Evening star., 1912-11-11

ana, by one supreme effort, he would not
only make amends for past remissness
and render a signal service to the Bax-
ter household, but he would give himself
the exhilarating joy of running down a
real criminal.
His first step was evidently to learn
from An Petronia where and when she
had found this important fragment, so
he went straight to the lodge and in
quired for his little friend. Mrs. Pottle
informed him, with a shrug of displeas-
ure, that the child was playing some
where about the grounds, and. after a
careful search, the curate found her in
the sunken gardens, giving a spelling
lesson to a fOrlOrn wooden dolly sprawl
ing on marble bench.
An Petronia was delighted to recover
the missing page from her novel. Her
memory about it was perfectly distinct.
She had picked it out of the fireplace
in the new lady s. room at the lodge-the
new lady being Hester Storm? Yes, Hes
ter Storm. Was An Petronia accustomed
to use scraps of paper out of fireplaces
for her novel? Well, yes; because she
had no other paper. Besides. this was
think SO? Daddy Merle shrewdly agreed
that it was a pretty shade, q beautiful
shade. Did An Petronia think the new
lady had any more paper like this? Oh,
yes, whole box full. Indeed! Was Hes
ter at the lodge now? No, she was at
the big house sewing. Oh! Well, would
An Petronia mind. for q very particular
reason, a secret-going to Hester's room
and getting a sheet of this pretty paper,
just one sheet?
At this suggestion the child opened her
blue eyes and her sweet, red lips in
wide aStonishment, but being assured by
Daddy Merle (who must know that it
was all right, she danced happily away,
reconcled to this necessity Of setting his
eager little friend to pilfering. Still, he
saw the value as evidence of sheet of
paper from the sewing girls room, and
when the youthful novelist presently re-
turned with the desired article (the pa
per was obviously identicaD, the good
man merely patted the golden-red curls
with solemn warning that not a word
of their secret be breathed to the new
lady. And he borrowed overnight the in
eliminating page from An Petronia's S ro-
nance.
The next thing was to have a talk
with Hester Storm herself, and here Ho-
ratio saw the Importance of clever man
agement. An experienced detective would
draw from the girl, without arousing her
suspicion, as much damaging testimony
as possible, and then, having involved
her in network of lies. he would turn
suddenly and overwhelm her with the
evidence of her own written words. That
would be the method, the curate felt sure.
of M. Lecoq or Mr. Sherlock Holmes.
and with a sigh Of regret he resigned
himself to the painful necessity of fol-
lowing their example. He disliked ex
ceedingly resorting to subterfuge and
er- discrimination: but there was no
choice, the thing must be done and-very
we'll. he would do it. He would be firm,
he would be relentless. he would imme-
diately find out.what it was that his un-
worthy protege was trying to pull off"
Merle'S first move was to exercise his
patience for an hour and a half, Strolling
about among the shrubs and beeches.
watching for the appearance of the Storm
girl. He knew the girl would come forth
presently from the manor. after her task.
and he planned to intercept her on her
way to the lodge. detective must al
ways be ready to wait. SO Horatio waited.
The Ginning clock in the stable tower,
with pompous deliberation, had just
sounded the third quarter after o'clock
when the curate espied familiar scarlet
cloak coming down the graveled walk.
''Enf1n!" he breathed In relief. and a
moment later he was walking at Hes
ter's side, marveling at the innocence
and candor OF her beautiful dark eyes.
my dear child" he began. kindly, 'T
have something important to say to you
Would you mind strolling over toward
may talk-shall 1 say without Interrupt
tion?''
The girl looked at him in surprise.
II will do whatever you wish. sir,'' she
said, simply. You have been 80 good to
me! hope I have done nothing to dis
please YOU"
"Of course not. my child. that is to say,
why-eT--of course not" he replied, re-
membering with dif1culty that It was his
duty to diSsemblo
They came presently to Horstlo's 10.