The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-06-25
(Continued.) cHAPTER *.

k " localized. The easel lay on the
 floor, with it's rear leg crun1- pied. Around it were scattered the frarments of the glass upon which the painter had set his labor of love hEEh old fashioned chair faced the rerackaee. On it's peak was hung a traveiing cap. Topping. across the back sprawled a Norfolk jacket belong ing to sedgwick. Chester Kent lifted the coat and after e swift survey let 1t drop.
 Did you leave that there7' he asked
 sT hune 1t acress the back of the chalr.- answered Sedgwick.
 North window closedT'
 xss. as you nee it now.T
 e Ana west one open?"
 ssNofhing has been changed, I tell you. except thfs.'' Sedgwick's hand, 5utstrstched toward the destroyed DOT trait. condensed itself involuntarily into a knotty fist
 sedgwick took the Norfolk jacket from the chair why, there's a hole through itl'' he exclaimed
 Exactly. The path of the invader 7 ssA A builet!"
 sRsght again. Instead of murdering, as you pine to do, you've been murder ed That the picture was destroyed fs merely a bit of i'll fortune. That you weren't insfde the coat when the bullet went through it and cut the prop from your easel IS 8 bit of the other Kind. Hang up the coat, please" Sedgwlck obeyed.
 saThera'' said Kent, viewing the re- sult from the window. t'At distance o1, aay a quarter of a mile. that ar rangsment of coat and cap would look uncommonly like a man aitting in a chair before his work. At least [ should fhank 70. And yOndeE thicEet on the hillside.g he added. locking out of the window again .as just about that dIntnnce and seems to be the only spot in sight giving straight range Suppose we run up there" v3r
 Sound aa was hls condition Sedg- wick was pantfng when be brought up at the spot some yards behind his long limbed leader. As the scientist had surmised. the arrangement of coat and cap in the studio presented at that dis fance an excellent sfmgIlacrum of the rear view of a man 1ounging in n chair. Bidding the artist stay outside the copse, Kent entered on hands sand kneea and made extended exploration. After few moments the sound of low lHgubeiaus whigt1ing was heard frcn ,the trees. and presently the musician emerged leading himself by the lobe of his ear.
 Evidently you've found something. commented Eedgwick
 I'm satisfied that some one fired shot from here The marksmaxl--a good one-saw you. as he supposed, jerk to the shot as if with a bullet through you and went away sat1snedv 2 Leaving no trace behind him, add- ed Sedgw1ck
 An... 1- hes the evidence. cor course you don't expect me to .vyhyn nOts Look at the sround in the
 what fs there to be seen there since you're said there are no marksl''
 The soil is very soft
 Yes: there's a spring inst back of us. '' Yet there's not footprint discerni- bIe on it. I've got that part of the lesson by heart I think 'sUse your brain on if, then. Some one designing to make you his target has been h this thicket; been and gone and left the place trackless That some one was keen, soft footed woodsman- Putting it in wordseof one syllable, should say he probably had the racial instinct of the hunt. Does that flush any idea from your brain g''
 Racial instinct Gansett Jimr'' said Sedgwick-.
 Exactly. If I had found tracks all over the place. I should have known it wasn't he. Finding nothing, was naturally pleaaed-''
 That's more than am.'' retorted the other 1T suppose he's likely to re- sune his gunnery af any time"
 Unless we can discourage him, as expect we can
 s*By having him arrcsted?s ?s "Dimcuities might be put in our way. sherif Len Schlager and the half breed are in some sort of loose partnership in rnIs ana1r. as you Know C5anserr Jim honestly thinks. that you had hand in The Lonesome Cove murder, as he believes it to be. It isn't impossible that the sherfn has subt1y egged him on to Kill you in revenge. You're the euspect. and if you were put out of the way every one would believe you the murderer. There would be a perfume t0ry investigations the whole thing would be h1shed up and the body in Annalaka churchyard would rest in peace-presumab a profitable peace for ta1e sherfn '
 aFIat out, Kent. do you know who Ghe dead woman fs7r
 -sFIat out, I don't But I've a shrewd guess that I'll find out before long"
 From Gansett Jim 2
 ssGo hope there He's an Indian. what I'm going to see him about now ls your safety"
 .'Nows Where do you expect to find himg
 "Tn the village. I hope. It wouldn't do for you to come there. But want y0u to go to the spot where you met the cireus wagon man and wait ilntil nRan@ zanhs