The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1919-05-01

have known it must refer to her cos
tune, but I couldn't have cleaned from
1t tho conclusions I had already come
to. Now, Hardy, are you con
vinced"
IL am, Mr.. Stone. And I am also
puzzled. From all this knowledge, we
start fresh. as It were, and we
wait q minute, Hardy. Let's 60
slowly. Now, here are two ways to
look at It's thing. I told you about the
clairvoyante first, because that first
came to my mind as the inevitable ex-
PLANTATION. But, suppose, instead of a
professional clairvoyante or beauty
doctor. some friend Or Stone
set his teeth, but went on steadily,
"or someone in the household, plan.
ned all this scheme, and pretended to
| get a powder that would accomplish
this transformation, gave 1t to the un-
suspecting lady to take by herself, and
in reality this powder was the aeon
ite," ..-w. All. ..,I. g. ..s ls..
Hardy jumped. "Then Miss Stu
art" he began.
"Ah," and Stones face was white
and his voice like cutting steel, why
Miss Stuart? Why not Miss Frayne,
who listened at the door? Why not
Estelle, who knew all her mistress Sc
crets? Why not Haviland, who is
openly enjoying his present RESPONSE
BILE position as man Of affairs? Why
not Count Charlier, whose crafty cun-
ming shows on his face? OF course,
also, why not Miss Stuart, but why
necessarily Miss Stuart?"
"Well, she has run away, you
know" ..
$50 she has, because of unjust and
unfonnded suspicious! When clues
point directly to her, I shall admit
them, but when they may equally well
point to half a dozen others, I shall
patiently investigate them and learn
the truth. Now, / ask of you, Hardy,
as man to man, not to favor Miss Stu
art unduly, but to give her a fair show,
and remember her lonely position and
her timid nature"
Hardy looked furtively at Fleming
Stone, whose eyes were downcast and
fastened on some papers he was hold
ing. :. .... ... SIT
Count on me, Mr.. Stone. I am at
your orders. I subscribe to your theo-
ries, and I will do exactly what you tell
me, and no more or less"
Good, Hardy, and thank you. Now,
look at these papers. They are the
ones that contained the fatal powder.
See, this paraffin one was inside; then
one Of tin foil, then one Of rather
heavy writing paper -.
"That doesn't look altogether like a
clairvoyante's work"
"Why not? It does to me. They are
mighty careful to do up their goods in
an elaborate manner to impress their
customers. But, mind you, I don't for
a moment suspect this c~lairvoyante
individual of intended murder. Either
the aconite was added to the parcel
from the clairvoyante, or the whole at
fair was concocted by the murderer
and under pretense Of its having come
from. the clairvoyante."
HIN" Hardy was clearly beyond
his depth.
80" went on Stone, 1--WE must de-
ducel what we can from these papers.
What do you e peculiar about
them?" N.''
Just plain little old nothing" Har.
dy declared after a good scrutiny. Il
see, as you remarked, three papers,
folded similarly, and Of nearly the
same size. What do you see?"
mot much more" confessed Stone,
gazing discontentedly at the papers.
"And yet, there must be something to
notice. Here's one point: These pa
pers, IL tempered with. I mean IL any
thing was added to their contents,
were manipulated very carefully. You
know how difficult 1t is to unfold and
refold aepowder paper without making
it look messy. These, / would be will
ing to- assert, have never been re-
folded, or, as / say, If, they were, 1t
was done very carefully"
"That isn't much OF a clue" and
Hardy smiled.
cit may be-" returned Stone. ut at
least luulCdbcS d poSSiDto CiihiihoIioh
OF the clairvoyante and an indication
of the murderer preparing the powder
alone. At any rate, Hardy, I've told
you all this In order to ask your help.
Will you go and see what you can
round up in the way of the clairvoy'
ante Of our dreams? Go to all you
can find in New York city. That is,
the prominent ones. Get a line on
beauty doctors, and generally look up
this sort of thing. And keep 1t all un-
der your hat" 20 ... A. .""
"All right, Mr. Stone" and Hardy
was off at once.
Fleming Stone put away the papers,
and sat for more than al hour in a
brown study. 1t must be admitted
that a photograph Of Pauline Stuart,
| which stood on a nearby table, held
his eyes much of the time. And his
gaze, as it rested on the lovely face,
was now tender and now sad.
At last he rang for a servant. To the
first man who replied, he made a re
quest that a chambermaid be sent ia
him. j.. 3D.. ,
The girl came, wondering.
%, .nsI IQartn1 Gtnx.A In