The Delta independent., 1915-10-22
lay so very near his heart.

Not necessarily" was the short re-
ply. But it also was elaborated by
Cazalet on a moments consideration.
The fact was that he wanted first to
know if it were not possible, by the
Intervention of really influential law
yer to obtain the prisoners immediate
release, at any rate on bail. II impos-
sible, he might hesitate to force him
self on Scruton in the prison, but he
would see.
Its perfect scandal that he should
be there at ALL" said Cazalet. as he
rose first and ushered Toye out into
the lounge. "Only think: our old
gardener saw him run out of the drive
at half past seven, when the gong
went, when the real murderer must
have besn shivering in the Michael
Angelo cupboard, wondering how the
devil he was ever going to get out
again.
"Then you think old man Craven
begging his poor pardon-was getting
out some cigars when the man, who
ever he was, came in and knocked
him on the head?"
Cazalet nodded vigorously. "That's
the likeliest thing of ALL" he cried
"Then the gong went-there may even
have come knock at the door-and
there was that cupboard standing open
at his elbow"
with hole in the floor that might
have been made for him?"
"As it happens, yes; he'd search
every inch like a rat in a trap, you
see; and there it was as I'd left it
twenty years before"
well, it's a wonderful yarn!" ex-
claimed Hilton Toye, and he lighted
the cigar that Cazalet had given him.
81 think it may be thought one If
the police ever own how they made
their find," agreed Cazalet, laughing
and looking at his watch. Toye had
never heard him laugh SO often. "By
the way. Drinkwater doesn't want any
of all this to come out until he's
dragged his man before the beak
again"
Which you mean to PREVENT"
"If only 1 can! / more or less prom.
ised not to talk. however, and I'm
sure you won't You knew so much
already, you may just as well know
the rest this week as well as next, If
you don't mind keeping it to your
self"
Nobody could have minded this par
ticular embargo less than Hilton Toye
He saw Cazalet off with a smile that
was as yet merely puzzled, and not
unfeiendly until he had time to recall
Miss Blanche's part in the strange
affair of the previous afternoon.
Say, weren't they rather intimate
those two, even il they had known
each other all their lives? He had It
from Blanche with her second re-
fusaD that she was not, and never
had been, engaged. And fellow who
only wrote to her once in a year
still, they must have been darred in
innate. and this funny affair would
bring them together again quicker
than anything.
Say, what funny affair it was when
you came to thing of it! Funny all
through, 1t now struck Toye; begin
ming on board ship with that dream OF
Cazalet's about the murdered man
leading to all that talk of the old
grievance against him. and culminat
ing in his actually finding the imple
ments of the crime in his inspired eff
forts to save the man of whose inno-
cence he was SO positive. Say, If
that Cazalet had not been on his way
home from Australia at the time!
Like many deliberate speakers. Toye
thought like lightning, and had reached
this point before he was a hundred
yards from the hotel; then he thought
of something else, and retraced his
steps. He retraced them even to the
table at which he had sat with Cazalet
not very many minutes ago; the wait
er was only now beginning to clear
away.
Say, waiter, what have you done
with the menu that was in that tcast-
rack? There was something on it that
We rather wanted to keep"
81 thought there was, sir" said the
English waiter at that admirable ho-
tel. Toye. however. prepared to talk
to him like an American uncle of
| Dutch extraction.
you thought that and you took it
away?"
Not at all, sir. 'appened to OBJ
serve the other gentleman put the
menu in his pocket, behind your back
as you were getting up, because
passed a remark about it to the head
waiter at the time!"
(To be Continued)
/