Rocky Ford enterprise., 1914-07-24

persons character. from study OF
that persons featuresT
You should be, Mr.. Van Vechten."
was the reply. Your habits of life.
your daily associations. naturally
would develop certain skill in that
direction. would attach considerable
weight to your opinion in such case"
"Then." with much positiveness,
nothing in the world could be more
absurd than to imagine the girl
saw being engaged in anything. crimt
nal. or even entertaining a suspicion
that she is surrounded by criminal
atmosphere. She is young. she is
beautiful, she is refined and gentle;
the stamp Of purity and adherence to
right Ideals Is unmistakable in her
face. Whatever comes of your investi-
cations. you will find to be unQuali-
fiedly true all that I now assert re-
specting her."
II do not question your Judgment,
for 1t is more than probable that your
estimate is correct. But the fact is
Of less Importance than the circum-
stance that the young lady seems to en-
tertain a very cordial dislike for you"
doesn't know me. Flint. l never saw
her in my life before yesterday. Why
should she dislike me? God knows
never Intentionally harmed anybody in
my life."
"She unquestionably thinks she
knows you-which. as far as her con-
duct is concerned, amounts to the
same thing"
Il have racked my brain over it."
Van Vechten announced. until l am
utterly befogged. l have heretofore
accredited myself with some slight de-
gree Of perspicacity. but her unmistak-
able animus completely mystifies me-
l am positive. Flint-absolutely POSI-
tve-that our destinies have never
crossed before in any way"
Queer enough" was the others
comment. But the yelled lady; are
you certain she could not have been
Miss Carew?"
"Oh. no. she was not Paige. There
was no detail of resemblance. l have
q fancy. based upon nothing. that she
and the girl at the window are the
same"
But of whom did she remind your
The detective fastened him with q
shrewd regard.
THAT" returned Van Vechten. rs
the one point concerning which feel
that ! ought to know something def
mite. but which persistently eludes
me. In fact. the conviction never
crystallized."
Mr.. Flint fell into a brown study.
from which the other had no inclina-
tion to disturb him. During their con-
versation the afternoon had passed.
and now the detective sat motionless
and silent while the dusk gathered and
deepened.
Presently he reused himself with a
little shake. No one had intruded up
on their privacy; save for themselves
the lounsing-room was now empty.
He rose and went over to one of the
windows. taking his hat with him.
Van yechten followed.
In the shadowy twilight the silent
house across the way doomed somber
and forbidding; its lifeless darkening
front might have been Mystery and
Secrecy personified. The two stood
abstractedly contemplating It. each
immersed in his own reflections, while
the pail of night lowered, blurring and
distorting the shabby outlines.
Mr. Flint broke the silence.
81 am glad we had this talk" said
he in his quiet way. But dear me.
dear me. what is 1t leading us to? I
trust we are not going to stir up any
mud" He abruptly changed the sub
ject, asking:
May | inquire whether you intend
making any move to locate Miss Ca.
rew?"
1T was my intention to call upon
my uncle Immediately. lay the case
before him, and then set the cables
to working"
That's right. l was going to sug.
gest something OF the kind"
After Mr.. Flint had gone. Van Vecn-
ten did not pause to dine. He ascer.
tained by telephone that his uncle
would be at home. then summoned a
cab and sped through the Sitting
nlght-a night that augured storm
to Theodore Van Vechtens huge,
dreary Fifth Avenue palace.
CTo BE CoNTINUED3