The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1923-02-09
VII
In Which BARLEY Talks Of Many
Thinds.

9
Mrs. Currie wanted to hear the
story of our adventures; and when
BARLEY %recounted what had taken
place, | noticed that he expressed no
opinion as TO what was back of ii all.
1t was after one when we reached
iur oons. and | expected that Bart
ley would want to go to bed ut once.
that he must be even more weary.
But. after he had gotten into his pa
jamas. he dropped into a chair by the
window. curled one leg e the arm,
lighted his pipe. and turned to me.
"lVell, what do o think of II ALP
he drawled.
That was a hard question to an
swer. We had been through so much,
so many apparently u%nconnected
events. that | scarcely knew what TO
think. Then. too, | knew very little
of what had taken place after | had
left him at Sykes, or what new
things he had observed there. The
finding of whisky and the sudden APP
pearance of the chauffeur. coupl ed
with my discovery Of the revolver.
seemed to me TO still further compii-
rate the problem. What had he come
to the vault for? | remembered that
the detective had said he thought the
chauffeur had killed Slyke. won
dered If this was Simply a Wild guess.
or whether there was something he
hind 1t.
iarrley watched me with that little
smile on his lips that meant so many
things. We'll. Pelt," he said. "It
looks as If we were engaged upon
as mysterious a ease as ever came
our way. The more | look 1t over. The
less sure | am of anything. DO you
know. | picked up very little after
you left the hOuse?"
! had been wondering all day If ne
would find any clues of value. /
knew what a careful search he must
lie picked up very little of Impor-
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 tie butler saw him <on the
earl- in the morning. The cook
'ad later volunteered the Information
hat Mr.. Slyke and he had quarreled
something. What 1t was she did
not know she had emily heard the few
words he had repeated to me. The
had been searched from top to
but without result. SO far
Is he could tell. nothing had been
tolen.
BARLEY had learned also that there
i'll feeling between Miss Potter
nd the chauffeur, and he had qles-
toned her about ii. She refused to
ay what it was, and seemed to CON
Bartley's presence as an intru-
ion. He had secured nothing new
her. When asked If she knew
neither Slyke had any enemies who
hight want To take his life, she re-
lied she did not. Repeated question
~ could not shake her story that the
t~ep-daughter Ruth had not heen ex-
home that night. and that she
ad not known the girl was in the
ouse until we had all heard her
pice on the stairs. AS the girl car
ed her own key, she could easily.
ne said. have returned without her
It..
Then there was the dog TO be con-
dered. He had slept as usual In the
living room on the plight of the
line. The girls story of his walk
TO the foot OF the stairs with her
hen she came in, proved that he
as there the entire night. Barley
marked that 1t was very strange.
at the dog should have made no
und.
cTo BE coNTINUED.1