The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1919-04-03
CHAPTER xvI-Continued.

"She merely took it and laid il
IN a desk drawer without even un-
wrapping the parcel. l never saw
it again till | saw it round her
neck"
"And you do not think she
placed it there herself9'
II am sure she did not. The
only reason | 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 ean of the harmless toy.
That's all | know about that
snake, Mr.: Stone. But the truth,
rs l haB told it to you, is so
strange, SO almost unbelievable,
that | knew it would only serve to
attract suspicion to me, SO / 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
friends9"
"We have never been really
friendly, though always polite on
the surface. Of things. But she is
Jealous of ms, and tried. in every
possible way to undermine my
aunt s faith and trust in me, and
even plotted to have me disinher-
tied and my fortune bequeathed to
herself"
AN ambitious plant"
'She is ambitious. She intends
to marry Mr.. Hayiland, and she
intended to have my half of the
Darlington money"
"You 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 for
grave inquiries. | was in the hall
at the time she declares / was in
my aunt room"
Wait a moment, Miss Stuart
ISL t this a sort of deadlock You
say you were in the hall, Miss
Frayae says you were in the bou-
dor, Why should / believe one
In preference to the otherf"
There was infinite sadness in
Pauline 8 eyes as she looked at her
questiorer. THAT is so,,' she said,
slowly why should you9 / have
only my unsupported word. Nor
has Anita any witness. But, Mr..
Stone, I thought d detective al
ways looked first Of ell for the
motive. What reason could I have
for4-for killing my aunt"
You put it plainly, Miss Stu
art, andi will reply In an equally
straightforward vein. The first
thing we detectives think Of is
Who will benefit by the crime n
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, q possibility Of your
own connection whit SO we must
question you. But there are 9TH
ers who benefit in a pecuniary
way by the death Of Miss Car
rington, 50 they, too, must be ques-
toned. You surely see the JUS
tice and the necessity Of all this
inyestigationf'
Oh, yes, and it seems to me
also justice that you investigate
the story Of Miss Frayne. She.
too, has only her own unsupported
word as to that conversation she
relates. May she not have made
II alI up1I
She has q witness, Miss Stu
art, & credible witness. Mr.. Hayi-
land has told me that he saw Miss
Erayne at the door Of the boudoir
AZ about Lbs.
Gray saw her He didn't tell
me this. Mr.. Stone, hate to speak
sAl of another woman, but Miss
FraynescanSreally wind Gray Hay-
iiandround her finger, and I have
no doubt she has persuaded him to
give this evidence whether-n
Whether il IS true or not az
Yes, that is what meant.
though hated to say il.
Miss Stuart, 1t is often hard
10 toll whensa man speaks the
sfI5uith but Ishayo d b reaeOn II