Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1915-01-02

would better see my informant for
| yourself"
Unnecessary, thank you. Mr. Blair
IS not telling quite all that he knows,
believes, If | correctly follow his
mental processes-that Francis Sedg-
wick met his son on the night Of the
| tragedy, by chance or otherwise and
that In the encounter which he be-
lieYes followed Wilfrid Blair was kill
ed. Unfortunately some color Of mo-
tive is lent to this by the fact that
Sedgwick had fallen desperately in
love with Mrs. Blnir."
impossible! Marjorie is not the wo-
man to permit such thing"
Without blame to her or, indeed, to
either of them. She also believes now
that Sedgwlck killed her husband"
"And-and she was interested in
your frlend?" asked the old scholar
slowly.
81 fear-that is. I trust so. Circum-
pocket, that somewhere among these
advertisements taken from the news
papers which are subscribed for at
HedgerOw house he is to be found"
There 1 ought to be able to help.
Through my association with the oc-
cult society | have Investigated many
of these gentry. Great rascals, most OF
them"
Whom would you consider the most
able Of the lOt?"
The old man set a finger on one Of
the clippings. preston Jax," said he,
"is the shrewdest Of them ALL Some,
times have thought that he had dim
flashes Of real clnIrvoyance."
Probably he Is my man. Anyway,
shall visit him first. and il find that
his office was closed on July g.
ut was and for day or two there
after as | chance to know, because one
of the occult society's secret agents
was to have visited him and could not
get an appointment"
Good! | shall see you, then, tomor-
row, SIT"
Ten O'Clock OF the following morning
found the Harvard professor formally
presenting his friend, Chester Kent, to
Mrs. Wllfrid Blair at the house of the
cousin with whom she was staying.
MY dear" said the old gentleman,
you may trust Professor Kents judg-
ment and insight as implicitly as his
honor. l can give no stronger recon-
mendHtlon and will now take my
| leave"
Kent resisted successfully wild and
fearful desire to set restraining hold
upon the disappearing cOattails for en-
barrassment had again engulfed the
scientists soul.
Il don't know exactly how to begin"
he said.
Then will help YOU said she, be-
coming suddenly grave. you are here
to speak to me of some topic wholly
distinct from one forbidden phase"
Have you lost any jewels lately,
Mrs Blair?"
The girl.widow started. "Yes, How
did you know"
"You have made no complaint or
published no advertisements for them?'
81 have kept it absolutely secret
Father Blair insisted that | should
do So"
"They were valuable, these jewels"
The rings were, intrlnsically, but
what most valued was the necklace
Of rose topazeS They were the Gros.
yenor topaZes"
"A family reic?'
Not my own family, My husbands
mother left them to me. They came
down to her from her grandmother,
Camilla GrOsvenOr. She was rather u
famous person in her time, c. l.. El.
lott painted heroine Of his finest por-
traits, | believe. And-and she was
remarkable In other respects, she was
woman OF great force Of character
ana great personal attraction, be.
Iieye, though she was not exactly beau
tiful, When she was still under thirty
she became the leader Of bund Of
mystics and star worshipers, believe
that she became infatuated with one
Of them, a young German, and that
there was On elopement by water. This
remember ut least-her body washed
ashore on the coast not very far from
Hedgerow house"
AT Lonesome Cove"
Yes. The very name OF 1t chills
me. For my husband 1t had an uncNn.
ny fascination. He used to talk to me
about the place"
Would you know the face OF Caml.
la Grosyenor?"
"Of course, The Elliott portrait
hangs in the library at Hedgerow
house"
Kent took from under his cont the
drawing purchased from Elder bennett.
THAT is the same" said Mrs. Blair
unhesltatingly ut isn't quite the
same pose as the finished portrait, and
1t lacks the earring which Is In the
portrait But | should say 1t is surely
Elllott's work. Couldn't 1t be pre-.
llmlnary sketch for the portralt?"
probably that Is what It ls"
"C0n you tell me where II came
from?'
Prom between the pages Of an old
book Tell me how your necklace was
lngt t,iNnsn -