, 1913-01-23

an invalid ever since. | can't be sorry
for him"
what was the Butler story?" | ask
ed.
Henry Butler was treasurer of the
state. and Mr.. Fleming was his cash
ier," said Edith. Il don't know just
what the trouble was. But you re
member that Henry Butler killed him
self after he got mi of the peniten-
tiary, and Ellen has been In one hos.
pital after another. / would like to
have her come here for a few weeks,
Fred" she said appealingly. "She is in
some sanitarium or other now. and we
might cheer her a little"
Fred groaned.
Have her IL you like, petty" he said
r~esignedly. what about this young
wardrop, Jack? 1t looks to me as II
the Tmes-Post reporter had a line on
him"
Hush" Edith said softly. HE Is
Margery's iance. and she might hear
you"
How do you known" Fred demand
ed.
Look at her engagement ring"
Edith threw back triumphantly. "And
it's a perfectly beautiful solitaire too"
1 caught Fred's eye on me and made
M escape as soon as l could on the
plea of going out to Bellwood. In the
hall upstairs / met Margery.
II saw Bella today" she said. "Mr
Knox. will you tell me why you stayed
house?"
"I-thought 1 heard some one In the
library" l stammered. but I found
no one"
els that all the truth or only part OF
it?' she asked. why do men always
evade issues with a woman" Luck.
fly, womanlike, she did not wait for q
reply. She closed the nursery door
and stood with her hand on the mob
looking down.
~ wonder what you believe abou,
all this?" she said. do you think
my father-killed himself? You were
there; you know. If some n would
only tell me e~verything!"
1t seemed to me it was her right to
know. told her what had happened
at the White Cat. She heard mt
through quietly.
And SO the police have given up the
caser' she said despairingly. And II
they had not, Harry would have beer
arrested"
1.-THE police have not exactly given
up the case" l told her. but there Is
such a thing, OF course. as stirring up
a lot Of dust and then running to cover
before It settles. By the time the pub
lie has wiped it out of its eyes and
sneezed 1t out of its nose and coughed
it out of its larynx, the dust has set
tied in a heavy layer, clews are oblit
Grated and the public lifts its skirts
and chooses another direction. The
no thoroughfare' sign is up"
"Whoever killed my father-and IL
was murder. Mr.. Knox-whoever did
1t Is going free to save a scandal. AL
my-friends"-she smiled bitterly-"are
afraid of the same thing. But l can
not SIT quiet and think nothing can bt
done. l must know, and you are the
only one who seems willing to try ia
find out"
So 1t was, that, when l left the house
I had been commissioned by the cir!
I loved-for II had come to that-tt
clear her lover Of her fathers murdei
and 30 give him back to her. not In sc
many words, but l was to follow vi
the crime. and the rest followed. And
i was morally certain of two things
first, that her lover was not worthy OF
her: and. second and more to the point,
that innocent or guilty, he was indi
rectly implicated in the crime.
1 had promised her also to see Miss
Letitia that day II could. and | turn.
ed over the ven of the preceding
night as | walked toward the station.
Bella had told Margery that l had
been up all night. Could Bella But
I dismissed h thought Is absurd
Bella, who had scuttled to bed in a
panic of fright, would never have
dared the lower floor alone. and Bella,
given all the courage In the world,
could never AVE moved with the
swiftness and light certainty of my
midnight prowler.
But, after all. l did not go to Bell.
wood. 1 met Hunter on my way to
walked with me.
s you've lain down ON the case"
I said.
He grumbled something unintelligi-
BILE.
"Of course" l persisted. being a
ample and uncompllcated case OF sui
eide, there was nothing In 1t anyhow.
II 1t had been a murder unGer per-
culiar circumstances''-
He stopped and grlpped my arm.
"For 10 cents" he said gravely, 81
would tell the chief and n few others
what / think of them. and then I'd go
out and get full"
"Not on 10 cents"
"pm going out Of the b~usiness!" he
stormed. Pm going to drive a gar