Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-06-30
CHAPTER VIII.
Rivalry of the Detectives

road turned sharply away from the
house, to run between thick plan.
tations; and just before this turn
! the grounds of the house ended
with small white gate at the angle
of the boundary hedge He ap-
approached this gate, which was
| plainly for the use of gardeners and
the service of the establishment; il
swung easily on its hinges, and he
passed slowly up path that led to-
wards the back of the house between
the outer hedge and a talr wall OF
rhododendrons. Through a gap in
this wall track led him to the little
/ neatly-built erection of wood, which
stood among trees that faced a cor
ner of the front. The body had
lain on the side away from the
house; servant, he thought, looking
out of the nearer windows in the
earlier hours of the day before,
might have glanced unseeing at the
hut, as she wondered what it could
be like to be as rich as Henderson.
He examined the place carefully
| and ransacked the hut within, but
he could note no more than the trod-
den appearance of the uncut grass
where the body had lain. Crouching
low, with keen eyes and feeling fin
gers, he searched the ground mi
nutely over a wide area; but the
search was fruitless.
1t was interrupted by the sound
the first he had heard from the
house-of the closing of the front
door. Trent unbent his long legs
and stepped to the edge of the drive.
A man was walking quickly away
from the house in the direction of
the great gate.
At the noise of footstep on the
gravel, the man wheeled with nerv-
Gus swiftness and looked earnestly
at Trent. The sudden sight of his
face was almost terrible, so white
and worn it was. Yet it was a
young mans face. There was not
a wrinkle about the haggard blue
eyes, for all their tale of strain
and desperate fatigue. AS the two
approached each other, Trent
noted with admiration the mans
breadth of shoulder and 1.-THE, strong
figure. In his carriage, inelastic as
WEAKNESS had made it, in his hand
some regular features, in his short,
smooth yellow hair and in his voice
he addressed Trent, the influence
of special sort of training was
confessed. "Oxford was your play
ground, l think, my young friend"
said Trent to himself.
IF you are Mr.. Trent" said the
young man pleasantly, you are ex-
jpected. Mr.. Cupples 'phoned from
the hotel. My name is Marlowe."
you were secretary to Mr.. Man
derson, I believe" said Trent. He
was much inclined to like young
ar. Mari Though he seemed
50 near Shy seal brea; down, lie
gave out notc the less 'a9- ar of
clean living and inward health that
is the pc: lar glory o; his social
type at his years. But there was
something in the tired eyes that was
challenge to Trent's penetration;
an habitual expression, as he took
it to be, of mediating and weighing
things not present to their sight
It was a look too Intelligent, too
steady and purposeful, to be called
dreamy. Trent thought he had seen
such look before somewhere. He
went on to say: ut is a terrible
business for all of you. l fear it
has upset you completely, Mr.. Mar
lowe"
"a little limp, that's all" replied
the young man YEARLY. Il was
driving the car all Sunday night and
most of yesterday, and / didn't
sleep last night, after hearing the
news-who would? But l have an
appointment now, Mr.. Trent, down
at the octor's-arranglng about
the inquest. I expect it'll be tomor-
row. If you will go up to the house
and ask for Mr.. Bunner, you'll find
him expecting you; he will tell you
all about things and show you
round. He's the other secretary;
an American, and the best of fell
lows; he'll look after you. There's
a detective here, by the way; In
speetor Murch, from Scotland Yard.
He came yesterday.
"Murch" Trent exclaimed. "But
he and l are old friends. How un-
der the sun did he get here so
soon?"
Il have no idea" Mr.. Marlowe
answered. "But he was here last
evening, before l got back from
Southampton, interviewing every
body, and he's been about here since
this morning. He's in the library
now-thats where the open French
window is that you see at the end
of the house there. Perhaps you
would like to step down there and
talk about things"
81 think I WILL" said Trent. Mr..
Marlowe nodded and went on bis
way. The thick turf of the lawn
round which the drive took its cir
cular sweep made Trent's footsteps
as noiseless as a cats. In a few
moments he was looking in through
the open leaves of the window at the
southwark end of the house, consid-
ering with a smile very broad
back and a bent head covered with
short grizzled hair. The man within
was stopping over number OF pa
pers land out on the table.
"'Twas ever thus" said Trent in
melancholy tone, at the first
sound of which the man within
turned round with startling swift
ness. From childhood's hour I've