The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1913-03-21

murder occurred. That finally elimi-
mated the valet from the list.
ION my return from the farm ex-
amined the gardens again with great
minuteness. At the corner OF the lit
tie pavilion, about fifteen feet from
where the body had lain, there was
patch of bloody snow. This puzzled
me a good deal, until the solution Of
fered itself that the murderer had
tried to wash his hands in the snow,
the water of the pond being frozen
hard. Yet his clothing would also
bear the stain. What had he worn
that showed so white to you In the
starlight? Could it have been that he
wore no clothes at all?
"A naked man! The suggestion
was full of possibilities.
1T was fortunate that had brought
assistants to help me in Stems cap
ture. Their presence gave me wild.
er scope, for they were both good
men. 1 left them to search the pavil-
ion and laurels for the clothing,
which the murderer might have con-
cealed when he realized how fatal
was it's evidence. AS I walked back
to the house l began to understand
the situation more clearly. The main
drive, curving down the slope OF the
park, was in view of a tall man COM
ing up by the yew walk. The MUIR
derer might have noticed our ap-
proach. What more natural than that
he should have bent double as he ran,
thus obtaining the cover Of the left
hand hedge, which was not more than
four to five feet high? Did not this
answer to your description of the
thing you had seen? It would have
been cold work for him. l made a
note to be on the lookout for chills.
For a couple of hours I devoted
myself to speeding those guests who
caught the eleven-thirty train. do
not think trunk left for the station
of which I have not complete In
ventory. Indeed, the baron's cred
itors have to thank me for the return
of several trifles Of value, which were
included, accidentally, no doubt, In
the ladies' dressing-bags.
after the carriages had started l
went in search of Terry, and discnv-
cred that he had not left his room.
Equally to the point, his windows
looked down upon the spot where the
baron made his detour over the grass
while escaping. I became interested
in this young man. The score was
creeping up against him. A ladder
from an obliging gardener allowed me
to observe him from the window.
visit to the housekeeper gave me
duplicate key to his door. What hap
pened in the room you know. Mr..
Phillips"
But, the motive-why did he kill
his patron?" I asked him eagerly.
"I doubt If we shall ever learn the
truth on that point he said. CAS-
far as I can make out, Steen was d.
rectly responsible for the ruin and
disgrace of Terry's father. Probably
the son did not fully realize this when
the baron, with pity most unusual
in the man, give him the secretary
ship. But of all participation in the
flight he was certainly innocent for
he was in bed at the time"
TN bed!" I cried.
Don't interrupt, If you please.
What happened l take to be as fol-
lows: Terry was in bed when the old
man tried to creep past his window.
Somehow he heard him, and, looking
out. understood what was up. Per
haps that rascal Henderson had told
him the truth about his father; per-
haps Steen had promised him COM
pensation-he had a mother and sis
ter dependent on him-wh1ch prom
Use the financier meant to avoid,
along with many more serious obliga-
lions, by running away. At any rate,
passion, revenge, the sense OF injus-
tice-call it what you like-took hold
of the lad He caught up the first
handy weapon; 1t CHANGED to be
dagger paper-knife things.
I hate them-and rushed down back
staircase and through the side door
in pursuit of his enemy.
when that had happened. which
happened, the fear that comes to all
amateurs In crime took him by the
throat. He wiped his hands In the
snow: he tore of his sleeping suit
that is how l know he had been In
bed-and thrust it, with It's terrible
evidences of murder. into the thatch
of the little pavilion. We found 1t
there a day later. Then he started
back to the house as naked as baby.
"He saw us running down the hill.
and made for the side door, bending
double behind the hedge. Who were
we? Had we noticed him? Believe
me, Mr.. Phillips, whether he had held
the murder righteous or no, 1t was
only the rope he saw dangling before
him. Might not the alarm be given at
any moment? He dared not wash
himself, and the stains had dried
upon him. He hurried on his clothes.
shivering in the chill that had struck
home, and SO to the safest place he
could find-the roulette-table"
ut is we'll that he died" said SIM
ply.
'1t saved the law some trouble"
remarked thesinspector, with grim
little nod at the wall.
L