Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-12-18
CHAPTER w.
Sweet Little Miss Clarke.


breakfast-table. it was with the feel
ing Of being no longer looked upon
as connected in any way with this
Gaze Yet our interest in it was, II
anything, increased, and when l saw
George casting furtive glances at. a
certain table behind me, leaned over
and asked him the reason, being sure
that the people whose faces ! saw
reflected in the mirror directly before
US had something to do with the
great matter then engrossing US.
His answer conveyed the somewhat
exciting information that the four
persons seated in my rear were the
same four who had been reading ct
the round able in the meZzauine at
the time Of Miss Challoner's death.
Instantly they absorbed all my at
/ tention, though dared not give them
direct look. and continued to OBJ
serve them only in the glass.
rs it one family?" l asked.
Yes, and very respectable one.
/ Transients, of course, but very well
1 known in Denver The lady is not
/ the mother of the boys, but their
! aunt. The boys belong to the gen.
/ tleman, who is a widower."
Their word ought 10 be good"
George nodded.
The boys look wide-awake enough
II the father does not AS for the
aunt, she Is sweetness itself. Dc
they still insist that Miss Challoner
was the only person in the room
with them at this timer"
They did last night l don't know
how they will meet this statement of
the Doctors"
"George?"
He leaned nearer
Have you ever thought that she
might have been a suicide? That she
stabbed herself?"
No, for in that case a weapon
would have been found
And are you sure that none WASP
Positive Such a fact could not
have been kept quiet. If q weapon
had been picked up there would be
no mystery, and no necessity fOI
further police investigation"
And the detectives are still here?'
81 just saw one.
George"
, Again his head came nearer.
Have they searched the lobby?
believe she had a weapon"
Laura"
Il know it sounds foolish, but thu
alternative is so improbable. A fam
fly like that cannot be leagued to
gether in a conspiracy to hide tn,
truth concerning a matter SO serious
To be sure, they may all be short
sighted, or so little given to obserys
ticn that they didn't see what passe,
before their eyes. The boys look wide
awake enough, but who can tell?
would sooner believe that"
\ l stopped short so suddenly tina
\ George looked startled. My attention
| had been caught by something ney
l saw in the mirror upon which 10
attention was fixed. A man was lool
ing in from the corridor behind, a
| the four persons We were just di:
GUESSING. He was watching them il
tently, and 1 thought l knew hi
face.
What kind Of g looking perso
was the man who took you outsid
last nlght?" l inquired Of Georg,
with my eyes still on this furtiY
watcher.
"A fellow TO make you laugh
q perfect character, Laura; hideousl
:, homely but agreeable enough. too
e quite a fancy to him. Why?"
:. Il am looking at him now
y fair. just an everyday detective. bu
, ambitious. suppose, and quite aliv
t tc the importance of being tho
0ugh."
r He is watching those people. N,
e he isn't How quickly he disal
t peared!"
g Yes, he's mercurial IN all b
movements. Laura, we must get oil
g OF this. There happens to be som
y than to sit around and follow up mu
y der clues"
: But we began to doubt If Other
agreed with him, when on passin
out We were stopped in the lobby /
this same detective who had som
thing to say to George, and drew hi
quickly aside.
What does he want?" I asked, {
soon as George had returned 10 II
side
He wants me 70 stand ready
obey any summons the police ms
send me"
Then they still suspect Brothe
SOM"
They must"
AS we stepped out of the hot
George gave my arm a quiet pine
which served to direct my attezdc
to an elderly gentleman Who was ju
alighting from a taxicsb at the ker
he moved heavily and with some 4
prarance Of pain, but from the crow
collected on the sidewalk, many
whom nudged each other as he pas
ed. he was evidently 2 person
some Importance, and as ne disa