The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-05-09

Hurley Threw SWlfe GIan0e az the
 Detective's lmpassiVe Face.
 "Any one drop in on you during the eveningT'
 "No."
 Kayton studied the floor gravely for a moment and then asked:
 4sIs there any one in the surrounding apartments that could have seen you or your ight?"
 "Well,'' said Argyle doubtfully, 'tyou know I have the rear of top floor in an old Twenty-third street house with a skylight."
 "Didn't you hear the rain on your skylight?'' demanded Kayton swiftly.
 q tell you didn't know it rained,'' declared the young man, with some peevishness. The best nerves and cleanest conscience feel the effect of 6his sort of an examination. 'I go to bed earIy,'' he explained, land get up as soon as there's light enough to work"
 "Mr. Kayton,'' tnterposed the lawyer, "fdo you see anything significant in that telephone message?'
 Kayton stared at the lawyer for moment or two as if he had never seen him before. His abstraction seemed complete. Then his eyes slowly re turned to Argyle's and he said slowly:
 ''Then you don't know of any way in which you can corroborate your state ment that you left here about 10 o'clock and spent the rest of the night in your Etudio?'
 Bruce was silent, and Kayton waited. S'No-no, don't g said the young man in low voice.
 Nobody saw you, you think-nobody saw you leave here p
 Again there was the barest hesita- t1on and the low voice.
 s'No-no.'
 A'fYou didn't see Finley?'' Kayton's eyes were on the young mans face with piercing keenness, as if to read unspoken answers.
 'sNo, didn't see Finley at alI.'' This answer came swiftly, as the detective expected it would. He shrugged his shoulders and half turned away.
 ''Mr. Argyle he said coldIy, 'tI don't want to be put in the position of cross examining you. If you are not going to give me your confidence it would be better for me to drop the whole mat ter right here-''
 Argyle flashed slightly and his eyes shifted.
 f'WeIl-I''- he began.
 "As matter of fact.' broke in Kay ton abruptly, s.just who was 1t that you thought you saw?"
 Argyle's uneasiness increased. Well. I don't want to say that I saw any one,'' he said reluctantly.
 'fYou understand said Kayton, with a stern frown, ''that it might be very important that some one should have seen you leave this house."
 "Oh-I see-well," the young man declared with the air of a man doing an extremely unpleasant duty. "I thought as I was going out that saw somebody looking over the banister .rail'
 ''What made you look up at the ban ister ra1l?'' demanded Kayton, sup pressing any trace of elation.
 ''I suppose I must have heard some thing" conceded Argyle grudgingly.
 Was 1t Miss Mazuret?" The ques- tion was almost a command.
 The young man winced. "It might have been one of the maids,'' he par ried.
 'SWhy didn't you speak to herr"
 t'I wasn't sure-and she drew back. Look here. Hurley!' He wheeled on the lawyer with a glare. t'You needn't give this to the papers. God knows what they'd make of it! They'd have Mary up there just waiting to-
 ''Now, my dear fellow. don't be ab- surdr' interrupted the lawyer testily. 1.-The thing that strikes me as most significant is the telephone message. Don't you think so, MT. Kayton?''
 Kayton faced about on him.
 ''What do you see significant in it?'' he inquired brusque1y.
 MT. Hurley f1dgeted slightly. He did not like the way in which his words were caught up every time.
 'fWeIl, now, I'll tell you about that" he declared. You see, the person who called him up must have known his private telephone number. That would indicate some one who was familiar with the house and'-
 "Yes?'' said Kayton encouragingly as the lawyer paused