Evening star., 1912-11-11
CHAPTER Xxx.
The Reverend Horatio Turns De-
fecfiue

tective.
The first thing in the curate's thoughts
the next morning was this perpiexing
fragment of letter. He examined II
carefully, reading first the words In An
Petronia's childish scrawl written on
what had been the blank side of cast
away sheet:
"chapter nine
reoinaIs mother died six months before
he was born and ever since Mr. PEABODY
had injoyed very dilicat health
Horatio smiled at this tragically COM
n,icated picture of Reginald's entrance
upon the scene of life Then ne turned
the sheet and studied what was left OF
the original letter, letter evidently
written by his protege, Hester storm
Iengthwise and crosswise OF this sheet
ran sharp creases where the ietter hao
been folded, and on either side the cages
were torn symmetrical,S, ieass shent hal,
finished words and sentences. Apoul hoA
the letter was missing. ;,
The letter began: Dearest sist-
and five lines farther down the curate
came upon darling Rosalie. Then. after
broken lines, in which he made out pull
ofs something" there were six complete
lines on what had been the last pages,
SO wonderful in the next few
days that 1 can keep straight always
after this the way you want me TO- aaI-
ling. and you and / can go out west,
where the air is fine, or into the Adlron-
dacks. or anywhere you like, dearest sis
ter. and you'll never have to work any
=" Then there was blot ana
tear.
Most important of all was postscript
in tho upper corner that read, Remem-
her please, to address me as Hester
Storm, not as Jenny Regan.
Horatio read and reread this with alb
sorhed interest. He turned 1t this way
and that, squinted at it, shifted at It,
rubbed his glasses and tugged at his thin
side whiskers, the total result being that
his excitement and astonlshment We're
presently at fever heat as he realized
that he was on the verge of momentous
discovery. Ordinarily his conscience
would have pricked the gentle curate at
reading a letter not meant for his eyes
but this was an exceptional case, mat
ter to be Immediately investigated Tor the
common good. 1t was a critical moment
He was on the track of something seri-
Gus. possibly crime, and his mind
buzzed with the possibilities held by this
scrap Of paper. What would great de-
tectve do with such clue! What Woulo
Horafio do with It?
Tinglng with a growing sense of his
importance, the little man studied the
paper again with penetrating froWn. An
extraordinary document. "A IaSclnaliHB
uuZZle, Full of mysterious Illusions. To
pull of something" was, he knew, To-
cution familiar in the United States. and
meaning to make a coup" or to carry
through a purpose: this he gathered from
his reading of adventure stories in the
cheap magazines. So something was to
be '.pulled off, Something involving
thousands Of dollars" Something that
had DELAYED a sailing to America and
brought to Ippingford this unfortunate
girl Jenny Regan, alias Hester Storm,
on some desperate errand involving a
rich reward. There was her plain state
ment. you'll never have to work agatn!
How simple she must have thought him
that day at the golf course! gullible
fool, believing every word she told him!
It was pitiful!
And straightway Horatio resolved that
in the present emergency he would act
a sterner part; he would be hard as ada
mant and would push this Investigation
through to a relentless finish. That was
clearly his duty in view of the peril to
which he had exposed the dwellers at Ip-
ping House. This girl must be baf11ed in
her wicked purpose, and, having sinned,
she must now suffer.
But there was need OF caution; he
must have his facts well in hand before
making any accusation or showing any
suspicion; in short, he must dissemble-
detectives invariably did dissemble, and
already Horatio felt himself detective.
He had the analytical mind and intuitive
insight, he knew It, always had known 1t,
and, although these qualities had hitherto
lain dormant, he would use them now,