The Ekalaka eagle. [volume] (Ekalaka, Mont.) 1909-1920, 1915-07-02

here. DO you happen to know when it
was done or who did it,"
Instead of making any reply Miss
Rachel went on with her questions as
if he had not spoken or as if she had
not heard him.
"Are you another police officer?" she
asked.
81 am Sergeant Cuff, miss, Of the de-
tective police"
do you think a young lady's advice
worth having:'
II shall be glad to hear it, miss
"Do your duty by yourself, and don't
allow Mr.. Franklin Blake to help you!!"
She said those words so spitefully, SO
savagely, with such an extraordinary
outbreak of i'll will toward Mr.. Frank
lin in her voice and her look, that.
though l had known her from a baby,
though l loved and honored her next
to my lady herself, l was ashamed Of
life.
Sergeant Cuffs immovable eyes new
err stirred from off her face. "Thank
you, miss" he said. do you happen
to know anything about the smear?
Might you have done it by accident
yourself?"
II know nothing about the smear"
With that answer she turned away
and shut herself up again in her bed
room. This time l heard her, as Pc
nelope had heard her before, burst out
crying as soon as she was alone again.
I couldn't bring myself to look at
the sergeant. l looked at Mr.. Frank
lin, who stood nearest to me. He
seemed to be even more sorely dis
tressed at what had passed than l
was.
"a young lady's tongue is a priv
ileged member, SIR says the sergeant
to Mr.. Franklin. LET us forget what
has passed and go straight on with
! this business. Thanks to you, we know
when the paint was dry. The next
thing to discover is when the paint
was last seen without that smear. You
have got a head on your shoulders,
and you understand what I mean"
Mr.. Franklin composed himself and
came back with an effort from Miss
Rachel to the matter in hand.
II think | do underestimate he said.
The more we narrow the question of
time the more VIC also narrow the field
of inquiry
That's it, SIR said the sergeant.
did you notice your work here on
tho N"o1,,ocInu of%or,oo, ocA.~ 49,.
had done it,"
Mr.. Franklin shook his head and an,
swcred, 81 can't say l did"
did you?" inquired Sergeant Cuff,
turning to me.
Il can't say I did either, sir"
"Who was the last person in the
o the last thing on Wednesday
night:'
"Miss Rachel, I suppose, sir"
Mr.. Franklin struck in there, "Ol
possibly your daughter, Betteredge.'
He turned to Sergeant Cuff and ex
planned that my daughter was Miss
Vcrinder's maid.
"Mr. Betteredge, ask your daughter
to step up. Stop" says the sergeant
taking me away to the window out O,
earshot. "Your superintendent here
he Went on in a whisper, 'has made {
pretty full report to me of the man
ner in which he has managed thi:
case. Among other things he has b,
his own confession set the servants
backs up, It's very important t,
smooth them down again. Tell you
daughter and tell the rest of then
these two things with my compli
ments: First, that l have no evidenc,
before me vet that the diamond ha!
been stolen. 1 only know that tn
diamond has been lost. Second, tina
my business here with the servants i
simply to ask them to lay their head
together and help me to find it."
My experience Of the women serv
ants, when Superintendent Seegrav
laid his embargo on their rooms, cam,
in handy here.
"May l make so bold, sergeant, a
to tell the women a third thing?'
asked. care they free. with your com
pliments. to fidget up and down stair
and whisk in and out of their bedroom
if the fit takes them?"
"Perfectly free" says the sergeant.
THAT will smooth them down, sir.
l remarked, from the cook to tn
s%cullion."
go and do it at once, Mr.. BETTER
edge"
did it in less than five minutes
There was only n difficulty when
came to the bit about the bedrooms
1t took a pretty stiff exertion of my al