Tombstone epitaph., 1916-01-30

udu uIOusut nlul tO NC" ioTk, ids ing the Bardeene case before her circum- stantially.
 T-ere," said she. "endeth my vaca- tion: for I suppose you want me to help you"
 My dear girl" Hazard protested, "all I ask of you is to be a patient listener and then give me the benefit of your luminous. clear-thinking brain. I have to talk to someone to get my own ideas in order; I'd rather 1t would be you than anybody else"
 For that, dear Felix" she smiled at him, I'll point the way for you to begin" She pretended to go into a trance. My control suggests George Destin. the chief clerk"
 Hazards eyes sparkled. because the pretty girl opposite him had arrived at a conclusion identical with his own. Still. to make the advice more posi- tive and concrete. he asked her for her reasons. Said she:
 T haven't many definite reasons for looking sskance at the chief clerk; 1t is mostly intuition that prompts me; but 1t sticks in my mind as being queer that he can neither recall the woman's name nor find the card. That doesn't indicate a careful office man, such as would hold a responsi- ble position in David Bardeene's eX. acting employ. Therefore. if he sup pressed the card and the woman 5 name. if anything occurred in the in. ner office that he has not told, then he knows the woman and there is col. fusion between them"
 Hazard nodded his head in full agreement; then. after arranging for a meeting with Helen for that same evening. he reluctantly left her and made his way to Bardeene's offices in Wall street.
 As a result of the guiding spirits removal from the midst of his many activities, the place was dull and spiritless. George Destin was alone, discharging such duties as ordinarily fell to him.
 The detective scrutinized the chief clerk keenly before making himself known. He beheld a good Hooking. we'll set up man of thirty or whereabouts with black hair and closely clipped black mustache. The pallor that marked his face might have followed naturally upon the shock and worry caused by his employers tragic death, and the mans state of mind could not fairly be taken as evidence of guilty knowledge.
 In a few moments Hazard intro. ] duced himself and stated the object of his visit
 But l don't see what I can do. MT Hazard. l am stunned; my mind cant grasp the terrible happening; but 1t seems to ma the police have been a bit overzealous in suspecting | me"
 Hazard gave him sharp glance: he was not a little taken aback by the mans unexpected candor.
 Why do they suspect you?" he asked.
 Because I did not know the lady's name-that is to say. l could not re call it-and because the card has no, been found. But how could I be ex pected to remember name that never saw or heard?'
 You had her card" the detective ! reminded him.
 "Ah, yes-to be sure-her card Destin lapsed into meditation. Then resolution came to him; he met Haz ards steady look with eyes that re vealed nothing. He pursued: "As you are working in Mrs. Bar I deene's interests, I do not mind con fiding to you something that l hesi tated telling the police; felt that would not be believed.
 "The explanation of my ignorance respecting the woman is quite simple It is very rarely that a woman comes to these offices, and less than ar hour before the tragedy Mir. Bardeens <! informed me that he was expecting lady caller and for me to show hel | in the instant she arrived. So wher this woman came, naturally I took | for granted that she was the one ht was expecting. and I showed her i'm mediately into the private ofice. Sht did not tell me her name; as a mat ter of fact, did not hear her uttel | a word"
 'But the card" Hazard again re minded him. surely you saw hel | name on that"
 The man looked at him queeriy After pause
 "No, did not" he said slowly "The card was blank"
 "Blank!" Hazard calculated. "Why nobody would send in . blank cart to a man like Mir. Bardeene!"
 Destin shrugged his shoulders ''This lady did. at any rate. You SC, now why I was reluctant to tell al this to the police; it sounds rathe preposterous-
 T may add. though, that occasion ally people had appointments witl Mir. Bardeene, who made their pres ence known by . sign or . passwor' of some sort. people whose identitie 1t was not advisable to disclose evel to the ofice stan. l concluded tha the blank card was some such opel
 sesame. Mir. Bardeene was strange ly agitated when I handed it to hin