The Washington times., 1913-10-18
CHAPTER VI.-(Continued1

<(~ UT" Yorke's tones were
H cold and firmly quiet, ant
each word fell with an air Of
fnality after the other mans
excited expostulation-"thef fact remains
that there must have been q motive,
since the crime was actually committed.
Therefore, unless We accept the theory
OF homicidal mania, for which We have
not one shred of substantiating evil
oence. we must search for that motive.
Where will 1 be able to locate Mr..
Paul Hildreth?''
when he's in town he lives at the
Coronet Club-he deals on the Street
In 4 conservative way, now and then,
through Snaft, Hichings 4: Co.; they
might know where he is, if he's away;
bet, honestly, Yorke, he couldn't be
implicated in any possible manner.
He's man of breeding, of refined
instincts-if he had had any thought OF
numbering poor Victoria, wouldn't he
have gone about il in a different man
ner? If It was not a maniac who killed
this poor girl 1t must have been a brute
of the lowest order. The manner in
which the crime was committed was
such an abominably bestial one"
Granted" acquiesced Yorke, but Il
has been my experience that the most
aristocratic and gent!a-blooded people,
when they have degraded themselves to
the point Of murder, can DE as revolt
ipE and savage as the lowest speci-
men of humanity.
Now. mag ! ask you to phone your
telegram to the nearest station, ad-
dressed to Mr.. Paul Hildreth at his
club, and inform him merely of Mrs.
Van Rensselaer's sudden death?"
Yes. Shall 1 ask him to come to
us?"
mo. Leave that to his own discre-
ton. His behavior will be significant
enough. See, Mrs. Ashley IS bcckon-
ing. Let us go in. 1 know l needn't {
caution you to silence about this.
They returned indoors and found
Msdge marshaling them all more or
less reluctantly into the dining room,
where a midday meal was laid before
them.
Realizing the necessity of retaining
all their strength to endure the grief
they were passing. they forced them
selves to eat hastily and in silence.
The presence of the same staring.
round-eyed kitchen maid vino had pre-
viourly served them, and another, a
recruit from the country, who was
still more curious and i'll at ease, pre-
cIuded any conversation OF the SUBJ
ject which filIe0 their thoughts to the
exclusion of all else.
When the ghastly. interminable meal
was over and the servants had with
drawn Franklyn Yorke drew Mrs. Good
all quietly aside to a deep window re-
cess. Noticing her obvious nervousness
and trepidation, he began half appeal
ingly with a slight, ingratiating smile:
You were such a good friend Of Mrs.
Van Rensselaer's, / wonder II you can
help me TO find out where she engages
her servants. Mrs. Goodall?"
Lucille gave little gasp of relief.
Why. of course, / can" she answered
/ do-Mrs. Kilmer's on Sixth avenue,
above Forty-fifth street. They supply
every kind Of servant, from buffers to
scullery maids"
maid who disappeared this morning was
engaged from Mrs. Kilmer's?''
Yes, she was. / was here when Della
- the last housemaid-left suddenly, and
Victoria telegraphed for this one"
Did you notice her particularly
Only to see she was terrible pretty
! wouldn't have her in my house-not
that Bert-Mr. Goodall-would ever give
a passing thought to a person of that
sort: but he might be apt to lose his ap-
petite and neglect his food if anyone
quite so thoroughly good-looking waited
upon him"
"Did she seem to be a weIl-trained
servant"
and respectful-that is. the little / saw
Of her."
You would know her again If you
should see her?'
why, OF course, | would. There
wasn't anything especially distinctive
about her that ] can describe: but she
made an unusually strong impression,
In spite of her unobtrusive position l
think it was her manner-the way she
carried herself"
How long have you known Mrs. Van
Rensselaer,"
For simply ages-ever since she first
came to New York to visit her great
aunt, Mrs. Schuyler Hildreth. She's only
a little older than ] am and We had
perfectly heavenly times together-until
she married Dysart
And after she married."
We'll she sort of settled down you
know-got terribly serious and deep
thinking. ! don't mean that she went In
for fads and cults and all that sort of
thing. but she began to interest herself
in all the dry, musty psychical subjects
he is forever deeply engrossed in. That
is. until lately"
And lately ! suppose Mrs. Van
Rensselaer, has tired OF such abstract
study?" he asked. watching her mar
rowly.
NO, not tired: but almos. chiIdishlv
opposed TO il. She hated to discuss il,