Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-06-07
CHAPTER VIII.

IcOVery OF FarrlnStOnS BODY that Il.
b. Smith sat in his big study over
looking Brakely Square. He had fin
ished his frugal breakfast, the tray
had been taken away, and he was
busy at his desk when his man ser
want announced Lady Constance
Dex. 7. B. looked at the card with
an expressionless face.
"Show the lady up. George" he
said, and rose to meet his visitor as
way.
a very beautiful woman was his
first impression. Whatever hardness
there was in the face, whatever sug-
gestion there might be of those mas
terful qualities about which he had
heard, there could be no questioning
the rare clearness of the skin, the
slories of those hazel eyes, or the eX-
quisite modelling of the face. He
Judged her to be on the right side Of
thirty, and was not far out, for Lady
Constance Dex at that time was 81.
She was well, even richly, dressed,
but she did not at first give this
impression. T. b. imagined that she
might be an authority on dress, and
in this he took an accurate view, for
tho not exactly a leader of fashion,
Lady Constance had perfect taste
in such matters.
He pulled forward a chair to the
side of his desk.
Wont you sit DOWN." he said.
She gave brief smile as she seat
ed herself.
Il am afraid you will think / am
a bore, disturbing you. Mr. Smith,
especially at this hour of the morn
ing, but 1 wanted to see you about
the extraordinary happenings of the
past few days. l have just come up
to town." she went on: ''in fact, I
came up the moment l heard the
news"
'Mr. Harrington is, or was, a
friend of yours?" said T. B.
She nodded.
He and l have been good friends
for many years." she replied, quiet
ly; "he is an extraordinary man
with extraordinary qualities"
by the way" said T. B.. This
niece was staying with you a few
nights ago, was she not?"
| Lady Constance Dex inclined her
head.
"She came to ball was giving,
and stayed the night" she said. 81
motored back to Great Bradley after
the dance, so that I have not seen
her since babe her good night.
am going along to see what I can
do for her" she concluded. She had
been speaking very deliberately and
calmly, but now it was with an eff
fort that she controlled her voice.
Il understand, Mr.. Smith, she
said suddenly, that you have a
small scent bottle which is my prop
erty; Mr.. Harrington wrote to me
about it."
T. B. nodded.
1 1T was found in the area of Mr.
Farrington's house." he said, ION the
night that the two men were killed
in Brakely Square"
What do you suggest?" she asked
Il suggest that you were at Mr..
Farrington's house that night said
L. b. bluntly. I'VE are speaking
now, Lady Constance, as frankly as
it is possible for man and woman to
speak. l suggest that you were in
the house at the time of the shoot
ing, and that when you heard the
shots you doubled back into the
house, thru the kitchen, and out
again by back way"
He saw her lips press tighter to-
gether, and went on carelessly:
you see, l was not satisfied with
the examination I made that night.
came again in the early hours Of
the morning, when the fog had
risen q little, and there was evidence
! of your retirement plainly to be seen.
The back of the house opens into
Brakely News, and l find there are
four motor cars located in the vari-
GUS garages in that interesting thor
oughfare, none of which correspond
with the tire tracks which l was able
to pick up. My theory is that you
heard the alteration before the
house, that you came out to listen,
not to make your escape, and that
when you had satisfied yourself you
hurried back to the news, got into
the car which was waiting for you,
and drove off thru the fog"
You are quite real detective"
she drawled. Can you tell me any
thing more?"
Save that you drove yourself and
that the car was a two-seater, with
a selfstarting arrangement, 1 can
tell you nothing" She laughed.
Il am afraid you have been all the
way to Great Bradley making in
quiries," she Knocked him. ''EveryA
body there knows I drive a car, and
everybody who takes the trouble to
find out will learn that it is such a
car as you describe"
But have not taken that
trouble" said T. B. with a smile II
am curious to know, Lady Con-
stance, what you were doing in the
house at that time. do not for. one
moment suspect that you shot these
men; indeed, I have plenty of evil
dence that the shots were fired from
some other place than the area"
Suppose I say" she countered,
that was giving party that night,
that did not leave my house."
IF you said that" he interrupted,
"you would be contradicting some
thing you have already said; name
ly, that you did leave the house, a
journey in the middle of the night
as far as can gather, and evidently
one which was of considerable mo-
ment"
She looked past him out of the
window, her face set, her brows knit
in a thoughtful frown.
II can tell you lot of things that
possibly you do not know" she
said, turning to him suddenly II