The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1919-04-03
CHAPTER XVI-Continued.

F
In a Iesk drawer without even un-
wrapping the parcel. / never saw
it again till l saw it round her
neck" ..,.a..
And you do not think she
placed it there herselff"
81 am sure she did not. The
only reason l can ascribe for her
wanting it is that she might have
thought her dread of them a fool,
ish within and determined to &C.
custom herself to the sight Of them
by means Of the harmless toy,
That's all l know about that
snake, Mr.. Stone. But the truth,
as / have told it to you, is so
strange, so almost unbelievable,
that | knew it would only serve to
attract suspicion to me, so l de-
MED it. You know Miss Frayne is
only waiting to pounce on it as
complete evidence of my guilt"
"You and she are not good
friendsf"
"We have never been really
friendly, though always polite on
the surface of things. But she is
jealous of me, and tried in every
possible way to undermine my
aunt 6 faith and trust in me, and
even plotted to have me disinher'
tied and my fortune bequeathed to
herself"
can ambitious planl"
"She is ambitious. She intends
to marry Mr.. Haviland, and she
intended to have my half of the
Darlington money"
'rYou don't suspect her of the
crimel" and Fleming Stone
looked up quickly.
Suspect is too strong a word
But to me there seems room fol
grave inquiries. l was in the hal
at the time she declares / was IL
my aunt s ROOM
"Wait a moment, Miss Stuart
ISM this a sort of deadlock You
say you were in the hall, Miss
Frayne says you we're in the bou,
doir. Why should 1 believe one
In preference to the otherF"
There was infinite sadness in
Pauline's eyes as she looked at her
questioner. THAT is So" she said,
slowly; why should your l have
only my unsupported word. MOI
has Anita any Witness. But, Mr.
Stone, 1 thought a detective al
ways looked first Of all for the
motive. What reason could Ihavt
for-for killing my aunt"
"You put it plainly, Miss Stu
art, and / will reply in an equally
straightforward vein. The first
thing we detectives think of is
Who will benefit by the crime
Naturally, money benefit is first
thought Of. The greatest money
benefit comes to you and your
cousin in Egypt. The nature OF
the crime makes it impossible that
he could have committed it. There
is, however, a possibility of your
own connection with it, so we must
question you. But there are 9th.
ers who benefit in a pecuniary
way by the death of Miss Car,
rington, so they, too, must be ques,
toned. You surely see the jus,
tice and the necessity of all this
invcstigationY"
"Oh, yes, and it seems to me
also justice that you investigate
the story CT Miss Frayne. She
too, has only her own unsupported
word as to that conversation she
relates. May she not have made
1t all up9"
"She has a witness, Miss Stu,
art, a credible witness. MI. Havi
land has told me that he saw Miss
Frayne at the door of the boudoil
at about las"
Gray saw herl He didn't tel
me this. Mr. Stone, I hate to speak
ill Of another woman, but Miss
Frayne car really wind Gray Hav
Hand round her finger, and l have
no doubt she has persuaded him te
give this evidence whether"
whether it is true or mott"
eyes, that is what / meant
though / hated to say it,"
Miss Stuart, it is often hard
to tell when a man speaks the
truth, but I have no reason to dis
believe Mr.. Haviland' s. statement
He told quite Enthusiastically oil
being up and down all night. HI
was restless and wandered about
I'm several rooms during the small
hours. You know he told Of see
ing the maid on the stairs. And hi
gives ms the impression of q truth