Evening star., 1918-07-14


'We-we're from up the river We
don't know anybody in this big town."
AS he spoke he began to edge away
from the wall, the girl following.
"Wait!" smiled the detective. you
are getting out of place. You were
looking at the armor when you first
heard the hubbub over there?"
Both were silent.
What were you looking att"
II was looking at her, and her was
I'VE were-were talking together
here-we didn't notice"
Just married, eh?"
yesterday noon; sir How-how
did you know"
II didn't know; only guessed. And
/ think / can guess something else
what your reason was for stealing
into this dark corner"
1t was the man who now looked
down, and the woman who looked up.
In a pinch of this kind 1t is the wom-
an who is the more courageous.
whispered ina frank but shamefaced
way There was no harm in that,
was there? We're so fond of one an
other. and how could we know that
any one was dying so nearT'
mo, there was no HARM" Mr.. Gryce
reluctantly admitted. Caught in an
absurdity amusing enough In its way,
he would certainly under less strenu-
GUS circumstances have rather en-
joyed his own humiliation. But the
in it too pronounced for him to take
any pleasure in this misadyenture. In
the prosecution Of SO daring q scheme
for locating witnesses If not Of dis
covering the actual user of the bow.
it would not do to fall. He must
rator-but one glance into the room
where that gentleman stood amid q
litter of prints satisfied him that
Sweetwater was right as to the I'M.
possibility of getting any information
remembering what he had himself
seen, that he would succeed any bet
ter with the last person now remain-
ing on this hoor-the young man busy
with the coins in No. !.
lay an immediate hand on the person
who had shot the fatal arrow was no
longer regarded by him as among the
possibilities. Whoever this person
was. he had found way Of escape
ing safe from discovery. But there
was another possible lniscalculation
which he felt it his duty to recog-
nize before he proceeded further IN his
difficult task. The bow found back OF
being the one used for the delivery
Of the arrow. But was It? Might 1t
not, in some strange and upaccount-
able way, have been flung there pre-
vious to the present event and by
some hand no longer in the build
ing? Such condolences have been
known and while as rule this old
and experienced detective put ittie
confidence in ceincidences OF any KIND,
he had but one thought IN mind IN
approaching this final witness. which
was to get from him some acknowl-
edgment OF having seen. on or. about
the time of the accident, movement.
in the tapestry behind which this DOW
lay concealed. II once this fact could
be established, there could be no
further question as to the direct con.
hection between the bow there found
and the present crime,
But Mr. Gryce might have spared his
pains, SO far as this young man was
concerned. He had been 80 engrossed
in his search for a particularly rare coin
that, he had had no eyes for anything
beyond. Besides, he was abnormally
nearsighted, not being able, even with
his glasses, to distinguish faces at
any distance, much less movement
in piece Of tapestry.
All of this was discouraging, even
II anticipated; but there were still
the people below, some one OF Whom
might have seen what this man had
but by a course which would Incl
dentally enlighten him in regard to
another matter about which he had
some doubts.
In his goings to and fro through the
hall he had passed the open door of
Room H and noted easily a direct
flight could be made through 1t and
Rooms and to the small staircase
running down at the rear. Whether
or not this explained the ABSENCE Of.
any one on this floor who by the uf-
most stretch of Imagination could be
held responsible for the accident
which had occurred there, he felt 1t
incumbent upon him to see in how
short a time the escape he still be-
lieved in could be made through these
rooms.
Timing his steps from the pedestal
nearest this end, he found that even
at his slow pace 1t took but three
minutes for him to reach the arcade
leading in to the court from
the foot of the staircase. A
man conscious Of wrong and eager to
escape would do it in less; and II, as
possibly happened, he had to walt in
the doorway of room till Corey and
the boy had cleared the way for him
by their joint run into the farther
gallery, he would still have time to
be well on his way to the lower floor
off all further esress. Relieved, IL
not contented with the prospect this
gave of new clue to his problem, he
re-entered the court and was prepar-
ing to renew his Investigations when
the arrival of the. coroner put tenn
porary end to his efforts as well as to
the impatience of the 80 called pawns,
who were now allowed, one and all,
to leave their posts.