The Daily Alaska empire., 1934-07-19
gEE o1zse1azs.; at ' k ROCKING HOUSE.
 BY WALTER (. sRoWN-
BY WAlrER (. BROWN

judged your wife. Had you acted with the slightest degree of sanity and understanding both of you would have been spared a great deal of suffering"
 Harper flung out his hand to check Dufresne's rising retort. Wait until I have finished. I talked with her just before I came to this room and she explained to me all that she knew. She had brooded and worried over her sisters plight until she was nearly frantic, not knowing what would happen next. Loyalty to her sisters secret kept her silent and your unaccountable attitude made it impossible to turn to you for help. Knowing the truth of 1t herself. she never dreamed that you had found out about the notes and were accus-, ing her in your mind.
 When you telephoned and told her about the ambush she was terri fled. She thought that this HID. was at the bottom of it. From her sis ter's account she knew that he was capable of nearly anything. She saw that terrible crisis was at hand, but she didn't know what to do nor which way to turn. She knew about the meeting that night, but this other thing arose too suddenly for her to formulate any plans.
 Then came the fire at Mrs. Nor locks house and she saw the oppon tunity to slip away unobserved in the confusion. Without thinking, she dashed blindly out of the house. not even properly dressed against the storm. It was a gesture of panic aud it came to nothing. The wind, the snow. the cold were too much for her overwrought state.
 "She fioundered in the storm af- ter short distance and had to turn back. That is her story, MT. Du- fresne, and it is clean and clear. I leave 1t to your own conscience to point out what amends you owe her for your unwarranted lack of faith" "NOU know a devil of lot of
 l things, don't you, Harper?" Du- fresne asked in surly voice, reach ing for the decanter and glass.
 "Forty-eight hours have revealed more to me about what was really happening in this house than any of you could discover in months of suspicion, quarrels, and jealous ac- cusation," Harper answered quietly. "And if you were half man you would not be sitting there now breeding, trying to drug your con science with liquor"
 z The glass stood poised, halfway to Dufresne's lips. Do you really think so?" he queried sardonically. What would you suggest?"
 "Id suggest that you go imme. diately and make your peace with yoar wife. She'll probably be gen.. ereus enough to forgive and forget everything and kill the fatted calf oyer the prodigal's return to sanity. That's all I have to say, MT. Du- fresne. shall not step out of char aeter again"
 Pierre Dufresne drowned, then he and the smile that Harper had seen but rarely transformed his face. He put down the glass un- tasted and rose from his chair with ill-concealed resolution.
 Will you wait here for a few Harper? want to go down. town with you, to arrange things for Richard and give him what help can."
 "I'll wait for you." Harper prom. ised.
 Although the flew minutes s" heightened considerably and the master of the house had not re. turned. the detective was not i'm. patient. The delay. he unused, was in a good cause.
 He browsed along the book shelves and taking out one of the volumes, sat down on the broad win. dow-seat. The morning sun began to edge It's way through the leaded glass panes as he idly turned the pages.
 Harper looked up at the sound of footsteps, but it was old Andrews, and not Dufresne, who entered the room. The gray-haired butler had a message for him. "Mr. Dufresne said he would be ready in a minute. sir."
 Andrews hovered over the tray by the armchair, where Dufresne's last drink stood untouched. Shall I re- move this. sir?"
 Yes, Andrews-and think 1t will be quite all right to take the decan. tefsalong with it."
 They smiled at each other in sud den understanding. Then the old man bowed to Sergeant Stephen Harper and it was not the stiff nod by which he drew the line between his masters world and everything that lay outside.
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