Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1919-05-01
IL carried away by

uIu you IlllONl tElS leiuarkiDle pan!
Simply because there is no other
plan that wi. fit the facts. l believe
Miss Darlington did say all those
things Miss Frayne relates. believe
she was alone in the room when she
said them. Therefore. they must have
had some meaning. ard the meanings
! have just ascr!bed to them must be
the true ones
''1hey must be-"
And | will further satisfy you that
they are. Here is a memorandum |
found in Miss C~arrington's desk. 1t is,
as you see, a list of items. Read it,"
Hardy's eyes stared more widely
than ever as he read:
Green and gold houdoir robe.
; Jewels. especially pearls.
Scarabs.
Scarf.
Snake.
Something belonging to Fl.
Now, that" and Fleming Stone
spoke in low. ever tones. without a
hint of boasting or pride in his achieve
ment. lis a list i'll Miss Carrington's
own writing. and is undeniably a list
Of things to be worn on the occasion
which she hoped would mean a delight
full change to the beauty she so de-
sired to be. but which. instead. was a
change to- the cold stiffness of death.
l found that, after reaching my own
conclusions about the Cleopatra bust
ness. IL ! had found it before, l would
have known it must refer to her cos
tune. but l couldn't have CLEANED from
it the conclusions l had already come
TO. Now, Hardy, are you con
vinced?"
IL am. Mr.. Stone. And | am also
puzzled. From all this knowledge. we
start fresh. as 1t were, and We"
Wait a minute, Hardy. Let's go
slowly. Nov. here are two ways to
look at this thing. l told you about the
~clairyoyante first. because that first
came to my mind as the inevitable ex-
PLANTATION. But, suppose, instead Of a
professional c~lairvoyante or beauty
! doctor, some friend Off," 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 it to the un-
%suspecting lady to take by herself. and
in reality this powder was the aeon
! ite,"
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 Gun
ming shows OF his face? OF course.
also. why not Miss Stuart, but why
necessarily Miss Stuart?"
We'll, she has run away, you
80 she has. because Of unjust and
unfounded suspicious! When clues
point directly to her. 1 shall admit
them, but when they may equally we'll
point to half a dozen others, i shall
patiently investigate them and learn
the truth. Now, l 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 OF some papers he was hold
ing.
Count on me, Mr.. Stone. I am at
your orders. subscribe to YOU theo-
rfes, and l 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 N Of rather
heavy writing paper
THAT doesn't look altogether like a
clairvoyante's work"
why not? 1t 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 ~clairvoyante
individual of intended murder. Either
the aconite was added to tho parcel
from the clairvoyante, or the whole at
fair was concocted by the murderer
and under pretense of it's having come
from the clairvoyante."
Him." Hardy vas clearly beyond
his depth.
49," wen on Stone, I'VE must de-
duce what we can from these papers.
What do o see peculiar about
them?"