Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1920-10-16
EDITION..

a bsenGe of any weapon. Truly It was
a case worthy Of Fleming Stones. at
%tention, and I hoped with al my
heart he would take it up.
with the thought of helping him to
understand it all, I wrote him every
thing we had done. I told of jean
nette.s disappearance, of the hidden
stiletto, and of her subsequent cx-
PLANTATION. I told him of our exhaus-
tive search for the pearls, and / told
) him too, though l hated to, how
nervous and agitated Anne was when.
we searched her book shelves. Ande
then 7 told him, though l fully real
ized that all these things pointed in
one direction, of the last words David
Van WICK said to his wife as he left
the drawing room. How he had told
her he was going to give away the
pearls she looked upon as her own,
and how he had said. Nov don't you
wish I were dead?" ] admitted to him
that Anne was very strongly opposed
to the munificent gift. her husband
had intended making, but stated also i.
that the disappearance of the deed
was quite as favorable to the wishes
of the two step children as to those
of the wife.
told Fleming Stone all this. and
told him, too, that l believed Ammo
Van Wyck Innocent; but for this be-
lief 1 could give no reason.
That letter went off Wednesday
night. 1 sent it to the permanent ad-
given me. though of course 1 had no
means of knowing whether he was
there or not.
But by good fortune he was in New
York, and he replied to my letter at
once, so that late Thursday after
noon l received his reply
10 my satisfaction. he declared
himself willing to undertake the case,
and incidentally conlplimented me on
theNclearness of my account and the
defniteness of my written details. He
and he begged me to keep the room
from being disturbed any further.
Though. dare say" he wrote, ''that
by this time all possible clues are re-
moved. or destroyed through ignor-
ance or carelessness. However, lock
up the room at once, and let no one
enter it until I get there"
This instruction was scarcely neces-
sary, for the study had a few occu-
pants since the tragedy. Everybody
avoided the place, and the servants
could scarcely be induced to enter it,,
knew it had not been swept or dust
ed since the fatal night, and 1 hoped
that stones marvellous powers could
find clues where. we had seen none.
To be sure, we had searched it thor
= oughly for the pearls, and no one of
Z us had then found anything in the
way of evidence. But we were not
trained observers. and I had great
= hopes of stones wiZardry.
After dinner, ! walked on the ter
race witheAnnA I had announced at
the dinner table that / had writtep
for Fleming Stone, and that 1 had
done this with Morland's consent.
| glanced at Morland as l said this,
but he made no response beyond 81
slight affirmative nod. There was Il
silence after my announcement, and
= hen Mrs. Stelton began to babble.
and Beth Fordyce began a %rapturous
eulogy of Fleming Stone and his
j work. But the others said nothing.
either for or against the coming Of
the. detective.
y AS we walked on the terrace, I tried
u to draw nne out on the subject. But
she only said wearily, ut doesn't.
~ matter. 1t would have to come out
>. SOME time. l suppose. hall you mind.
Is Raymond. when your friend Stone
- proves me a c~riminal?"
u Il don't think he will do that,
- Anne" I said very gently, for I
Is couldn't think it; and yet her despair
ing tone alarmed me more than if she
10 had been angry or deeply disturbed.
And then the others Joined us, and
= the conversation became general.
~ But. seemingly by tacit. consent, the
~ subject of the crime orSSthe, coming of
l the new detective was not touched
3 upon. Even Mrs: Stelton seemed to
II. feel the restraint that was upon Us
y all, and for once refrained from maxi
= ing her usual nippant and iH-timed
~ observations. The party broke up
l. early, and we all went to our rooms.
" The men did not congregate in the
smoking room as usual. but parted on
the landing with brief good nights.
~, Continued in Monday
Evenings Herald.
~ - . ..f