The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1920-12-31

MrS. Richard -lorne ana her
 son, Julian Chalmers, die under
 circumstances. that arouse sus-
 pfcion, and when the lives of Eu-
 gene, another son, and Mr. LOrne seem to have been attempted, Barry OdelI, a sergeant of de- V tectives, is asked to investigate. IN He obtains Q detailed account of
 the happenings. from Miss Fife
 Meade, Mrs. Lorne's spinster sis
 ter, and then from Gerda, the
 maid, he gains others, but the
 woman is greatly disturbed when
 she drops n hint for him. to be 2 sT on the watch for an insane per- sss son. !:J%ey .. .% E3 "rve never run up against a case z of insanity" %Ode1l,s preconceived e ideas were in chaos. Clearly the F woman did not sfor a; moment think E spoke with a purpose. Could it be !, that she was trying ito give him. 2, tip. Her eagerneSs, her hushed k voice and the light in her eyes show k cd that she was not talking idly. "why are you telling me this, Ger The woman stepped back, and a E spot of color came into her, sa1low H cheeks.
 q "It-it might come in handy in your E profession some time, sir. There are E more crazy people loose in society and out of it than you would be- lieve.
 k 'eNo one realizes it: because the Q most dangerous kind are those who N know themselves that they are mad, N uad they hide it from other folks with ( the cunning that sane mind wouldn't t k be capable of." She halted and drew deep breath as if the subject were \ finished, but as he maintained a noR- k committal silence and permitted his E expression to register nothing more X than a casual interest, she suddenly advanced once more until she stood F close to his chair.
 "Watch peoples eyes, sir, when you nre on a case. Watch their eyes. IL
 isn't, that they'll be wild and shifty \ necessarily, but if you'll study them Eslong enough, there'1 be a time when < even for just a second they'll let go 4 like curtain that's been held to- gether and you'll get a peep at the diseased brain back of them. They E may be crafty enough to outwit you "a a hundred times, and cunning enough ] to guard their actions and their so that you would be called k5lcrazy yourself if you were to accuse fs.them of anything, but they can't al- control their eyes Remember W.that. sir. and it will maybe help you E little some time."
 E She turned as if to go, but he caught her wrist.
 'TVait a minute, Gerda. You've & got some particular reason for tell 5Eing me this. Do you mean that you
 know something? That some one in E this house is insane?" N Flush! Oh. hush!' She drew N back and he released her. q mean
 Ntri1g. I thought only to do you
 --nrndness, to tell you something E that I had learned which might at M some future time be useful to you. E Forgive me, sir if I have been i'm an6 let me go. I. think |kMees Meade is calling me-" You think nothing of the kind" ]" N he retorted. You're trying to tell |Ei me something and you are afraid to IMyon down to- headquarters and make IGyou speak. but won't because you've IHvoluuteered this to me and I will Ikkeep quiet about it. think you ought Ito finish what you've started, though. IEJTell noe what's on your mind" Is Nothing" she repeated, still in ' |tahushed but vehement tones. '"There | X is nothing on my mind, sir. l should | Bnot have spoken. You will let me |V Odell saw that there was nothing more to be gained from her at the | xfime either by bullying or cajolery, kand he nodded reluctantly. |E "A1f right, Gerda. If you have any, Lthing else you want to say to me any etime just let me know, and I promise Ieyou I'll keep it to myself. Thank fyou for giving me the tip for future leases"
 He had struck the right note, for at kthe door she turned and came slow fJy back.
 "Remernber, then, one thing that IT have said to you, sir. Sometime es
 ftlhey are able to hide it so cleyerlv , ithat you would be thought crazy if
 fyou accused them without proof.'
 This time she left the room with .orut looking back, and for a space . 5he sat mentally going over their in- tterview word for word. Hen last ad- ' monition had made her attitude clear to him; she suspected some one, but without actual knowledge, without tproof Sha also was convinced of
 that persons insanity, but whether
 that conviction came from mere in- { tuition or expert knowledge of such leases remained to be seen.. She might have lied about having been an ]. lattendant in a Sanitarium; she looked :uuite capable of lying her soul away .1f it suited her purpose, yet unless .she were consummate actress she thad been absolutely sincere in her | Swarning. Her own gray-green eyes tyere strange, inscrutable except when talive with eagerness; they reminded shirn of those of some gaunt, famish- ed cat What a good, consistent hat CT she would be!
 He aroused himself at last from his speculations and rang the bell After an interval, Jane. the buxoTn Ehousemaid, appeared. "Jane, there will be two men here
  library. Let me know when they rcome."
 'ti "Ye-yes, sir" Jane bobbed hel ' shead and prepared to retire from his l. spresence with obvious haste. ! z "Here, wait a minute. want tc 1, talk to you"
 t, Her rosy cheeks blanched. 'St "Yes, sir" There was a distinct
 tuuaver in her tones.
 How long have you been employ
 led here"
 "Three. y-years. sir; and never
 better mistress than the poor lady
 that's gone could girl have! This \ was easy ground and she breathet II more freely.
 Y "Who was lady's maid before Ger U Nda came?"
 II Margaret McGrath, though sh' ' called herself Marguerite. She wa! ,a nice girl, sir, friendly and didn'
 give herself no airs. She left to ge N married to-
 "So she was nicer than Gerda. eh ? \ EOdell regarded her quizzically, ant