The Washington herald., 1914-02-08

her eyes were very bright. and her
voice, though low, was confident
Father Brown" she said.
Mrs. Bculnois?" he replied grave
ly. Then he looked at her, and imme-
diateiy said, Il see you know about Sir
Claude
How do you know | know" she
asked steadily.
He did not answer the question. but
asked another:
Have you seen your husband?"
My husband is at home" she said.
HE has nothing to do with this
Again he did not answer; and the
woman drew nearer to him, with a
curiously intense expression on her face.
"Shall ! tell you something more?
she said, with a rather fearful smile
I.sI don't think he did it and you
don't, either"
Father Brown returned her gaze with
long. grave stare, and then nodded,
yet more grayely.
Father Brown" said the lady, 81
am going to tell you ali know, but
want you to do me favor first. VIII
you tell me why you haven't jumped
TO the conclusion OF poor Johns guilt,
as all the rest have done? Don't mind
what you say; II know about the gos-
sip and the appearances that are against
him.
Father Brown looked honestly en-
barrassed, and passed his hand across
his forehead.
Three very little things" he said.
AT least, ones very trivial and the
others very vague But, suci as they
are, they don't lit in with Mr.. Boulnois
being the murderer"
He turned his blank round face up
to the stars and continued absent
mindedly:
ITO take the vague idea first. | know
your husband only slightly, but | think
this crime something very like a moral
impossibility for him. Please do not
think | mean that Boulnois could not
be so wicked. Anybody can be wick
ed: as wicked as he chooses. Boulnois
might commit a murder, but not this
murder. He would not snatch Romeo's
| sword from its romantic scabbard; or
slay his foe on the surdial, as on a
kind OF altar; or leave his body among
the roses; or fling the sword away
among the pines. No; the romantic
setting is not like Boulnois. It's more
like Champion"
'Ah," she said, and looked at him
with eyes like diamonds.
And the trivial thing was this said
Brown There were finger prints OH
that sword. Finger prints can be de-
tccted quite time after they are made,
if on some polished surface like glass
OF steel. These were on a polished
surface. They were half way down the
blade of the sword. Whose prints they
were l have no earthly clue; but why
should anybody hold sword half way
down? 1t was a long sword, but
/ length is an advantage in lunging at an
enemy. At least, at most enemies. AT
all enemies except one
Except oner she repeated.
| There is only one enemy said
|
amer plown, WHOM II Is edSlel u
Mi WIN 9dsgeI tildh s"oiu- .o
~. hho"' Saiu 'ne "oi'an Oiie-
sell; -,
| lnere was lons siien1e' anu ,neli
uis PIieSl sslu duieS' SI' sDi 1 T
IN IN l I.sn'' ''ieh' L'u 't Huue
Nil hiinseii ., -,
Yes .. She saio, WIN 'ace like
ns nI saw MN 10 It. p a.
|, ie uieu: Sdiu fd'iiei pio""' ioi
ioEs OF you:
IN eHtraofulnary eAPicsSion nasneu
dsIoSs nel iaee, very uihel! iiunl
ply, nodesiy, relnoIse, or anstnlhs iler
companion MAO eNpec'eu, ner VOICE oe-
came suuuehly suone anu iai 60,
uoh oehe'e' sne Sdiu nc eNel
Sareu aDout ne rdP' TIC ha'eu MY
nu ..Wti,,
:. why. dsheu sne o'ieI' dnu .uin ~.
ms Iouiiu id@e HUM 'he shy u 'iie
iaGyi 49,, ,,,
Tic na'ea my nuS9a,lu DeSause
Is 81 S'ahsS, l na'uiy N"o~
now 10 say !! OecausG
Because my husband wouldn't hate
MN. -,
rather brown only nodded ana
seemed stu 10 De listening. he diner-
co from most 1etecli'es 10 iact ana nc
.lon IN d snial point; ne never pre-
tenaed NOT 70 understand when nc UNI
oerStood perfectly well