, 1913-02-20
ssIn my office safe.r

said easily, But. as it happened. he
did not.
1 was very late for dinner. Fred
inc Edith were getting ready for a
concert and the two semi-invalids were
playing pinochle In Fred's den. Mrs
Butler always was pale and Margery
mad bee so since her fathers death.
The game was over when I vept
Into he den As usual, Mrs. Butler
left the room almost Immediately and
went to the piano across the hall. ]
had grown to accept her avoidance OF
me without question. Fred said It wal
a my overwhelming vitality CD
pressed her. Personally. I think II was
a the neurasthenic type of wo
man is repulsive to me. No doubt Mrs
Butler deserved sympathy, but hei
open demand for it found me cold and
unfesponsive.
1 told Margery briefly Of my visit t.
Bellwood that morning. She was a,
puzzled as was about the things Hep
pie had found In the chest. She was
relieved, too.
Il I'M just as sure now that she Is
living as ] was a week ago that she
was dead" she said, leaning back In
her big chair. But what terrible
thing took her away7 Unlessr-
"Unless whatr"
"She had lent my father a e
deal of money" Margery said, with
heightened color. "She had not dared
to tell Aunt Letitia. and the money
was to be returned before she found
It out. Then things went wrong with
the Borough bank. and the money did
not come back. If you know Aunt
Jane aud how afraid she Is of Aunt
Letitia you will understand how ter
rible 1t was for her. / have wondered
If she would go to Plattsburg and try
to find father there"
1.-THE Eagle man Is working on that
theory now" I replied. '.Margery. II
there was a letter c. added to eleven
twenty-five would you know what II
meant?"
She shook her head In the negative.
WIN you answer two more ques
asked.
"Yes. II l can"
do you know why you were chloro
formed last night and who did itT
81 think / know who did 1t, but !
understand. l have been tryini
all day to think 1t out. I'm afraid t.
60 to sleep tonight.
you need not be-" I assured her
'If necessary we will have the city
police in a ring around the house. Il
you know. and don't tell. Margery. yot
are running a risk, and, more thar
that. you are protecting a person who
ought to be in jail"
"Tm not sure she persisted. "Dont
ask me about 1t. please"
what does Mrs. Butler sayT'
"Just what abe said this morning
and she says valuable papers were
taken from under her pillow. She wa
very ILL.,. ~hysterical, all afternoon"
I took Margery's small hand be
tween my two big ones.
"Why don't you tell mel" I urged
"Or you needn't tell me. / know what
you think. But there isn't any motive
that l can see. and why would SHIT
chloroform your
81 don't know" Margery shuddered
"Sometimes-I wonder-do you thinl
she is altogether saneT
Fred and Edith came down the
stairs, and the chance for a quiet con
v~ersation was gone.
Watch the house," said Fred. "And
by the way. l ~guess"-he lowered his
v~oice-"the lady's story was probably
straight. There are fresh scratches
the porch roof under her window"
1t was a relief to know that, after
all, Mrs. Butler was an enemy and Q
person to nobody but her
self. She retired to her room almost
as soon as Fred and Edith had gone
/ was wondering whether to tell Mar
about the experiment that after
noon. debating how to ask her what
letters she had got from the post
master at Bellwood addressed to Miss
Jane and what she knew of Bella Al
the same time-bear with me-f ]
hold back the account Of the terrible
events that came that night. to tel
how beautiful Margery looked as the
lamplight fell on her brown hair and
pure profile and how the impulse can't
over me to kiss her as she sat there
and how l didn't, after all. and only
stopped over and kissed the pink palm
OF her hand.
She didn't mind It. Speaking a.
nearly as possible from an impersonal
standpoint, l doubt II abe was ever
surprised Goa see, the ring was gone
aud nna" only been an engagement
ring anyhow, and everybody knows
how binding they are.
And then an angel with a BURNING
sword came and scourged me out Of
my Eden. and the angel was Burton
and the sword was a dripping um'
brella. -.
~ hate to take you out" he said
eThe bottoms dropped out of the sky
but | want you to make a little e1'