
gently pushing q chair towards him.
The elderly man thus addressed
glanced down at his legs. now propped
W on stool which someone had
brought him, and smiled, with the
pathos OF the old who sees the inter
ests Of lifetime slipping gradually
away.
Il am not what I was. can no
longer get down on nay hands and
knees to pick up threads from the nap
OF q rug. or spy out spot of blood
in the crimson wool OF q carpet"
You shall have Sweetwater here
to do the active work for you. What
we want OF you is the directing mind
the infallible instinct. It's a case
( In a thousand. Gryce. 1t will make
you young again
. The old mans eyes shot fire and
unconsciously one foot slipped to the
floor Then he bethought himself
and painfully lifted it back again.
What are the points? What's the
dificulty?" he asked. "A woman has
been shot"
No, not shot, stabbed We thought
she had been shot, for that was intel
ligible and involved no impossible
tiles. But Drs. Heath and Webster,
under the eye of the Challoners' own
physician, have made an examination
of the wound and they declare that
no bullet is to be found in the body.
AS the wound extends no further
than the heart, this settles one great
point, at least, You know the vic
tim? Her name, ] mean, and the
character she bore?"
Yes; so much was told me on my
way down"
"A fine girl unspoiled by riches and
seeming independence. Happy, too,
to all appearance, or we should be
more ready to consider the POSSIBLE
ity of suicide"
Suicide by stabbing calls for a
weapon. Yet none has been found,
hear"
None"
yet she was killed that way?"
. Undoubtedly. and by a long and
very narrow blade, larger than a
needle but not so large as the or
binary stiletto.'
Stabbed while by herself, or what
you may call by herself? She had nc
companion near herr"
G None, if we can believe the -four
A.. members of the Parrish family who
, were seated at the other end of the
2 room
And you do believe them?"
. Would a whole family lie-anC
!. needlessly?"
4 1T wouldn't seem So"
/, She fell just a few feet from the
I desk where she had been writing
No word, no cry, just a collapse anC
/, sudden fall. She never looked up Of
n spoke again. What DO you make o
y it, Gryce?'
y It's q tough one, and I'm not read!
I. to venture an opinion yet. l shoult
t like to see the desk you speak OF
]. and the spot where she fell"
I. A young fellow who had been hover
S ing in the background at once stepped
forward. He was the plain-faced de
D tective who had spoken to George.
G will you take my arm, sir?"
3 Mr.. Gryce's whole face Frightened
g This Sweetwater, as they called him
was, l have since understood, one o
A his proteges' and more or less of I
v favorite.
L Have you had a chance at thi
thing?" he asked.
Yes, sir; they were good enougl
Z to allow it,"
II Very well, then, you're in a pos
e ton to pioneer me. You've seen
r all and won't be in hurry"
No; I'm at the end Of my rope.
o. haven't an idea, sir"
D Well, well, that's honest at al
events" Then, as he slowly rose wit
h the others careful assistance
II There's no crime without it's clue
g The thing is TO recognize that clu
Ic when seen. But I'm in no position t
= make promises"
The mezzanine was guarded froI
r. all visitors save such as had oficia
Il sanction. Consequently, the two II
" NAMED quite uninterrupted Will
e they moved about the place in quie
n consultation. The locale was whs