The Little River news., 1920-03-20
close to being the center of it."
 "What can we do ahout ii 2,'

There's a way I learned from a lawyer that ain't bad. He'd take his client and put him in the center of a big circle with lines running in all di- | rections = alibi, insanity, mistaken identity, no proof of guilt, lack of | Jurisdiction, escape on legal technical ity-he'd mark out every possible de- | fense. Then he'd follow each line out and see where it led and what plan I the opposing lawyers would be likely to spring on him. Generally he got his man off"
 T don't quite see how that applies" 1"
 ''You don't, eh?"
 He traced an imaginary circle with his forefinger on the table in the little back room where we were sitting. | Here's you and Miss Bradford in | the center, surrounded by a lot of mys- terious deviltry. We'll make two cir cles. This inside one is the things that have happened to both of you the wall safes opened. the papers stolen, the pearls gone, the anonymous notes. the blackmail threats, the loss of your job, the voices you've heard | Now on this outer circle we'll mark J down all the people who might be 1 mixed up in these thngs-mind ye, say only might be. First, there's 1 Lefty Moore's woman-we know she's 1 crook Then who do we know that ] knows her? There's at least two 1 Mir. Wick, the superintendent that hired her, and this Mir. Henry Kent, whose apartment she telcphoned to. | Then there's all the rest of the help in the house. Any one of&them might be Bradford girl-'
 You don't suspect her, do you?" l 1 cried, mortified at the prospect of his investigation taking this turn.
 Be easy" he retortetl. I'm not suspecting anyone. Pm only putting them down. There's the Bradford girl and her ex.husband. He's big amist and that makes him a crook. Those two men you saw in the park. one of them with scar on his face we'll run them down. You know a cafe the sear-faced man goes to, so that's start. There's the man who Shadowed you-would you know him again if you saw him?" I shook my head doubtfully. "I'm afraid not" I admitted, "you see-''
 Don't bother to explain. You either would or wouldn't, and that's all we need to know now. There's old MT. Gaston and his wife. It's queer about their ducking out so suddenly, and leaving no address, but maybe they're only scared Let's see who else is there--the Bradford servants and the old mans. the old washerwoman- and the families who live in the house. We've got the circle pretty well GOV cred. haven't we?"
 More and more I had begun to ap- preciate how valuable. the services of an experienced detective would be likely to be in helping to solve the mystery.
 Look here, Gorman," I said, "why can't you take charge of this case for us?"
 "What's in it?" he asked.
 My face fell, and my enthusiasm died a sudden death. Once more l was confronted by the specter of my poverty Of what use my talking to high-priced investigator like Cor man when all the money had in the world was less than two hundred dol lars, out of which had to live until VNf ' u1f servo Barbara Bradford.
 eff you clear up this case," I an nounced. ''I'll give you every cent I've got in the world"
 He shook his head.
 ''It ain't enough. If take this case, it won't be for the money that's in it. For that matter I can get all l want from old Gaston for getting his pearls back. That1l be enough"
 "Then you will take the case." l cried jubffantly.
 Ion one condition. That you'll prom ise to keep everything away from the police"
 'T1l promise that for myself and Miss Bradford, too, That was the one. reason she advanced against my telling you about things. She was afraid you'd call in the police"
 Never fear about that. There's nothing I'd like better than to put it over that bunch of young reformers they've sot, down in Center street. This hotel work don't suit me. anyhow. I've been thinking of opening up an office of my own, The recovery of the Cas- ton pearls would be nice feather in my cap to start with" 'i sec" I replied, "buI yor'll need money for expenses ana tha' sort O. thing. won't you? have" Leave that part of is to me-" he retorted with a qui-zicai smile. "After all the years was on the pO- lice force I ain't exactly broke by long shot. All you've got to do is to keep your eyes open and let me know all that gees on in the apartment house I'll atterd 70 the rest. Don't do anything, though, without conAult- ing me first"
 "I'II gladly promise that"