The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1923-08-01
CHAPTER VII
In Which BARLEY Talks Of Many
THINGS.


Mrs. Currie wanted to hear the
story Of our adventures; and when
BARLEY recounted what had taken
place, 1 noticed that he expressed no
opinion as to what was back Of 1t all.
1t was after one when we reached
our rooms. and 1 expected that Bart
ley would want to 90 to bed at once.
1 knew how tired was, and supposed
that he must be even more weary.
But, after he had gotten into his pa
jamas, he dropped into chair by the
window, curled one leg over the arm,
lighted his pipe, and turned to me.
"Well, what do you think Of 1t allT'
he drawled.
That was a hard question to an
swer. We had been through so much,
so many apparently unconnected
events, that 1 scarcely knew what to
think. Then, too, knew very little
of what had taken place after 1 had
left him at Sykes, or what new
things he had observed there. The
finding Of whisky and the sudden ap-
pearance Of the chauffeur, coupled
with my discovery of the revolver,
seemed to me to still further compli-
cate the problem. What had he come
to the vault for? l remembered that
the detective had said he thought the
chauffeur had killed Slyke. 1 won
dered If this was simply wild guess,
or whether there was something be-
hind 1t.
BARLEY watched me with that little
smile on his lips that meant so many
things. "Well, Pelt," he said, ut
looks as If we were engaged upon
as mysterious a case as ever came
our way. The more look 1t over, the
less sure l am Of anything. Do you
know, l picked up very little after
you left the houser
I had been wondering all day II he
would find any clues Of value.
knew what a careful search he must
have made, and his statement that
he picked up very little Of impor-
lance surprised me.
BARLEY watched me for a moment
or two before continuing. Then he
told me Of his days work. They had
been unable to find the chauffeur
either at the garage or anywhere else
around the estate. No one had seen
him since the butler saw him on the
stairs early in the morning. The cook |
had later volunteered the information |
that Mr.. Slyke and he had quarreled |
over something. What 1t was she did |
not know; she had only heard the few |
words he had repeated to me. The |
house had been searched from top to |
bottom, but without result. So far |
as he could tell, nothing had been |
stolen.
BARLEY had learned also that there
was Ill feeling between Miss Potter
and the chauffeur, and he had ques-
toned her about 1t. She refused to
ray what it was, and seemed to con-
slider Bartley's presence as an intru-
yion. He had secured nothing new
from her. When asked If she knew
whether Slyke had any enemies who
might want to take his life, she re-
piled she did not. Repeated question
ng could not shake her story that the
Ruth had not been ex-
,ected home that night, and that she
lad not known the girl was in the
house until we had all heard her
yoice on the stairs. As the girl car
led her own key, she could easily,
The said, have returned without her
moving 1t.
Then there was the dog to be con-
idered. He had slept as usual In the
zig living room on the night Of the
rhine. The girls story Of his walk
ng to the foot Of the stairs with her
When she came in. proved that he
vas there the entire night. BARLEY
emarked that 1t was very strange
hat the dog should have made no
ound.
(TO BE CONTINUEDJ