The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-04-01

"Yes."
 sFirst floor-front," said the girl, jerking a dirty thumb in thedir ection of the stairs as an indication to her visitor that she could find her way up unaded
 But before she had reached the top of the stirs. the door of the front room on the first floor was opened, and the man she had come to see appeared on the stairs to welcome her. He clasped her hands eagerly and led her to his room, closing the door carefully behind him. For a moment he hesitated and then placed his arms around her. Her head fell back on his shoulder and he pressed his lips to hers in long, lingering kiss.
 Arnold Brett was young man of spare build whose military training had taught him to keep his shoulders well back. He had slight black mustache and his hair, which was carefully brushed down on his head, was raven black in color His aquiline nose seemed to emphasize the sharpness of hls features; the glance from his dark eyes was restless and crafty.
 Darling, 1 knew you would come,' he said. He released her, but only for the pur pose of taking her again in his arms and kiss ing her.
 But why are you here?" she asked, giv- ing glance at the impoverished furniture the narrow bed with its faded counter pane, the cheap chest of drawers, the dress ing table with cracked mirror, the dirty window curtains and the single wooden chair.
 Before God, I swear l had nothing to Jo Ele;o ba od atoIU
 It was a relief to hear him declare his in- nocence. Even if he had spoken without emphasis she would not have doubted his word It was because her belief in his in- nocence deepened the mystery of his reason for hiding that she repeated:
 But why are you here?"
 Do you believe mel" he asked. Between lovers faith counts for much more than reason.
 "Of course l do."
 q knew you would," he said Tt is be- cause knew you were true that l asked YOU to come l am beginning to think that perhaps I made a great mistake m running away. But was unnerved by the accident. I was thrown out of the car, and must have been unconscious in the road for more than an hour And recalling how poor Frank had met his death, it seemed to me that there was a diabolical scheme on foot to murder me as well. Perhaps I was wrong. Tell me every thing. Do the police suspect me? Have they got warrant for me? Did you go to the farm that night?"
 She was more immediately concerned Tn that discovery that he had been thrown out of motor car and injured than in his thirst for information about the murder at Cliff farm. She was solictous as to the extent of the injury he had suffered, the length of time he had been unconscious and his move ments after he came to his senses on the lonely road. Not only were her feminine sympathies stirred by the thought of the sufferings of the man she loved, but by the fear that the accident must have affected his mind temporarily and prompted him to hid himself.
 He was too impatient for her news to spare time for more than a vague, disoon- nected account of the accident. He assured her that he was all right again, except for a cut on the head, which he showed her. It was on her news more than anything else that the question of his return to Staveley depended.
 She told him in response to his questions that the murder had created a sensation. Everyone was talking about it. The Stave- ley Courier had published two-column &C., count of the tragedy, with details about the victim and the eccentricities of his grand father in later years. Stress was laid in the