The Detroit times., 1915-08-11
A Serial Mystery Story of
Absorbing Interest


band came to her. and took her by
the arm.
my dear JOAN" he said gently.
you've had about enough OF this.
II Mr.. Treverton does not mind"
and she vent towards the door. Her
husband held II open for her.
Haig followed his wife out OF the
room. closing the door behind him.
Half . minute later he returned.
. "wAllr'' he said abruptly. Il hope
you are satisfied"
Treverton did not answer. He
took q pipe from his pocket, and be-
gan TO MI Il with tobacco.
Perhaps you would like to see
the landlord Of this Inn" Haig con-
tinusd. HE will doubtless be able
to conArm my wife's statements
II he has a good memory"
THAT can watt" said Treverton
slowly, II shall. of course. inTesti'
gate the whole matter"
Capt. Haig smiled. When" he
queried.
AT once"
Capt. Haig went to corner of
the room. and kneeling down by the
side OF a leather suitcase, opened
II. and took out q packet Of pa
pers.
II have read a full account Of the
proceedings" he said. rising to his
feet, and II seems to me that your
action would have failed II 1t hadn't
been for those two letters"
Undoubtedly"
Where are they?"
Il don't know. l fancy l destroyed
them"
HIN. that In q pity"
what do you mean?"
well. OF course. they were forg-
cries"
They may have been"
Capt. Haig seated himself at a
round table in the center OF the
room. opened newspaper. turned
over a couple OF pages. and ran his
fingers down the side Of column.
Then he looked up at Treverton.
who was lighting his pipe.
II wonder where your wife is?"
he said quietly.
Treverton did not reply. He
turned and flung the burning match
into the CRATE.
"She has never been SEEN" Haig
continued, from that day TO this.
She did not leave the neighborhood
in my motor car. The question nat.
urally arises. how did she leave
it,"
Treverton shrugged his shoulders.
1.-THE question is." Haig. went on.
keeping his eyes fixed on Trever-
tons face. whether she left the
neighborhood at all"
"Of course she did" said Trever.
ton sharply. She must have walked
to some station where she was not
known"
II fancy the search was pretty
thorough. Besides, why didn't she
come forward to defend herself in
the law courts7"
Treverton laughed. You are
throwing doubt on your own story"
he said quietly. We'll. you must
answer your own question"
IL will answer It," said Capt.
Haig. rising to his feet. your wife
never left this neighborhood. She
was murdered that night"
"You are mad" exclaimed Trev-
erton. His ace was CHASTITY. The
pipe fell from his trembling fingers
to the floor, scattering red-hot ashes
over the carpet.
Murdered" Haig continued slow
". "by the man who forged those
letters--the man who wished to get
rid OF her 30 that he could marry
rich woman--the man who an
hour or two previously had threat
ened TO take her life."
James Treverton stood motion.
less: then. like q man stricken and
blinded by q fash OF lightning. he
reeled back against the mantelpiece
and pressed his hands to his eyes.
Not for one moment during the In
terview, not once since he had first
learnt that there was . possibility
OF his having wronged both his wife
and Capt. Haig. had It occurred to
him that. II Haigs story were true,
his wife had never left the neighbor-
hood of Compton verney. that she
was dead. that she had been foully
done to death, that the letters were
forgerics, written by the murderer
to account for her disappearance.
Nothing of this had occurred to
him. The nrst suggestion of It had
come from Capt. Haig. when the lat
ter had cast doubt on the authentic
ity of the letters. Swift on that had
followed the suggestion Of foul play.
and thsn-this hideous accusation
flung In his face. II had dased him.
deprived him OF all power OF speech
and action.
"Of course" said Capt. Haig after
. pause. you hoped that I should
never come back from Africa. Well.
a. . matter Of fact. II was Just
chance that my wife and I didn't
leave our bones out there-there was
treachery among my men. A Portu.
suese fellow took AZ IN interpreter
Tho came down here to see mel