The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-05-04
tcont,nuaa frem,;1Asessndays,
UHAPTER <.



Euph ruin a. had been wrought In
Nd. The easel lay on the moor, with
its scar leg crumpled. Around u
Were scattered the fragments OF the
n1ass upon which the painter had Get
kis lnbc~ Of love. A high old-fash.
lonsd clsEa. faced the wreckage. On
~ psak Mas hung 2 travelling cap.
Lcyp.Ag across the back sprawled =
Norfolk Jacket belonging to Sedgwick.
Chester kent liftsd the coat and after
. swift survey lot It drop.
.Did you asavS that thsref" he
9 hsna Il Ayes. siss. back -oe the
dAafx:.' antstored Gedgwsc1.
'Nors1 window closedfs
''Yee, ~ you GO Il now
And west one open =
Nothing has been changed, I'll tell
you. except this" 6edwtck's hand.
cutstretched toward the destroyed
portrait. condensed Itself 3nvoauntarily
.rhs lock Of tho door haxn.s hssn
aampered wathss ssfd Kszt, NJ for
this open wln0p1," no leaned out.
looking aEound. AMY man gaining Ac>
CO.'S here mus hav0 used . ladder.
which II unlikely In broad daylight"
"How about . paas-kcy for the
ScorS"
."rherSa a simpler solution nearer
At kAad, I fancy. VOW didn't chance
to notice that things have happened
70 the coat. az well an to tho easel"
Then the invader went through the
GOAT and. not finding what he was
looking fer. smAshsd'my'pictura." SAID
Through tho coat csstaan1y."
sgre.d Kert, with his Quiet smile.
3Ncw hang 4 across the chair back
tNst* as 1t wan please"
Sedgwick sook tbs i5orfnilc Jacket
from him. why, there's q hole
through I'll" no exclaimed. !.
Exactly: the path Of the invader. =
Right again. Instead OF murder
ins. a. you pine TO do. you've been
murdered. That fhe picture was de-
etroyed IL merely q bit of Ill fortune.
That you weren't inside tho coat when
the bullet went through It and cut the
other kind Hang up tho coat,
please"
Sedgwick obeyed
There" said Kent viewing the re-
suit from the window. AT distance
Of, say. q quarter Of q mile. that ar
rAngement OF coat and cap would look
uncommonly like = man sitting in a
chair before his work. At least. I
should think 30. And yonder thicket
on the hillside" he added, looking out
Of the window again. "is Just about
that distance and seems TO be the
only spot in sight giving straight
range. Suppose we run up there"
Sound as was his condition, 6edS-
wick was painting when he brought up
at the spot. some yards behind his
long lin bed leader. As the scientist
had surmised, the arrangement Of coat
and cap in the studio presented, At that
distance. an excellent stmuincrum OF
the rear view OF q man lounRfng In
chair. Bidding the artist stay out
side the copse. Kent entered on hands
and knees and made extended. expla-
ratior. After a few moments the
sound of low iugubricus whistiirg was
heard from the trees, and presently
the music emerged leading himself
by the Lobe of his ear,
"Evidently you've. found some
thing commented Sedgwiek. who hed
begun 10 comprehend his friends pc
culiar methods OF expression.
Nothing"
Then why are you so pleased with
yourself"
That Is why"
because you've found nothing"
.'ESActiy."
lit seems an easy system, observed
the artist sarcastically.
..sa /. is ia a reasoning being In
satisfied that some one fred shot
from here The marksman---a good
one-saw you. as he supposed. Jerk TO
the shot as II with n bullet through
Eou. and went away satisfied"
: Leaving no trace behind MIN,
mo trace that is tangible. Therein
: Hes the evidence"
''of course you don't expect me to
follow that
why not' Look at the ground in
What Ii there TO be seen there.
since you've said there are'no u,arks7'
The soil 10 very soft"
Yes, there's = spring Just back OF
us
Yet there's not footprint discern
tbie on IT,
'I've got tina. part of the lesson BY
heart, think"
Use your brain on II, then. Some
enc designing to make you his target
has been in this thicket: been and
gone. and left tho place trackless.
That some one was Keen. soft-footed
woodsman. Putting 1t in words OF
ono syllable. I should say no probably
had the racial instinct OF the hunt.
Does that flush any idea from the
deep and devious oovertS OF your
brain?"
Racial instincs' dansett Jimr'
raid Sedgwick.
Exactly. II j mad founo TRACKS al
over the place. ! should have known
II wasn't ne. Finding nothing. / was
naturally pleased"
That's more than I am" retorted
the other. II suppose he's likely to
resume his gunnery at any time"
Unless we can discourage him
as expect we can"
by having him Arrestedf"
, sDifdculties might be put in our
gay. Sheriff Len 6chlager and the
half-breed are in some sort OF loose
partnership In this affair, az you know.
0ansett Jim honestly thinks that you
had a hand in the Lonesome Cove
murder. "a ne believes It to be-, 1t
isn't imp0ssibiS thAt tho sfcriff has
subtiy sggsd him on to Kill you In
revenge"
why does the sheriff want mo
killed?''
Nothing personal, assure YOU"
answered Kent with mock courtesy.
i've already explained that he with
not arrest you. But you're the sus-
pect, and II you were pllt out Of the
way every one would believe you the
murderer There would be a PERI
functory Investigation. the whole
thing would be hushed up, and the
body in Annalaka churchyard would
rest in peace--presumably profitable
peace for the sheriff."