The Daily Alaska empire., 1934-05-26
Chapter 15 ACQUISITION


 ACQUISITION
 A FEW minutes later Mrs. Du fresne's sister arrived. with hel husband, Richard Croyden. One hat only to glance at Aline Croyden tt recognize her as the sister of Sylvis Dufresne. Her hair approached al auburn shade rather thar the golder blonde coloring of her sister.
 Her features. too, though of the same distinctive beauty, had less oi the fragile and ethereal quality. HeI natural manner was more vigorous and fortnight, though not lacking either in poise or graciousness.
 Mrs. Croyden excused herself al the first opportunity to go upstairs ahd see if she could be of any ser vice. Harper continued to talk with Richard Croyden. He found this brother-in-law of Pierre Dufresne a nervous. impulsive personality. but with an alert, incisive turn of mind
 He questioned the detective close. ly along lines which showed that he had keen grasp of the essentials of the mystery and bond of mutual liking and respect sprang up be. tween him and the Sergeant of De. tectives at their first contact.
 It was not until later that the de. tective found out that Croyden was the famous concert pianist.
 Croyden was not the only one who exhibited strong interest in the strange mystery of the breakfast room. The chauffeur. Donaghy. lis. tened intently and said nothing. And Harper was surprised to glance up. ward and find D.. Ulrich standing near the head of the stairs. absorbed in the conversations below. He caught the detectives look and slow ly backed away. with a sardonic gleam of the eye.
 When Mrs. Croyden returned from upstairs, Harper mustered them all into the breakfast-room. Tn e y formed into two natural groups. fac. ing the body in the chair. In one group were Pierre Dufresne. and MT. and Mrs. Croyden. In the other were the two Whitmores. Andrews, and Donaghy.
 The detective gave a brief sum. mary of the situation. to which they listened in absolute silence. He dem onstrated how the features had been altered by the disguise.
 Have any of you ever seen this man before?"
 Pierre Dufresne looked on in stony silence.
 Have you, Mrs. Croyden?"
 "I am sure 1 have not" she an. swered in a very small voice:
 "Mr. Croydenw
 "No. Sergeant. Sorry l can't help you"
 "Whitmore?"
 The black-browed Mrs. Whitmore spoke up before her slow-minded spouse could pull his wits together No, we've never seen him." she an. swered. sharply.
 Perhaps your husband would prefer to answer for himself Harper suggested. annoyed by her air.
 Well. l ought to know. We've been married twenty-some years and if didn't see him. John didn't see him." she shot back, her black eyes snapping.
 That's right. I don't know him. the slow-voiced John Whitmore re piled. with a sheepish look.
 "Andrews?"
 The tight-lipped butler looked more glum than ever as he silently shook his head.
 "Donaghy" .. THE handsome chauffeur had been the most interested member O, the group. He looked long and care fully at the unidentified victim. if seems to me have seen this man somewhere before." he state d slowly.
 His deliberate words had the eff feet of a bombshell in that room Harper caught the sudden tense ness. the sharp hiss of some one's breath. a catch that just missed be ing a gasp. His eye swept the group Andrews look was positively veno nous The detective scented some thing in the wind.
 "ThinI hard. Donaghy. This is most important"
 Joseph Donaghy held his pause tc the limit. then he smiled and shook his head. For a moment though, l had it-somethins about the face I'll try to remember. Sergeant. May be 1t will come back to me-"