The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1919-01-16
CHAPTER FIvE-tcontinued.,

CHAPTER FIVE-(Continued.)
Eyes" returned Pauline, "we
telephoned a %cablegram to the
city to be sent to him in Egypt.
But | don't know when he will
get it, nor when well get a re-
sponse."
"Where is he?"
Ellis permanent address is
Cairo, but he is off in the desert,
or somewhere, so much that some
times he is away from communica-
ton for weeks at a time. Still
I've sent it, that's all / can do"
"What did you tell himf'
81 made it rather long and cir
cumstantial. l told him of Aunt
Lucy's death, and that she was
killed by a blow on the head by
a burglar, which fractured her
skull. l asked him if he would
come home or if we should go
there. You see, we were intend
ing to sail for Egypt in Feb
ruary."
'"Who weref'
myself, my aunt, Miss Frayne
and Mr.. Haviland. Darlington
Loria had been begging us to
make the trip, and at last Aunt
Lucy decided to go. Our passage
is engaged, and all plans made"
"And now"
"Now, I do not know. Every
thing is uncertain. But, if the
burglar can be found and pun
ished, / see no reason why /, at
least, shouldn't go on and make
the trip. The others must please
themselves"
Pauline looked at Anita and at
Haviland with a detached air, as
if now they were no longer mem
bers Of the household, and their
plans did not concern her.
Not so Haviland. "Sure III
CO." he cried; II fancy Carr will
be mighty glad to keep me on in
the same capacity / served Miss
Darlington. He'll need a repre-
sentative in this country. I doubt
he'll come over-there's no need
If 1 look after all business mat
tiers for him."
"What does he do in Egypt
asked the Inspector, who was half
engrossed looking over his memo
randa, and really took slight in
terest in the absent heir.
"He's excavating wonderful
temples and things" volunteered
Anita, for Pauline and Gray were
looking, amazed, at a man who
came into the room. He was the
detective who had been left in
charge of the boudoir, and he car
ried a strange looking object.
"What is it," cried Pauline.
cts a blackjack" replied the
detective. IT found it, inspector,
just under the edge Of the tassel
trimmin' of the lounge. The fell
low slung it away, and it hid un-
der the fringe, out Of sight"
Gravely, Inspector Brunt took
the weapon. It was rudely made,
of black cloth, a mere bag, long
and narrow, and filled with bird
shot.
"That's the weaponi' declared
Brunt. "a man could hit a blow
with that thing that would break
the skull without cutting the
skin. Yes, there is no further
doubt that Miss Darlington was
murdered by a burglar. This is
a burglars weapon; this it was
that crushed the shell comb to
fragments, and fractured the
skull, leaving the body sitting up
right and unmutilated. Death
was, of course, instantaneous"
"But the jewelsl" said De.
tective Hardy, wonderingly
why"
Il don't know why! said
Brunt, a little testify; "that is
for you detectives to find out.
have to go by what evidence
find. Can l find a broken skull
and a blackjack in the same room
and not deduce a burglarious as.
sault that proved fatalY The thief
may have been scared off or de.
cided he didn't want the loot, but
that doesn't affect the certainty
that we have the weapon and
therefore the case is a simple one
That burglar can be found, with.
out a doubt. Then we shall learI
why he didn't steal the jewels. =,
"But the snakef'' said Pauline
looking w~onderingly at the in
spector; "the burglar must have
been a maniac or an eccentric tt
put that snake around my aunt's
neck after he killed her--ani
nothing will ever make me be
lieve that she allowed it there
while aliyei"