The evening world. Newspaper, April 13, 1916, Page 19

(Oeprright, 1915, by Mildred Van Inwegen,) Srxorsis or PRECEDING CHAPTERS, ingaley 008 to spend a winter bedgewood ¥ 4, the Country Club as guess Carbie ® mo} te t} har » Gandon, Garr, ata event there See Us nob “Fanner ‘of Katharine, ‘brings Macige s am! hain. jampton butler At dinner, on bet thio alte ‘with. strangr evoutog Of Katharine'e arrival, ‘a woman's nagar “and wild syed—is man ‘peering in a window, Late that neht in at the door of Katharine walking tn ‘hor sleep. Te not true. ae tn convinced that . Next even! too much. Mowing di en ‘Camdon’ ‘ re tella her one of the maids Bat Katharine learn jeatiaaten, only to be mystery hangs over the om 8 sleigh ride, Camdon ro i# an unpleasant scene, Katharine and Tanner chance Country Rouse, not ter from in been, E b. They ‘fing Camdon tying deed. a Het iy hie brain, "Yn ‘his clench : Chait he ive Madge. “Kathartoe’” and suspect Madge of the marder, CHAPTER XI. WARD the end of the after. noon Madge dropped into a exhausted sleep, and I felt free to go below. The hous was very still, the living room deserted, but the sound of foot- ateps issuing from the vicinity of the smoking room told me of somebody's presence. Flinging wide the door, I discovered Bob walking to and fro, bis hands behind his back, and a bi Diack cigar protruding from his mouth, We talked a little while bef. ro adjourning into the living room, where on the pillow-laden settle in front of the burning logs we could be more comfortable. Hardly had we seated ourselves when the doorbell sounded loudly, and Henry appeared from the vicinity of the dining-room to an- ower it. “Bless my soul! with a chuckle, the Sheriff!” “I'd like to see every one in the house—servants and ali!” announced the Sheriff as he entered; and pres- ently, when the household was assem- bled, he began his tnterrogatio The Sheriff began by asking who was the last person to see Camdon Carrol. As he paused, so to put the question to each of us individuaily, Henry stepped forward and_voiun- teered the information that he was the last who had seen the murdered man. “That is, I think I was,” ho said, al- exclaimed Bob, it's his highness, lowing (he benefit of the doubi to sink in, “For ev one else and stepped to bed when Mr, Carrol or- dered mo off.” ‘Ordered you off, you say?" 1 why?” not himself, He had been . sir. He came home drun me home drunk?’ The Sheriff was warming up. Do you know?” “From. steighing and the young ladies “And where did he get the drink?” ‘At Manor Inn." It was Bob who answered, “We stopped there for something hot and he ord 1 Scote with Mr Ronert “Have you any idea why he shou! have taken so much last evening?” ‘To steady his nerves, I think ‘And why do y ied steadying?” je was suffering from a shock.” ‘A shock? What kind of a shock “He thought he saw something at the window.” “What window?" “One of those.” Bob pointed to the Yeng French windows opening on the u think his nerves Porch, The Sheriff walked to them, but as twilight was deepening I doubt if he @ucceeded in seeing much more than the light which streamed through the gloom from the tower of the county poor-farm, “What's that light?” was his unev- pected and, as 1 thought, irrelevan query. It comes from the county farm, “The county farm?” he murmured, “Sure enough, it doe: And how fy the farm from here? Do you know “Well,” said Mrs. Hampton, caleu- lating, “our golf links join their wheat field, and their dwelling house is a wood distance over—a matter of two miles, I should say.” “Humph!" said the Shoriff. And then: "Could it have been the light that frightened hin?" Carried away by rapid-fire questioning and by completa transformation in the Sheriff, L cried No, He said tt was a face.” ‘Mither o' Mary! It must have been the ghost like!" wailed Nor “What's that?’ flushed forth the sheriff, to whom Nora's outbreat was only a muffled murmur. “What did you say? Speak plainly, girl “The ghost like!" Nora repeater “Shure, an’ I'm not all that's see Miss Katharine, there, she touched its hair, an’ cook says one of her pies was gone in th’ mornin’, Ob, there's been quare goin's-on, Anither week of it, an’ I should have been lavin’ I saw dge and her mother chang a startled glance, Henry's eyes sought those of his mis~ tres But before I could observe more the sheriff was saying: “Well, well, well! I seem to have found a hornet's nest.” And turning to ine he asked: “How do you know that Mr. Carrol saw a@ face?” Because he said he did.” “And was there a face?’ The Sheriff seemed exctted. “If there was, no one else saw It.” “And what has all this to do with the murder?” asked Mrs. Hampton. It may have everything to do with was the Sheriff's enigmatic an- ewer, Smiling In a supercilious fash. jon, which for no reason at all set my heart to thumping, he put his hand in his pocket and drew something out. “Do any of you know this?” he asked, holding {t up tn the alr, There was a universal gasp. Then Madge with a swift movement sprang forward. “Why,” she cried, her eyes dilating, “it's mine!" And she snatched from his unre- sisting fingers a small piece of her amber chain—a etrip ecarcely five inches long, CHAPTER XIill. DON'T know what the sen- sations of the others were as they gazed on that frag- ment of chain, but never do I expect to experience such « mixture of amazement, per- Weird Adventures In the Realm of Mystery “And trom where? . Plexity, defeat and despair as I ex- perienced in that one brief moment. “Where did you get this?” de- manded Madge. “Ah!” said the Sheriff, stroking Mis chin, “That's a question for you to answer.” “For me to answer?" echoed Madge, and her eyes were never more inno- cent. “But I haven't the vaguest no- tion, The last time I saw this—the whole of it, I mean—it was lying on the dressing table in my room. “The whole of it?” he said, “There in more?” “Certainl: Madge replied. “This is part of a chain—a long amber chain, At least, I think it 1s, for it looks ex- actly like mine, and there could hard- ly be another, But where's the rest of it? And how does it happen to be broken?” ‘We're as anxious to know as you are,” the Sheriff told her; and added significantly: “You might fetch down the chain you laid upon your dressing table, “Why, certainly,” Madge sald. In spite of her supposed indispost- tion, she ran lightly up the stairs, Presently she returned, “Why,” she gasped, with the ekill of the most consummate actress, isn't there! It's gone!" And feelin, perhaps, a vague hostility in the al- lence which followed, she turned to me with: “You saw me put it there, Kate!" “Oh, no, I didn't,” T denied; and added fervently: “I wish to Heaven I had!” “Where did you find that plece ot chain?” she asked the Sheri “Clutched tight in Camdon Carrol's hand!" the gunshot answer. “We had to force his fingers from it. Madge's face went white, My own felt even paler. know [ she said. “But I don't know,” IT answered wretchedly. ‘I remember your wear- ing it at dinner, but I can't remembers your taking {t off.” “It was when we were dressing for the sleighride,” she told me, and started to go ‘on, when she stopped abruptly with: “Of course you would not know, You were having hyster- ics about that time. In fact, I was in the very act of lifting the chain over my head when your shrie “What's th “IT had a bad scare,” T informed him. Seized with a sudden desire to throw light on the mystery in the Cottage, and hoping thus to take his mind, if only for the moment, from murder of Madge, I added: “I into the ball closet upstairs nped into some one,” Who Was it?” snapped the Sheriff, “That's just the trouble,” I said. “I Have e the least Idea." “What did you do when you the shrieks?” he asked tadge, shia “I ran into the hall,” Madge an- ered reluctantly, Does your room open direct!: the hall?” eco “Yes, but I didn't use that door.” Why not? “I don't know, unless it was habit unconsctously expressing itself” “Habit “Yes nee Miss Kingsley’s arri- val I've formed the habit of entering my room by way of hers, Hers is at the head of the stairway, and as they are connected by a small private bath we usually go into hers first and t together,” the sheriff said. “And about how long does it take you to reach the hall by that route?” As Madge shrugged vaguely he added: “Long enough so that if some one had been in the closet with Miss Kingsley he could have got out be- fore you arrived on the scene?” “Perhaps,” Madge said, mare Saw No one coming out of the closet? ladge shook her head, “Is there any place near by where the person, if he did come out, could immediately concealed’ him- took off the chain, “There is a door at the left of the closet, which opens into one of the st-rooms, and one at the right leading to the servants’ quar 8." Ab!” said the sheriff again, Turn- ing to me he inquired: “You felt nobody brush by you “I was past feeling,” L replied, "I remember nothing, on my fingers touched that hair,'until I found my- self on the bed in Mrs, Lamptou's roo Recalling tt, I shuddered. “Just plain hair,” 1 told hin. Tangled and rather long.” “Long?” Well, It wasn't cut close to the h a. How long “So long that 1 through it.” houlder length “It may have b member,” “Could have been hi cutting—a man's hair’ I said deliberating, “It was longer than that.” > “More the length a woman would got my fingors en. I don't re- that needed “Who carried Miss Kingsley to your mother's bed? Did you? It was Mr, Tanne! “And where did Mr, Tanner come from?" “From the living room, I believe.” “Then you must have heard Miss Kingsley’s cries?” the little man sald, looking at Bob. “I should think I did," was Bob's ready answer. “It's a wonder they weren't heard down in the village!" What did you find when you ched the upper hallway?” Miss Hampton, standing at the head of the stairs and pointing across at the closet door, which was open.” “What did she say?” “She was epeechiess, pointed.” “And was she wearing her amber chain?” “Her amber chain?” Bob stared at him in bewilderment. “I don't remem. ber. There was hardly time to notice Sho merely “What do you remember?” “Running to the closet and finding Miss Kingsley on the floor, ‘Was she unconscious? “When _I picked her up, yer recovered almost immediately,’ ae did she act when she recov- ers ‘Very atrangely indeed. { thought she'd gone out of her head." “And why did you think that?” “Because of her wild gesticulating and the pecullar things she said.” but she quizzed the Sheriff. | | | | The Evening World Daily Magazine, Thursday, April And what nonsense, most of it, about hair and there belng some in hull closet, She insisted on that.” didn’t you believe her?” ‘ot at the time,’ Then something led you to change your mind later “Yes,” “And what was it?” “A black felt slipper on the floor of the door.” “The things she said? were they?” “Incoherent hich 1 found closet near the ‘A black felt slipper?” Mrs, Hampton claimed {t for her: “Claimed?” said the Sheriff, with emphasis on the word, “I take {t you didn't think so, “T did not." But of course it 1s your slipper?” The sheriff flashed «round upon Mrs, Hampton, who was sitting on the edge of the chair, rigid and tense, ne inclined her head How did it come to be In the closet?" “One of the servants must have dropped it there while cleaning up.” yh, You weren't wearing it? No. The slipper was bought years ago, when I the misfortune to wreneh an ¢ “Why do. you a pair? L held my ou say ‘slipper’? Haven't breath, for T thought he surely had her. Rut Mrs, ffamp- ton came back at hi swiftly with: “Originally did; but as [only neoded the one, the other was thrown away the day it was bought.” T see!” the sheriff said dryly. “And which was the one you kept— murmured a or the she the right slippe “The—the left! Uttle flurried I almost cried out remembered distinctly that the slip- per Hob had brought in from the hall and thrown down on the cover of the bed was the one belonging to the right foot. “Returning to the original subject,” he said, “will you tell me where you got your amber chain?” Ho was ad- dressing Madge. He dangled the beads In a low this, for. before her sa gift from Mr, Carrol.” “A recent gift?” “Very, He presented tt to me two nights ago,” “His first gift to you?" “The first I accepted.” He had tried to make others?" Yes,” she said, almost inaudibly. Why didn't you accept them, too?” were too valuable. You infer, then, that the amber in is not valuable?" Not particularly se Have you any 4 where he bought it?" “He didn't buy it, The chain once belonged to his grandmother. ‘Ah! An heirloom!” The sheriff's eyes gleamed softly, “And has this heirloom a history?” “A history?” Madge startle “Why, yes. Most heirlooms have, Not that I know of,” she said, history! — Recalling — Henry's strange conduct on the night of the chain's presentation, It occurred to me that the trinket might have a history, and that the sight of it nad brought it to his mind, “What time was It when you placed it on your dressing table?” asked tho Sheriff, bout & o'clock, I believe.” Night o'clock! ' Isn't that rather y to be getting ready for bed?” ‘But T wasn't getting ready for bed, T was gaing slelghing.” murmured, ca voice Madge an-- “You always remove ornaments when you go sleighing?” “Not necessarily.” Then why should you have taken the precaution to do so last night?” should hardly call it precaution.” What would you call it?" Why, I don't know.” Madge stared at him breathlessly, “What are you driving at?” she cried, But tho Sheriff, turning to me, was asking “How was Miss Hampton dressed r sleighing?” na long coat and furs,” I sata. vid the coat cover her complete- From throat to heels, “So that the amber chain, had she been wearing it at the time, would not have been noticeable?” “I—I presume not.” “Did she take off ber coat at Manor inn?” no. id whe unfasten it?” believe she did.” inough for you to have been able to cateh a glimpse of the chain, If you had wished to?” “Oh, 1 don't know! I don’t know!” 1 cried, and ad desperateiy: “Il tell you | can’t remember when | last saw the chain on her." ‘The Sheriff glan dat Bob. n your’ remember jt at dinner time, but afterward I can't say.” The Sheriff smiled sardonically. “Well, Miss Hampton,” he said, “granted that you did remove the chain, how do you account for @ piece of it having been found in the dead man's hand?” “What do you mean?” Madge, “L mean,” sald the Sheriff, leaning toward her with a cruel look of eun- ning on his face, “that the person who killed Camdon Carrol was wear- ing your amber chain!" There was deathlike silen Madge, her eyes dilating, looked wildly about. "Ob!" Abject terror crossed her face, “Ob!” It was more shudder than ery he Sheriff pursued her relentlessly. “Was the chain in your room when you returned from the ride?” “I don't know! Oh, I don't Madge was breaking’ fé No one could have stulen |t while you were gone?” Madge pulled herself together for & minute, An electric flash passed between her and her mother, and I felt that in some way Henry was in- cluded, Then, in a scarcely audible whisper, she said again, “TL don't kno" You don’t seem to know much of anything,” the Sheriff remarked Before he could say sre, Madge burst suddenly into tears and, fall- ing forward on the table, cried: “Let me alone! Lat me alone! I can't stand any more.” faltered know!" “Try to compose yourself, Miss Hampton, It ts my intention not to accuse, but If possible to clear you of this crime; and I can’t do ro unless you will answer the questions 1 must ask." “IT can't! T can't!" Madge sobbed, Then, with frenzied passion, she added: “And I won't! Let me alone!" “Miss Hampton" Rut before he could go on Bob interrupted him Sherif!" he cried harshly; and as we all, amazed at the transition in him--the sudden hardening of his eves, tho squared uplifting of his chin—looked his way, he sald: “I thought 1 should be able to put it through, but I can't see you torture Miss Hampton Like that." Thrusting his hand in bis waistcoat, he pulled forth the two long strips of amber chain which he hall picked up from the floor that morning. “There!” he sald, throwing them upon the table with a reckless, almost insolent air, “Now you know who took it!" In the silence which followed the dropping of a pin could have been heard. Blankly we stared at the broken chain, and the at Bob, and then at one another, Why had he done it? What could it mean? 1, alas, knew only too well, The greatness of his love for her had forced the sacrifi ing Madge’s guilt. CHAPTER XIV. HERE did you get this chain?” Tho Sheriff was the first to speak, Rob's only answer was a sarcastic sill find it best to be elvil, man!” And when this added: where you got the your leisure to the Hob was assum- 6c “You'll young even brought forth no murmur, he her tell me nor tell 1itat “don't have to tell any one If £ don't choose,” retorted Bob, with a contemptuous laugh, “Oh, you don't, don't you?” snapped the Sheriff. And wheeling on me, he rdered: “Miss Kingsley, give me a detafied account of the finding of the body, including your opinion of Mr, Tanner's conduc! the time. But before T could so much as open my lips, Bob eried out sternly “Hold tongue, Kate! ra wort This is preposterous!” Don't your ut the Sheriff fumed, “Answer me, Miss Kingsley! At once But beneath Bob's steady eyo t could only shake my head going to be stubborn, snarled the litt man, Il see! urt will make ; and when it you, you'll wish with you tlk, ¢ ts turned ldose on you'd gone a litt he turned to Hob. “Mr. Tanner," le sid, “are you confessing to the murder of Cam- don Cari wad Boh nothing, ming ¢ mpton's amber to “I'm confessing said, “I'm merely possession of Miss Hu ehuin,” sume you know what that Impltes?* “1 kr t you say it implies.” ve then, Hold out your hands Before any of us could so much ag blink an eye he pulled out @ pair of handeuffs and snapped them on Hob's wrists, Seeing which, | gasped al and cowed in tiny chair Mu with a Violent shudder “Bob, 1 can't bell Whether by this s she couldn't believe to h whi she wished to give impression that she refused believe he had cominttted th er I didn't know, But 1 do know to ne, that never in my life dd I expect to hat any one a¥ thoroughly as at that mo ment I hated r 1 are ile avreatine Hinsit the when purp Sheriff's movements revealed (tue f. To which he answered brusquely “IL most certainly am.” “But you can't arrest him on that evidence,” | protested, “It isn't legal. Besides, where's your written war- rant?” IL don't need one," he told me grandly. “I'm Sheriff of Forest Coun- ty, and what I say goes, whom 1 please, when please." Phat's right, ne can,” Hob added. “But you mustn't arrest hin argued, “He didn't” “Onl Bob bent ear: I can arrest and how L rward to whisper in my Jon't worry, I right.” And as the silence, he adde “Mum's the word, dear girl!” “Dear girl ‘The slight stress he put upon that, and the smile which accompanied it, thrilled me through and through, A few minutes late when he left the cottage and started for the village in the Sheriff's care, still wear he handeuffs, I felt that the b had dropped out of the world, Turning to Madge as he passed f sight | choke “Oh, how can you let him do tt?" “Do'what?” Madge replied in seem- ing perplexity, Kate, Vil come out heriff angrily hurriedly: out "Oh," Lb burat 0 1 should think you'd see by this time that you can't wink =m And in a hoar whisper Ladded: “I #aw you come in "You saw me come she 4 peated querulousi rom whe pray tell, and when?" ast nicht.” To shrilied. “The night of the murder! Now can't you see?” Recoiling in horror, Madge breathed “Kate Kingsley! You don’t think" not only think, | know!" I told her, “I saw you creeping in. There was snow on your hair and coat, and you were breathing—« horribly! And—and we found the chain at Cam- don's feet—-Hob and I. We planned to save you, but our plans fell through, We tried to #ave you, and now" “You tried to save me?” she broke in, “But [didn't kill Camdon Carrol, Oh, how can you think I did” “What were you doing, then?” When want out night—in the blizzard, You Her face underwent a speedy me You—you heard come 1 fired “What ‘L both heard and saw yor back, and demanded tersely have’ you to #ay “N-nothing! ohe stammoered, thing at all!” ‘You rofuse to explain?" “LL can't explain, L promised 1 wouldn't.” "You yp vu wouldn't?” 1 sputtered, Mad ampton! Don't yon realize that Bob ner has gone to pri your sake “T-T can't help it” was all that she would say; ut, as she back from the room, she added: “I'll have to talk it over.” k it aver with whom?" 1 de manded Hut she had gone th oner's Inquest was set for eleven o'clock the next morning Monday Hob was not present when the in- quest was called to order, but I had an idea that he was in an inner room, for the Sheriff stuck close to a cer- tain door and looked as if he expected wild animals to come bursting forth We took seats with the rest of those present and stened to the usual pre i" the physician's testime and the Sheriff's and constable's v ions of the finding of the body the witnesses were summoned n = atory o! 13, 1916 Suppose you should find the clue to untold wealth— and at the same time to untold peril? You might perhaps have the pluck te solve the prob- lem as did the hero of THE MESSAGE By LOUIS TRACY NEXT WEEK'S COMPLETE NOVEL IN THE EVENING WORLD Do you remember “The Wings of the Mornin by the same author? It waa one of the most popular novele ever published in The Brening World. :: :: Well “THE MESSAGR” ia better than “The Wings of the Morning.” This is sufficient proof that IT 1S WORTH YOUR READING. Henry came first he was the last person to see Cam- don Carrol; that he had left him drinking in the smoking room. No, Camdon and Mr, Tanner had not quarrelled, but they had had words sbout Mr. Carrol’s excessive drinking, he believed, Yes, he had observed Mr. Tanner's departure for bed. No, he had not heard him come down » again, but it was quite possible for him to have done so later, for he, Henry, had retired immadiately his bedroom was on the first He asserted that volver was found in the outside pocke of Mr. Tanner's overcoat! And ook! With a swift movement he broke oper the revolver, “Two shots gone!” Hw “One above the The pointed to the empty barrels, was lodged in the wall in the Carrol library. ¢ fumbled a mom is here! And he prod: ms ond of a cartridge, “Th en,” he waid, bis voic harshly upon the breathless roo'n, the shot which killed Camdon Carrot And wheeling on Bob with a vid, hard laugh, he added triumpha "Now 1 guess you'll say something! But Hob uttered no word, Appar- ently as much bewildered as the ces of us he stared at the Coroner. neither fear nor dread in his eye Watching him, I felt all across the passage from the one No, he had n disturbed in the night, and Into ‘arrol had oecupied not be he he not gone or Mr. Carrol's Mr. Tanner let Mr, Car- No, ho had not considered room in the n my fata orders queer at the time, but and courage fleeing, A. revolver im [they did seem a little #0 now, Mis overcoat, and he creeping in nattod Ho knew nothing about the yer And coated in the small hours of that chain, save. that Ho had. heen tees fatal nikht! With a moan T covared ent When Mr, Carrot gave tt to Miss '2Y face with my hands and cringod Marg Yes, ale. Nad seened dee In my chatr, Rob! Hob! Hob! What lixhted. You, she was wearing it the Could it mean? night of the urder—at least, she Hat” cried the Coroner, pointing, wore it to dinner. After that he tome. “She's breaking. Not as bog couldn't say as you!” Leaning on his deak, No, he had not noticed anything N@ Went on ina manner which frose my blood: “Clumsy work, you iw 1 fr as you're new at the mau Chivalry to the rescue of maidel Mistress! That's what they called in the newspapers, but they won't o.'t it that in the records of the «1 )." No, they couldn't call |' court records, and i purred on and on, T realized, with a sickening sensation, just what it would be called Bob, the hero, would become Bob, the dastard, For the presence of the revolver in hie ercoat changed everything. queer of mysterious in the Cottage, jsuch as visions and ghosts and the like, His opinion was that we were all suffering from a form of hysteria brought on by too high tiving. Thanks, Henry! He was dismissed, Madge, very beautiful and palo, re- peated her evidence of the afternoon before, She stated positively that #he had removed chain before the a t iton her dressing table, Denied having quarrelled with Camdon, but admitted that his belay jor during the ride had greatly ») oke : : . Pretty work!" the Coroner rasped, (ver having been emeured to hitne Res cf Should think you'd be right proud Breed to ataia whether ute hag Of Yourself—putting your crime on &@ woman's shoulders and letting t world belleve you'd rescued her. You're a nice, self-sacrificing saint! Didn't expect the revolver to come to Nght! Thought the snow had cov- ered your secret! “But that's not my revolver, [ thought of such a thing. No, she had not been aware of any mystery in the Cotta Nor could sl vunt for the ghost Nora and Camdon and had seen, No; she hadn't the notest idea when or how her chain had dis- peared. Didn't know what to make m of Mr. ‘Fanner, but couldn't belleve ahi saw it ae we that he had committed the murder, ,, Heer him! Hear him!” the Cor evidence t point Though evidence MIEN point that OME Me TTY awayed like the mob | Mra, Hampton had little to say, Bho Hyggtt®, mreet scene of “Jullue ‘declared that was too much “prove tt!" the Coroner exclaimed, grieved and overcome to be capable when Mob had repeated bis assertion of any opinion on the subject, that the weapon was not “Bring me my bag and I will,” Bob said. Some one was despatched to the Sheriff's quarters, whither, the night before, Bob's belongings had been Couldn't imagine who had killed Cam- don Carrol, Couldn't imagine how a plece of her daughter's chain had come to be in the dead man's hand, Couldn't imagine who had been steal- ttage and giving ihe avout tne ae taken--in the hope, no doubt, that OYSEF ONS SU See Ry they migbt contain incriminating 0» on, she hadn't neem gyidence. Presently. the ss choxt," nor heard him. 1t waa all Sought in. The Coronee Cnened it ry at black felt S4D- and eagerly went through its con- per most certainly was hers, and it tents, And there, snug and intact wasn't @ bit out of the ordinary for it among the fittin eeaaetien, ) found on the closet floor, were often careless, Re= fused to say whether or not she had hoped that Madge and Camdon would marry. Admitted that Camdon would have made a desirable son-in-law, Shed tears over his tragic emise, van the Inst to bo a nmoned, mfnor witnesses like the liveryman who drove our slelgh on the night of the tragedy, the proprietor of Manor Inn, and a member of Bob's law firm intervening. The last named testified that the deceased and Bob had al- ways been on tho best of terms, and to have h Servants @ little pearl-hi “That,” Bo led Colt was foun aid, “ia my re can this be? He held up the weapon which had been found in Hob's overcoat. “It looks like the club revolver,” Henry said, wepping forward. Which statement Mrs, Hampton confirmed by a nod of the head and the word “L think It's the one we keep in the desk in the office,” “At the Cottage or the club?” The Coroner's voice was eager, that it Jiculous to suppose that ree * thay could have quarrelied. Ho also The Cottage.” pera fle n . stated that the matter upon which At which with ® triumphant smile, Hob had come to Edgewood wy wae out his hands, ex- strictly of & business nature, and ers o about which disagreament would have at (tly It's gust as bad, for ite bec nporsible, its terme Pyident he took it.” | Then, changing practically already having been drawn up and xettled, From me the Coroner got very lit- his tone, he looked down at “Come now,” he urged, “we'll one last chance, Mr, Tanne) ail you know about the aml tle. Not that I didn't want to give him information, Indeed, had I had ace eran re means fe your over- my way [| would have poured forth cally. “I should lke qeees 4 7 every detall of the mystery so long Freee 4 pent up within me.” But remember: “Roe Bop only sat ellent, hie ing Bob's whispered injunction, and on the floor, his hands hi rr eyes foaring to spoil bis plan of OPCr&= gt hiv sides. To the rest of them his tions, [ restrained myself, The Coroner nagged and bullied, He went so far as to say that he didn’t belleve @ word we had said, that our the finding of the body could ve heen fabricated, and that we were trusting in the snow to bide our guilt. Yes, guilt! And with this he whipped something from his pocket and thrust it under my nose, It was a revolver! “Perhaps he shrilled, My first Impulse waa to laugh, the action seemed so absurd, ao utterly theatrical. ‘To be threatened at the point of @ gun! But all at once [ realized that he wasn't threatening. He was showing me the revolver, and showing it with « purpose, “Hyh!" he blustered, angered by the failure of the stroke. “You think attitude must have seamed that of stubborn deflance—a guilty soul at bay, But I could eee that he was hopelessly and helplessly bewtidered. Whatever project had moved him te the mad disclosure of the amber chain, whatever motive he had in as- suming the suspicions eurroundl plans had been frustra' by this new and totally unlooked for development. There was noth but anatety and apprehension on his face. Gone hie smiling ease, gone, too, his alr of confidence. But tn epite of this, in spite of the Coroner's eneers and the unspoken accusation in almost every ene's eyes, In spite of all the facts which pointed to his guilt, even in spite of my own inner knowledge-—my glimpse of him on the stairway landing—I refused to belteve him guilty, For in that m easily } now you'll talk” you can bluff tt out, do you? You ment, with the alr charged with su think y put it over! Well, picton and stifling with iN feeling, | we'll se “ll show this to him, realized that I loved him—loved him snd then it will be a different story.” Turning, he gave the Sheriff orders to bring in the prisoner, A stir ure country peoy forward, Ev as never before or again would I be able to love anybody, And love, they say, ts blind. 1 over the room. The I scarcely heard the Coroner's sur. craned their necks ming up, so great the turmoil witht 1 the reporters picked mé, and the jury filed out withouc my ip interest, And [, with my heart in knowing a word he had spoken. But my throat and my eyes riveted to the it must have been a forceful appeal, a door, watched the Sheriff disappear— convincing oration, for they were not and re-enter, out @ quarter hour; and when they Hob came in che@rfully—almost too returned, in spite of the very doubt ‘ fully, I thought—smiled at ful and conflicting evidence, Modge and her mother and myself gave it as thelr unbia t and sat down as unconcernedly as if Camdon Carrol had met his death at he were attending a the dansant, the hands of Robert Tanner, shot, He answered the Coroner's prelimt- during 4 quarrel about a matter un nary questions readily enough, He known, with @ revolver belonging to stated his age, residence and oceupa- the Edgewood Club Cottage. tion, and repeated his story of our Hardly had 1 recover from the happening on the body, leaving out shock of hearing my own inner yet no detall save that of the broken unadmitted fears openly yoiced when chain. Hut after that his answers Sheriff Blunt arose and formaly ar- ceased. Even when the Coroner in rested Bob on the charge of murder his clumsy fashion produced the re- volver he sut silent, not a filcker of in the firet degree. Still worse, in- stead of being released on bail, as in expression on his face, Seeing whieh, decency he should have been, a0 thy offletal boiled over. weak was the ¢trcumstancial evi- So you're trying to bluff, too?" ne dence, Bob was led away to the For- rasped, “Well, you've gone a@ little est County jail and ed there te bit too far!” urning to the jury, await trial. " he shouted “Gentlemen, this (To Be Continued.) lind * + ; ‘ 5 y t) if