The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-07-22

ier," said Edith. t'I don't know just what the trouble was. But you re membeD that Henry Butler killed him. self after he got out of the peniten- tiary, and Ellen has been in one hos pital after another. I would like to have her come here for a few weAks, Fred" she said appealingly. ".She is in some sanitarium or other now, and we might cheer her little."
 Fred groaned.
 Have her if you like, petty" he said resignedly ssWhat about this young Wardrop, Jack? It looks to me as. if the Times-Post reporter had a line on him." @
 .Hush," Edith said softly. He is Margery's iance, and she might hear you"
 "How do you knowg' Fred demand ed.
 Look at her engagement ring,'' Edith threw back triumphantly. And it's perfectly beautiful solitaire too"
 caught Fred's eye on me and made my escape as soon as could on the plea of going out to Bellwood. In the hall upstairs I met Margery.
 'I saw Bella today" she said.- "Mr. Knox, will you tell me why you stayed up last night? What happened in the house?"
 'Ethought heard some one in the library stammered, "but found no one,
 "Is that all the truth or only part of it?' she asked. "Why do men always evade issues with woman?" Luck fly, womanlike, she did not wait for a reply. She closed the nursery door and stood with. her hand on the knob looking down.
 "I wonder what you believe about all this?'' she said. Do you think my father-killed himself? You. were there; you know. If some one would only tell me everything!"
 It seemed to me it was her right to know. told her what had happened at the White Cat. She heard me through quietly.
 "And so the police have given up the casew she said despairingly. And if they had not, Harry would have been arrested" '"The police have not exactly given up the case," I told her, "but there is such thing, of course, as stirring up lot of dust and then running to cover lie has wiped it out of it's eyes and sneezed it out of its nose and coughed it out of its larynx, the dust has set tied in a heavy layer, clews are oblitr erated and the public lifts it's skirts and chooses another direction. The | mo thoroughfare' sign is up." Whoever killed my father-and it was murder, MT. Knox-whoever did it is going free to save a scandal. All y-friends"- smiled bitterly-"are afraid of the same thing. But I can not sit quiet and think nothing can be done. I must know, and you are the only one who seems willing to try to find out.'
 So it was, that, when left the house I had been commissioned by, the girl I loved-for it had come to that-to clear her lover of her fathers murder | and so give him back to her, not in so many words, but I was to follow up the crime, and the rest followed. And I was morally certain of two things first, that her lover was not worthy of her; and, second and more to the point, that innocent or guilty, he was indi- rectly implicated in the crime.
 I had promised her also to see Miss Letitia that day if could, and turn ed over the events of the preceding | night as I walked toward the station. Bella had told Margery that I had been up all night. Could Bella But I dismissed the thought as absurd Bella, who had scuttled to bed in a panic of fright, would never have dared the lower floor alone, and Bella, given all the courage in the world, could never have moved with the swiftness and light certainty of my midnight prowler.
 | But, after all, I. did not go to Bell wood. l met Hunter on my way to
 the station, and he turned around and walked with me.
 said.
 He grumDled something unlntel1gl ble.
 | Of course,"i persisted, "being g
 simple and uncompIicated case of sui eide, there was nothing in it anyhow | If it had been a murder under per | culiar circumstances''- He stopped and gripped my arm. "For 10 cents," he said gravely, q would tell the chief and a few others what think of them, and then I'd @ | out and get full"
 Mot on 10 cents" | ''I'm going out of the business!" ht
 stormed. ''I'm going to drive gar | bage wagon. It's cleaner than this l job. Suicidei I never saw a cleaner
 case of'' He stopped suddenly. "Dc | you know Burton of the Times-Post?