The log cabin Democrat., 1916-02-10

tial modern affair, and it had been blown open with soup" in recognized "peter-man" fashion. If it had con- tained $20,000 or any other amount, or anything of value at all, both money and valuables had vanished before the police arrived upon the scene.
 The sole theory upon which the po- lice were working, naturally enough, was that Gentry blew the safe, and the noise having awakened Mrs. F1eu- roy, she stole down the main stairs and surprised him in the act of loot ing the money-drawer Thereupon the burglar snatched up the statuette, the nearest available weapon, and In a twinkling became a red-handed mur- derer. He then had made good his escape
 Although Felix Hazard was ac- qualnted with the published accounts Of the crime, he wanted to hear the story from MT Kendal's own lips.
 Before departing, however, he sup piled certain details not contained in the published report.
 Some time on Wednesday, the twentieth" Mir Kendall averred, How ard presented himself at the house and gave Mrs. Fleuroy my letter. A sheet or two of it was found by the police But the portion of it that would ex- plain away the very worst feature against Howard has not come to light As a matter of fact, if you had the entire letter you would see at once that 1t constituted strong evidence in his favor. I will explain.
 His purpose in coming to Chicago was twofold-to visit me and my family, and to approve of my choice of a piece of property that was to be my wedding present to him and his wife. For this purpose 1 had drawn on my bank for s20,000 The bargain was too good one to risk any chance of somebody else stepping in and snapplng it up. So l informed him in the same letter that the money had been sent to the house to be placed in the library safe by Mrs. Fleuroy subject to his demand.
 Now then, somebody-God knows it was not Howard; he never could have done such a thing-somebody during the night of the twentieth forced the safe door and took not only the money, but certain of my wife's and daughters jewels, which were not in my safe-deposit box; most. ly priceless heirlooms that we always keep by us, but none the less intrin- sically worth thousands of dollars.
 "A description of these has been furnished the police. Among the miss pieces whose dates 1 remember-1S67, 1870 and 1881.
 There was no sign that the house had been broken into; but next morn ing Howard was missing and has been ever since; it's four days now. Why was he not there to prevent the das- tardly crime, or at least to give the alarm?"
 Both Felix Hazard and his chief re- mained discreetly silent in the face of this outburst, and in a moment the harassed old gentleman continued.
 Now l want you to consider this: Howard did not have to force my safe nor commit murder to obtain the S2OO00; Constance had received ex- plicit instructions to give it to him whenever he asked for it. As for the stolen jewels, they did not offer a sufficient additional inducement for him to have resorted to the graver crime. Besides, while not a man of affiuence, my nephew enjoys sub stantial income; he has always lived within 1t, and the girl he is engaged to marry is wellto-do in her own right. There is positively no motive that i'm plicates Howard in this crime.
 T want you to find him-flnd him before the police do-and try to get from him the information that will clear him. Spare no expense"
 How about this young lady to whom MT. Gentry is engaged?" Felix Hazard inquired. Gan she throw any light upon the matter-where he now is, for instance?"
 "No, none at all She absolutely refuses to talk about it further than to maintain an unshakable belief in his innocence
 Hazards eyes narrowed; but he didn't press this phase except to get Miss Gladys Ruthorfcrd's address.
 After MT. Kendall had departed, Hazard went through the general of flee, where the clicking of many type writers blended in rattling blur, and down short corridor to a door marked Private" He rapped light ly upon the frosted glass panel and when a pleasant contralto voice bade