The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1912-11-21

and. indeed. showed such embarraes-
ment. that all doubt of the propriety
Of his intrusion vanished from the old
mans mind. and with the ease Of one
only too well accustomed to such
scenes, he kindly remarked:
Am l speaking to Mrs. Watkins
Of Nashville?"
"You are" she faltered, with anoth-
er rapid change of color. "I-I am
just leaving. l hope you will excuse
me. L"
81 wish could" he smiled, hobbling
In and confronting her quietly in her
own room. But circumstances make
1t quite imperative that should have
few words with you on topic which
need not be disagreeable to you, and
probably will not be. My name is
{ Gryce. A beautiful and charming
young woman died here last night.
May I ask if you knew herr"
81? never saw the young lady.
Why do you ask? l do not recognize
your right. ~"
Mr.. Gryce made one of his low,bows
and propping himself against the
table he stood before, remarked
| civilly:
II had rather not force my rights.
thought perhaps you could tell me
something which would aid me in my
effort to elicit the real facts of the
case. You were crossing the lobby at
the time"
n
were a dozen others"
"Madam"-the interruption was
! made in his kindliest tones, but in q
way which nevertheless suggested au.
thority. Something was picked up
from the floor at that moment. Am l
not correct? Didn't you see certain
person. will mention no names
stoop and pick up something from
the lobby floor?"
mo" The word came out with
startling violence. But her lips quiv.
cred, and her cheeks were white, too
white now for simple indignation.
Then l have made a big mistake, +"
apologized the ever-courteous detect.
i've. will you pardon me? 1t would
have settled very serious question if
1t could be found that the object thus
picked up was the weapon which
killed Miss Challoner. That is my ex-
! cuse for the trouble have given you"
The door burst open, and a young
girl bounded into the room, with the
merry cry:
Cali ready, mother. I'm glad we
are going to the Clarendon. l hate no
tells where people die almost before
your eyes"
The cloak which enveloped the girl
was red, and full enough to be called
voluminous.
who is this?" demanded the girl,
her indignant glances flashing from
one to the other.
II don't know" faltered the mother
in very evident distress. "He says
be has a right to ask us questions
and he has been asking questions
about-about-"
"Not about me-" laughed the girl.
with toss of her head. "He can have
| nothing to say about me-" And she
began to move about the room in an
Rimless, half-insolent way.
Mr.. Gryce stared hard at the few re-
naming belongings of the two women.
lying in a heap on the table, and half
musingly, half deprecatingly, re.
marked:
"The person who stopped wore a
long red cloak. Probably you pre-
coded your daughter, Mrs. Watkins"
The lady thus brought to the point
made a quick gesture towards the girl
who suddenly stood still, and, with a
rising color in her cheeks, answered,
with some show of resolution on her
| own part:
"You say your name is Gryce and
that you have a right to address me
! thus pointedly on a subject which you
evidently regard as serious. That is
not exact enough for me. Who are
you, sir? What is your business?"
81 think you have guessed it. I am
| q detective from headquarters. Per.
haps this young lady can tell me
what you cannot"
"Caroline"-Then the mother broke
down. "Show the gentleman what you
picked up from the lobby floor last
night"
The girl laughed again, loudly and
| with evident bravado, before she
threw the cloak back and showed
what she had evidently been holding
In her hand from the first, sharp
! pointed, gold-handled paper-cutter.
at was lying there and picked it
up. I don't see any harm in that"
"You probably meant none. You
couldn't have known the part it had
| just played in this tragic drama"
said the old detective, looking careful.
! iy at the cutter which he had taken
In his hand.
"You have washed this?" he asked.
mo. Why. should I wash it? 1t
was clean enough. I was just going
down to give it in at the desk" And
she turned aside to the window and
began to hum, as though done with
| the whole matter.
| The old detective rubbed his chin,
| glanced again at the paper-cutter,
then at the girl in the window, and
lastly at the mother, who had lifted