The Washington herald., 1919-01-17


eyes burned and blazed like flame
through tinder smoke as she confront
ed the detective.
Clasped in the fingers OF her Jewell
less right hand was a tiny, ivory
handled revolver
What are all these people doing
here?" she asked hysterically.
CHAPTER VI
Harry NIchoIs.-
Detective Triggy Drew flushed
slightly beneath his olive skin. He
bowed. with his keen eyes fixed upon
the little, ivory-hsndled revolver
clutched so tightly in Loris stock
bridges right hand. He bowed for a
second time. His eyes lifted and his
brows arched as he said distinctly:
| Miss Stockbridge. something very
serious has happened TO your father.
II happened in this library. II hap
pened this morning Won't you please
20 back upstairs to your rooms until
call Tor you. At present / am IA
charge Of matters"
Matters? What do you mean
The girl swayed slightly Sh.
glanced down at the revolver as Il she
were unaware that IL vas in her hand.
! Drew advanced a step in her dircc-
! ton. lie feared n woman and a gun
more than anything else in the world.
Both were liable 10 form a dangerous
combination
Something happened" he repeated.
m very sorry for you. Miss Stock
bridge"
NF2n RFHH4T.s 4
pened 10 him? You don't mean that
letter-that telephone caII-do youfr
Lorts' splendid. duskv eyes within
the depths Of which high lights shonc.
wandered over the POLISHED table. Thev
fastened upon tho envelope from the
cemetery company. They fixed where
the letter lay with one corner beneath
the centerpiecc. They lifted in thought. !
They swung toward the waiting de-
tsCtive who hal placed himself be-
tween her and the body uf her father.
She OWNED this movement with
quick intuition. She stepped to one
side and about downward with a
graceful movement Of her hfps She
gasped and pointed a Ioft-hand finger,
which wavered and went, up 10 hcr
hair as her palm pressed against tho
side OF her head. She started sobbiuE
SIP luUusuTod 10 sqos ElUoIW aIous-
Jress.
Please don't" whispered Drew
holding out guarding arm. Please
dor't, Miss Stockbridge. Your father
Is beyond this earth. You should uoL
have come down here"
"Dead?"
The word came from the depth of a
soul Dead" she repeated with her
taper fingers spreading across her
face.
Yes, Miss" said Drew with a catch
in his voice. Yes. he is quite dead
lie was slain in this room bv q rr-
rolver shot which struck behind and
under his left ear. No one was IN
en-. save himself No one was here
~i2sn we broke the door down. And.
cave his servants and you, no one
was in this hoUse. He was
Murdered Loris' voice had lifted
20 one wild shrek Of final conviction
and grief. She swsyed. Her knees
bent beneath her SHIRT and bulEcd out
wardly. She sank into a slow faint az
the detectives feet She piIIowed her
head upon tho ruE A silence ful-
lowed
Drew stopped. after glance At tie
Ecrvants I'm the doorway, thrust ms
body as a barrier. and reached alonE
.Loris' white arm until his hand closed
.cyCr the barrel Of tho little revolver
lie untwistcd her cold fingers. and
'Dalmed the weapon under q shielding
cuT. He rose. saving 10 Delaney, who
had hurried forward:
IN take charge OF this
sure. chief Plant it She didn't
have it"
she had It all right. bUt-wcN sus-
pend judgment You and the bUUCr
carry her upstairs Go easy Her
bedroom is on the third floor. think
That's the reason she didn't come
down. sooner. Perhaps. well, I saN.
she didn't hear US breaking down the
door. We are her agents in this mat
ter. now. Remember that. and Sav
nothing to anybody. III do the talk
ing"
Drew dropped his hand into his side
pocket. II came out without the re-
voIver but with a handkerchief be-
tween his fingers. Hc mopped hi-
brow gracefully. then replaced the
handkerchief. The motion was d nat
Ural one.
lie followed Delaney and the hUtle-
with their soft burden as far as the
first steps OF the stairway. He turned
and strode back to the doorway lead
ing into the library. He faced about
in this He eyed the servants. who
lowered their heads hesnth his &C
CusinC scrutiny. Focusing his Eaze 10
A searching squint ne tried 10 single
out a culDrit from their midst. Their
seemed 10 he none. Each seemed 10
want to avoid his direct glance None
Of all Of them faced him with boldness
or assurance. II was as he expected
things IN bn There was no evidcnC"
shown Jon tho case that the servant =
of The StoCkhridE" regime had ever
threatened tho master They were
old. tried and trusted. They had tho
faults OF their kind. These faults only
served to strengthen Drew's opinion
that the murderer OF the maCnatC had
struck from the outside wit hoUt benz
eft Of inside information. The letter
and the telephone call were foreign
A note. pinned uron the miIlionsIre's =
pillow, would have been -nore Cffec-
tive. Nothing had been tried like
that This proved 10 Drew that h.
could eliminate the servants. for the
time being.
. which one OF you is the valet %"
he asked with final resolve
IT am. sir
Drew ran his eyes over an aged
man in white vest and tight-httinE
clothes which were studded here and
there with gold-plated buttons. The
ft OF the stockings-Jhe nestness OF
the low patent-leather shoes-th"