Henderson daily dispatch. (Henderson, N.C.) 1914-1995, 1938-03-03
CHAPTER AZ

HAD GUESSED thar one of
the "trimmins" which NJ. Pfcon
would add to Lord Simon'S brill
liant reconstruction Oh the crime
would concern the parlor-maid
Enid. in whose movements he had
shown such q keen and sleuthy
interest But 1 could not see what
more there was to be said. Lord
Simon had been so thorough and
so complete, forgetting not the
most trivial point, and account
ing for every known fact, that
there seemed little left for M.
Picon to divulge. However, the
little man seemed eager to talk,
and excited over something he
had to communicate to us, so that
we all leaned back and prepared
to hear him.
That" he said to Lord Simon,
twas an interesting theory. Very
ingenious, mon ami. have lis
tened with plaiSir to every word
of it. Unfortunately, however. it
is incorrect, right from it's COM
mencement. The gentleman called
Strickland, so genial and so
Sportif, as the good Boeuf has
told us, is as innocent of the muir
der as you or l."
I cannot exaggerate the effect
of this startling declaration.
Lord Simon was, of course, the
least concerned, and slipped his
brandy imperturbably. But his
man, Butterield, gave a visible
start, and turned pale. It was,
evident that never before had he
heard his employers theories
questioned by anyone but police
inspectors, unintelligent specta-
tors, or criminals. That the cele-
brated M. Picon should make such
q blunder seemed incredible to
him. Williams and 1 sat up vio-
lently, and even Mgr. Smith
showed a mild interest
But have no fear" continued
the foreign detective, II, Amer
Picon, will reveal everything to
you. Everything. Are you ready?
AHez :. hoop!
81 have told you, have I not,
that when there seems to be no
motive in the brain, one must
look in the heart. This was no
murder of the intellect-though
by it's very simplicity it was diff
cult to reconstruct, but crime
of passion. You are surprised, is
it not? Eth bien. my friends, I
also have had my surprises in this
case.
LET us examine, if you please,
this household as it was before
this violent occurrence. We have
the genial Doctor Thurston, an
English gentleman who, like so
many of your English gentlemen,
sees no farther than his nose. We
have Madame Thurston = very
kind, very easy-going, and a little,
one must say, stupid. We have
the butler. Stall, what you call
in English a sly dog, eh? And
the so competent cook. Then we
have the young man Fellowes,
who knows what it is to be inside
a prison, and the girl Enid, of
mixed blood and rather unfortu-
nate antecedents. VOLATILE cast.
Nov what goes on? There is
here the eternal triangle, n'eSt-ce
pas? Madame Thurston is at
tached to the young chauffeur,
who in his turn is in love with
Enid, who is much enamored of
him. And there you have the be-
ginning of the trouble. My friends
beware of that little triangle.
He is dangerous.
"All is secret. The good doctor
must know nothing, nothing at
all. Madame Thurston may take
the automobile ride in order to
chat with the young man she
adores, but it must be surrepti-
tious. Enid may know all. for her
lover assures her that she had no
need to doubt, but she must not
let Madame Thurston see that
she knows anything. And when
the butler, Stall, has stolen the so
fateful and discriminating letter
from Madame Thurston to the