The Delta independent., 1915-10-22
CHAPTER VIII.
Finger-Prlnts

Finger-Prints.
Hilton Toye was the kind of Ameri-
can who knew London as well as most
Jondoners, and some other capitals
good deal better than their respective
citizens of corresponding intelligence.
His travels were mysteriously but en-
viably interwoven with business; he
had an air of enjoying himself, and at
the same time making money to pay
for his enjoyment wherever he went.
His hotel days were much the same all
over Europe: many appointments, but
abundant leisure. AS, however, he
never spoke about his own affairs un-
less they were also those of the lis
tener-and not always then-half his
acquaintances had no idea how he
made his money, and the other half
wondered how he. spent his time. OF
his mere interests, which were many,
Toye made no such secret; but it was
quite impossible to deduce a main in
dustry from the by-products Of his
levelheaded versatility.
Crim;nology, for example, was an
obvious by-product; 1t was no morbid
taste in Hilton Toye, but scientific
hobby that appealed to his mental
subtlety. And subtle he was. yet
with strange simplicities; grave and
dignified, yet addicted to the express
sive phraseology of his less enlight-
ened countrymen; naturally sincere,
and yet always capable of some in
genuous duplicity.
The appeal of a Blanche Macnair to
such a soul needs no analysis. She
had struck through all complexities to
the core. such as it was or as she
might make it. AS yet she could only
admire the character the man had
shown, though it had upset her none
the less. At Engelberg he had pro-
posed to her inside of two weeks"
as he had admitted without compunc
fion at the time. 1t had taken him,
he said, about two minutes to make
up his mind; but the following sum-
mer he had laid more deliberate siege,
in accordance with some old idea that
she had let fall to soften her first re-
fusal The result had been the same,
only more explicit on both sides. She
had denied him the least particle Of
hope, and he had warned her that she
had not heard the last of him by any
means, and never would till she mar
ried another man. This had incensed
her at the time, but great deal less
on subsequent reflection; and such
was the position between that pair
when Toye and Cazalet landed in Eng
land from the same steamer.
On this second day ashore, as GAIA
let sat over a late breakfast in Jer-
myn street, Toye sent in his card and
was permitted to follow it, rather to
his surprise He found his man frank
ly divided between kdneys-and- bacon
and the morning paper, but in hearty
mood, indicative of amends for his
great heat In yesterdays argument.
A palmer indication was the down
right yet sunny manner in which GAIA
let at once returned to the contentious
topic.
We'll, my dear Toye, what do you
think of 1t now?"
Il was going to ask you what you
thought, but | guess can see from
your face"
Il think the police are rotters fol
not setting him free last night"
"Scruton?"
"Yes. OF course, the casell break
down when it comes on next week, but
they oughtn't to wait for that. They've
no right to detain man. in custody
when the bottoms out of their case
already"
"But-but the papers claim they've
found the very things they were
searching for" Toye looked non
plused, as well he might. by an appar
emily perverse jubilation over such in
telligence.
"They haven't found the missing
cap!" crowed Cazalet. What they
have found is Craven's watch ant
keys, and the silver-mounted trun
cheon that killed him. But they founC
them in a place where they couldn'
possibly have been put by the mar
identified as Scruton!"
Say. where was that?" asked Toy,
with great interest. my paper only