Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-05-20
CURVED BLADES"
By CAROLYN WELLS. Author Of ~vieky Van" Etc.

But he only sa!u ,oint. Mr..
way does your theory pun xo,i."
stone? / may be able 70 neIp you,re
YOU can't, Hardy, necs atHert ruil-
50 determined TO find MISS etud e. You
ty that you couldn't see IT as uo If this
consider the strange features .heW are
case-and Lord knows NV. thew
strange!-separateiy, "ilG..ds The
must be looked at as d WIZ VIZ, the
gown, the quantity, OF 5e"erS rbeard
smiling face, the glove tne aro "a
CONVERSATIONAL these po:l.s
be considered as OF one ''pd xo,l
leading to one conclusion. Anu @
think of them as lmpi'ca.ins Miss
arately, mind you-Mlss s.ua'' Now,
Frayne, and the noble Souh.' n,,v
all those queer points arc ~. Go.
Connected, but identical IN tns't ,hat
n%ificancc. But never hiMI f,ar.
Here's the place to begin. MISS al
rington was poisoned. ohe o'u" fN
son herself. Who did, ,orso,v
"Mr. stone, you have put IL se.se.
/ entirely agree that an We az 81,
ing is the answer 10 tilae 'a''
of yours" ond
Fleming Stone spoke soier1nls nc
aconitine. was taken by Miss Car
rington as she sat there at her own
! dressing table. She took it Willingly
smilingly-' . s,o
ayes. because she didn't know she
! was taking it, When she ate the sand
wich---"
1.-THE poison wasn't in the sandwich
| She took that poison in water. Inc
4.-.1.1a. orJ oman tbot 1ynrn lSe0 are
| even now on the glass shelf in mel
bathroom"
! II know that in the glass that no"
| stands there a. chemist has found "a
| slight race of aconite. / took the
| glass myself to be tested, with tha'
result. This is not a great discovery
it merely proves that the poison Was
administered in water, net in a sand
wich."
but it also means that it was given
! to her by some one who could per-
! suade her 10 take the solution. UNI
| Observation-Disclosures under compul'
sion"
ut would seem So"
And that points to Miss Stuart
mot necessarily. Hardy, l refuse
to discuss these things with you if YOU
avow everything to condemn her
Why does what I have just told you
point to Miss Stuart any moro than
any one else in the house? Why not
| Miss Frayne? Or Haviland:?"
"Pshaw! Nobody suspects Gray
Haviland.'
But why not: If you're merely
%suspecting here and there without
definite reason, why not include him
on your list? And here's another
thing. Whoever mixed that poison ir
the glass of water, afterward rinset
the glass and returned it 10 its place
in the bath room? This was cithel
done at the time. that is, before tho
lady died. or later on, after death hat
ensued. In either case, it opens up {
field of conjecture"
ut doesn't with me-" said Hardy
bluntly. There's no room for con
lecture. 1t simply piles up the proc
against Miss Stuart, and all your skill
and even your will can't get her off.
A low moan was heard and a sount
as of a falling body. Stone sprang tt
the door, and fingins it open, dis
closed Pauline lying on the foo
where she had just fallen. With
low exclamation, Stone picked her III
and carried her to a couch. In a mo
ment she sat up and cried. What d,
you mean, Mr.: Hardy! DO sou thinl
I killed Aunt Lucy??"
There. there, Miss Stuart, don
ask foolish questions" and Hard,
deeply embarrassed, stood at bay. ]
was one thing to assert his suspicion
to Fleming Stone. and quite anothe
to have them overheard by this heat
tiful and indignant girl.
How dare you'll" Pauline went or
II was at the door and I heard al
you said. No. t am not ashamed O
listening, I'm glad ! did. Now I knu,
what have to fight against. An
you. Mr.. Stone, do you think me
murderer"
| Pauline cringed not at all. Sh
looked more like an avenging GOODIES.
as she confronted the two men. an
her blazing eyes and frowninr fac
challenged their replies.
II do not, Miss Stuart" said Sion,
quietly, but Pauline responded, "Ho,
do 1 know? If you did, you'd saw yo
didn't! I have no friend, no one :,
stand up for me 7 shall send fo
Carr. He will defend me-"
|. With a disdainful glance round. oh
left the room. The two men lookn
at n another.
Guilty" said Hardy.
Never said Stone. and then tn
two went their different ways,
Hardy's way led TO the po,ie
Headquarters. and his report ther,
which included Stones story of N
tested glass. was heard with interes
He demanded Miss Stuart's imm1
olate arrest. claiming that only sh
cou,d nave persuaded her aunt /
swallow the poisoned draught.
Inspector Brunt was NOT critic 49,,
ing to order arrest, but he sot WI y,
chinery at work which hc hano
would bring decisive results of snn,