Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-01-30
The Argyle Case oss c>, F; Bc'' w 2:'<ee
BY J. W. M coNAUGHY

alone?' he went on, encouragingly.
Yes"
You heard the son go?"
| Yes
You saw him go?''
pause and more slowly: Yes" very
| slowly, as If to be sure of each word.
and l was little alarmed I got UP
and opened my door"
You heard voices?" suggested the de-
| tective as she paused.
. Yes
MIR. ArgyIes?"
| "Ye-es-''
| Dld You know who was with him %
! The question came swiftly on the heels
of her answer. 1t brought a new express
sion into her dark eyes-terror
! II wasn't sure" she replied, with a
desperate effort
Did you hear anything that sounded
like a struggle?"
NO. They had closed the door"
But did you hear angry voices?'
! No reply
Didn't YOU" insisted the detective,
sharply.
There was a very faint and reluctant
| Yes
Kayton leaned forward until his face
was less than two feet from hers.
And you thought that Bruce and his
father were quarreling?" he declared, in
a low, tense voice.
With a smothered scream the girl
sprang to her feet.
"No-no." she gasped. clutchins his
arm frantically. as he. too, arose. Her
eyes were wide with horror and terror
Mono Afterward-when 1 saw what
had hapepned l knew it couldn't have
| been Bruce! You won't attach any i'm
portance to it. will you? You won't! l
had no reason to think it was he-no
real reaSon!''
The detective-or, rather, the man in
the detective touched her hand with a
pressure that was gently reassuring.
"Of course he said, gravely, 81 I'M
derstand that you concealed this because
you were afraid it was Bruce"
! 'No-no"' The denial was an entreaty.
81 was afraid some one might think it
was Bruce"
You were looking down from the up
per hall?' went on Kayton. The girl
gasped and gave him a startled, frightened
| look.
Yes she whispered.
Why didn't you speak to him."
Il didn't want him to see me" She
was crushing her handkerchief in her
| fingers and her. face was turned away
from him until he could barely see the
line of the cheek.
why not?" he demanded instantly
Il don't know-it was just instinc-
tive" she stammered "I thought after
ward that 1 should have spoken to him -
What did you do after he had gomez"
81 went back to my room and went to
bed"
KaytOn paused for a moment
You went right to sleep?" he sug-
gested
"Well-after a while"
And heard nothing more?"
| NO very family.
Again kayton was silent for a few sec
onds.
why couldn't he stay all night instead
of going away in a storm like that?' he
asked slowly
Why" exclaimed the girl, with a start
of surprise, cit didn't begin to rain until
! after midnight"
Then you heard it rain" declared Kay
ton quickly.
"Oh. yes,' she said. and then. as she
saw the trap, added falteringly, Yes. "
! Kayton was silent until his gaze had
! forced the girl to raise her eyes to his.
| His expression was a mixture of bore
| dom and Impotence.
| II can't help you unless you trust me, -
he said with a gentle but none the less
| intended reproof. What woke you up?"
"a Heard Door Close"
Miss Mazuret stared at the handker-
chief she was twisting in her fingers.
| 1T was a door, heard door close
she faltered
'Yes?" said Kayton encouraglngly
She moistened her lips and he could
see the white throat working and strain
| ing in the effort to control her voice and
the emotions that threatened to wreck it.
| Tit seemed later than il really was,
she went on
| Again he touched her hand to let the
| girl know that he understood and SYM
pathized and she permitted him to lead
| her back to her chair. When he was
again seated beside her and the girl was
| once more comparatively calm he re-
sumed the inquiry.
did you hear any one go out?"
81 heard the door" Miss Mazuret re-
piled with more firmness than heretofore.
But l didn't go down. was so I'M
happy
And you heard nothing more, so you
went to Sleep"
THE rain kept me awake for a long
time" she replied mournfully. Kayton
was silent for a brief space as if medi-
| tating new questions and in the pause
Manning returned
zone moment, Miss Maruzet.' he said,
rising and going to meet his assistant,
| "Did YOU get them all, Joe?'
"AH but Manning nodded toward
Miss Mazuret's back. Kayton took the
sheets OF paper and glanced over them.
Miss Mazuret." he said almost pleas