Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1923-05-26
CHAPTER VII
In Which BARLEY Talks Of Many
Thinus,

Things.
Mrs. Currie wanted to hear the
story Of our adventures; and when
BARLEY recounted what had taken
place, l noticed that he expressed no
opinion as to what was back of it all.
1t was after one when we reached
our rooms, and l expected that Bart
ley would want to 90 to bed at once.
l 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 chat by the
window, curled one leg over The arm,
lighted his pipe, and turned to me.
We'll, what do you think of it all r
he drawled.
That was a hard question to an
swer. We had been through so much.
so many apparently upconnected
events, that I 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 ap-
pearance of Ae chauffeur, coupled
with my discovery Of the revolver.
seemed to me to still further compli
cate the problem. What had he CONS
to the vault for? l 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 be-
hind 1t.
BARLEY watched me with that little
smile on his lips that meant so many
things. well, Pelt," he said 81
looks as ii we were engaged upon
as mysterious a case as ever came
our way. The more look 1t over, the
less sure am of anything. Do you
know, l picked up YER "'tle after
you left the house7"
/ had been wondering all day If 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 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 beer
stolen.
BARLEY had learned also that there
was Ill feeling between Miss Potter
and the chauffeur, and he had ques-
toned her about it. She refused 70
say what It was. and seemed to con
slder Bartley's presence as an intru.
sion. 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
ing could not shake her story that the
s-ep-daughter Ruth had not been ex-
pected home that night, and that she
had not known the girl was 10 the
house until we had al heard her
voice on the stairs. As the girl car
rled her own key, she could easily
she said, have returned without her
knowing Il.
Then there was the dog to be cor.
sidered BE had slept as usual in the
big living room on the night OF the
crime The girls story Of his walk
Ing 10 the foot Of the stairs with her
when she came in, proved that he
was there the entire night Barley
remarked that II was very strange
that the dog should have made 10
sound
ITO BE CoETTEUEDl