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the mystery girl by carolyn wells chapter ia president-elect quite aside from its natural characteristics,there is an atmosphere about a college town, especially a new england college town, thatis unmistakable. it is not so much actively intellectual as passively aware of and satisfiedwith its own intellectuality. the beautiful little town of corinth was noexception; from its tree-shaded village green to the white-columned homes on its outskirtsit fairly radiated a satisfied sense of its own superiority. not that the people were smug or self-conceited.they merely accepted the fact that the university

of corinth was among the best in the countryand that all true corinthians were both proud and worthy of it. the village itself was a gem of well-keptstreets, roads and houses, and all new england could scarce show a better groomed settlement. in a way, the students, of course, owned theplace, yet there were many families whose claim to prominence lay in another direction. however, corinth was by all counts, a collegetown, and gloried in it. the university had just passed through thethroes and thrills of one of its own presidential elections.

the contest of the candidates had been long,and at last the strife had become bitter. two factions strove for supremacy, one, theconservative side, adhering to old traditions, the other, the modern spirit, preferring newconditions and progressive enterprise. hard waged and hard won, the battle had resultedat last in the election of john waring, the candidate of the followers of the old school. waring was not an old fogy, nor yet a hide-boundor narrow-minded back number. but he did put mental attainment ahead of physical prowess,and he did hold by certain old-fashioned principles and methods, which he and his constituentsfelt to be the backbone of the old and honored institution.

wherefore, though his election was an accomplishedfact, john waring had made enemies that seemed likely never to be placated. but waring's innate serenity and acquiredpoise were not disturbed by adverse criticism, he was a man with an eye single to his dutyas he saw it. and he accepted the position of responsibility and trust, simply and sincerelywith a determination to make his name honored among the list of presidents. inauguration, however, would not take placeuntil june, and the months from february on would give him time to accustom himself tohis new duties, and to learn much from the retiring president.

yet it must not be thought that john waringwas unpopular. on the contrary, he was respected and liked by everybody in corinth. even therival faction conceded his ability, his sterling character and his personal charm. and theirchagrin and disappointment at his election was far more because of their desire for theother candidate's innovations than of any dislike for john waring as a man. of course, there were some who candidly expressedtheir disapproval of the new president, but, so far, no real opposition was made, and itwas hoped there would be none. now, whether because of the exigencies ofhis new position, or merely because of the irresistible charms of mrs. bates, waringexpected to make the lady his wife before

his inauguration. "and a good thing,"å¥ his neighbor, mrs.adams, observed. "john waring ought to've been somebody's good-looking husband longago, but a bachelor president of corinth is out of all reason! who'd stand by his sideat the receptions, i'd like to know?"å¥ for certain public receptions were dearlyloved by the citizens of corinth, and mrs. adams was one of the most reception-lovingof all. as in all college towns, there were variousand sundry boarding houses, inns and hotels of all grades, but the boarding house of mrs.adams was, without a dissenting voice, acclaimed the most desirable and most homelike.

the good lady's husband, though known as"old salt,"å¥ was by no means a seafaring man, nor had he ever been. instead, he wasa leaf on a branch of the saltonstall family tree, and the irreverent abbreviation hadbeen given him long ago, and had stuck. "yes, indeed,"å¥ mrs. adams asserted, "we'venever had a bachelor president of corinth and i hope we never will. mrs. bates is anice sweet-spoken lady, a widow of four years standing, and i do say she's just the onefor doctor waring's wife. she has dignity, and yet she's mighty human."å¥ emily bates was human. not very tall, a littleinclined to plumpness, with fair hair and laughing blue eyes, she was of a cozy, home-lovingsort, and her innate good nature and ready

tact were unfailing. at first she had resisted john waring'sappeal, but he persisted, until she found she really liked the big, wholesome man, andwithout much difficulty learned to love him. waring was distinguished-looking rather thanhandsome. tall and well-made, he had a decided air of reserve which he rarely broke through,but which, emily bates discovered, could give way to confidences showing depths of sweetnessand charm. the two were happily matched. waring was forty-twoand mrs. bates half a dozen years younger. but both seemed younger than their years,and retained their earlier tastes and enthusiasms. also both were bound up, heart and soul, inthe welfare of the university. mrs. bates'

first husband had been one of its prominentprofessors and its history and traditions were known and loved by the cheery littlelady. perhaps the only person in corinth who wasnot pleased at the approaching nuptials of john waring and emily bates was mrs. peyton,waring's present housekeeper. for it meant the loss of her position, which she had faithfullyfilled for ten years or more. and this meant the loss of a good and satisfactory home,not only for herself, but for her daughter helen, a girl of eighteen, who lived therealso. not yet had waring told his housekeeper thatshe was to be dethroned but she knew the notice would come,-knew, too, that it was delayedonly because of john waring's disinclination

to say or do anything unwelcome to another.and mrs. peyton had been his sister's school friend and had served him well and faithfully.yet she must go, for the incoming mistress needed no other housekeeper for the establishmentthan her own efficient, capable self. it was a very cold february afternoon, andmrs. peyton was serving tea in the cheerful living-room. emily bates was present; an indulgenceshe seldom allowed herself, for she was punctilious regarding conventions, and corinth people,after all, were critical. though, to be sure, there was no harm in her taking tea in thehome so soon to be her own. the two women were outwardly most courteous,and if there was an underlying hostility it was not observable on the part of either.

"i came today,"å¥ emily bates said, as shetook her tea cup from the japanese butler who offered it, "because i want to tellyou, john, of some rumors i heard in the town. they say there is trouble brewing for you."å¥ "trouble brewing is such a picturesque phrase,"å¥waring said, smiling idly, as he stirred his tea. "one immediately visions macbeth'switches, and their trouble brew."å¥ "you needn't laugh,"å¥ emily flashed anaffectionate smile toward him, "when the phrase is used it often means something."å¥ "something vague and indefinite,"å¥ suggestedgordon lockwood, who was waring's secretary, and was as one of the family.

"not necessarily,"å¥ mrs. bates returned;"more likely something definite, though perhaps not very alarming."å¥ "such as what?"å¥ asked waring, "and fromwhat direction? will the freshmen make me an apple-pie bed, or will the seniors hazeme, do you think?"å¥ "be serious, john,"å¥ mrs. bates begged."i tell you there is a movement on foot to stir up dissension. i heard they wouldcontest the election."å¥ "oh, they can't do that,"å¥ lockwood stated;"nor would anybody try. don't be alarmed, mrs. bates. i'm sure we know all that'sgoing on,-and i can't think there's any " trouble brewing' for doctor waring."å¥

"i've heard it, too,"å¥ vouchsafed mrs.peyton. "it's not anything definite, but there are rumors and hints, and where there'ssmoke, there's bound to be fire. i wish you'd at least look into it, doctor."å¥ "yes,"å¥ agreed emily bates, "do lookinto it, john."å¥ "but how can i?"å¥ waring smiled. "i can'tgo from door to door, saying " i've come to investigate a rumor,' can i?"å¥ "oh, don't be absurd!"å¥ mrs. bates'plump little hands fluttered in protest and then fell quietly to rest in her lap. "youmen are so tactless! now, mrs. peyton or i could find out all about it, without any oneknowing we were making inquiry."å¥

"why don't you, then?"å¥ asked waring,and mrs. peyton gave a pleased smile as the guest bracketed their names. "i will, if you say so."å¥ emily spoke gravely."that is what i wanted to ask you. i didn't like to take up the matter with any one unlessyou directly approved."å¥ "oh, go ahead,-i see no harm in it."å¥ "but, doctor waring,"å¥ put in lockwood,"is it wise? i fear that if mrs. bates takes up this matter she may get in deeper thanshe means or expects to, and-well, you can't tell what might turn up."å¥ "that's so, emily. as matters stand, you'dbest be careful."å¥

"oh, john, how vacillating you are! first,you say go ahead, and then you say stop! i don't mind your changing your opinions,but i do resent your paying so little attention to the matter. you toss it aside without thought."å¥ "doctor waring thinks very quickly,"å¥ saidmrs. peyton, and emily gave her a slight stare. it was hard for the housekeeper to realizethat she must inevitably lose her place in his household, and the thought made her alittle assertive while she still had opportunity. "yes, i know it,"å¥ was the reply emilygave, and went on, addressing herself to the two men. "persuade him, mr. lockwood. not of hisduty, he never misapprehends that, but of

the necessity of looking on this matter asa duty."å¥ "what a pleader you are, emily,"å¥ and waringgave her an admiring bow; "i am almost persuaded that my very life is in danger!"å¥ "oh, you won't be good!"å¥ the blue eyestwinkled but the rosy little mouth took on a mutinous pout. "well, i warn you, if youdon't look out for yourself, i'm going to look out for you! and that, as mr. lockwoodhints, may get you into trouble!"å¥ "what a contradictory little person it is!in an effort to get me out of trouble, you admit you will probably get me into trouble.well, well, if this is during our betrothal days, what will you do after we are married?"å¥

"oh, then you'll obey me implicitly,"å¥and the expressive hands indicated with a wide sweep, total subjection. "you'll find him not absolutely easy tomanage,"å¥ mrs. peyton declared, and though emily bates said no word, she gave a lookof superior managing power that brought the housekeeper's thin lips together in a resentfulstraight line. this byplay was unnoticed by large-mindedjohn waring, but it amused lockwood, who was an observer of human nature. unostentatiously, he watched mrs. peyton,as she turned her attention to the tea tray, and noted the air of importance with whichshe continued her duties as hostess.

"bring hot toast, ito,"å¥ she said to thewell-trained and deferential japanese. "and a few more lemon slices,-i see another guestcoming."å¥ she smiled out through the window, and a momentlater a breezy young chap came into the room. "hello, folkses,"å¥ he cried; "hello,aunt emily."å¥ he gave mrs. bates an audible kiss on herpretty cheek and bowed with boyish good humor to mrs. peyton. "how do you do, uncle doctor?"å¥ and "howgoes it, lock?"å¥ he went on, as he threw himself, a little sprawlingly into an easychair. "and here's the fair helen of troy."å¥ he jumped up as helen peyton came into theroom. "why, pinky,"å¥ she said, "when

did you come?"å¥ "just now, my girl, as you noted from youroriel lattice,-and came running down to bask in the sunshine of my smiles."å¥ "behave yourself, pinky,"å¥ admonished hisaunt, as she noted helen's quick blush and realized the saucy boy had told the truth. pinckney payne, college freshman, and nephewof emily bates, was very fond of doctor waring, his english teacher, and as also fond, inhis boyish way, of his aunt. but he was no respecter of authority, and, now that hisaunt was to be the wife of his favorite professor, also the president-elect of the college, heassumed an absolute familiarity with the whole

household. his nickname was not only an abbreviation,but was descriptive of his exuberant health and invariably red cheeks. for the rest, hewas just a rollicking, care-free boy, ring leader in college fun, often punished, butbobbing up serenely again, ready for more mischief. helen peyton adored the irrepressible pinky,and though he liked her, it was no more than he felt for many others and not so much ashe had for a few. "tea, mrs. peyton? oh, yes, indeed, thankyou. yes, two lemon and three sugar. and toasts,-and cakies,-oh, what good ones! what a tuck!alma mater doesn't feed us like this! i

say, aunt emily, after you are married, mayi come to tea every day? and bring the fellows?"å¥ "i'll answer that,-you may,"å¥ saidjohn waring. "and i'll revise the answer,-you may,with reservations,"å¥ mrs. bates supplemented. "now, pinky, you're a dear and a sweet,but you can't annex this house and all its affairs, just because it's going to be myhome."å¥ "don't want to, auntie. i only want youto annex me. you'll keep the same cook we have at present, won't you?"å¥ he looked solicitously at her, over a largeslice of toast and jam he was devouring. "maybe and maybe not,"å¥ mrs. peyton spokeup. "cooks are not always anxious to be

kept."å¥ "at any rate, we'll have a cook, pinky,of some sort,"å¥ his aunt assured him, and the boy turned to tease helen peyton, whowas quite willing to be teased. "i saw your beau today, helen,"å¥ he said. "which one?"å¥ she asked placidly. "is there a crowd? well, i mean the tylerperson. him as hangs out at old salt's. and, by the way, uncle president,-yes, iam a bit previous on both counts, but you'll soon have the honor of being both presidentand my uncle,-by the way, i say, bob tyler says there's something in the wind."å¥

"a straw to show which way it blows, perhaps,"å¥waring said. "perhaps, sir. but it's blowing. tylersays there's a movement on foot to make things hot for you if you take the presidentialchair with your present intentions."å¥ "my intentions?"å¥ "yes, sir; about athletics, and sports ingeneral."å¥ "and what are my so-called intentions?"å¥ "they say, you mean to cut out sport-"å¥ "oh, pinckney, you know better than that!"å¥ "well, doctor waring, some seem to thinkthat's what you have in mind. if you'd

declare your intentions now,-"å¥ "look here, pinky, don't you think i'veenough on my mind in the matter of marrying your aunt, without bringing in other matterstill that's settled."å¥ "going to be married soon, uncle doc?"å¥ "we are. as soon as your aunt will selecta pleasant day for the ceremony. then, that attended to, i can devote my mind and energiesto this other subject. and meanwhile, my boy, if you hear talk about it, don't make anyassertions,-rather, try to hush up the subject."å¥ "i see,-i see,-and i will, doctor waring.you don't want to bother with those things till you're a settled down married man!i know just how you feel about it. important

business, this getting married,-i daresay,sir."å¥ "it is,-and so much so, that i'm goingto take the bride-elect off right now, for a little private confab. you must understandthat we have much to arrange."å¥ "run along,-bless you, my children!"å¥pinky waved a teacup and a sandwich beneficently toward the pair, as they left the room andwent off in the direction of the doctor's study. the house was a large one, with a fine frontportico upheld by six enormous fluted columns. one of the most beautiful of new england doorwaysled into a wide hall. to the right of this was the drawing-room, not so often used andnot so well liked as the more cozy living-room,

to the left as one entered, and where thetea-drinking group now sat. behind these two rooms and hall, ran a crosshall, with an outer door at the end back of the living-room and a deep and wide windowseat at the other end, behind the drawing-room. further back, beyond the cross hall, on theliving-room side, was the dining-room, and beside it, back of the drawing-room was thedoctor's study. this was the gem of the whole house. the floor had been sunken togive greater ceiling height, for the room was very large, and of fine proportions. itopened on to the cross hall with wide double doors, and a flight of six or seven stepsdescended to its rug covered floor. opposite the double doors was the great fireplacewith high over-mantel of carved stone. each

side of the mantel were windows, high andnot large. the main daylight came through a great window on the right of the entranceand also from a long french window that opened like doors on the same side. this french window, giving on a small porch,and the door that opened into the cross hall of the house were the only doors in the greatroom, save those on cupboards and bookcases. on the other side of the room, opposite thefrench window was a row of four small windows looking into the dining-room. but these werehigh, and could not be seen through by people on the sunken floor of the study. the whole room was done in circassian walnut,and represented the ideal abode of a man of

letters. the fireside was flanked with twofacing davenports, the wide window seat was piled with cushions. the french window-doorswere suitably curtained and the high windows were of truly beautiful stained glass. the spacious table desk was in the middleof the room, and bookcases, both portable and built in, lined the walls. there werea few good busts and valuable pictures, and the whole effect was one of dignity and reposerather than of elaborate grandeur. the room was renowned, and all corinth spokeof it with pride. the students felt it a great occasion that brought them within its wallsand the faculty loved nothing better than a session therein.

casual guests were rarely entertained in thestudy. only especial visitors or those worthy of its classic atmosphere found welcome there.mrs. peyton or helen were not expected to use it, and mrs. bates had already declaredshe should respect it as the sanctum of doctor waring alone. the two made their way to the window seat,and as he arranged the soft cushions for her, waring said, "don't, emily, ever feelshut out of this room. as i live now, i've not welcomed the peytons in here, but my wifeis a different proposition."å¥ "i still feel an awe of the place, john,but i may get used to it. anyway, i'll try, and i do appreciate your willingness to haveme in here. then if you want to be alone,

you must put me out."å¥ "i'll probably do that, sometimes, dear,for i have to spend many hours alone. you know, i'm not taking the presidency lightly."å¥ "i know it, you conscientious dear. but,on the other hand, don't be too serious about it. you're just the man for the place,just the character for a college president, and if you try too hard to improve or reconstructyourself, you'll probably spoil your present perfection."å¥ "well nothing would spoil your present perfection,my emily. i am too greatly blest,-to have the great honor from the college,-and you,too!"å¥

"are you happy, john? all happy?"å¥ waring's deep blue eyes fastened themselveson her face. his brown hair showed only a little gray at the temples, his fine facewas not touched deeply by time's lines, and his clear, wholesome skin glowed withhealth. if there was an instant's hesitation beforehis reply came, it was none the less hearty and sincere. "yes, my darling, all happy.and you?"å¥ "i am happy, if you are,"å¥ she returned."but i can never be happy if there is a shadow of any sort on your heart. is there,john? tell me, truly."å¥ "you mean regarding this trouble that ihear is brewing for me?"å¥

"not only that; i mean in any direction."å¥ "trouble, emily! with you in my arms! no,-athousand times no! trouble and i are strangers,-so long as i have you!"å¥ chapter iimiss mystery arrives anyone who has arrived at the railroad stationof a new england village, after dark on a very cold winter night, the train late, noone to meet him, and no place engaged for board and lodging, will know the desolationof such a situation. new england's small railroad stations aremuch alike, the crowds that alight from the trains are much alike, the people waitingon the platform for the arriving travelers

are much alike, but there came into corinthone night a passenger who was not at all like the fellow passengers on that belated train.it was a train from new york, due in corinth at five-forty, but owing to the extreme coldweather, and various untoward freezings occasioned thereby, the delays were many and long andthe train drew into the station shortly after seven o'clock. tired, hungry and impatient, the travelerscrowded out of the train and stamped through the snow to the vehicles awaiting them, orfooted it to their nearby homes. the passenger who was unlike the others steppeddown from the car platform, and holding her small suitcase firmly, crossed the track andentered the station waiting room. she went

to the ticket window but found there no attendant.impatiently she tapped her little foot on the old board floor but no one appeared. "agent,"å¥ she called out, rapping withher knuckles on the window shelf, "agent,-where are you?"å¥ "who's there? what d'y' want?"å¥ growleda surly voice, and a head appeared at the ticket window. "i want somebody to look after me! i'malone, and i want a porter, and i want a conveyance and i want some information."å¥ "oh, you do! well, i can't supply portersnor yet conveyances; but information i may

be able to give you."å¥ "very well then,"å¥ and a pair of big, darkeyes seemed to pierce his very brain. "then tell me where i can find the best accommodationsin corinth."å¥ the now roused agent looked more interestedlyat the inquirer. he saw a mere slip of a girl, young, slender,and very alert of manner. her dark, grave little face was oval, and her eyes had a strangeuncanny way of roving quickly about, and coming suddenly back, greatly disconcerting the stolidticket agent. this agent was not unused to girls,-a collegetown is often invaded by hordes of smart young women, pretty girls and gay hoydens. manyjunes he had sold tickets or given information

to hundreds of feminine inquirers but nonehad ever seemed quite like this one. "best accommodations?"å¥ he repeated stupidly. "you heard me, then! about when do you proposeto reply?"å¥ still he gazed at her in silence, runningover in his mind the various boarding houses, and finding none he thought she'd like. "there's a rule of the railroad companythat questions must be answered the same day they're asked,"å¥ she said, witheringly,and picking up her suitcase she started for the door, feeling that any one she might findwould know more than this dummy. "wait,-oh, i say, miss, wait a minute."å¥

"i did,"å¥ she said coolly, proceeding tothe door. "but,-oh, hold on,-try old salt adams,-youcouldn't do better."å¥ "where is it?"å¥ she deigned to pause amoment, and he replied quickly: "he's right outside,-hurry up out,-youcan catch him!"å¥ here was something she could understand, andshe hurried up out, just in time to see an old man with long white beard jump into hissleigh and begin to tuck fur robes about him. "he sprang to his sleigh,-to his teamgave a whistle,-"å¥ she quoted to herself, and then cried out, "hey, there, santa claus,give me a lift?"å¥ "you engaged for our house?"å¥ the man calledback, and as she shook her head, he gathered

up his reins. "can't take any one not engaged,"å¥ hecalled back, "giddap!"å¥ "wait,-wait! i command you!"å¥ the sharp,clear young voice rang out through the cold winter air, and old saltonstall adams pausedto listen. "ho, ho,"å¥ he chuckled, "you commandme, do you? now, i haven't been commanded for something like fifty years."å¥ "oh, don't stop to fuss,"å¥ the girl exclaimed,angrily. "don't you see i'm cold, hungry and very uncomfortable? you have a boardinghouse,-i want board,-now, you take me in. do you hear?"å¥

"sure i hear, but, miss, we've only somany rooms and they're all occupied or engaged."å¥ "some are engaged, but as yet unoccupied?"å¥the dark eyes challenged him, and adams mumbled,-"well, that's about it."å¥ "very well, i will occupy one until theengager comes along. let me get in. no, i can manage my suitcase myself. you get mytrunk,-here's the check. or will you send for that tomorrow?"å¥ "why wait? might's well get it now-ifso be you're bound to bide. 'fraid to wait in the sleigh alone?"å¥ "i'm afraid of nothing,"å¥ was the disdainfulanswer, and the girl pulled the fur robes

up around her as she sat in the middle ofthe back seat. shortly, old salt returned with the trunkon his shoulder, and put it in the front with himself, and they started. "don't try to talk,"å¥ he called backto her, as the horses began a rapid trot. "i can't hear you against this wind."å¥ "i've no intention of talking,"å¥ thegirl replied, but the man couldn't hear her. the wind blew fiercely. it was snowinga little, and the drifts sent feathery clouds through the air. the trees, coated with icefrom a recent sleet storm, broke off crackling bits of ice as they passed. the girl lookedabout, at first curiously, and then timidly,

as if frightened by what she saw. it was not a long ride, and they stopped beforea large house, showing comfortably lighted windows and a broad front door that swungopen even as the girl was getting down from the sleigh. "for the land sake!"å¥ exclaimed a briskfeminine voice, "this ain't letty! who in the earth have you got here?"å¥ "i don't know,"å¥ old salt adams replied,truthfully. "take her along, mother, and give her a night's lodging."å¥ "but where is letty? didn't she come?"å¥

"now can't you see she didn't come?do you s'pose i left her at the station? or dumped her out along the road? no-sinceyou will have it, she didn't come. she didn't come!"å¥ old salt drove on toward the barns, and mrs.adams bade the girl go into the house. the landlady followed, and as she saw thestrange guest she gazed at her in frank curiosity. "you want a room, i s'pose,"å¥ she began."but, i'm sorry to say we haven't one vacant-"å¥ "oh, i'll take letty's. she didn'tcome, you see, so i can take her room for tonight."å¥

"letty wouldn't like that."å¥ "but i would. and i'm here and letty isn't.shall we go right up?"å¥ picking up her small suitcase, the girl startedand then stepped back for the woman to lead the way. "not quite so fast-if you please. whatis your name?"å¥ as the landlady's tone changed to a sternerinflection, the girl likewise grew dignified. "my name is anita austin,"å¥ she said, coldly."i came here because i was told it was the best house in corinth."å¥ "where are you from?"å¥

"new york city."å¥ "what address?"å¥ "plaza hotel."å¥ by this time the strange dark eyes had donetheir work. a steady glance from anita austin seemed to compel all the world to do her bidding.at any rate, mrs. adams took the suitcase, and without a further word conducted the strangerupstairs. she took her into an attractive bedroom, presumablymade ready for the absent letty. "this will do,"å¥ miss austin said, calmly."will you send me up a tray of supper? i don't want much, and i prefer not to comedown to dinner."å¥

"land sake, dinner's over long ago. youwant some tea, 'n' bread, 'n' butter, 'n' preserves, 'n' cake?"å¥ "yes, thank you, that sounds good. sendit in half an hour."å¥ to her guest mrs. adams showed merely a faceof acquiescence, but once outside the door, and released from the spell of those eerieeyes, she remarked to herself, "for the land sake!"å¥ with great emphasis. "well, what do you know about that!"å¥ oldsalt adams cried, when, after she had started him on his supper, his wife related the episode. "i can't make her out,"å¥ mrs. adams said,thoughtfully. "but i don't like her. and

i won't keep her. tomorrow, you take herover to belton's."å¥ "just as you say. but i thought her kindainteresting looking. you can't say she isn't that."å¥ "maybe so, to some folks. not to me. andletty'll come tomorrow, so that girl'll have to get out of the room."å¥ meanwhile "that girl"å¥ was eagerly peeringout of her window. she tried to discern which were the lightsof the college buildings, but through the still lightly falling snow, she could seebut little, and after a time, she gave up the effort. she drew her head back into theroom just as a tap at the door announced her

supper. "thank you,"å¥ she said to the maid whobrought it. "set it on that stand, please. it looks very nice."å¥ and then, sitting comfortably in an easy chair,robed in warm dressing gown and slippers, miss anita austin devoted a pleasant halfhour to the simple but thoroughly satisfactory meal. this finished, she wrote some letters. notmany, indeed, but few as they were, the midnight hour struck before she sealed the last envelopeand wrote the last address. then, prepared for bed, she again looked fromthe window, and gazed long into the night.

"corinth,"å¥ she whispered, "oh, corinth,what do you hold for me? what fortune or misfortune will you bring me? what fortune or misfortuneshall i bring to others? oh, justice, justice, what crimes are committed in thy name!"å¥ the next morning anita appeared in the dining-roomat the breakfast hour. mrs. adams scanned her sharply, and lookeda little disapprovingly at the short, scant skirt and slim, silken legs of her new boarder. anita, her dark eyes scanning her hostesswith equal sharpness, seemed to express an equal disapproval of the country-cut ginghamand huge white apron. not at all obtuse, mrs. adams sensed this,and her tone was a little more deferential

than she had at first intended to make it. "will you sit here, please, miss austin?"å¥she indicated a chair next herself. "no, thank you, i'll sit by my friend,"å¥and the girl slipped into a vacant chair next saltonstall adams. old salt gave a furtive glance at his wife,and suppressed a chuckle at her surprise. "this is mr. tyler's place,"å¥ he saidto the usurper, "but i expect he'll let you have it this once."å¥ "i mean to have it all the time,"å¥ andanita nodded gravely at her host. "all the time is this one meal only,"å¥crisply put in mrs. adams. "i'm sorry,

miss austin, but we can't keep you here.i have no vacant room."å¥ the entrance of some other people gave anitaa chance to speak in an undertone to mr. adams, and she said; "you'll let me stay till letty comes,won't you? i suppose you are boss in your own house."å¥ as a matter of fact almost any phrase wouldhave described the man better than "boss in his own house,"å¥ but the idea tickledhis sense of irony, and he chuckled as he replied, "you bet i am! here you stay-aslong as you want to."å¥ "you're my friend, then?"å¥ and an appealingglance was shot at him from beneath long,

curling lashes, that proved the complete undoingof saltonstall adams. "to the death!"å¥ he whispered, in mockdramatic manner. anita gave a shiver. "what a way to putit!"å¥ she cried. "i mean to live forever, sir!"å¥ "doubtless,"å¥ old salt returned, placidly."you're a freak-aren't you?"å¥ "that isn't a very pretty way of expressingit, but i suppose i am,"å¥ and a mutinous look passed over the strange little face. in repose, the face was oval, serene, andregular of feature. but when the girl smiled or spoke or frowned, changes took place, andthe mobile countenance grew soft with laughter

or hard with scorn. and scorn was plainly visible when, a momentlater, adams introduced robert tyler, a fellow boarder, to miss austin. she gave him first a conventional glance,then, as he dropped into the chair next hers, and said, "only too glad to give up my place to apeach,"å¥ she turned on him a flashing glance, that, as he expressed it afterward, "wipedhim off the face of the earth."å¥ nor could he reinstate himself in her goodgraces. he tried a penitent attitude, bravado, jocularity and indifference, but one and allfailed to engage her interest or even attention.

she answered his remarks with calm, curt speechesthat left him baffled and uncertain whether he wanted to bow down and worship her, orwring her neck. old salt adams took this all in, his amusementgiving way to curiosity and then to wonder. who was this person, who looked like a young,very young girl, yet who had all the mental powers of an experienced woman? what was sheand what her calling? the other boarders appeared, those nearestanita were introduced, and most of them considered her merely a pretty, new guest. her mannerswere irreproachable, her demeanor quiet and graceful, yet as adams covertly watched her,he felt as if he were watching an inactive volcano.

the meal over, he detained her a moment inthe dining-room. "why are you here, miss austin?"å¥ he said,courteously; "what is your errand in corinth?"å¥ "i am an artist,"å¥ she said, looking athim with her mysterious intent gaze. "or, perhaps i should say an art student. i'vebeen told that there are beautiful bits of winter scenery available for subjects here,and i want to sketch. please, mr. adams, let me stay here until letty comes."å¥ a sudden twinkle in her eye startled the oldman, and he said quickly, "how do you know she isn't coming?"å¥ that, in turn, surprised anita, but she onlysmiled, and replied, "i saw a telegram handed

to mrs. adams at breakfast-and then shelooked thoughtfully at me, and-oh, well, i just sort of knew it was to say letty couldn'tcome."å¥ "you witch! you uncanny thing! if i shouldtake you over to salem, they'd burn you!"å¥ "i'll ride over on a broomstick some day,and see if they will,"å¥ she returned, gleefully. and then along came nemesis, in the personof the landlady. "i'm sorry, miss austin,"å¥ she began,but the girl interrupted her. "please, mrs. adams,"å¥ she said, pleadingly,"don't say any thing to make me sorry, too! now, you want to say you haven't anyroom for me-but that isn't true; so you don't know what to say to get rid of me.but-why do you want to get rid of me?"å¥

esther adams looked at the girl and that lookwas her undoing. such a pathetic face, such pleading eyes,such a wistful curved mouth, the landlady couldn't resist, and against her will, againsther better judgment, she said, "well, then, stay, you poor little thing. but you musttell me more about yourself. i don't know who you are."å¥ "i don't know, myself,"å¥ the strangegirl returned. "do we, any of us know who we are? we go through this world, strangersto each other-don't we? and also, strangers to ourselves."å¥ her eyes took on a faraway,mystical look. "if i find out who i am, i'll let you know."å¥

then a dazzling smile broke over her face,they heard a musical ripple of laughter, and she was gone. they heard her steps, as she ran upstairsto her room, and the two adamses looked at each other. "daffy,"å¥ said mrs. adams. "a littletouched, poor child. i believe she has run away from home or from her keepers. we'llhear the truth soon. they'll be looking for her."å¥ "perhaps,"å¥ said her husband, doubtfully."but that isn't the way i size her up. she's nobody's fool, that girl. wish you'dseen her give bob tyler his comeuppance!"å¥

"what'd she say?"å¥ "'twasn't what she said, so much asthe look she gave him! he almost went through the floor. well, she says she's a painterof scenery and landscapes. let her stay a few days, till i size her up."å¥ "you size her up!"å¥ returned his wife,with good-natured contempt. "if she smiles on you or gives you a bit of taffy-talk, you'llsize her up for an angel! i'm not so sure she isn't quite the opposite!"å¥ meanwhile the subject of their discussionwas arraying herself for a walk. equipped with storm boots and fur coat, she set outto inspect corinth. a jaunty fur cap, with

one long, red quill feather gave her stillmore the appearance of an elf or gnome, and many of the adams house boarders watched thelittle figure as she set forth to brave the icy streets. apparently she had no fixed plan of procedure,for at each corner, she looked about, and chose her course at random. the snow had ceasedduring the night, and it was very cold, with a clear sunshiny frostiness in the air thatmade the olive cheeks red and glowing. reaching a bridge, she paused and stood lookingover the slight railing into the frozen ravine below. long she stood, until passers-by began tostare at her. she was unaware of this, absorbed

in her thoughts and oblivious to all abouther. pinckney payne, coming along, saw her, and,as he would have expressed it, fell for her at once. "don't do it, sister!"å¥ he said, pausingbeside her. "don't end your young life on this glorious day! suicide is a mess, atbest. take my advice and cut it out!"å¥ she turned, ready to freeze him with a glancemore icy even than the landscape, but his frank, roguish smile disarmed her. "freshman?"å¥ she said, patronizingly, butit didn't abash him. "yep. pinckney payne, if you must know.commonly called pinky."å¥

"i don't wonder,"å¥ and she noticed hisred cheeks. "well, now that you're properly introduced, tell me some of the buildings.what's that one?"å¥ "dormitories. and that,"å¥ pointing, "isthe church."å¥ "really! and that beautiful colonnade one?"å¥ "that's doctor waring's home. him asis going to be next prexy."å¥ "and that? and that?"å¥ he replied to all her questions, and kepthis eyes fastened on her bewitching face. never had pinky seen a girl just like this.she looked so young, so merry, and yet her restless, roving eyes seemed full of hiddenfire and tempestuous excitement.

"where you from?"å¥ he said, abruptly. "whereyou staying?"å¥ "at mrs. adams,"å¥ she returned, "is ita good house?"å¥ "best in town. awful hard to get into. alwaysfull up. relative of hers?"å¥ "no, just a boarder. i chanced to get aroom some one else engaged and couldn't use."å¥ "you're lucky. met bob tyler?"å¥ "yes."å¥ "you don't like him! i see that. met gordonlockwood?"å¥ "no; who's he?"å¥

"he's doctor waring's secretary, buthe's mighty worthwhile on his own account. i say, may i come to see you?"å¥ "thank you, no. i'm not receiving callers-yet."å¥ "well, you will be soon-because i'mcoming. i say my aunt lives next door to adams'. may i bring her to call on you?"å¥ "not yet, please. i'm not settled."å¥ "soon's you say the word, then. my auntis mrs. bates, and she's a love. she's going to marry doctor waring-so you seewe're the right sort of people."å¥ "there are no right sort of people,"å¥ saidthe girl, and, turning, she walked away.

chapter iiithirteen buttons apparently miss austin's statement thatthere were no right sort of people was her own belief, for she made no friends at theadams house. nor was this the fault of her fellow-boarders. they were more than willingto be friendly, but their overtures were invariably ignored. not rudely, for miss austin seemed to be agirl of culture and her manners were correct, but, as one persistent matron expressed it,"you can't get anywhere with her."å¥ she talked to no one at the table, merelyanswering a direct question if put to her. she retained the seat next old salt, seemingto rely on him to protect her from the advances

of the others. not that she needed protection,exactly, for miss anita austin was evidently quite able to take care of herself. but she was a mystery-and mysteries provokeinquiry. the house was not a large one, and the two-scoreboarders, though they would have denied an imputation of curiosity, were exceedinglyinterested in learning the facts about miss mystery, as they had come to call her. mrs. adams was one of the most eager of allto know the truth, but, as he did on rare occasions, old salt adams had set down hisfoot that the girl was not to be annoyed. "i don't know who she is or where shehails from,"å¥ he told his wife, "but as

long as she stays here, she's not to bepestered by a lot of gossiping old hens. when she does anything you don't like, send heraway; but so long's she's under my roof, she's got to be let alone."å¥ and let alone she was-not so much becauseof adams' dictum as because "pestering"å¥ did little good. the girl had a disconcerting way of lookingan inquisitor straight in the eyes, and then, with a monosyllabic reply, turning and walkingoff as if the other did not exist. "why,"å¥ said miss bascom, aggrievedly relatingher experience, "i just said, politely, " are you from new york or where, miss austin?'and she turned those big, black eyes on me,

and said, " where.' then she turned herback and looked out of the window, as if she had wiped me off the face of the earth!"å¥ "she's too young to act like that,"å¥opined mrs. welby. "oh, she isn't so terribly young,"å¥ missbascom returned. "she's too experienced to be so very young."å¥ "how do you know she's experienced? whatmakes you say that?"å¥ "why,"å¥ miss bascom hesitated for words,"she's-sort of sophisticated-you can see that from her looks. i mean when anythingis discussed at the table, she doesn't say a word, but you can tell from her face thatshe knows all about it-i mean a matter of

general interest, don't you know. i don'tmean local matters."å¥ "she's an intelligent girl, i know, butthat doesn't make her out old. i don't believe she's twenty."å¥ "oh, she is! why, she's twenty-five ortwenty-seven!"å¥ "never in the world! i'm going to askher."å¥ "ask her!"å¥ miss bascom laughed. "you'llget well snubbed if you do."å¥ but this prophecy only served to egg mrs.welby on, and she took the first occasion to carry out her promise. she met anita in the hall, as the girl wasabout to go out, and smilingly detained her.

"why so aloof, my dear,"å¥ she said, playfully."you rarely give us a chance to entertain you."å¥ as mrs. welby was between anita and the door,the girl was forced to pause. she looked the older woman over, with an appraising glancethat was not rude, but merely disinterested. "no?"å¥ she said, with a curious risinginflection, that somehow seemed meant to close the incident. but mrs. welby was not so easily baffled. "no,"å¥ she repeated, smilingly. "andwe want to know you better. you're too young and too pretty not to be a general favoriteamongst us. how old are you, my dear child?"å¥

"just a hundred,"å¥ and miss austin'sdark eyes were so grave, and seemed to hold such a world of wisdom and experience thatmrs. welby almost jumped. too amazed to reply, she even let the girlget past her, and out of the street door, before she recovered her poise. "she's uncanny,"å¥ mrs. welby declared,when telling miss bascom of the interview. "i give you my word, when she said that,she looked a hundred!"å¥ "looked a hundred! what do you mean?"å¥ "just that. her eyes seemed to hold allthere is of knowledge, yes-and of evil-"å¥ "evil! my goodness!"å¥ miss bascom rolledthis suggestion like a sweet morsel under

her tongue. "oh-i don't say there's anything wrongabout the girl-"å¥ "well! if her eyes showed depths of evil,i should say there was something wrong!"å¥ the episode was repeated from one to anotherof the exclusive clientele of the adams house, until, by exaggeration and imagination itgrew into quite a respectable arraignment of miss mystery, and branded her as a doubtfulcharacter if not a dangerous one. before miss austin had been in the house aweek, she had definitely settled her status from her own point of view. uniformly correct and courteous of manner,she rarely spoke, save when necessary. it

was as if she had declared, "i will nottalk. if this be mystery, make the most of it."å¥ old salt, apparently, backed her up in thisdetermination, and allowed her to sit next him at table, without addressing her at all. more, he often took it upon himself to answera remark or question meant for her and for this he sometimes received a fleeting glance,or a ghost of a smile of approval and appreciation. but all this was superficial. the adamses,between themselves, decided that miss austin was more deeply mysterious than was shownby her disinclination to make friends. they concluded she was transacting important businessof some sort, and that her sketching of the

winter scenery, which she did every clearday, was merely a blind. though mrs. adams resented this, and urgedher husband to send the girl packing, old salt demurred. "she's done no harm as yet,"å¥ he said."she's a mystery, but not a wrong one, 's far's i can make out. let her alone,mother. i've got my eye on her."å¥ "i've got my two eyes on her, and i cansee more'n you can. why, salt, that girl don't hardly sleep at all. night after night,she sits up looking out of the window, over toward the college buildings-"å¥ "how do you know?"å¥

"i go and listen at her door,"å¥ mrs. adamsadmitted, without embarrassment. "i want to know what she's up to."å¥ "you can't see her."å¥ "no, but i hear her moving around restlessly,and putting the window up and down-and miss bascom-her room's cornerways on the ell,she says she sees her looking out the window late at night 'most every night."å¥ "miss bascom's a meddling old maid, andi'd put her out of this house before i would the little girl."å¥ "of course you would! you're all set upbecause she makes so much of you-"å¥

"oh, come now, esther, you can't say thatchild makes much of me! i wish she would. i've taken a fancy to her."å¥ "yes, because she's pretty-in a gipsy,witch-like fashion. what men see in a pair of big black eyes, and a dark, sallow face,i don't know!"å¥ "not sallow,"å¥ old salt said, reflectively;"olive, rather-but not sallow."å¥ "oh you!"å¥ exclaimed mrs. adams, and withthat cryptic remark the subject was dropped. gordon lockwood, secretary of john waring,had a room at the adams house. but as he took no meals there save his breakfasts, and ashe ate those early, he had not yet met anita austin.

but one saturday morning, he chanced to belate, and the two sat at table together. an astute reader of humanity, lockwood atonce became interested in the girl, and realized that to win her attention he must not be eageror insistent. he spoke only one or two of the merest commonplaces,until almost at the close of the meal, he said: "can i do anything for you, miss austin?if you would care to hear any of the college lectures, i can arrange it."å¥ "who are the speakers?"å¥ she turned her eyes fully upon him, and gordonlockwood marveled at their depth and beauty.

"tonight,"å¥ he replied, "doctor waringis to lecture on egyptian archaeology. are you interested in that?"å¥ "yes,"å¥ she said, "very much so. i'dlike to go."å¥ "you certainly may, then. just use thiscard."å¥ he took a card from his pocket, scribbleda line across it, and gave it to her. without another word, he finished his breakfast, andwith a mere courteous bow, he left the room. miss austin's face took on a more scrutablelook than ever. the card still in her hand, she went up toher room. unheeding the maid, who was at her duties there, the girl threw herself intoa big chair and sat staring at the card.

"the egyptian temples,"å¥ she said to herself,"doctor john waring."å¥ the maid looked at her curiously as she murmuredthe words half aloud, but miss austin paid no heed. "go on with your work, nora, don't mindme,"å¥ she said, at last, as the chambermaid paused inquiringly in front of her. "i don'tmind your being here until you finish what you have to do. and i wish you'd bring mea corinth paper, please?' there is one, isn't there?"å¥ "oh, yes, ma'am. twice a week."å¥ nora disappeared and returned with a paper.

"mr. adams says you may have this to keep.it's the newest one."å¥ the girl took it and turned to find the collegeannouncements. the egyptian lecture was mentioned, and in another column was a short articleregarding doctor waring and a picture of him. long the girl looked at the picture, and whenthe maid, her tasks completed, left the room, she noticed miss austin still staring at thefine face of the president-elect of the university of corinth. after a time, she reached for a pair of scissors,and cut out the portrait and the article which it illustrated. she put the clipping in a portfolio, whichshe then locked in her trunk, and the picture

she placed on her dresser. that night she went to the lecture. she wentalone, for gordon lockwood did not reappear and no one else knew of her going. "shall i have a key, or will you be up?"å¥she asked of mrs. adams, as she left the house. "oh, we'll be up."å¥ the round, shrewdeyes looked at her kindly. "you're lucky to get a ticket. doctor waring's lecturesare crowded."å¥ "good night,"å¥ said miss austin, and wentaway. the lecture room was partly filled when shearrived, and her ticket entitled her to a seat near the front.

being seated, she fell into a brown study,or, at least, sat motionless and apparently in deep thought. gordon lockwood, already there, saw her comein, and after she was in her place, he quietly arose and went across the room, taking a seatdirectly behind her. of this she was quite unaware, and the studentof human nature gave himself up to a scrutiny of the stranger. he saw a little head, its mass of dark, almostblack hair surmounted by a small turban shaped hat, of taupe colored velvet, with a curlyostrich tip nestling over one ear. not that her ears were visible, for miss austinwas smartly groomed and her whole effect modish.

she had removed her coat, which she held inher lap. her frock was taupe colored, of a soft woolen material, ornamented with manysmall buttons. these tiny buttons formed two rows down her back, from either shoulder tothe waist line, and they also formed a border round the sailor collar. they were, perhaps, lockwood decided, littleballs, rather than buttons, and he idly counted them as he sat watching her. he hoped she would turn her head a trifle,but she sat as motionless as a human being may. he marveled at her stillness, and impatientlywaited for the lecture to begin that he might

note her interest. at last doctor waring appeared on the platform,and as the applause resounded all over the room, lockwood was almost startled to observemiss austin's actions. she clasped her hands together as if she hadreceived a sudden shock. she-if it hadn't seemed too absurd,-he would have said thatshe trembled. at any rate she was a little agitated, and it was with an effort that shepreserved her calm. no one else noticed her, and lockwood would not have done so, savefor his close watching. throughout the lecture, miss austin's gazeseemed never to leave the face of the speaker, and lockwood marveled that waring himselfwas not drawn to notice her.

but waring's calm gaze, though it traveledover the audience, never rested definitely on any one face, and lockwood concluded herecognized nobody. "miss mystery!"å¥ gordon lockwood said tohimself. "i wonder who and what you are. probably a complex nature, psychic and imaginative.you think it interesting to come up here and pretend to be a mystery. but you're tooyoung and too innocent to be-i'm not so sure of the innocent, though,-and as toyouth,-well, i don't believe you're much older than you look any way. and you'reconfoundedly pretty-beautiful, rather. you've too much in your face to call it merely pretty.i've never seen such possibilities of character. you're either a deep one or your looks belieyou."å¥

lockwood heard no word of the lecture, nordid he wish to; he had helped in the writing of it, and almost knew it by heart anyway.but he was really intrigued by this mysterious girl, and he determined to get to know her. he had been told, of course, of the futileattempts of the other boarders to make friends with her, but he had faith in his own attractivenessand in his methods of procedure. pinky payne, too, had told of the interviewhe had on the bridge. his account of the girl's beauty and charm had first roused lockwood'sinterest, and now he was making a study of the whole situation. idly he counted the buttons again. there werethirteen across the collar. the vertical rows

he could not be sure of as the back of theseat cut off their view. "thirteen,"å¥ he mused; "an unlucky number.and the poor child looks unlucky. there's a sadness in her eyes that must mean something.yet there's more than sadness,-there's a hint of cruelty,-a possibility of desperatedeeds."å¥ and then lockwood laughed at himself. to romancethus about a girl to whom he had not said half a dozen sentences in his life! yet heknew he was not mistaken. all that he had read in anita austin's face, he was surewas there. he knew physiognomy, and rarely, if ever, was mistaken in his reading thereof. after the lecture was over, miss austin wenthome as quickly as possible.

lockwood would have liked to escort her, buthe had to remain to report to doctor waring, who might have some orders for him. there were none, however, and after a shortinterview with his employer, gordon lockwood went home. as he went softly upstairs to his room inthe adams house, he passed the door of what he knew to be miss austin's room. he fanciedhe heard a stifled sob come from behind that closed door, and instinctively paused to listena moment. yes, he was not mistaken. another sob followed,quickly suppressed, but he could have no doubt the girl was crying.

for a moment lockwood was tempted to go backand ask mrs. adams to come and tap at the girl's door. then he realized that it was not his affair.if the girl was in sorrow or if she wanted to cry for any reason, it was not his placeto send someone to intrude upon her. he went on to his own room, but he sat up for a longtime thinking over the strange young woman in the house. he remembered that she had paid undeviatingattention to the lecture, quite evidently following the speaker with attention and interest.he remembered every detail of her appearance, her pretty dark hair showing beneath her littlevelvet toque,-the absurd buttons on the

back of her frock. "that will do, gordon, old man,"å¥ he toldhimself at last. better let her alone. she's a siren all right, but you know nothing abouther, and you've no reason to try to learn more. and then he heard voices in the hall. lowof tone, but angry of inflection. "she threw it away!"å¥ miss austin was saying;"i tell you she threw it away!"å¥ "there, there,"å¥ came mrs. adams' placatingvoice, "what if she did? it was only a newspaper scrap. she didn't know it was of any value."å¥ "but i want it! nora has no business tothrow away my things! she had no reason to

touch it; it was on the dresser-standingup against the mirror frame. what do you suppose she did with it?"å¥ "never mind it tonight. tomorrow we willask her. she's gone to bed."å¥ "but i'm afraid she destroyed it!"å¥ "probably she did. don't take on so. whatpaper was it?"å¥ "the corinth gazette."å¥ "the new one?"å¥ "i don't know. the one she brought methis afternoon."å¥ "well, if she has thrown it away, you canget another copy. what was in it that you

want so much?"å¥ "oh,-nothing special."å¥ "yes, it was."å¥ mrs. adams' curiositywas aroused now. "come, tell me what it was."å¥ "well, it was only a picture of doctor waring,the man who lectured tonight."å¥ "such a fuss about that! my goodness! why,you can get a picture of him anywhere."å¥ "but i want it now."å¥ an obstinate note rang in the young voice.perhaps miss austin spoke louder than she meant to, but at any rate, lockwood heardmost of the conversation, and he now opened

his door, and said: "may i offer a photograph? would you careto have this, miss austin?"å¥ the girl looked at him with a white, angryface. "how dare you!"å¥ she cried; "how dareyou eavesdrop and listen to a conversation not meant for your ears? don't speak tome!"å¥ she drew up her slender figure and lookedlike a wrathful pixie defying a giant. for lockwood was a big man, and loomed far abovethe slight, dainty figure of miss mystery. he smiled good-naturedly as he said, "nowdon't get wrathy. i don't mean any harm. but you wanted a picture of doctor waring,and i've several of them. you see, i'm

his secretary."å¥ "oh,-are you! his private secretary?"å¥ "yes-his confidential one,-though hehas few confidences. he's a public man and his life is an open book."å¥ "oh, it is!"å¥ the girl had recovered herpoise, and with it her ability to be sarcastic. "known to all men, i suppose?"å¥ "known to all men,"å¥ repeated lockwood,thinking far more of the girl he was speaking to than of what he was saying. for, again he had fallen under the spell ofher strange personality. he watched her, fascinated,

as she reached out for the picture and almostsnatched at it in her eagerness. mrs. adams yawned behind her plump hand. "now you've got your picture, go to bed,child,"å¥ she said with a kind, motherly smile. "i'll come in and unhook you, shall i?"å¥ obediently, and without a word of good nightto lockwood, anita turned and went into her room, followed by mrs. adams. the good ladyoffered no disinterested service. she wanted to know why miss austin wanted that pictureso much. but she didn't find out. after being of such help as she could, the landladyfound herself pleasantly but definitely dismissed. outside the door, however, she turned andreopened it. miss mystery, unnoticing the

intruder, was covering the photograph withmany and passionate kisses. chapter iva broken teacup "i'll tell her you're here, but i'mnoways sure she'll see you."å¥ mrs. adams stood, her hand on the doorknob,as she looked doubtfully at emily bates and her nephew. "why not?"å¥ asked mrs. bates, in astonishment,and pinky echoed, "why not, mrs. adams?"å¥ "she's queer."å¥ mrs. adams came backinto the room, closed the door, and spoke softly. "that's what she is, mrs. bates,queer. i can't make her out. she's been here more'n a week now, and i do say shegets queerer every day. won't make friends

with anybody,-won't speak at all at thetable,-never comes and sits with us of an afternoon or evening,-just keeps to herself.now, that ain't natural for a young girl."å¥ "how old is she?"å¥ "nobody knows. she looks like nineteen ortwenty, but she has the ways of a woman of forty,-as far's having her own way'sconcerned. then again, she'll pet the cat or smile up at mr. adams like a child. i can'tmake her out at all. the boarders are all fearfully curious-that's one reason itake her part. they're a snoopy lot, and i make them let her alone."å¥ "you like her, then?"å¥

"you can't help liking her,-yet sheis exasperating. you ask her a question, and she stares at you and walks off. not reallyrude,-but just as if you weren't there! well, i'll tell her you're here, anyway."å¥ it was only by his extraordinary powers ofpersuasion that pinky payne had won his aunt's consent to make this call, and, being sundayafternoon, the recognized at-home day in corinth, they had gone to the adams house unannounced,and asked for miss austin. upstairs, mrs. adams tapped at the girl'sdoor. it was opened slowly,-it would seem, grudgingly,-andanita looked out inquiringly. "callers for you, miss austin,"å¥ the landladysaid, cheerily.

"for me? i know no one."å¥ "oh, now, you come on down. it's mrs.bates, and her nephew, pinky payne. they're our best people-"å¥ "what makes you think i want to see yourbest people?"å¥ "i don't say you do, but they want tosee you,-and-oh, pshaw, now, be a little sociable. it won't hurt you."å¥ "please say to mrs. bates that i have nodesire to form new acquaintances, and i beg to be excused from appearing."å¥ "but do you know who she is? she's thelady that's going to marry doctor waring,

the new president. and pinckney payne, hercousin, is a mighty nice boy."å¥ mrs. adams thought she detected an expressionof wavering on the girl's face, and she followed up her advantage. "yes, he's an awfully nice chap and justabout your age, i should judge."å¥ "i'll go down,"å¥ said miss austin, briefly,and mrs. adams indulged in a sly smile of satisfaction. "it's pinky that fetched her,"å¥ she thoughtto herself. "young folks are young folks, the world over."å¥ triumphantly, mrs. adams ushered anita intothe small parlor.

"mrs. bates,"å¥ she said, "and mr. payne,-missaustin."å¥ then she left them, for esther adams had strictnotions of her duties as a boarding-house landlady. "mrs. bates?"å¥ anita said, going to herand taking her hand. "yes, miss austin,-i am very glad to knowyou."å¥ but the words ceased suddenly as emily bateslooked into the girl's eyes. such a depth of sorrow was there, such unmistakable tragedyand a hint of fear. what could it all mean? surely this was a strange girl. "we have never met before, have we?"å¥ mrs.bates said,-almost involuntarily, for the

girl's gaze was too intent to be given toa stranger. "no,"å¥ anita said, recovering her poisesteadily but slowly,-"not that i remember."å¥ "we have,"å¥ burst forth the irrepressiblepinky. "i say, miss austin, please realize that i'm here as well as my more celebratedaunt! don't you remember the morning i met you on the bridge,-and you were just aboutto throw yourself over the parapet?"å¥ "oh, no, i wasn't,"å¥ and a delightfulsmile lighted the dark little face. the lips were very scarlet, but it was unmistakablynature's own red, and as they parted over even and pearly teeth, the smile transformedmiss austin into a real beauty. it disappeared quickly, however, and pinkypayne thenceforward made it his earnest endeavor

to bring it back as often as possible. "of course you weren't,"å¥ agreed mrs.bates, "don't pay any attention to that foolish boy."å¥ "i'm a very nice boy, if i am foolish,"å¥pinky declared, but miss austin vaguely ignored him, and kept her intent gaze fixed on emilybates. "we thought perhaps you would go with usover to doctor waring's for tea,"å¥ mrs. bates said, after an interval of aimless chat."it would, i am sure be a pleasant experience for you. wouldn't you like it?"å¥ "doctor waring's?"å¥ repeated anita, hervoice low and tense, as if the idea was of

more importance than it seemed. "yes; i may take you, for the doctor ismy fiance,-we are to be married next month."å¥ "no!"å¥ cried the girl, with such a sharpintonation that mrs. bates was startled. "sure they are,"å¥ put in pinky, anxiousto cover up any eccentricity on the part of this girl in whom he took an increasing interest."they're as blissful as two young turtle-doves. come on, miss austin, let's go over there.it's a duck of a house to go to, and jolly good people there. the view from the studywindow is worth going miles to see. you're an artist,-yes?"å¥ "i sketch some,"å¥ was the brief reply.

"all right; if you can find a prettier spotto sketch on this terrestrial globe than the picture by the waring study window, i'llbuy it for you! toddle up and get your hat."å¥ his gay good nature was infectious and anitasmiled again as she went for her hat and coat. the walk was but a short one, and when theyentered the waring home they found a cheery group having tea in the pleasant living room. doctor waring was not present and mrs. peytonwas pouring tea, while helen and robert tyler served it. the capable ito had always sundayafternoon for his holiday, and while nogi, the japanese second man, was willing enough,his training was incomplete, and his blunders frequent. he was a new servant, and thoughold ito had hopes of educating him, mrs. peyton

was doubtful about it. however, she thought,soon the responsibilities of the waring menage would be hers no longer, and she resolvedto get along with the inexperienced nogi while she remained. mrs. peyton was very regretful at the comingchange of affairs. she had looked upon john waring as a confirmedbachelor, and had not expected he would ever marry. now, she declared, he was marryingonly because he thought it wiser for a college president to have a wife as a part of hisdomestic outfit. helen disagreed with her mother about this.she said doctor waring had begun to take a personal interest in the attractive mrs. batesbefore he had any idea of becoming president

of the university. but it didn't matter. the wedding was imminent,and mrs. peyton had received due notice that her services would be no longer needed. it was a blow to her, and it had made herdepressed and disconsolate. also, a little resentful, even spiteful toward emily bates. the housekeeper greeted miss austin with acold smile, and then disregarded her utterly. helen was frankly curious, and met the newcomerwith full intention of finding out all about her. for helen peyton had heard of miss mysteryfrom her friend and admirer, robert tyler,

who, however, did not report that the girlhad snubbed him more than once. one or two other guests were present and,having been told of mrs. bates' arrival doctor waring and his secretary came fromthe study and joined the others at tea. with a welcoming smile, john waring greetedhis fiancee, and then mrs. bates turned to the girl she had brought. "miss austin,"å¥ she said, "let me presentdoctor waring. john,-miss anita austin."å¥ at that very moment helen peyton offered waringa cup of tea, and he was in the act of taking it from her hand when mrs. bates made theintroduction. the cup and saucer fell to the floor witha crash, and those nearest saw the doctor's

face blanch suddenly white, and his hand clenchon a nearby chair. but with a sudden, desperate effort he pulledhimself together, and gave a little laugh, as he directed nogi to remove the wreckedteacup. "pick up the four corners, and carry itall off at once,"å¥ he ordered, pointing to the small rug on which the cup had fallen,and nogi, a little clumsily, obeyed. "pardon the awkwardness, miss austin,"å¥he said, turning to smile at the girl, but even as he did so, his voice trembled, andhe turned hastily away. "what is it, john?"å¥ asked emily bates,going to his side. "are you ill?"å¥ "no,-no, dear; it's-it's all right.that foolish teacup upset my nerves. i'll

go off by myself for a few moments."å¥ somewhat abruptly, he left the room and wentback to his study. listening intently, mrs. bates heard him lockthe door on the inside. "i'm sorry,"å¥ she said, turning to anita,"but i know you'll forgive doctor waring. he is under so much strain at present, anda foolish accident, like the broken teacup, is enough to give him a nervous shock."å¥ "i know,"å¥ said the girl, sympathetically."he must be very busy and absorbed."å¥ she spoke, as she often did, in a perfunctoryway, as if not interested in what she was saying. her glance wandered and she bit herred lower lip, as if nervous herself. yet

she was exceedingly quiet and calm of demeanor,and her graceful attitudes betokened only a courteous if disinterested guest. gordon lockwood immediately followed his chiefand tapped at the locked study door. "all right, lockwood,"å¥ waring recognizedthe knock. "i don't want you now. i'll reappear shortly. go back to the tea room."å¥ willingly, lockwood went back, hoping to havea chance for conversation with miss mystery. she was chatting gayly with helen peyton,pinky and mrs. tyler. to lockwood's surprise, miss austin wasreally gay and merry and quite held her own in the chaff and repartee.

yet as lockwood noted her more closely, hisquick perception told him her gayety was forced. the secretary's ability to read human naturewas almost uncanny, and he truly believed the girl was making merry only by reason ofher firm determination to do so. why? he wondered. gordon lockwood was a rare type of man. hewas possessed of the most impassive face, the most immobile countenance imaginable.he never allowed himself to show the slightest excitement or even interest. this habit, acquiredpurposely at first, had grown upon him until it was second nature. he would not admit anythingcould move him, could stir his poise or disturb his equanimity. he heard the most gratifyingor the most exasperating news with equal attention

and equal lack of surprise or enthusiasm. yet, though this may sound unattractive, sogreat was lockwood's personality, so responsive and receptive his real nature beneath hisouter calm, that all who really knew him liked him and trusted him. waring depended on him in every respect. hewas more than a secretary to his employer. he was counselor and friend as well. and waring appreciated this, and rated lockwoodhigh in his esteem and affection. of course, with his insight, gordon lockwoodcould not be blind to the fact that both mrs. peyton and her daughter would be pleased ifhe could fall a victim to the charms of the

fair helen. nor could he evade the convictionthat mrs. peyton herself had entertained hopes of becoming mistress of the waring home, untilthe advent of emily bates had spoiled her chances. but these things were merely self-evidentfacts, and affected in no way the two men concerned. the peytons were treated with pleasant regardfor both, and that ended the matter so far as they were concerned. the subject had never been alluded to by waringor lockwood, but each understood, and when the doctor's marriage took place, that wouldautomatically end the peytons' incumbency.

and now, gordon lockwood smiled patronizinglyat himself, as he was forced to admit an unreasonable, inexplicable interest in a slip of a girlwith a dark, eerie little face and a manner grave and gay to extremes. for anita was positively laughing at somefoolishness of pinky payne's. still, lockwood concluded, watching her narrowly, yet unobserved,she was laughing immoderately. she was laughing for some reason other than merriment. it vergedon hysterical, he decided, and wondered why. he joined the group of young people, and inhis quiet but effective way, he said: "you've had enough foolery for the moment,miss austin,-come and talk to me."å¥ and to the girl's amazement, he took herhand and led her to a davenport on the other

side of the room. "there,"å¥ he said, as he arranged a pillowor two, "is that right?"å¥ "yes,"å¥ she said, and lapsed into silence. she sat, looking off into vacancy, and lockwoodstudied her. then he said, softly: "it's too bad, isn't it?"å¥ "yes,"å¥ anita sighed, and then suddenly;"what do you mean? what's too bad?"å¥ "whatever it is that troubles you."å¥ thedeep blue eyes met her own, but there was no sign of response or acquiescence on thegirl's face. "good-by,"å¥ she said, rising quickly, "imust go."å¥

"oh, no,-don't go,"å¥ cried pinky, overhearing."why, you've only just come."å¥ "yes, i must go,"å¥ said miss mystery, decidedly."good afternoon, mrs. bates, and thank you for bringing me. good afternoon, mrs. peyton."å¥ including all the others in a general bowof farewell, the strange girl went to the front door, and paused for the attendant nogito open it. door-tending the assistant butler understood,and he punctiliously waited until miss austin had buttoned her gloves and had given an adjustingpat to her veil, after a fleeting glance in the hall mirror. then he opened the door with an obsequiousair, and closed it behind her departing figure.

but it was immediately flung open again bypinky payne, who ran through it and after the girl. "wait a minute, miss austin. how fast youwalk! i'm going home with you."å¥ "please not,"å¥ she said, indifferently,scarcely glancing at him. "yep. gotto. getting near dusk, and youmight be kidnapped. needn't talk if you don't want to."å¥ "i never want to talk!"å¥ was the surprisingand crisply spoken retort. "well, didn't i say you needn't! don'tget wrathy-don't 'ee, don't 'ee-now,-as my old scotch nurse used to say."å¥

but miss mystery gave him no look, althoughshe allowed him to fall into step beside her, and the two walked rapidly along. "how'd you like the looks of the doctor?"å¥pinky asked, hoping to induce conversation. "i scarcely saw him."å¥ "oh, you saw him,-though you had smallchance to get to know him. perfect old brick, but a little on edge of late. approachingmatrimony, i suppose. did you notice his ruby stickpin?"å¥ "yes; it didn't seem to suit him at all."å¥ "no; he's a conservative dresser. butthat pin,-it's a famous gem,-was given

him by his own class,-i mean his graduatingclass, but long after they graduated, and he had to promise to wear it once a week,so he usually gets into it on sundays. it's a corking stone!"å¥ "yes,"å¥ said miss austin. on reaching the adams house, the girl saida quick good-by, and pinky payne found himself at liberty to go in and see the other membersof the household, or to go home, for miss austin disappeared into the hall and up thestaircase with the rapidity of a dissolving view. young payne turned away and strolled slowlyback to the waring home, wondering what it

was about the disagreeable young woman thatmade him pay any attention to her at all. he found her the topic of discussion whenhe arrived. "of all rude people,"å¥ mrs. peyton declared,"she was certainly the worst!"å¥ "she was!"å¥ helen agreed. "i couldn'tmake her out at all. and i don't call her pretty, either."å¥ "i do,"å¥ observed emily bates. "i callher very pretty,-and possessed of great charm."å¥ "charm!"å¥ scoffed helen; "i can't seeit."å¥ "she isn't rude,"å¥ pinky defended theabsent. "i'm sure, mrs. peyton, she made

her adieux most politely. why should she havestayed longer? she didn't know any of us,-and, perhaps she doesn't like any of us."å¥ "that's it,"å¥ gordon lockwood stated."she doesn't like us,-i'm sure of that. well, why should she, if she doesn'twant to?"å¥ "why shouldn't she?"å¥ countered tyler."she's so terribly superior,-i can't bear her. she acts as if she owned the earth,yet nobody knows who she is, or anything about her."å¥ "are we entitled to?"å¥ asked lockwood."why should we inquire into her identity or history further than she chooses to enlightenus?"å¥

"where is miss austin?"å¥ asked doctor waring,returning, quite composed and calm. "she went home,"å¥ informed mrs. bates."are you all right, john?"å¥ "oh, yes, dear. i wasn't ill, or anythinglike that. the awkward accident touched my nerves, and i wanted to run away and hide."å¥ he smiled whimsically, looking like a naughtyschoolboy, and emily bates took his hand and drew him down to a seat beside her. "what made you drop it, john?"å¥ she said,with a direct look into his eyes. he hesitated a moment, and his own glancewandered, then he said, "i don't know, emily; i suppose it was a sudden physicalcontraction of the muscles of my hand-and

i couldn't control it."å¥ mrs. bates didn't look satisfied, but shedid not pursue the subject. then the discussion of anita was resumed. "how did you like her looks, doctor waring?"å¥helen peyton asked. "i scarcely saw her,"å¥ was the quiet reply."did you all admire her?"å¥ "some of us did."å¥ mrs. bates answered;"i do, for one. did you ever see her before, john?"å¥ doctor waring stared at the question. "never,"å¥ he declared. "how could i havedone so?"å¥

"i don't know, i'm sure,"å¥ mrs. bateslaughed. "i just had a sort of an impression-"å¥ "no, dear, i never saw the girl before inmy life,"å¥ waring reasserted. "and you need never want to see her again,"å¥robert tyler informed him. "she's sulky, silly and supercilious. she's a mystery,they say, but i say she merely wants to be thought a mystery to make a little sensation.i can't abide that sort."å¥ helen peyton heard this with undisguised satisfaction,for she had quite enough girls in her life to be jealous and envious of, without addinganother to the list. also, she especially wanted to retain the admiration of roberttyler, and was glad to know it was not newly endangered.

"miss austin is very beautiful,"å¥ gordonlockwood declared, in his usual way of summing up a discussion and announcing his own opinionas final. "also, she is a mystery. i live in the same boarding house-"å¥ "so do i,"å¥ put in tyler, "and she snubsus both."å¥ "she hasn't snubbed me,"å¥ said lockwood,simply. "never mind, oscar, she will!"å¥ returnedtyler, and then laughed immoderately at his own would-be wit. chapter vthe tragedy that same sunday evening the waring householddined alone. oftener than not there were guests,

but tonight there were only the two peytons,lockwood and john waring himself. ito, the butler, had holiday sunday afternoonand evening, and nogi, the second and less experienced man, was trying his best to satisfythe exactions of mrs. peyton as to his service at table. helen peyton was in a talkative mood and commentedvolubly on the caller of the afternoon, miss she met little response, for her mother wasabsorbed in the training of the japanese, and the two men seemed indisposed to pursuethe subject. "don't you think she's odd looking?"å¥helen asked, of doctor waring. "odd looking,"å¥ he repeated; "i don'tknow. i didn't notice her especially. she

seemed to me a rather distinguished type."å¥ "distinguished is the word,"å¥ agreed lockwood."what about the lecture tomorrow night, doctor? will fessenden take care of it?"å¥ "no; i must lecture myself tomorrow night.i'm sorry, for i'm busy with that book revision. however, i'll look up some datathis evening, and i shall be ready for it."å¥ "of course you will,"å¥ laughed mrs. peyton."you were never caught unready for anything!"å¥ "but it means some work,"å¥ waring added,as he rose from the table. he went into the study, followed by lockwood,whose experience made him aware of what books his chief would need, and he began at onceto take them from the shelves.

"right,"å¥ waring said, looking over thearmful of volumes lockwood placed on the desk and seating himself in the swivel chair. "bring me marcus aurelius, too, please,and martial."å¥ "the classic touch,"å¥ lockwood smiled. "yes, it adds dignity, if one is a bit shyof material,"å¥ waring admitted, good-naturedly. "that's all, lockwood. you may go, ifyou like."å¥ "no, sir. i'll stay until eleven or so.i'm pretty busy with the reports, and, too, some one may call whom i can take care of."å¥ "good chap you are, lockwood. i appreciateit. very well, then, don't bother me unless

absolutely necessary."å¥ the secretary left the room and closed thestudy door behind him. this door gave on to the end of the crosshall, and the hall ended then, in a roomy window seat, and also held a book rack andtable; altogether a comfortable and useful nook, frequently occupied by gordon lockwood.the window looked out on the beautiful lake view, as did the great study window, and italso commanded a view of the highroad on which stood, not far away, the adams boarding-house. lockwood lodged there, as being more convenient,but most of his waking hours were spent in his employer's home. a perfect secretaryhe had proved himself to be, for his prescience

amounted almost to clairvoyance, and his imperturbabilitywas exceedingly useful in keeping troublesome people or things away from john waring. so, he determined to stay on guard, lest achance caller should come to disturb the doctor at his work. but lockwood's own work was somewhat neglected.try as he would to concentrate upon it, he could not entirely dismiss from his mind acertain mysterious little face, whose meaning eluded him. for once, gordon lockwood, readerof faces, was baffled. he couldn't classify the girl who was both rude and charming, bothcruel and pathetic. for cruelty was what this expert read in theknowing eyes and firm little mouth of miss

mystery. and because of this indubitable elementin her nature, he deemed her pathetic. which shows how much she interested him. at any rate he thought about her while hiswork waited. and, then, he thought of other things-for he had troubles of his own, hadthis supercilious young man. and troubles which galled him the more, that they weresordid-money troubles, in fact. his whole nature revolted at the mere thought of mercenaryconsiderations, but if one is short of funds one must recognize the condition, distastefulthough it be. at nine-thirty, nogi came with a tray bearingwater and glasses. under the watchful eye of mrs. peyton the japanese tapped at thestudy door and, in response to the master's

bidding, went in with his tray. he left itpunctiliously on the table directed, and with his characteristic bow, departed again. at ten-thirty, mrs. peyton and helen wentupstairs to their rooms, the housekeeper having given nogi strict and definite instructions,which included his remaining on duty until the master should also retire. and the night wore on. a clear, cold night, with a late-rising moon,past the full, but still with its great yellow disk nearly round. it shone down on what seemed like fairyland,for the sleet storm that had covered the trees

with a coating of ice, and had fringed eavesand fences with icicles, had ceased, and left the glittering landscape frozen and sparklingin the still, cold air. and when, some hours later, the sun rose onthe same chill scene its rays made no perceptible impression on the cold and the mercury stayeddown at its lowest winter record. and so even the stolid japanese ito, shivered,and his yellow teeth chattered as he knocked at mrs. peyton's door in the early dawnof monday morning. "what is it?"å¥ she cried, springing fromher bed to unbolt her door. "grave news, madam,"å¥ and the orientalbowed before her. "what has happened? tell me, ito."å¥

"i am not sure, madam-but, the master-"å¥ "yes, what about doctor waring?"å¥ "he is-he is asleep in his study."å¥ "asleep in his study! ito, what do you mean?"å¥ "that, madam. his bed is unslept in. hisroom door ajar. i looked in the study-through from the dining-room-he is there by hisdesk-"å¥ "asleep, ito-you said asleep!"å¥ "yes-madam-but-i do not know. andnogi-he is gone."å¥ "gone! where to?"å¥

"that also, i do not know. will madam comeand look?"å¥ "no; i will not! i know something has happened!i knew something would happen! ito, he is not asleep-he is-"å¥ "don't say it, madam. we do not know."å¥ "find out! go in and speak to him."å¥ "but the door is locked. i tried it."å¥ "locked! the study door locked, and doctorwaring still in there? how do you know?"å¥ "i peeped from the dining-room window-andi could see him, leaning down on his desk."å¥ "from the dining-room window! what do youmean?"å¥

"the small little inside windows. madamknows?"å¥ the study had been added to the waring houseafter the house had been built for some years. wherefore, the dining-room, previously witha lake view from its windows, was cut off from that view. but, the windows, three small,square ones, remained, and so, looked into the new study. however, the study, a higher ceiling beingdesired, had its floor sunken six feet or more, which brought the windows far too highto see through from the study side, but one could look through them from the dining-room.the original sashes had been replaced by beautiful stained glass, opaque save for a few tinytransparent bits through which a persistent

and curious-minded person might discern someparts of the study. the stained glass sashes were immovable, andwere there more as a decoration than for utility's sake. and it was through these peepholes that itohad discovered the presence of doctor waring in his study at the unusual hour of seveno'clock in the morning. the japanese, true to his tribal instinct,showed no agitation, and his calm demeanor helped to soothe mrs. peyton. but as she hastilydressed herself, she decided upon her course of action. her first impulse was to call her daughter,but she concluded not to disturb the girl.

instead, she telephoned to gordon lockwood,and asked him to come over as soon as he possibly could. old salt took the message, and transmittedit to the secretary. "what's the matter over there?"å¥ askedlockwood. "don't know. mrs. peyton seemed all onedge, 's far's i could judge from her voice-but she only said for you to comeover."å¥ "all right, i'll go as soon as i can getdressed."å¥ once out of doors, lockwood couldn't failto be impressed with the beauty of the morning landscape. one of the most beautiful bitsof new england scenery, it was newly lovely

in its sheath of ice. lockwood's hasty steps crunched throughthe crusted snow, and he hurried over to the waring house. ito opened the door for him and mrs. peytonmet him in the hall. "something has happened to doctor waring,"å¥she said at once; "he stayed in the study all night."å¥ "why? what do you mean?"å¥ asked the secretary. "just that. his room door is still open,and his bed hasn't been slept in. also, ito says he can see him in the study, throughthe dining-room window. i-i haven't looked-"å¥

"why don't you go in?"å¥ "the study door is locked."å¥ "locked! and doctor waring still in there?"å¥ "yes; i think he must have had a stroke-or,something-"å¥ "nonsense! he's just asleep. he's overworkedof late, anyway."å¥ "well, i'm glad you're here."å¥ andmrs. peyton looked relieved. "you see about it, mr. lockwood, won't you?"å¥ the secretary went first to the study door.he rapped, and then he tried the door, and then rapped again, very loudly. but no responsecame, and lockwood returned to the dining-room.

"can you see through that glass?"å¥ he askedin surprise, noting the thick, leaded mosaic of pieces. "yes, sir, through this corner,"å¥ ito directedhim, and, peering through, lockwood discerned the figure of john waring. he sat at his desk,his body fallen slightly forward, and his head drooped on his breast. "sound asleep,"å¥ said lockwood, but histone carried no conviction. mrs. peyton well knew the man's disinclinationto show any emotion, and in spite of his calm, she was almost certain he shared her own beliefthat john waring was not merely asleep. "we must get to him,"å¥ lockwood said, aftera moment's pause. "can you get through

one of these windows, ito, and unbolt thedoor?"å¥ "no, sir; these windows do not open at all."å¥ "not open? why not?"å¥ save to remark the beauty of their color anddesign, lockwood had never before noticed the windows, especially, and was genuinelysurprised to discover that they could not be opened at all. "of what use are they?"å¥ he mused, aloud;"they give very little light."å¥ "they were outside windows before the studywas built,"å¥ mrs. peyton told him, "and when the stained glass was put in, it wasmerely for decoration and the panes were not

made movable."å¥ "well, we must get in,"å¥ said lockwood,almost impatiently. "how shall we do it? you, ito, must know how."å¥ "no, sir, there is no way. unless, the longwindow is unfastened."å¥ the long french window-really a double door-wason the other side of the study, exactly opposite the useless high windows that gave into thedining-room. to reach it one must go out and around thehouse. "it is very bad snow-"å¥ ito shrugged. "you heathen!"å¥ lockwood exclaimed, scornfully,and himself dashed out at the front door and

around to the side of the house. mrs. peyton started to follow, but the secretarybade her go back lest she take cold. he reached the french window only to findit locked on the inside. he could not see in through its curtained panes, and impulsivelyhe raised his foot and kicked through the glass at a point high enough to allow of hisputting in a hand and turning back the latch. he went into the room, and after the briefestglance at the man by the desk he went on and unbolted the door to the hall. helen had joined her mother and ito, and thethree stood cowering on the threshold. "he is dead,"å¥ gordon lockwood said, ina calm, unemotional way. "but not by a stroke-he

has killed himself."å¥ "how do you know?"å¥ mrs. peyton cried,her eyes staring and her face white. "go away, helen,"å¥ lockwood said; "goback into the living-room, and stay away."å¥ and willingly the girl obeyed. "come in, mrs. peyton,"å¥ lockwood wenton. "you must see him, though it will shock you. see, the flow of blood is dreadful. hestabbed or shot himself."å¥ conquering her aversion to the sight, mrs.peyton, from a sense of duty, drew nearer, and as lockwood had said, the condition ofthe body was terrible indeed. wounded, apparently in the side of the head,waring had fallen forward in such a way that

the actual wound was concealed, but the factwas only too apparent that he had bled to death. the blotter on the desk and many ofthe furnishings were crimsoned and there was a large and dark stain on the rug. "he is positively dead,"å¥ said lockwood,in cool, even tone, "so i advise that we do not touch the body but send at once fordoctor greenfield. he will know best what to do."å¥ "oh, you cold-blooded wretch!"å¥ mrs. peytonburst forth, uncontrollably. "have you no feelings whatever? you stand there like awooden image, when the best man in the world lies dead before you! and you, ito!"å¥ sheturned on the awe-struck butler. "you're

another of those impassive, unnatural creatures!oh, i hate you both!"å¥ the housekeeper ran from the room, and wassoon closeted with her daughter, who, at least showed agitation and grief at the tragedythat had occurred. the two she had called impassive, stood regardingone another. "who did it, master?"å¥ inquired the japanese,calmly. "who did it!"å¥ lockwood stared at him."why, he did it himself, ito."å¥ otherwise immovable, the oriental shook hishead in dissension, but lockwood was already at the telephone, and heeded him not. doctor greenfield consented to come over atonce, and lockwood going to the living room,

advised the peytons to have breakfast, asthere was a terrible ordeal ahead of them. "i'll have some coffee with you, if imay,"å¥ he went on. "brace up, helen, it's pretty awful for you, but you must try tobe a brave girl."å¥ a grateful glance thanked him for the kindness,and lockwood returned quickly to the study. "what are you doing?"å¥ he said sternly,as he saw ito bending over the dead man. "nothing, sir,"å¥ and the butler straightenedup quickly and stood at attention. "leave the room, and do not return herewithout permission. serve breakfast to the ladies. where is nogi?"å¥ "he is gone, sir."å¥

"gone where?"å¥ "that i do not know. last night he was here.now he is gone. i know no more."å¥ "you don't know anything. get out."å¥ "yes, sir."å¥ left to himself, gordon lockwood gazed thoughtfullyabout the room. he did not confine his attention to the bent figure of his late employer, noreven to the desk or its nearby surroundings. he wandered about looking at the windows,the floor, the furniture. one chair, standing rather near the desk,he looked at intently. an expression of bewilderment came into his face, followed by a look ofdismay.

then, after a cautious almost furtive glanceabout him, he passed his hand quickly over the plush back of the chair, rubbing it hard,with a scrubbing motion. then he looked about the room even more eagerlyand carefully, and finally sat down in the same plush chair, to await the doctor'sarrival. helen peyton came timidly to the door to askhim to come to breakfast. "no, helen,"å¥ he answered. "my placeis here until the doctor comes. eat your breakfast, child, and try to throw off your distress.it will do you no good to brood over it. you can be of real help if you keep brave andcalm, but it will be quite otherwise if you get hysterical."å¥

he did not see the adoring glance she gavehim, nor did he realize how much effect his words had on her subsequent behavior. forhelen peyton was suffering from shocked nerves, and only lockwood's advice would have beenheeded by her. she returned to the dining room, saying, quietly,"gordon will come after a while. let us eat our breakfast, mother, and try to be braveand strong."å¥ it was not more than fifteen minutes laterthat lockwood joined them. he took his seat at the table and as he shookout his breakfast napkin he said, "doctor greenfield is there now. he saysdoctor waring was stabbed not shot. he says the instrument was round and pointed-notflat, like a knife."å¥

"who did it?"å¥ asked helen, wide-eyed. "it must have been suicide, helen, for,as you know, the room was locked. how could any one get in or out?"å¥ "but how absurd to think of doctor waringkilling himself!"å¥ the girl looked more amazed than ever. "he never killed himself,"å¥ stated mrs.peyton. "why, you know that man had everything to live for! just about to be married, justabout to be president of the college-full of life and enthusiasm-suicide! nonsense!"å¥ "i'm only telling you what the doctorsaid. and you know yourselves, the room was

all locked up."å¥ "yes, that's so. ito, leave the room!"å¥ mrs. peyton spoke sharply to the butler, whowas quite evidently drinking in the conversation. "he must not hear all we say,"å¥ she observedafter the butler had disappeared. "what's this about nogi being gone?"å¥asked lockwood, suddenly. "yes, he's gone,"å¥ mrs. peyton said,"and i can't understand it. i didn't think he'd stay, he didn't like the dutiesat all-you know he's just learning to be a butler-but queer he went off like that.his wages are due for three weeks."å¥ "he'll be back, then,"å¥ surmised lockwood."now, what shall we do first? the faculty

must be notified of this tragedy and also,mrs. bates must be told. which of you two will go and tell mrs. bates about it?"å¥ "you go, helen,"å¥ said her mother aftera moment's thought. "i ought to be here to look after the house, and anyway, dear,you can do it wisely and gently. mrs. bates likes you, and after all, it can be soon told."å¥ "oh, i can't!"å¥ cried helen, dismayedat the thought of the awful errand. "yes, you can,"å¥ and lockwood looked ather with a firm kindliness. "you want to be of help, don't you helen? well, here'sone thing you can do that will be of great assistance to your mother and to me. for onus two must fall most of the sad duties of

this day."å¥ "but what can i say? what can i tell her?"å¥ "just tell her the facts as far as you knowthem yourself. she will guess from your own agitation that something has happened. andthen you will tell her, as gently as you can. be a true woman, helen, and remember thatthough your news must break her heart, yet she'd far rather hear it from you than fromsome less sympathetic messenger."å¥ "i'll do it,"å¥ said helen, strugglingbravely to keep her tears back. "that's a good girl. run right along,now, for ill news flies fast, and rumors may get to her before you reach there."å¥

"now about that nogi,"å¥ lockwood said,thoughtfully. "call ito back, please, mrs. peyton."å¥ "when did you see nogi last?"å¥ the secretaryasked of the butler. "when i came home last night, sir. sundayis my holiday. i returned about ten, and as i found nogi with his duties all properlydone, and at his post, i went to bed. i found this morning that he had not been in his bedat all. his clothes are gone, and all his belongings. i think he will not come back."å¥ chapter vian incredible case when lockwood returned to the study, he foundthe medical examiner and doctor greenfield

in consultation. the examiner was a large, pompous-lookingman, with an air of authority. he looked at gordon lockwood from beneath his heavy brows,and demanded, "what do you know of this?"å¥ the younger man resented the tone but he knewthe question was justified, and so he replied, respectfully: "nothing more than you can see for yourself,sir. i broke in at that glass door, being unable to get in any other way, and i founddoctor waring-as you see him now."å¥ "there was some other way, though, to getin and out,"å¥ examiner marsh stated. "positively not,"å¥ lockwood repeated.

"don't contradict me! i tell you theremust have been-for this man was murdered."å¥ "impossible, sir,"å¥ and lockwood's eyesmet the examiner's with a gaze fully as calm and insistent as his own. "very well, then, how came he by his death?"å¥ "i am not the examiner,"å¥ the secretarysaid, and he folded his arms and leaned against the corner of the great mantelpiece; "butsince you ask me, i will repeat that there was no way of ingress into this room lastnight, and that necessarily, the case is a suicide."å¥ "just so; and, granting that, will you suggestwhat may have become of the weapon that was

used?"å¥ "what was the weapon?"å¥ lockwood asked,not so disturbed by the question as the examiner had expected him to be. "that is what puzzles me,"å¥ returned doctormarsh. "as you can clearly see the wound was inflicted with a sharp instrument. theman was stabbed just below his right ear. the jugular vein was pierced, and he bledto death. a plexus of nerves was pierced also, and this fact doubtless rendered the victimunconscious at once-i mean as soon as the stab wound was made, though he may have beenalive for a few minutes thereafter."å¥ gordon lockwood gazed imperturbably at thespeaker. he had always prided himself on his

unshakable calm, and now he exhibited itsfull possibilities. it annoyed doctor marsh, who was accustomed to having his statementsaccepted without question. he took a sudden dislike to this calm young man, who presumedto differ from his deductions. "i must say,"å¥ observed the mild-mannereddoctor greenfield, "i knew doctor waring very well, and he was surely the last personi would expect to kill himself. especially at the present time-when he was lookingforward to high honors in the college and also expected to marry a charming lady."å¥ "that isn't the point,"å¥ exclaimed doctormarsh, impatiently. "the point is, if he killed himself, where is the weapon?"å¥

"i admit it isn't in view-and i admitthat seems strange,"å¥ lockwood agreed, "but it may yet be discovered, while a way of gettinginto a locked room cannot be found."å¥ "all of which is out of your jurisdiction,young man,"å¥ and marsh looked at him severely. "the police will be here soon, and i'veno doubt they will learn the truth, whatever it may be. what instrument do you deduce,doctor greenfield?"å¥ "that's hard to say,"å¥ replied greenfield,slowly. "you see the aperture it made is a perfectly round hole. now, most daggersor poniards are flat-bladed. i'm not sure a real weapon is ever round. the hole is muchtoo large to have been made by a hatpin-it is as big as a-a-"å¥

"slate pencil,"å¥ suggested the examiner. "yes, or a trifle larger-but not so largeas a lead-pencil."å¥ "a lead-pencil could hardly accomplish thedeed,"å¥ marsh mused. "a slate-pencil might have-but that is a most unusual weapon."å¥ "how about a bill-file?"å¥ asked doctorgreenfield. "i knew of a man killed with one."å¥ "yes, but where is the bill-file?"å¥ askedmarsh. "there's one on the desk, to be sure, but it is full of papers, and showsno sign of having been used for a criminal purpose. if, as mr. lockwood insists, thisis a suicide case, the victim positively could

not have cleaned that file and restored thepapers after stabbing himself!"å¥ "he most certainly could not have done that!"å¥declared doctor greenfield. marsh examined the file carefully. it wasan ordinary affair consisting of a steel spike on a bronze standard. it would without doubtmake an efficacious implement of murder, but it was difficult to believe it had been usedin that way. for the bills and memoranda it contained were, to all appearance, just asthey had been thrust on the sharp point-and surely, had they been removed and replaced,they would have shown traces of such moving. "anyway,"å¥ doctor greenfield said, afteranother examination, "the hole in the side of waring's neck seems to me to have beenmade with an instrument slightly larger than

that file. surely, there are round stilettos,are there not?"å¥ "yes, there are,"å¥ said lockwood, "ihave seen them."å¥ "where?"å¥ demanded the examiner, suddenlyturning on him. "why-i don't know."å¥ for once, thesecretary's calm was a trifle shaken. "i should say in museums-or in private collections,perhaps."å¥ "are you familiar with so many private collectionsof strange weapons that you can't remember where you have seen a round-shaped blade?"å¥ examiner marsh stared hard at him and lockwoodbecame taciturn again. "exactly that,"å¥ he conceded. "i havesometime, somewhere, seen a round-bladed stiletto-but

i cannot remember where."å¥ "better brush up your memory,"å¥ marsh toldhim, and then the police arrived. the local police of corinth were rather proudof themselves as a whole, and they had reason to be. under a worthwhile chief the men hadbeen well trained, and were alert, energetic and capable. detective morton, who took this matter incharge, went straight to work in a most business-like way. he examined the body of john waring, not asthe medical men had done, but merely to find possible clues to the manner of his death.

"what's this ring on his forehead?"å¥he asked, looking at the dead man's face. "i don't know-that struck me as queer,"å¥said greenfield. "what is it, doctor marsh?"å¥ the examiner peered through his glasses. "i can't make that out, myself,"å¥ heconfessed, frankly. morton looked more closely. there was a red circle on waring's forehead,that looked as if it had been put there of some purpose. a perfect circle it was, about two inchesin diameter, and it was red and sunken into the flesh, as if it might have been done witha branding iron.

"not a very hot one, though,"å¥ morton remarked,after suggesting this, "but surely somebody did it. i'll say it's the sign or sealof the murderer himself. for a dead man couldn't do it, and there's no sense in assumingthat doctor waring branded himself before committing suicide. was it done before orafter death?"å¥ he asked of the two doctors present. "before, i should say,"å¥ doctor greenfieldopined. "yes,"å¥ concurred marsh, "but not longbefore. i'm not sure it is a brand-such a mark could have been made with, say, a smallcup or tumbler."å¥ "but what reason is there in that?"å¥ exclaimedmorton. "even a lunatic murderer wouldn't

mark his victim by means of a tumbler rim."å¥ absorbedly, he picked up a tumbler from thewater tray, and fitted it to the red mark on waring's forehead. "it doesn't fit exactly,"å¥ he said, "butit does almost."å¥ "rubbish!"å¥ said gordon lockwood, in hissuperior way. "why would any one mark doctor waring's face with a tumbler?"å¥ "yet it has been marked,"å¥ morton lookedat the secretary sharply. "can you suggest any explanation-however difficult of belief?"å¥ "no,"å¥ lockwood said. "unless he fellover on some round thing as he died."å¥

"there's nothing here,"å¥ said morton,scanning the furnishings of the desk "the inkstand is closed-and it's a smallerround, anyway. there's no one of these desk fittings that could possibly have made thatmark. therefore, since it was made before death, it must have been done by the murderer."å¥ "or by the suicide,"å¥ lockwood insistedfirmly. morton, looking at the secretary, decidedto keep an eye on this cool chap, who must have some reason for repeating his opinionof suicide. "now,"å¥ the detective said, briskly, "toget to business, i must make inquiries of the family-the household. suppose i seethem in some other room-"å¥

"yes,"å¥ agreed lockwood, with what seemedto morton suspicious eagerness. why should the secretary be so obviously pleased to leavethe study-though, to be sure, it was a grewsome place just now. "wait a minute,"å¥ morton said, "how aboutrobbery? has anything been missed?"å¥ lockwood looked surprised. "i never thought to look,"å¥ he said; "assumingsuicide, of course robbery didn't occur to me."å¥ he looked round the room. "nothingseems to be missing."å¥ "stay on guard, higby,"å¥ the detectivesaid to a policeman, and then asked the secretary where he could interview the housekeeper andthe servants.

lockwood took morton to the living-room, andthere they found mrs. bates as well as the two peytons. though her eyes showed traces of tears, emilybates was composed and met the detective with an appealing face. "do find the murderer!"å¥ she cried; "idon't care how much that room was locked up, i know john waring never killed himself!why would he do it? did ever a man have so much to live for? he couldn't have takenhis life!"å¥ "i'm inclined to agree with you, mrs.bates,"å¥ morton told her, "yet you must see the difficulties in the way of a murdertheory. i'm told the room was inaccessible.

is not that right, mrs. peyton?"å¥ flustered at the sudden question the housekeeperwrung her hands and burst into tears. "oh, don't ask me,"å¥ she wailed, "i don'tknow anything about it!"å¥ "nothing indicative, perhaps,"å¥ and mortonspoke more gently, "but at least, tell me all you do know. when did you see doctor waringlast?"å¥ "at the supper table, last evening."å¥ "not after supper at all?"å¥ "no; that is, i didn't see him. i am traininga new servant, and i watched him as he took a tray of water pitcher and glasses into thestudy, but i didn't look in, nor did i see

the doctor."å¥ "did you hear him?"å¥ "i don't think i heard him speak. i hearda paper rustle, and i knew he was there."å¥ "the servant came right out again?"å¥ "yes; my attention was all on him. i toldhim exactly what to do during the evening."å¥ "what were those instructions?"å¥ "to attend to his dining-room duties, puttingaway the supper dishes and that, and then to stay about, on duty, until doctor waringleft his study and went to bed."å¥ "this servant had done these things before?"å¥

"not these things. he arrived but a fewdays ago, and ito the butler, attended to the doctor. but sunday afternoon and eveningito has off, so i began to train nogi."å¥ "and this nogi has disappeared?"å¥ "yes; he is not to be found this morning.nor has his bed been disturbed."å¥ "then we may take it he left in the nightor early morning. now the doctors judge that doctor waring died about midnight. we musttherefore admit the possibility of a connection between the jap's disappearance and thedoctor's death."å¥ at this suggestion, gordon lockwood lookedinterested. whereas he had preserved a stony calm, his face now showed deep attention tothe detective's words and he nodded his

head in agreement. "you think so, too, mr. lockwood?"å¥ mortonasked, in that sudden and often disconcerting way of his. "i don't say i think so,"å¥ the secretaryreturned, quietly, "but i do admit a possibility."å¥ "it would seem so,"å¥ mrs. peyton put in,"if nogi could have got into the study. but he couldn't. you know it was locked-impossible,mr. lockwood?"å¥ "yes,"å¥ gordon returned. "i heard doctorwaring lock his door."å¥ "when was that?"å¥ asked the detective,sharply. "i should say about ten o'clock."å¥

"where were you, then?"å¥ "sitting in the window nook outside thestudy door."å¥ "could you not, then, hear anything thatwent on in the study?"å¥ "probably not. the walls and door are thick-theywere made so for the doctor's sake-he desired absolute privacy, and freedom frominterruption or overhearing. no, i could not know what was taking place in that room-ifanything was, at that time."å¥ "at what time did you last see the doctor?"å¥ "after supper i went with him to the study.i looked after his wants, getting him a number of books from the shelves, and selecting fromhis files such notes or manuscript as he asked

for. those are my duties as secretary."å¥ "and then?"å¥ "then he practically dismissed me, sayingi might leave for the night. but i remained in the hall window until eleven o'clock."å¥ "why did you do this?"å¥ "out of consideration for my employer. hewas exceedingly busy and if a caller came, i could probably attend to his wants and sparethe doctor an interruption."å¥ "did any one call?"å¥ "no one."å¥

"yet you remained until eleven?"å¥ "yes; i was doing some work of my own, andit was later than i thought, when i decided to go home."å¥ "and you spoke to the doctor before leaving?"å¥ "as is my custom, i tapped lightly at thedoor and said good-night. this is my rule, when he is busy, and if he makes no response,or merely murmurs good-night, i know there are no further orders till morning, and igo home."å¥ "did he respond to your rap last night?"å¥ "i-i cannot say. i heard him murmur agood-night but if he did, it was so low as

to be almost inaudible. i thought nothingof it. since he did not call out. " come in, lockwood,' as he does when he wantsme, i paid little attention to the matter."å¥ "and you reached home-when?"å¥ "something after eleven. it's but a fewsteps over to the adams house, where i live."å¥ "now,"å¥ summed up the detective, "here'sthe case. you, mr. lockwood, are not sure doctor waring responded to your good-night.you did not see or hear him when nogi took in the water tray?"å¥ "no; i did not."å¥ "mrs. peyton did not see him then, either-thoughshe imagined she heard a paper rustle. nogi

is gone-he cannot be questioned. so, mr.lockwood, the last person whom we know definitely to have seen john waring alive, is yourselfwhen, as you say, you left him at about-er-what time?"å¥ "about half-past eight or nine,"å¥ saidlockwood, carelessly. "yes; you left him and sat in the hall window.now, we have no positive evidence that he was alive after that."å¥ "what!"å¥ lockwood stared at him. "no positive evidence, i say. nogi wentin, but no one knows what nogi saw in there."å¥ "come now, detective morton,"å¥ lockwoodsaid, coldly, "you're romancing. do you

suppose for a minute, that if there had beenanything wrong with doctor waring when nogi went in with the water, that he would nothave raised an alarm?"å¥ "i suppose that might have easily have beenthe case. the japanese are afraid of death. their one idea is to flee from it. if thatjapanese servant had seen his master dead, he would have decamped, just as he did do."å¥ "but nogi was here when i went home. hehanded me my overcoat and hat, quite with his usual calm demeanor."å¥ "you must remember, mr. lockwood, we haveonly your word for that."å¥ gordon lockwood looked at the detective.

"i will not pretend to misunderstand yourmeaning,"å¥ he said, slowly and with hauteur. "nor shall i say a word, at present, inself defence. your implication is so absurd, so really ridiculous, there is nothing tobe said."å¥ "that's right,"å¥ and morton nodded. "don'tsay anything until you get counsel. now, mrs. bates-i'm mighty sorry to bother you-buti must ask you a few questions. and if i size you up right, you'll be glad to tell anythingyou can to help discover the truth. that so?"å¥ "yes,"å¥ she returned, "yes-of course,mr. morton. but i can't let you seem to suspect mr. lockwood of wrong-doing withouta protest! doctor waring's secretary is most loyal and devoted-of that i am sure."å¥

"never mind that side of it just now. tellme this, mrs. bates. who will benefit financially by doctor waring's death? to whom is hisfortune willed? i take it you must know, as you expected soon to marry him."å¥ "but i don't know,"å¥ emily bates said,a little indignantly. "nor do i see how it can help you to solve the mystery to getsuch information as that. you don't suppose anybody killed him for his money, do you?"å¥ "what other motive could there be, mrs.bates? had he enemies?"å¥ "no; well, that is, i suppose he had someacquaintances who were disappointed at his election to the college presidency. but i'dhardly call them enemies."å¥

"why not? why wouldn't they be enemies?it's my impression that election was hotly contested."å¥ "it was,"å¥ mrs. peyton broke in. "itwas, mr. morton, and if doctor waring was murdered-which i can't see how he was-someof that other faction did it."å¥ "but that's absurd,"å¥ gordon lockwoodprotested; "there was disappointment among the other faction at the result of the election,but it's incredible that they should kill doctor waring for that reason!"å¥ "the whole case is incredible,"å¥ mortonreturned. "what is it, higby, what have you found?"å¥

"the doctor,"å¥ higby said, coming intothe living room, "they have just noticed that although there is a pinhole in doctorwaring's tie, there is no stickpin there. did he wear one?"å¥ "of course he did,"å¥ mrs. bates cried."he had on his ruby pin yesterday."å¥ "he did so,"å¥ echoed mrs. peyton. "thatruby pin was worth an immense sum of money! that's why he was killed, then, robbery!"å¥ "he certainly wore that pin last night,"å¥said lockwood. "are you sure it's missing? hasn't it dropped to the floor?"å¥ "can't find it,"å¥ returned higby, andthen all the men went back to the study.

"anything else missing?"å¥ asked morton,who was deeply chagrined that he hadn't noticed the pin was gone himself. "how about money, mr. lockwood?"å¥ saiddoctor marsh. "any gone, that you can notice?"å¥ with an uncertain motion, gordon lockwoodpulled open a small drawer of the desk. "yes,"å¥ he said, "there was five hundreddollars in cash here last night-and now it is not here."å¥ "better dismiss the suicide theory,"å¥ saiddetective morton, with a quick look at the secretary. chapter viithe volume of martial

the medical examiner, doctor marsh, the detectivemorton, and the secretary of the late john waring, gordon lockwood, looked at one another. without any words having been spoken thatmight indicate a lack of harmony, there yet was a hint of discord in their attitudes. doctor marsh was sure the case was a suicide. "you'll find the stiletto somewhere,"å¥he shrugged, when held upon that point. "to find the weapon is not my business-but whena man is dead in a locked room, and dead from a wound that could have been self-administered,i can't see a murder situation."å¥ "nor i,"å¥ said lockwood. "has the waste-basketbeen searched for the thing that killed him?"å¥

acting quickly on his own suggestion, gordonlockwood dived beneath the great desk. like a flash, morton was after him, and thoughthe detective was not sure, he thought he saw the secretary grasp a bit of crumpledpaper and stuff it in his pocket. "now, look here, i'll make that search,"å¥morton exclaimed, and almost snatched the waste-basket from the other's grasp. "very well,"å¥ and lockwood put his handsin his pockets and stood looking on, as morton fumbled with the scraps. he emptied the basket on the floor, but therewere only a few torn envelopes and memoranda, which were soon proved to be of no indicativevalue to the searchers.

"i'll save the stuff, anyway,"å¥ mortondeclared, getting a newspaper and wrapping in it the few bits of waste paper. "did you take a paper from this basket andput it in your pocket?"å¥ the detective suddenly demanded. lockwood, without moving, gave morton a coldstare that was more negative than any words could be, and was, moreover, exceedingly disconcerting. "look here, mr. morton,"å¥ he said, "ifyou suspect me of killing my employer, come out and say so. i know, in story-books, thefirst one to be suspected is the confidential secretary. so, accuse me, and get it overwith."å¥

the very impassivity of lockwood's faceseemed to put him far beyond and above suspicion, and the detective, hastily mumbled, "not at all, mr. lockwood, not at all. butyou don't seem real frank, now, and you must know how important it is that we getall the first hand information we can."å¥ "of course, and i'm ready to tell alli know. go on and ask questions."å¥ "well, then, what do you surmise has becomeof that five hundred dollars and that ruby stickpin? doesn't their disappearance ratherargue against suicide?"å¥ lockwood meditated. "not necessarily. ifthey have been stolen-"å¥ "stolen! of course they've been stolen,since they aren't here! i don't see any

safe."å¥ "no, doctor waring had no safe. there hasbeen little or no robbery in corinth, and doctor waring rarely kept much money about."å¥ "five hundred dollars is quite a sum."å¥ "that was for housekeeping purposes. whenevernecessary, i drew for him from the bank that amount, and he kept it in that drawer untilit was used up. he always gave mrs. peyton cash to pay the servants and some other mattersas well as her own salary. his tradesman's bills were paid by check."å¥ "was the money in bills?"å¥

"i invariably brought it to him in the samedenominations. two hundred in five dollar bills, two hundred in ones, and a hundredin silver coins."å¥ "in paper rolls?"å¥ "yes; it may have been injudicious to keepso large a sum in his desk drawer, but he always did. though, to be sure, he often paidout a great deal of it at once. sometimes he would cash checks for some one or givesome to the poor."å¥ "drawer never locked?"å¥ "always locked. but both the doctor andi carried a key. he was not so suspicious of me as you are, mr. morton."å¥ the speakergave his cold smile.

"and as to the ruby pin, mr. lockwood?"å¥morton went on. "are you willing we should search your effects?"å¥ lockwood started and for a moment he almostlost his equipoise. "i am not willing,"å¥ he said, after aninstant's pause, "but if you say it is necessary, i suppose i shall have to submit."å¥ morton looked at him uneasily. he had no appearanceof a criminal, he looked too proud and haughty to be a culprit, yet might that not be sheerbravado? discontinuing the conversation, morton turnedhis attention to the table in the window in the hall where the secretary so often sat.

he examined the appurtenances, for the tablewas furnished almost like a desk, and he picked up a silver penholder. it was round and smooth and without chasingor marking of any sort, save for the initials g. l. "this yours?"å¥ he asked, and lockwood noddedassent. "i ask you, doctor marsh,"å¥ morton turnedto the examiner, "whether that wound which is in doctor waring's neck could have beenmade with this penholder."å¥ startled, marsh took the implement and carefullyscrutinized it. of usual length, it was tapering and ended in a point. the circumference atthe larger end was just about the circumference

of the wound in question. "i must say it could be possible,"å¥ marshreplied, his eyes alternately on the penholder and on the dead man. "yes, it is exactlythe size."å¥ "and it is strong enough and sharp enough,and it is round,"å¥ summed up morton. "now, mr. lockwood, i make no accusation. i'mno novice, and i know there's a possibility that this might have been the weapon used,and yet it might not have been used by you. but i will say, that i have much to say toyou yet, and i advise you not to try to leave town."å¥ "i've no intention of leaving town orof trying to do so,"å¥ lockwood asserted,

"but,"å¥ he went on, "would you mind tellingme, if i killed the man i was devoted to, how i left the room locked behind me?"å¥ "those locked rooms bore me,"å¥ said morton,"i've read lots of detective stories founded on that plot. invariably the locked room provesto be vulnerable at some point. i haven't finished examining the doors and windows myselfas yet."å¥ "proceed with your examinations, then,"å¥said lockwood; "if you can find a secret or concealed entrance, it's more than ican do."å¥ "more than you will do, perhaps, but notnecessarily more than you can do."å¥ "don't forget that vanished japanese,"å¥prompted marsh. "i've small faith in orientals,

and if there is a way to get in and out secretly,i'd question the jap before i would mr. lockwood here."å¥ "so should i,"å¥ declared the impassivesecretary himself. "and another thing don't forget, morton, after the private secretary,the next person to be suspected is the butler-that is in fiction, which i gather you take asyour manual of procedure."å¥ lockwood's sarcasm drove morton frantic,but he was too wise to show his annoyance. "i shall neglect no possible suspect,"å¥he said, with dignity. and then two men came from the police, whosaid they were photographers and desired to take some pictures, at the chief's orders.

lockwood left them, and went to the living-roomwhere the household and a few neighbors were assembled. "i'm glad to get out of that detectiveatmosphere,"å¥ he said, relaxing in an easy chair. "it's bad enough to have the mandead, without seeing and hearing those cold-blooded police bungling over their " clues' and" evidences.'"å¥ "tell me a little of the circumstances,"å¥asked mrs. bates, who was present. "i can bear it from you, gordon, and i must know."å¥ "apparently, doctor waring was sitting athis desk, reading,"å¥ lockwood began, with a faraway look, as if trying to reconstructthe scene. "he must have been reading martial-for

the volume was open on the desk-and thepages were blood-stained."å¥ mrs. bates gave a little cry, and shuddered,but lockwood went unmovably on. "there were other books about, some open,some closed, but martial was nearest his hand-quite as if he were reading up to the last moment."å¥ "when the murderer came!"å¥ mrs. bates breathedsoftly, her eyes wide with horror. "it couldn't have been murder,"å¥ lockwoodsaid, in a positive way, "you see, mrs. bates, it just couldn't have been. thatmorton detective is trying to trump up a way the assassin could have entered that lockedroom-but he can't find any way. i know he can't. so it must have been suicide.much as we dislike to admit it, it is the

only possible theory."å¥ "but they say there was robbery,"å¥ mrs.peyton put in. "the ruby pin is gone and the money from the drawer."å¥ "but, perhaps,"å¥ gordon said, "they weretaken by a robber who did not also murder his victim. nogi, now-"å¥ "of course!"å¥ cried helen peyton, quickly;"i see it! i never could abide nogi, with his stealthy ways. he stole the things, andthen he ran away, and later, doctor waring killed himself!"å¥ "because of the robbery!"å¥ exclaimed emilybates.

"oh, no!"å¥ lockwood returned. "certainlynot for that. indeed, the motive is the greatest mystery of all. we could perhaps imagine amotive for murder-whether it was robbery, or some brute of " the other faction' orsome old enemy of whom we know nothing. but for suicide, though i am sure it was that,i can think of no motive whatever."å¥ "nor i,"å¥ said mrs. bates. "i knew himbetter than any of you, and i know-i know for a certainty, that he was a happy man.that he looked forward eagerly to his marriage with me, that he was happy in the thoughtof his presidency-that he hadn't a real trouble in the world."å¥ "the other faction,"å¥ began mrs. peyton.

"no,"å¥ said mrs. bates, firmly. "he knewhe was doing his duty, upholding the principles and tradition of his college, and the otherfaction did not worry him. he was too big-minded, too broad-visioned to allow that to troublehim."å¥ "i think you're quite right, mrs. bates,"å¥lockwood agreed; "but granting it was suicide, what do you think was the cause?"å¥ "that's just it,"å¥ she declared; "idon't think it was suicide, i know it couldn't have been. he was too happy, too good, toofine, to do such a thing, even if he had had a reason. and then, what did he do it with?"å¥ "morton imagines a secret entrance of somesort,"å¥ said lockwood. "if there is one,

the robber could have come in afterward, andcould have carried off the weapon-"å¥ "hush, gordon,"å¥ said mrs. bates, sternly."that's too absurd! if it had been suicide-which it wasn't-why under heaven would a burglarcoming in later, take away the weapon?"å¥ "to save himself,"å¥ said lockwood, shortly."so he wouldn't be suspected of the greater crime."å¥ "nonsense!"å¥ said mrs. peyton, irately;"i never heard such rubbish! and, in the first place, there's no secret entranceto the study. i haven't swept and dusted and vacuum-cleaned that place all these yearswithout knowing that! yes, and had the room redecorated and refloored, and-oh, i knowevery inch of it! there's no possible chance

of a secret entrance. who built it and whenand why? not doctor waring. his life's always been an open book. never has he had any secreterrands, any callers whom i didn't know, any matters on which he was silent or uncommunicative.until his engagement to mrs. bates, he hadn't a ripple in his quiet life, and that he toldme about as soon as it occurred."å¥ mrs. peyton looked squarely at doctor waring'sfiancee, as if to imply a complete knowledge of the courtship, as well as an intimate knowledgeof the doctor's life. "that's true,"å¥ lockwood said. "hewas a man without secrets. he was always willing i should open his mail, and there was nevera letter that i did not know about."å¥ yet even as he spoke, the man remembered thecrumpled paper he had taken from the waste

basket, and he felt it in his pocket, thoughhe made no sign. "oh, people, is my aunt here?"å¥ it was pinky payne, who, all excitement, camerunning in. "i've just heard, and i want to see auntemily."å¥ "here i am, dear. come here, my boy,"å¥and she drew him down beside her on the sofa. "what do they say, pinky? what's the talkin town?"å¥ lockwood asked. "oh, the place is in a turmoil. there arethe wildest reports. some say it's a-a-that he killed himself, you know, and some say-hedidn't. which was it?"å¥ the boy's lip quivered as he looked aboutat the silent people.

"tell him, gordon,"å¥ begged mrs. bates,and lockwood told the principal details of the mystery. "never a suicide! never!"å¥ pinckney paynedeclared. "i know doc waring too well for that. suicide means a coward-and he wasnever that! no, aunt emily, it was murder. oh, how terrible,"å¥ and the boy almost lostcontrol of himself. "you were at the bottom of it, auntie. i'm sure it was either oneof those men you refused when you took up with doc waring."å¥ "why, pinckney! how dreadful of you! don'tsay such a thing!"å¥ "but i know it. if you'd heard jim haskelland philip leonard talk-i felt sure they

meant to kill doctor waring."å¥ "pinky, i forbid you-"å¥ "but it's true, auntie. and if it'strue, you want them shown up, don't you, whichever one it was?"å¥ "hush, pinky-hush!"å¥ "yes, shut up, pink,"å¥ lockwood spoke sternly."what you suggest is highly improbable, but even if there's suspicion of such athing, don't babble about it. that's the detective's work."å¥ "yes-and who's your detective? old blind-as-a-batmorton, i'll bet, who can't see a hole

through a ladder! i'll show him now-"å¥ "pinky, i beg of you, hush,"å¥ said hisaunt, losing her self-control. "there, auntie, dear, don't cry. i didn'tmean to worry you, but something must be done-"å¥ "something will be done, pinky,"å¥ lockwoodassured him. "but i tell you right now, if you try to stick your inexperienced fingerin this pie, you'll make trouble for us all-from your aunt down. now, behave yourself.try to be a man, not a foolish boy."å¥ "that's what i'm doing! and i don'tpropose to lie down on the job, either. i tell you, gordon. i know a lot about detectivework-"å¥ "cut it out, pink,"å¥ said helen, and herwords seemed to have an effect on the irrepressible

youth. "to read detective stories is onething-to solve a real, live mystery is quite another."å¥ "that's right, helen,"å¥ and lockwoodnodded approval. "many a person thinks he has a bit of detective instinct, when allhe has is curiosity and imagination."å¥ helen, pleased at this appreciation went onto lay down the law for pinckney payne. she was interrupted by the entrance of mortonwho wanted to learn more of the departed japanese, nogi. "what other servants are there?"å¥ he askedmrs. peyton. "only the two japanese,"å¥ she replied."they do all the cooking and serving at

table; all the cleaning of the house; andthe rest, my daughter and myself attend to."å¥ "there is a chauffeur?"å¥ "yes, but the garage is a few blocks away,and the chauffeur lives at home."å¥ "you had nogi but a short time?"å¥ "only a few days."å¥ "he came well recommended?"å¥ "he had very fine written recommendations,but from people i did not know, and too far away to inquire of. i took him on trial."å¥ "he seemed honest and faithful?"å¥

"he seemed so-but he was silent and moody-aman one could scarcely understand."å¥ "can you imagine his killing his master-grantingthe opportunity?"å¥ mrs. peyton considered. "i can imagine it,"å¥she said, "but i shouldn't like to say i would suspect him of it. he was soft-footed,and went about with a sort of stealthy manner, but i'm not prepared to say he was wrongin any way."å¥ "call in ito, the other one."å¥ ito came, and stood stolidly by. his impassivedemeanor was not unlike that of gordon lockwood. waring had sometimes remarked this in a chaffingway to his secretary. "you knew this nogi?"å¥ asked morton.

"only since he came here,"å¥ answered thebutler, in perfect english. "you liked him?"å¥ "neither yes nor no. he knew little of hisduties, but he was willing to learn. he was respectful to me, and friendly enough. i hadno reason to dislike him."å¥ morton didn't seem to get anywhere withthis man. "well, what do you think of his character?"å¥he said. "would you say he was capable of killing his employer?"å¥ "all men are capable of crime,"å¥ said thejap, in a low, even voice, "but he could not kill doctor waring and go away leavingthe study locked on the inside."å¥

"why did he go away, then?"å¥ "that i do not know. it may be he tiredof the place here."å¥ "but there was money due him."å¥ "yes; that makes it hard to understand."å¥ morton had an uncomfortable feeling that thejapanese was scornful of him, and, worse still, that the other listeners were also. "you may go,"å¥ he told ito, and then, turningto lockwood, he said, a little belligerently, "who is in charge here? to whom do i makemy report?"å¥ the question was like a bombshell. all weresilent, until mrs. bates said, "i suppose

i am what might be called in charge. you mayreport to me."å¥ "to you, ma'am?"å¥ morton was, clearly,surprised. "yes; as doctor waring's affianced wife,and as his heir, i feel i am in authority. and also, i wish all reports made to me, asi am the one most deeply interested in learning the identity of the murderer."å¥ "if he was murdered,"å¥ supplemented mrs.bates. and mrs. peyton broke in, "you needn'tthink, mr. morton, that there's such a thing as a secret entrance or secret passage inthis house, for i know there is not."å¥ "yet there are other theories, other possibilities,"å¥the detective said, his air a little less

important than it had been. "suppose, now,that nogi had robbed and murdered his master, when he carried in the water tray. just supposethat, and suppose that, with his japanese cunning he had devised a way to lock the doorbehind him-or, say, he had gone out by the glass door, and had locked that behind him."å¥ "how?"å¥ cried pinckney, his eyes wide withexcitement. "say he had previously removed a pane ofglass-they are not large panes. say, he reached through, locked the door inside-thefrench window, i mean-and then had put in the pane, reputtied it, and gone away."å¥ "gee!"å¥ cried the boy. "that could be!"å¥

"of course it could. and there are otherways it might have been accomplished. now, we don't say that did happen, but what iwant to know is, who is at the head of this investigation?"å¥ "i can't feel that mrs. bates is,"å¥ mrs.peyton said, a little sullenly. "she was not married yet, and therefore, as residenthousekeeper, i feel rather in authority myself."å¥ "but you say you are the heir, mrs. bates?"å¥the detective inquired. "perhaps i ought not to have told that,"å¥emily bates spoke regretfully. "but doctor waring's lawyer will tell you, it is truei am the principal heir. it is so designated in his will, which you will find in a secretdrawer in his desk."å¥

"you know where this drawer is?"å¥ "i do."å¥ "later on, i will ask you to show us. ifyou are the heir, there is no further question of your authority here."å¥ and detective morton left the room. chapter viiiwhere is nogi? twenty-four hours later cray, the districtprosecuting attorney, stood in the waring the body of the master had been removed, andto cray's regret he had not seen it before the embalmer's work had removed the redring on the forehead.

"it was a sign,"å¥ he said to morton, whowas moodily listening. "a sign like that, left by the murderer, always means revenge."å¥ "you agree to murder, then?"å¥ morton spokeeagerly, glad to have his theory corroborated. "what else? look here, morton; it's gotto be either murder or suicide, hasn't it? yes? well, then, to which of the two do thegreater number of clues point? sum up. for suicide we have only the locked room argument.i admit i don't know how any one could get in or out of this study, but, as i say, that'sthe only sign of suicide. now, for murder we have the absence of the weapon, the robberyof the money and the ruby, and sign of a circle on the dead man's forehead. wish i'd seenthat. it wasn't burnt on, for it disappeared

after the embalmers took care of it."å¥ "oh, no, it wasn't as deep as a burn.more like an impression left by a ring of cold metal or the edge of a glass tumbler."å¥ "very strange, and decidedly an importantclue. for, here's the queer part. the doctors declare the mark must have been made whilethe man was alive-now, how can that be explained?"å¥ "give it up. it's too much for me. butit was too small a circle to have been made by the tumbler on the water tray. i measuredit."å¥ "i know; that's why i think it was a signof revenge. suppose the motive was revenge and the reason for revenge had something todo with a quarrel in which a small glass or

cup figured. that's the idea, though, ofcourse, it needn't have been a glass or cup at all, but something with a ring-likeedge. thus, there was a reason for the sign on the dead man's face."å¥ "i see; though i never could have dopedit out like that."å¥ "oh, i don't say it's exactly what happened,but there must have been something of the sort, for what other hypothesis fits the caseat all? we can't imagine doctor waring branding his own forehead, and then killing himself,can we?"å¥ "no; and if he had, where's the brandingiron-to call it that-and where's the dagger?"å¥

"that's right. now, i propose to treatthe matter as a murder case, and look for the criminal first, and then find out howhe entered the locked room afterward."å¥ "pooh! those locked rooms-"å¥ "you're 'way off, morton, when you sneerat a " locked room.'"å¥ "it was locked-i mean impenetrably locked.there is no secret passage-of that i'm sure. your ingenious idea of removing andreplacing a whole pane of glass was clever, i grant, but we've seen that not a panehas been lately reputtied. they're all framed in old, dried, hard, and even painted putty."å¥ "i know it. but some other such way mighthave been devised."å¥

"can't think of any. we've examinedall the window sashes and door frame-oh, well, so far as i can see the room was absolutelyunenterable. but, notwithstanding, i'm going to work on a murder basis. because inexplicableas that seems, there are even more insurmountable difficulties in the way of the suicide theory.now, i suppose you've had the finger print expert in?"å¥ "no-i haven't-not yet."å¥ "good lord! what kind of a detective areyou? well, get him, and put him to work. what about footprints?"å¥ "inside the room?"å¥

"or outside, either. but inside, i supposehas been trampled by a score of people!"å¥ "you can't get footprints on a thick rug,"å¥the discomfited morton grumbled. "sometimes you can. and a polished floorwill often show marks. what have you done, anyway?"å¥ "there was enough to do, mr. cray,"å¥ mortonflared back at him. "i have been busy every minute since i began, except for a few hourssleep."å¥ "over twenty-four hours since the alarmwas given. you've put in at least twelve, then. what have you done?"å¥ "a lot. i've found out, to my own satisfaction,that-if it is a murder-gordon lockwood

knows all about it."å¥ "you suspect him?"å¥ "either of the deed, or of guilty knowledge."å¥ "and his motive?"å¥ "money. that young man is over head andears in debt."å¥ "to whom?"å¥ "to shops-jewelers, florists, restaurants.all the debts a gay young blade would incur."å¥ "you amaze me, morton. lockwood isn'tthat sort."å¥ "isn't he? you're deceived, like everyone else, by that icy calm of his. he stares

haughtily, and appears above and beyond ordinarymortals, but he's deep. that's what he is, deep."å¥ "well, how did he do it?"å¥ "with his penholder. a smooth, sharp silverpenholder. and he took the money and the ruby."å¥ "and how did he leave the room?"å¥ "don't ask me that! that's his secret.but, i've a notion he was in cahoots with that new jap, the one that vamoosed. i theorize,"å¥morton waxed important as he noted the prosecutor's attention, "that the jap had some grudgeagainst waring, and it was he who branded his forehead, and who contrived a way to leavethe room locked behind him. why, i read a

story the other day, where a key was turnedfrom the other side of a door by means of a slender steel bar through the key handle,and a string from the bar, leading down and under the door. once outside, the murdererpulled the string, the bar turned the key in the lock, the bar fell to the floor andhe dragged it under the door by means of the string."å¥ "ingenious! but it implies a door raisedfrom the floor."å¥ "i know. and this one isn't. but it allgoes to prove that there can be some way-some diabolically clever way to do the trick. andthe japanese are diabolically clever. and so is lockwood. and if the two worked togetherthey could accomplish wonders. then lockwood

with his wooden face, could disarm suspicion.the jap, let us say, couldn't, so lockwood packed him off."å¥ "interesting-but all theory."å¥ "to be proved or disproved, then."å¥ "yes, but meantime, you are losing timeon more practical investigation. let's look outside for footprints-i mean for any onecoming or going from this side entrance."å¥ "the french window? nobody comes or goesthat way in this weather; the path isn't even shoveled. that's used mostly in summertime."å¥ "nevertheless,"å¥ cray opened the windowdoor, "somebody has been here."å¥

morton looked out and stared hard. how hadhe come to neglect a matter of such importance. there were two plainly visible lines of footprintsin the snow, one quite obviously coming toward the house and one going away from it. "there's your murderer,"å¥ said cray,quietly. "oh, no,"å¥ but morton wriggled uneasily."it couldn't be. no murderer is going to walk through crusted snow, to and fromthe scene of his crime, leaving definite footprints like those!"å¥ "that's no argument. he might have comehere with no intent of crime, and afterward, might have been so beside himself he couldn'tplan safely."å¥

"oh, well, get what you can from them,"å¥said morton, pettishly. "i suppose you deduce a tall man, with blue eyes and two teeth missing."å¥ "don't be cheap, morton. and, on the contrary,i deduce a small man. they are small footprints, and close together. the japanese are smallmen, morton."å¥ "well, these prints are more than twenty-fourhours old, and they're not clear enough to incriminate anybody."å¥ "they haven't changed an iota from themoment they were made. this cold snap has kept everything frozen solid. look at thefrost still on the panes, the icicles still on the window sashes, the ice coating stillon all the trees and branches. in fact it

has grown steadily colder since night beforelast, and until it begins to thaw we have these footprints as intact evidence. i willhave them photographed."å¥ "they are small,"å¥ morton agreed afterfurther examination. "and as you say, too close together for an ordinary sized man.it looks like the jap."å¥ "beginning to wake up, are you? you'vesure been asleep at the switch, morton."å¥ "nothing of the sort, mr. cray. but i oughtto have help. i've had all i could tackle, making the necessary first inquiries, andgetting the facts straightened out."å¥ "that business could have waited betterthan these other things. now, there's crimmins, the lawyer arriving. let's interview him.but not in the study. keep that clear."å¥

they met crimmins in the hall, and took himto the living room. the matter of the will was immediately takenup, and mrs. bates was asked to tell which desk drawer it was in. accompanied by the lawyer and the secretary,mrs. bates indicated the drawer, and lockwood opened it with his key. there were a few papers in it but no will. nor could further search disclose any suchdocument. "who took it?"å¥ said mrs. bates, blankly. but no one could answer her. the others camethronging in, cray's urgent requests to

keep out of the study being entirely ignored. "i knew it,"å¥ declared mrs. peyton, triumphantly."now, i guess you won't be so cocky, emily bates-you or your " authority!'"å¥ mrs. bates looked at her. "i am the heir,"å¥she said haughtily. "i assert that-but i cannot prove it until the will is found.it isn't in your possession, mr. crimmins?"å¥ "no; doctor waring preferred to keep ithimself. i cannot understand its disappearance."å¥ "a lot of paper has been burned in thisfireplace,"å¥ said helen peyton who was poking the ashes around. morton hastened to look, for it seemed tohim as if everybody was stealing his thunder.

"nothing that can be identified,"å¥ he said,carelessly. "no?"å¥ demurred cray. "at any rate, itlooks as if some legal papers were destroyed. this bit of ash is quite evidently the remainderof several sheets folded together."å¥ but no definite knowledge could be gainedoutside the fact that much paper had been burned there. as no fire had been made sincethe discovery of the tragedy, it stood to reason the papers were burned by doctor waringhimself or by his midnight intruder, if there were such a one. "well,"å¥ cray demanded of the lawyer, "ifno will can be found, then who inherits the property of doctor waring? and is it considerable?"å¥

"yes; doctor waring had quite a fortune,"å¥crimmins told them. "as to an heir, he has a distant cousin-a second cousin, who, isuppose would be the legal inheritor, in the absence of any will. but, i know he made awill in mrs. bates' favor, and it included a few minor legacies to the members of thishousehold and some neighbors."å¥ "i know it,"å¥ mrs. bates said. "i'mperfectly familiar with all the bequests. but where is the will? it must be found! itcan't have been burnt!"å¥ "we've no right to assume that those paperashes are the will, but i confess i fear it,"å¥ crimmins announced, his face drawn with anxiety."i should be deeply sorry, if it is so, for the cousin i speak of is a ne'er dowell young man, and not at all a favorite

of his late relative. his name is mauricetrask and he lives in st. louis. i suppose he must be notified in any case."å¥ "yes,"å¥ said cray, "that must be done.but, please, all go out of this room, for the finger print experts and the photographersare coming soon, and every moment you people stay here, you help to cloud or destroy possibleclues."å¥ impressed by his sternness, they filed outand gathered in the living-room. there they found a neighbor, saltonstall adams,awaiting them. "i came over,"å¥ he said, with scant preliminarygreetings, "because i have something to tell. you in charge, mr. cray?"å¥

"yes, salt, what do you know?"å¥ "this. i was awake late, night before last-thenight doc waring died, and i was looking out my window, and it was pretty light, with thesnow and the moonlight and all, and i saw a man-a small man, creeping along sly like.and i watched him, he went along past my house down toward the railroad tracks. he had abag with him, and a bundle beside. i wouldn't have noticed him probably, but he skulkedalong so and seemed so fearful that somebody'd see him."å¥ "nogi?"å¥ said gordon lockwood, calmly,looking at the speaker. "don't say it was, and don't say itwasn't. but i went down to the station and

the station master told me that that jap ofwaring's went off on the milk train."å¥ "he did!"å¥ cried morton, "what time doesthat train go through?"å¥ "'bout half past four. the fellow passedmy house 'long about half past twelve, i should say-though i didn't look, and hemust have waited around the station all that time till the milk train came along."å¥ "is the station master sure it was nogi?"å¥asked mrs. peyton, greatly excited. "said he was, and there's mighty few japsin corinth, all told."å¥ "of course it was nogi,"å¥ said lockwood,and morton snapped him up with, "why are you so sure?"å¥

lockwood treated the detective to one of hismost disconcerting stares, and said, "you, a detective, and ask such a simplequestion! why, since there are but a very few japanese in this town, and since one ofthem left on that milk train, and since all the rest are accounted for, and only nogiis missing-it doesn't seem to me to require superhuman intelligence to infer that it wasnogi who took his departure."å¥ "and who was mixed up in the murder of doctorjohn waring?"å¥ cried morton, exasperated beyond all caution by the ironic tone of lockwood."and, unless you can explain some matters, sir, you may be considered mixed in the samedespicable deed!"å¥ "what matters?"å¥ gordon lockwood asked,but his already pale face turned a shade whiter.

"first, sir, you have a large number ofunpaid bills in your possession."å¥ the secretary's face was no longer white.the angry blood flew to it, and he fairly clenched his hands in an effort to preservehis usual calm, nor even then, could he entirely succeed. "what if i have?"å¥ he cried, "and howdo you know? you've searched my rooms!"å¥ "certainly,"å¥ said morton, "i warnedyou i should do so."å¥ "but, in my absence!"å¥ "the law is not always over ceremonious."å¥ "now, mr. lockwood,"å¥ cray began, "don'tget excited."å¥

gordon lockwood almost laughed. for him tobe told not to get excited! he, who never allowed himself to be even slightly ruffledor perturbed! this would never do! "i'm not excited, mr. cray,"å¥ he said,and he wasn't, now, "but i am annoyed that my private papers should be searchedwithout my knowledge. surely i might-"å¥ "never mind the amenities of life, mr. lockwood,"å¥cray went on; "your effects were searched on the authority of a police warrant. now,regarding these bills-"å¥ "i have nothing to say. a man has a rightto his unpaid bills."å¥ "but he has not a right to steal five hundreddollars in cash and a ruby pin, in order to be able to pay them!"å¥ this from morton,and instead of replying to the detective in

any way, lockwood ignored the speech utterly,quite as if he had not heard it, and addressed cray. "was anything further found to incriminateme?"å¥ he asked. "was there anything else to be found?"å¥said cray, catching at the implied suggestion. "that's for your sleuths to say. i knowof nothing."å¥ "well, there's your round, sharp penholder.and the fact that you had keys to all desk drawers. also the fact that only you and thejap are known to have been in that part of the house that night. these things were notlearned from the search of your rooms; but your pecuniary embarrassment, which was discovered,all go together to make a web of circumstances

that call for investigation."å¥ "don't beat about the bush!"å¥ exclaimedlockwood, his lips set, and his eyes staring coldly at the district attorney. "i'dfar rather be accused definitely than have it hinted that i am responsible for this crime."å¥ "but we haven't sufficient evidence, mr.lockwood, to accuse you definitely, that's why we must question you."å¥ "sufficient! you haven't any evidenceat all!"å¥ "oh, we have some."å¥ with a turn of hishead, cray summoned a man who stood at the hall door.

the man came in, and handed cray a report. "h'm,"å¥ the attorney scanned the paper."we find, mr. lockwood, fresh finger prints on the chair which stood near doctor waring'sdesk. facing the doctor's chair, in fact, as if some one had sat there talking to him.did you?"å¥ "no; i never sat down and talked to him.i was always waiting on him in the matter of bringing books or taking letters for transcription,and in any case, i either stood, or sat at my desk, never in that chair you speak of."å¥ "this man will take the finger prints ofall present,"å¥ the attorney directed, and one and all submitted to the process.

old salt adams was greatly interested. "but you can't get the prints of friendjap,"å¥ he said. "like's not, he'd be of more importance than all of us put together.me, now, i can't see where i come in."å¥ yet, after time enough had passed to completethe processes, it was learned that the finger prints on the shiny black wood of the chairunder discussion were indubitably those of gordon lockwood. also, there were other printsthere, slightly smaller, that cray immediately assumed to be those of the missing japanese. lockwood looked more supercilious than usual,if that were possible. "how can you identify the prints of a mannot here?"å¥ he asked with an incredulous

look. "supposition not identification,"å¥ saidcray, gravely. "but we're narrowing these things down, and we may yet get identification."å¥ "get the jap back,"å¥ advised old salt adams."that's your next move, cray. get him, check up his finger prints and all that, andbest of all get his confession. there's your work cut out for you."å¥ "find doctor waring's will,"å¥ mrs. bateslamented. "there's your work cut out for you. i am not unduly mercenary, but when iknow how anxious doctor waring was that i should inherit his estate, when i realizewhat it meant that he drew this will before

our marriage, so urgent was his desire thatall should be mine, you must understand that i do not willingly forego it all in favorof a distant relative, whom, mr. crimmins tells us, doctor waring did not care for atall."å¥ "i should say not!"å¥ and crimmins lookedpositive. "it will be an outrage if mr. trask inherits the estate already willed tomrs. bates. i stand ready to do all i can to see justice done in this matter."å¥ "but justice, as you see it, can only resultfrom finding the will,"å¥ said cray. "yes,"å¥ agreed crimmins, "and the wholematter opens up a new train of thought. may not the distant cousin, this man trask bein some way responsible for the destruction

of the will and the death of the decedent?"å¥ "it is a new way to look,"å¥ cray agreed,with a thoughtful air; "and we will look that way, you rest assured. we will at onceget in touch with this cousin, you will give us his address, and learn where he was andhow employed on the night of doctor waring's death. we still have to face the problem ofan outsider's exit from a locked room, and though it seems more explicable in the caseof a member of the household, yet a new suspect brings fresh conditions, and perhaps freshevidence, which may show us where to look. at any rate, we must speedily find mr. mauricetrask."å¥ chapter ixa love letter

"look here, esther,"å¥ said old salt tohis wife, "that's a mighty curious case over at waring's."å¥ "how you do talk! i should think that toyou and me, knowing and loving john waring as we did, you'd have no doings with thecurious part of it! as for me, i don't care who killed him. he's dead, isn't he? itcan't bring him back to life to hang his murderer. and to my mind it's heathenish-allthis detectiving and evidencing-or whatever they call it. whom do they suspect now? you?"å¥ adams looked at his wife with a mild reproach."woman all over! no sense of justice, no righteous indignation. don't you know themurderer must be found and punished? that

is if it was a murder."å¥ "of course it was! that blessed man neverkilled himself! and he about to marry emily bates-a lady, if ever there was one!"å¥ "well, now you listen to me, esther, andwhatever you do, don't go babbling about this. they say the jap, who vamoosed fromthe waring house, made a line of foot tracks in the snow. the snow's crusted over, youknow, and those footprints are about as clear now as when they were made."å¥ "huh! footprints! corinth is full of footprints."å¥ "yes, but these-listen, esther-theselead straight from the waring house, over

to this house. and back again."å¥ "how can they?"å¥ mrs. adams looked mystified."that japanese didn't come over here."å¥ "you can't say that he didn't. and,look here, esther, where's miss austin? what's she doing?"å¥ "miss austin? she's in her room. she hasn'tbeen quite up to the mark for a day or two, and she's had her meals upstairs."å¥ "what's the matter with her?"å¥ "a slight cold, she says. i can't makeher out, salt. what's she doing here, anyway?"å¥ "don't pester her, my dear. how you andbascom do love to pick at that girl! why does

she have to do anything?"å¥ "it's queer, though. and i hate a mystery."å¥ "well, she is one-i grant you that. haveyou told her about doctor waring? though i daresay it wouldn't interest her."å¥ "and i daresay it would! why, that girlcut his picture out of the paper, and she did have one stuck up on her dresser, tilli looked at it sort of sharp like, and she put it away."å¥ "poor child! can't even have a newspapercutting, if she wants it! you're a tyrant, esther! don't you ever try to boss me likethat!"å¥

the good-natured smile that passed betweenthem, proved the unlikelihood of this, and old salt went on. "i wish you'd tell her,wife, about the tragedy. seems like she ought to know."å¥ mrs. adams stared at him. "i'll tell her,as a matter of course, but i don't know why you're so anxious about it."å¥ "good morning, miss austin,"å¥ the goodlady said, soon after, "better this morning?"å¥ "yes, thank you. my cold is almost entirelywell."å¥ the girl was sitting by the window, in aneasy chair. she had on a japanese dressing gown of quilted silk, embroidered with chrysanthemums,and was listlessly gazing out across the snow

covered field opposite. the adams house was on the outskirts of thelittle town, and separated by a wide field from the waring place. "heard the news about doctor waring?"å¥mrs. adams said, in a casual tone, but watching the girl closely. "no; what is it?"å¥ the words were simple, and the voice steady,but miss austin's hands clutched the arms of the chair, and her face turned perfectlywhite. "why, what ails you? you don't know theman, do you?"å¥

"i-i heard him lecture, you know. tellme-what is the-the news?"å¥ "he's dead."å¥ mrs. adams spoke bluntlyon purpose. she had felt in a vague way, that this strange person, this miss mystery, hadmore interest in doctor waring than she admitted, and the landlady was determined to find out. to her own satisfaction she did find out,for the girl almost fainted. she didn't quite lose consciousness, indeed it was notso much a faint as such a desperate effort to regain her poise, that it unnerved her. "now, now, miss austin, why do you takeit so hard? he was a stranger to you, wasn't he?"å¥

"yes-yes, of course he was."å¥ "why are you so disturbed then?"å¥ "he was such a-such a fine man-"å¥ thegirl's stifled sobs impeded her speech. "well, somebody killed him."å¥ at that, miss austin seemed turned to stone."killed him!"å¥ she whispered, in accent of terror. "yes-or else he killed himself-theydon't feel sure."å¥ mrs. adams, once embarked on the narrative, told all she knew of thecircumstances, and in the exciting recital, almost forgot to watch the effect of the taleon her listener.

but this effect was not entirely unnoted.at the partly open door, old salt adams, stood, eavesdropping, but with a kindly, anxiouslook on his face, that boded no ill to any one. and he noticed that the girl's attentionwas wandering. she was pitifully white, her face drawn and scared, and soon she exclaimed,with a burst of nervous fury, "stop! please stop! leave the room, won't you?"å¥ it was not a command but an agonized entreaty.mrs. adams fairly jumped, and alarmed as well as offended, she rose and started for thedoor, only to meet her husband entering. "go downstairs, esther,"å¥ he said, gravely,"i want to speak to miss austin myself."å¥

staring at one then at the other, and utterlyrouted by this unbelievable turn of affairs, mrs. adams went. old salt closed the room door, and turnedto the trembling girl. "miss austin,"å¥ he said kindly, "i likeyou, i want to help you-but i must ask you to explain yourself a little. the people inmy house call you miss mystery. why are you here? why are you in corinth at all?"å¥ for a moment the girl seemed about to respondto his kindly, gentle attitude and address. then, something stayed her, and she let herlovely face harden to a stony blankness, as she replied, "it is a bit intrusive, buti've no reason not to tell. i am an art

student, and i came here to paint new englandwinter scenery."å¥ "have you done much?"å¥ "i haven't been here quite a week yet-andi've been picking out available bits-and for two days i've had a cold."å¥ "how did you get cold?"å¥ the voice waskind but it had a definite note, as if desirous of an accurate answer. miss mystery looked at him. "how does any one get cold?"å¥ she said,trying to smile; "perhaps sitting in a draught-perhaps by means of a germ. it is almost well now."å¥

"perhaps by walking in the snow, and gettingone's feet wet,"å¥ mr. adams suggested, and the girl turned frightened eyes on him. "don't,"å¥ she breathed; "mr. adams,don't!"å¥ her voice was piteous her eyes implored him to stop torturing her. "why, what's the harm in my saying that?"å¥he went on, inexorably. "you wouldn't go anywhere that you wouldn't want known-wouldyou-miss mystery?"å¥ he spoke the last two words in a meaning way,and the great dark eyes faced him with the look of a stag at bay. then again, by a desperate effort the girlrecovered herself, and said, coldly,

"please speak plainly, mr. adams. is therea special meaning in your words?"å¥ "there is, miss austin. perhaps i have noright to ask you why-but i do ask you if you went over to doctor waring's house,late in the evening-night before last?"å¥ "sunday night, do you mean?"å¥ miss mystery controlled her voice, but herhands were clenched and her foot tapped the floor in her stifled excitement. "yes, sunday night."å¥ "no; of course i did not go over there atnight. i was there in the afternoon, with mrs. bates and mr. payne."å¥

"i know that. and you then met doctor waringfor the first time?"å¥ "for the first time,"å¥ she spoke with downcastface. "the first time in your life?"å¥ "the first time in my life,"å¥ but if evera statement carried its own denial that one seemed to. the long dark lashes fell on thewhite cheeks. the pale lips quivered, and if anita austin had been uttering deepestperjury she could have shown no more convincing evidence of falsehood. yet old salt looked at her benevolently. shewas so young, so small, so alone-and so mysterious.

"i can't make you out,"å¥ he shook hishead. "but i'm for you, miss austin. that is,"å¥ he hedged, "unless i find out somethingdefinite against you. i feel i ought to tell you, that you've enemies-yes,"å¥ as thegirl looked up surprised, "you've made enemies in this house. small wonder-theway you've acted! now, why can't you be chummy and sociable like?"å¥ "chummy? sociable? with whom?"å¥ "with all the boarders. there's younglockwood now-and there's young tyler-"å¥ "yes, yes, i know. i will-mr. adams-iwill try to be more sociable. now-as to-to doctor waring-why did he kill himself?"å¥

old salt eyed her narrowly. "we don'tknow that he did,"å¥ he began. "but mrs. adams told me all the details"å¥-sheshuddered, "and if that room he was in was so securely locked that they had to breakin, how could it be the work of-of another?"å¥ "well, miss austin, as they found a badwound in the man's neck, just under his right ear, a wound that produced instant unconsciousnessand almost instant death, and as no weapon of any sort could be found in the room, howcould it have been suicide?"å¥ "which would you rather think it?"å¥ thestrange girl asked, looking gravely at him. "well, to me-i'm an old-fashioned chap-suicidealways suggests cowardice, and doc waring was no coward, that i'll swear!"å¥

"no, he was not-"å¥ miss mystery started at the sudden question. "i heard him lecture, you know,"å¥ she returned;"and, too, i saw him in his home-sunday afternoon-and he seemed a fine man-a fineman."å¥ "well, miss austin,"å¥ old salt rose togo, "i'm free to confess you're a mystery to me. i consider myself a fair judge of men-yes,and of women, but when a slip of a girl like you acts so strange, i can't make it out.now, i happen to know-"å¥ he paused at the panic-stricken look on herface, and lamely concluded; "never mind-i won't tell."å¥

with which cryptic remark he went away. "well, what you been saying to her?"å¥ demandedhis aggrieved spouse, as the adamses met in their own little sitting-room. "why, nothing,"å¥ old salt replied, andhis troubled eyes looked at her pleadingly. "i don't think she's wrong, esther."å¥ "well, i do. and maybe a whole lot wrong.why, saltonstall, miss bascom says she saw miss austin traipsing across the field latesunday night."å¥ "she didn't! i don't believe a wordof it! she's a meddling old maid-a snooping busybody!"å¥

"there, now, you carry on like that becauseyou're afraid we will discover something wrong about miss mystery."å¥ "look here, esther,"å¥ adams spoke sternly;"you remember she's a young girl, without anybody to stand up for her, hereabouts. now,you know what a bobbery a few words can kick up. and we don't want that poor child'sname touched by a breath of idle gossip that isn't true. i don't believe liza bascomsaw her out on sunday night! i don't even believe she thought she did!"å¥ "well, i believe it. liza bascom's nofool-"å¥ "she's worse, she's a knave! and shehates little austin, and she'd say anything,

true or false, to harm the girl."å¥ "but, salt, she says she saw miss austin,all in her fur coat and cap going cross lots to the waring house sunday evening-late."å¥ "can she prove it?"å¥ "i don't know about that. but she sawher."å¥ "how does she know it was miss austin? itmight have been somebody who looked like her."å¥ "you know those footprints."å¥ "the jap's?"å¥ "you can't say they're the jap's.miss bascom says they're the austin girl's."å¥

"esther!"å¥ old saltonstall adams rose inhis wrath, "you ought to be ashamed of yourself to let that girl's name get into the waringmatter at all. even if she did go out sunday night, if miss bascom did see her, you keepstill about it. if that girl's wrong, it'll be discovered without our help. if she isn't,we must not be the ones to bring her into notice."å¥ "she couldn't be-be implicated-couldshe, salt?"å¥ "no!"å¥ he thundered. "esther, you astoundme. that bascom woman has turned your brain. she's a viper, that's what she is!"å¥ he stormed out of the room, and getting intohis great coat, tramped down to the village.

gordon lockwood was in his room. this wasmuch to the annoyance of callie, the impatient chambermaid, who wanted to get her work done. lockwood was himself impatient to get overto the waring house, for he had much to do with the mass of incoming mail and the necessaryinterviews with reporters and other callers. yet he tarried, in his pleasant bedroom atmrs. adams', his door securely locked, and his own attitude one of stupefaction. for the hundredth time he reread the crumpledpaper that he had taken from the study waste-basket under the very nose of detective morton. had that sleuth been a little more worthyof his profession he never would have allowed

the bare-faced theft. and now that lockwood had it he scarce knewwhat to do with it. and truly it was an astonishing missive. for it read thus: my darling anita: at the first glance of your brown eyes thisafternoon, love was born in my heart. life is worth living-with you in the world! andyet- that was all. the unfinished letter had beencrumpled into a ball and thrown in the basket. had another been started-and completed?had anita austin received it-and was that

why she kept to her room for two days? wasshe a-he hated the word! a vamp? had she secretly become acquainted with john waringduring her presence in corinth, and had so charmed him that he wrote to her thus? or,had they known each other before? what a mystery! there was not the slightest doubt of the writing.lockwood knew it as well as he knew his own. and on top of all the other scraps in thewaste-basket it must have been the last missive the dead man wrote-or, rather the last hethrew away. this meant he had been writing it on the sundayevening. then, lockwood reasoned, knowing the routine, if he had written another, whichhe completed and addressed, it would, in natural course, have been put with the letters forthe mail, and would have been posted by ito

that next morning. what an oversight, never to have asked itoabout that matter. it was an inviolable custom for the butlerto take all letters laid on a certain small table, and put them in the pillar box, earlyin the morning. had ito done this? it must be inquired into. but far more absorbing was the actual letterbefore him. how could it be possible that john waring, the dignified scholar, the confirmedbachelor, should have loved this mystery girl? yet, even as he formulated the question, gordonlockwood knew the answer. he knew that from his own point of view it would not be impossibleor even difficult for any man with two eyes

in his head to love that fascinating, enchantingpersonality. and as he pondered, he knew that he lovedher himself. yes, had loved her almost from the moment he first saw her. certainly fromthe time he sat behind her at the lecture, and counted the queer little ball fringesin the back of her dainty gown. those fringes! lockwood gave a groan as asudden thought came to him. he jumped up, and with a determined air, setabout burning the inexplicable letter that john waring had written and thrown away. in the empty fireplace of the old-fashionedroom, lockwood touched a match to the sheet and burned it to an ash.

then he went over to the waring house. it was an hour or so later that callie reportedto miss bascom. "queer goin's on,"å¥ the girl said, rollingher eyes at her eager listener, "mr. lockwood, now, he burnt some papers, and miss austin,too, she burnt some papers."å¥ "what's queer about that?"å¥ snapped missbascom, who had hoped for something more sensational. "well, it's sorta strange they're bothburnin' paper at the same time. and both so sly about it. mr. lockwood he kep' lookin'back at the fireplace as he went outa the door, and miss austin, she jumped like shewas shot, when i come in suddenly an' found her stoopin' over the fireplace. an' too,miss bascom, whatever else she burnt, she

burnt that picture she had of doctor waring."å¥ "did she have his picture?"å¥ "yep, one mr. lockwood guv her, after noracarried off the one she cut out of a paper."å¥ "what in the world did that girl want ofdoctor waring's picture?"å¥ "i dunno, ma'am. what they call hero-worship,i guess. just like i've got some several pictures of harold massinger, that man whoplays caveman in the movies! my, but he's handsome!"å¥ "and so miss austin burned a photographof john waring?"å¥ "yes, ma'am. and you know they're kindahard to burn. anyways, she was a kneelin'

by the fireplace an' the picture was smokin'like everything."å¥ "" lemme help you miss,' i says, as politeas could be-"and watcha think, she snatched back, and says, " you lemme lone. get outahere!'or somethin' like that. oh, she was mad all right."å¥ "she has a high temper, hasn't she?"å¥ "yes'm, there's no denyin' she has.then again, she's sweet as pie, and nice an' gentle. she's a queer makeup, i willsay."å¥ "there, callie, that will do; don't gossip,"å¥and miss bascom, sure she had learned all the maid had to tell, went downstairs to tellit to mrs. adams.

the landlady seemed less receptive than usual,being still mindful of her husband's admonitions. but miss bascom's story of the burnt photographroused her curiosity to highest pitch. "there's something queer about that girl,"å¥mrs. adams opined, and the other more than agreed. "let's go up and talk to her,"å¥ missbascom suggested, and after a moment's hesitation, the landlady tapped lightly at the door, butthere was no response. "go right in,"å¥ the other whispered, andgo in they did. miss mystery lay on the couch, her eyes closed,her cheeks still wet with tears. she did not move, and after a moment's glance to assureherself the girl was sound asleep, miss bascom

audaciously opened one of the small top drawersof the dresser. mrs. adams gasped, and frantically made motionsof remonstrance, but swiftly fingering among the veils and handkerchiefs, miss bascom drewout a large roll of bills, held by an elastic band. anita austin's eyes flew open, and afterone staring glance at the intrusive woman, she jumped from the couch and flew at herlike a small but very active tiger. "how dare you!"å¥ she cried, snatching themoney from miss bascom's hand, even as that elated person was unrolling it. and from inside the roll, down on the paintedfloor, fell a ruby stickpin.

chapter xwho is miss mystery? mrs. adams fell limply into a chair, her roundeyes staring in horror. miss bascom had taken upon herself the rä‚â´leof dictator and with an accusing finger pointed at miss mystery she said: "what have you to say for yourself?"å¥ "nothing,"å¥ replied anita austin, coolly,"except to insist that you leave my room."å¥ "leave your room, indeed! i am only tooglad to! and i know where to go, too."å¥ miss bascom's determined air as she strodeout of the door gave a hint of her desperate intention and within five minutes she wasout on the road toward the village.

mrs. adams, still almost speechless with surpriseand dismay, looked sorrowfully at anita. something in the girl's face stayed the kindly wordsthe woman meant to say, and, instead, she broke out: "you must leave this house! what are youanyway? a thief-and a murderer?"å¥ "oh! don't!"å¥ anita put up her hand asif to ward off a physical blow. then, as if the cruel words had stung herto a quickened sense of her own danger, she cried, piteously: "oh, mrs. adams, help me-protect me-won'tyou? i don't know what to do-i'm all alone-so alone-"å¥

she sank into a chair and buried her facein her hands. esther adams was uncertain what course topursue. should she protect this guilty girl, of whom she really knew nothing, or shouldshe dismiss her at once from her house, in the interests of her other boarders, who mustbe considered? surely, her first duty was to the others-thepeople she had known so long, and who looked upon her house as a home and a safeguard. "you must go,"å¥ she said, though her voicewavered as she saw the pathetic face anita raised to look at her. "oh, no! don't send me away! where couldi go? even the inn people wouldn't take

me!"å¥ "of course they wouldn't! go home! haven'tyou a home? who are you, anyway? but i don't care who you are-you must get out of thishouse today-this morning. do you hear?"å¥ meantime miss bascom, on her virtuous errandhad trotted quickly to the office of the prosecuting district attorney. there, however, she was told that mr. craywas over at the waring house, and she concluded to go there. nor did this displease her. shelonged to be in the limelight, and the tale she had to tell would surely give her theright to be there. mrs. peyton received her coldly, for the twowere not friends.

"i came to see mr. cray,"å¥ miss bascomannounced, "on important business."å¥ "oh, very well,"å¥ the housekeeper returned,"take a seat and i'll ask him to see you."å¥ miss bascom waited in the living-room, securein her knowledge of the importance of her news. the attorney welcomed her cordially for hesaw at once that she brought news of value. and, expressed in emphatic language, and interspersedwith many and unfavorable personal opinions, liza bascom told of the incident of findingthe money and the ruby in miss austin's bureau drawer. "astonishing!"å¥ commented cray. "whois she?"å¥

"nobody knows, that's the queer part.we call her miss mystery."å¥ "where did she come from?"å¥ "nobody knows. she just appeared."å¥ "don't the adamses know?"å¥ "no, they don't."å¥ "a young girl, you say?"å¥ "she appears to be very young-but younever can tell with those sly things. i daresay she makes herself look several years youngerthan she really is."å¥ "did she know doctor waring?"å¥

"how do i know? she came over to this houselate sunday night-for i saw her-"å¥ "good heavens! are you sure?"å¥ "well, it was fairly light, with the moon,and the snow all over the ground, you know, and i saw her, all wrapped up in her fur coat,sneaking away from the house-"å¥ "how late?"å¥ "oh-after everybody had gone upstairsand the lights were all out at the adamses."å¥ "you saw her come back?"å¥ "no; i didn't think much about it at thetime-she's a crazy piece anyway-and-"å¥ "what do you mean by a crazy piece?"å¥

"why, she's queer-not like other folks.she won't have anything to do with any of us over there-"å¥ "that doesn't make her out crazy."å¥ miss bascom shrugged impatiently. "i don'tmean insane or demented. i only mean sly and secretive. she never speaks to anybody atthe table-and though she makes eyes at gordon lockwood, she snubs mr. tyler, who is justas good a young man. they both admire her-anybody can see that, but she treats them like thedust under her feet."å¥ "not an adventuress, then?"å¥ "i don't know. but i do know she's athief-or how did she get that money and

the ruby?"å¥ "perhaps doctor waring gave them to her?"å¥ "then she is a wrong one! why should hegive a strange girl such things?"å¥ "if he was in love with her-"å¥ "now, look here, mr. cray, do try to showordinary common sense! doctor waring was about to marry mrs. bates, a sweet, dear woman,of suitable age. is he going to have a little flibbertigibbet coming to see him late atnight, for any romantic reasons?"å¥ cray hesitated to speak his mind, but he ruminatedthat he had heard of such things, in the course of his life. miss bascom, he thought was anunsophisticated old maid, but there was certainly

a new condition to be investigated, and thecase of miss anita austin must be carefully considered. "now, miss bascom,"å¥ he said, diplomatically,"i'll have to ask you to keep this whole matter quiet for a time. you must see thatwe can't work successfully if we take the whole town into our confidence. or even thisentire household."å¥ "don't you try to bamboozle me, stephencray! i know your sort. you want to keep this matter quiet because you want to get thatgirl off scotfree! i know you men! just because she has a pair of big, dark eyes and a slimlittle shape you are ready to hide her guilt and let her off easy. i won't have it! thatgirl stole those things, or else she got them

from poor john waring in a way no decent womanwould-"å¥ "what are you talking about, liza bascom?"å¥ mrs. peyton appeared in the doorway, and thoughshe asked the question, it was fairly evident that she knew the answer, and had been listening. "yes,"å¥ she went on, "i've been listeningat the door, and i'm glad i did. first of all, i won't have doctor waring's nametraduced, and next, if there's a girl implicated in the matter, the whole truth about her hasgot to come out! i know the girl, she was here sunday afternoon, and a more brazen-faced,bold-mannered chit, i never want to see!"å¥ "she was here?"å¥ asked the bewildered cray."you know her?"å¥

"i know all i want to know of her,"å¥ mrs.peyton declared. "yes, she was here-came over with emily bates and pinky. wouldn'tcondescend to be really one of us, but just acted offish and seemed to me about half-witted."å¥ "don't be silly,"å¥ put in miss bascom."that's the last thing to say of her! whatever that girl may be she's got allher wits about her! i can see that for myself."å¥ "was doctor waring present when miss austinwas here?"å¥ asked cray, thinking hard. "yes,"å¥ replied mrs. peyton, "and that'sa strange thing. when he first saw her-unexpectedly, you know-he dropped his teacup."å¥ "because of the meeting?"å¥ asked cray.

"i don't know,"å¥ mrs. peyton said. "hedeclared afterward he had never seen the girl before-but-oh-i can't believe shecame back here that night!"å¥ "of course she didn't,"å¥ cray said. "howcould she get in, unless someone admitted "there's the french window in the study,"å¥mrs. peyton suggested, uncertainly. "doctor waring could have let her in that way-"å¥ "well, he didn't!"å¥ miss bascom declared."land! i've known john waring all my life, and he's not the kind of man that had anythingto do with flirtatious young women."å¥ of a truth, liza bascom had known waring formany years and had spent a number of them in desperate efforts to persuade him to renouncebachelorhood in her favor.

yet her words carried little weight with attorneycray, who fancied that he knew men better than the insistent spinster possibly could. "miss bascom,"å¥ he said, after furtherthought, "and mrs. peyton, too, i'm going to ask you-i'm going to instruct you tokeep this matter quiet until after the funeral of doctor waring. that occurs tomorrow, andi want a day or so to look into this thing quietly. we would gain nothing by rushingmatters. i will see miss austin, of course, and rest assured, if she is guilty of anywrong doing, she shall not escape. but it is a serious matter to accuse a suspect withoutgiving any chance for explanation-"å¥ "there's no explanation of that ruby pinand all that money, that is not incriminating

to that girl!"å¥ miss bascom exclaimed. "nevertheless, i am in authority, and iforbid you to discuss the connection of miss austin with the case at all."å¥ cray knew how to impress belligerent women,and he even added a hint of their making trouble for themselves unless they obeyed his explicitcommand. he returned to the study, where gordon lockwoodwas going over the morning's mail. the secretary was a busy man, for his lateemployer had had a number of diversified interests and every mail brought letters, catalogues,circulars and newspapers that required careful attention. john waring had been a collectorof rare books, and other curios, and was interested

in several literary enterprises. to many of these correspondents lockwood couldmerely send a statement of the doctor's death. but others involved careful and wisejudgment, and lockwood conscientiously discharged his duties. the study had been put in order, and all tracesof the tragedy had been removed. the books that had been on the desk, including the blood-stainedcopy of martial, lockwood had, after consideration, restored to their places on the shelves. although it gave him a thrill of horror, lockwoodhad nerved himself to appropriate waring's desk, for it meant far greater conveniencein his work.

he sat there as cray entered, and raised hisimpassive face to note the attorney's excitement. "by jove, lockwood,"å¥ cray, exclaimed,as he closed the door behind him, "there's a new way to look, which seems to promiseto straighten out a lot of things. do you know that little piece over at your boardinghouse, named austin?"å¥ "i know her slightly. what about her?"å¥ from lockwood's voice no one would suspectthat his heart was pounding desperately. "well, she was here late sunday night! whatdo you know about that?"å¥ "i don't know anything about it,"å¥ returnedlockwood, coldly, "and i don't believe it. for if she had been here i should haveknown about it. i was here myself, just outside

the study door, until eleven. you don'tmean later than that, do you?"å¥ "dunno. the bascom spinster tells the story-"å¥ "then don't bank on it. with all due deferenceto miss bascom, i know she is not always a reliable source of information."å¥ "but she says she saw the girl coming overhere late that night-"å¥ "she didn't! it's not true! what underthe heavens would she have come for?"å¥ "what does any girl visit a man for?"å¥cray gave an unpleasant wink, and lockwood with difficulty controlled an insane desireto spring at his throat. "and, beside, she is even now in possession of the missing fivehundred dollars and the ruby pin."å¥

"i don't believe it!"å¥ "see here, mr. lockwood, it doesn't matterto anybody whether you believe these things or not. miss austin has the valuables, andi'm going over there now to inquire how she got them. also, it just occurs to me thatthose small footprints leading across the field, are directed toward the adams house,and may have been made by a woman as likely as by our hypothetical small-footed man."å¥ "those are nogi's footprints."å¥ "common sense. even if miss austin did comeover here for any reason she would have come by the street, not across the snowy field."å¥

"apparently she chose the field. so i'mgoing to ask her why."å¥ "all right, cray, but you must admit you'reillogical, inconsequent and inconsistent. you think i killed doctor waring, becausei have a sharp, round penholder, and owe some large bills. then, because a gossiping oldmaid comes over here and babbles, you fly off at a tangent and accuse an unprotectedgirl of absurd and unbelievable crime."å¥ "oho! interested in the siren yourself,eh?"å¥ "no; i'm not-if you mean miss austin.that is, not personally."å¥ few men could have told this lie with sucha convincing manner but lockwood's phlegmatic calm stood him now in good stead, and hisair of obvious indifference carried conviction.

"but,"å¥ he went on, "i am sorry for her.it's nobody's business who or what she is, yet those women over at the adams houseare one and all possessed to find out something against her. i only want to advise you, cray,if you talk to anybody over there, get old salt himself. he's more fair minded thanhis wife or the other women."å¥ "men are apt to be-where a pretty girlis concerned,"å¥ said cray, drily, and lockwood ground his teeth in rage, as the attorneywent away. his demand to see miss austin was listenedto by old salt adams, who had seen him coming and opened the door for him. "well, cray,"å¥ said the old man, as heushered him into the sitting room and shut

the door. "i know what you're after-andi just want to say, go slow. that's all-go slow."å¥ "all right, salt. will you send miss austindown here-also, i must interview her alone."å¥ "yes-i understand. but don't be ledaway now, by circumstantial evidence. you know yourself, it isn't always dependable."å¥ "go along, salt, don't try to teach memy business. have you talked to the girl?"å¥ "not a word. my wife has, but she didn'tlearn much."å¥ adams went away, and in a few moments anitaaustin came into the room. a first glance showed cray's experiencedeye that the girl was what he called a siren.

her oval, olive face was sad and sweet. thepale cheeks were not touched up with artificial color, and the scarlet lips were, even tohis close scrutiny, also devoid of applied art. she wore a smart little gown of blacktaffeta, with crisp, chic frills of finely plaited white organdie. whether this was meant as mourning wear ornot, cray could not determine. the frock was fashionably short, showing thinsilk stockings and black suede ties. but miss mystery seemed wholly unconsciousof her clothes, and her great dark eyes were full of wondering inquiry as she looked atthe attorney, and then a little diffidently offered a greeting hand.

the little brown paw touched cray's witha pathetic, hopeful clasp, and he looked up quickly to find himself looking into a pairof hopeful eyes, that, without a word, expressed confidence and trust. he shrugged his shoulders a trifle and secretlyadmonished himself to keep a tight rein on his sympathy. then relinquishing the lingering hand, hesat down opposite the chair she had chosen to occupy. "miss austin,"å¥ he began, and paused, forthe first time in his life uncertain what tack to take.

"yes,"å¥ she said, as the pause grew longer,and her soft, cultured voice helped him not at all. how could he say to this lovely small personthat he suspected her of wrong doing? "go on, mr. cray,"å¥ she directed him, meantimelooking at him with eyes full of a haunting fear, "what is it?"å¥ cray had a sudden, insane feeling that hewould give all he was worth for the pleasure of removing that look of fear, then commandinghimself to behave, he said, "i am sorry, miss austin, but i must askyou some unpleasant questions."å¥ "that's what i'm here for,"å¥ she said,with the ghost of a smile on her curved red

lips, and, smoothing down her taffeta lap,she demurely clasped her sensitive little hands and waited. those hands bothered cray. though they layquietly, he felt that at his speech they would flutter in anxiety-even in fear, and hewas loath to disturb them. because of this hesitancy, he plunged in moreabruptly than he meant to do. "where do you come from, miss austin?"å¥ "new york city,"å¥ she said, a brighterlook coming to her face, as if she thought the ordeal would not be so terrible afterall. "what address there?"å¥

"one west sixty-seventh street."å¥ "you told some one else the hotel plaza."å¥ "yes; i have lived at both addresses. why?"å¥ the "why"å¥ was disconcerting. after all,cray thought, he was not a census taker. he gave up getting past history, and said,briefly, "were you at doctor waring's house sundayevening?"å¥ "not evening,"å¥ she returned, looking thoughtful."i was there sunday afternoon."å¥ "and went back again, late in the evening-tosee doctor waring, in his study."å¥ "why do you say that?"å¥ she asked quietly,but a small red spot showed on either olive

cheek. "because i must. how well do you-did youknow the doctor?"å¥ "know doctor waring? not at all. i neversaw him in my life until i came here to corinth."å¥ "you are sure of that?"å¥ "almost sure-oh, why, yes-that is, iam quite sure."å¥ "yet you went over there sunday evening,and came back to this house in possession of doctor waring's valuable pin, and a largesum of money."å¥ "oh, no, mr. cray, i didn't do any suchthing!"å¥ "then can you explain your possession ofthose articles?"å¥

"you mean, i suppose the roll of bills thatmiss bascom put into my top bureau drawer?"å¥ "miss bascom put in the drawer!"å¥ "yes-that is, she must have done so, or-howelse could they have been found there? you know yourself, now, don't you, mr. cray,that i'm not a burglar-or a bandit or a sneak thief? you know i never went in todoctor waring's study and took those things! so, as i say, isn't it the only plausibletheory, that miss bascom, who found the valuables so readily, first put them there herself?"å¥ chapter xithe spinster's evidence "that matter can easily be settled,"å¥ craysaid, and going to the door he asked mrs.

adams to send miss bascom to them. with an important air the spinster enteredthe room. holding herself very erect and even drawingaside her skirts as she passed miss austin, she took a seat on the other side of the room. "now, miss bascom,"å¥ cray began at once,"what made you think of looking in this lady's bureau drawer for that money?"å¥ "i didn't look for it, mr. cray. i merelyfelt that she had done wrong and i thought perhaps some evidence would be hidden awayin her room. and a top drawer is the place a woman oftenest hides things."å¥

cray gave a short laugh. "rather cleverof you, i admit. but miss austin says she did not put that money there, herself-thatit was a plant."å¥ "a plant?"å¥ miss bascom looked puzzledat the word. "yes; she thinks some in-disposed personput it there to implicate her, falsely."å¥ "oh, i see. well, mr. cray, let her saywho did it, and who could have got that money to do it with."å¥ the hard old face took on a look that wasalmost malignant in its accusation, and little anita austin gave a low cry as she saw it,and hid her face in her hands. "take her away,"å¥ she moaned, "oh, takethat woman away."å¥

"you hear her,"å¥ miss bascom went on, unrelentingly."now, mr. cray, i'm a bit of a detective myself, and while you've been down heretalking to miss mystery, i've been searching her room more carefully, and i've founda few more things, of which i should like to tell you."å¥ cray was nonplused. his sympathies were allwith the poor little girl, who, clinging to the arms of her chair, seemed about to goto pieces, nervously, but was bravely holding on to herself. yet, if the bascom woman wastelling the truth, he must beware of the "poor little girl."å¥ "i'm not sure you're within your rights,miss bascom,"å¥ he began, but he was interrupted

with: "rights! indeed, the rights of this matterare above your jurisdiction! the blood of john waring calls from the ground! i am theinstrument of justice that has been chosen by an over-ruling providence to discover thecriminal. she sits before you! that girl-that mysterious wicked girl is both thief and murderess!"å¥ "oh, no!"å¥ anita cried, putting up herarm as if to ward off a physical blow. then she suddenly became quiet-almost rigidin her composure. "that is a grave accusation, miss bascom,"å¥she said, "you must prove it or retract cray stared at the girl in astonishment. heragonized cry had been human, feminine, natural-but

this sudden change to stony calm, to icy hauteurwas amazing-and, to his mind, incriminating. miss bascom, however, was in no way daunted. "prove it i will!"å¥ she said, sternly."in another drawer, mr. cray, i found the rolls of silver coin-exactly one hundreddollars worth-that we have been told were in the desk with the roll of bills. the rubypin, you know about. and so, these thefts are proved. now, as to the murder-i admit,it seems impossible that a girl should commit the awful crime-but i do say that i havefound the weapon, with which it was done, hidden in miss austin's room."å¥ again that short, low cry-more like a hurtanimal than a human being. and then, anita

austin, the girl of mystery fell back intothe depths of her chair, and closed her eyes. "you needn't faint-or pretend to,"å¥admonished miss bascom, brutally; "you're caught red-handed, and you know it, and youmay as well give up."å¥ "i didn't-i didn't-"å¥ came in lowmoans, but the girl's bravery had deserted her. limp and despairing, she turned her greateyes toward cray for help. with an effort, he looked away from her pleadingface, and said: "what is the weapon? where did you findit?"å¥ "it is a stiletto-an embroidery stiletto-andi found it tucked down in the crevice between the back and seat of a stuffed chair in missaustin's room. did you put it there?"å¥

she turned on the girl and fired the questionat her with intentional suddenness, and though anita uttered a scared, "no,"å¥ it was apalpable untruth. "she did,"å¥ miss bascom went on. "youcan see for yourself, mr. cray, she is lying."å¥ "but even if she is, miss bascom, i mustask you to cease torturing her! i can't stand for such cruelty!"å¥ cray's manhood revolted at the methods ofthe older woman who was causing such anguish to the poor child she accused. "you are not a legal inquisitor, miss bascom,"å¥he went on; "it is for me to establish the truth or falsity of your suspicions."å¥

"yes, you! you're like all the other men!if a girl is pretty and alluring, you would believe her statement that white is black!"å¥ "i believe no statements that cannot beproved to my satisfaction. miss austin, do you own an embroidery stiletto?"å¥ "yes,"å¥ was the hesitating answer, andthe dark eyes swept him a beseeching glance that made miss bascom fairly snort with scorn. "where is it?"å¥ "i-i fear i must admit that it is justwhere miss bascom says it is-unless she has removed it. tell me, mr. cray,"å¥ andmiss mystery suddenly resumed her most independent

air, "must i submit to this? i thought accusedpeople were entitled to a-oh, you know, counsel-a lawyer, or somebody to take careof them."å¥ "wait, miss austin. you're not accusedyet-that is, not by legal authority."å¥ "oh, am i not? then-"å¥ and she gave missbascom a glance of unutterable scorn, "i have nothing to say."å¥ "nothing to say!"å¥ the spinster almostshrieked. "nothing to say! of course she hasn't! she kills a man, takes his valuables,and then declares she has nothing to say."å¥ "now, now, miss bascom, be careful! whydid you put your stiletto in such a place, miss austin?"å¥

"i don't know."å¥ the dark eyes gave him a gaze of childlikeinnocence, and cray couldn't decide whether he was looking at a deep-dyed criminal ora helpless victim of unjust suspicion. "and where did you get the money and theruby pin?"å¥ "i don't know-i mean i don't knowhow they got in my room. this lady says she found them there-that's all i know aboutthem."å¥ an indifferent shrug of the slim shouldersseemed to imply that was all miss mystery cared, either, and cray asked: "then, if the valuables-the pin and themoney are not yours, you are, of course, ready

to relinquish possession of them."å¥ "of course i am not! since i am accusedof stealing them, i propose to retain possession until that accusation is proved or disproved!perhaps miss bascom wishes to take them herself."å¥ "you know, miss austin,"å¥ mr. cray spokevery gravely, "you are making a mistake in treating this matter flippantly. you arein danger-real danger, and you must be careful what you say. do you want a lawyer?"å¥ "i don't know,"å¥ the girl suddenly lookedhelpless. "do you think i ought to have one?"å¥ "have you funds?"å¥

"yes. i am not a rich girl-but, neitheram i poor. however, i think i shall ask advice of some one before i decide upon any course."å¥ "of whom? perhaps no one can advise youbetter than i can."å¥ "what is your advice, mr. cray?"å¥ the sweet face looked at him hopefully, thecurved red lips quivered a little as the speaker added, "i am very alone."å¥ again miss bascom sniffed. unattractive, herself,she resented with a sort of angry jealousy the appealing effect this girl had on men.she knew intuitively that cray would sympathize with and pity the lonely girl.

"my advice is, miss austin, first, thatyou dispel this mystery that seems to surround you. tell frankly who you are, what is yourerrand in corinth, how you came into possession of doctor waring's ruby, and why you hidyour stiletto, if it is merely one of your sewing implements."å¥ miss mystery hesitated a moment, and thensaid, quietly: "your advice is good, mr. cray. but, unfortunately,i cannot follow it. however, i am willing to state, upon oath, that i did not kill doctorwaring with that stiletto."å¥ "i'm afraid your oath will be doubted,"å¥miss bascom intervened sharply. "and, too, mr. cray, even if this girl did not strikethe fatal blow, she well knows who did! she

is in league with the japanese, nogi. thati am sure of!"å¥ "nogi!"å¥ exclaimed anita. "yes, nogi,"å¥ miss bascom went on, positively."you came here only a day or two after he did. you have a japanese kimono, and severaljapanese ornaments adorn your room. you went to the waring house that night, nogi let youin and out, and though the japanese doubtless committed the murder, you stole the moneyand the ruby, and then, your partner in crime departed for parts unknown."å¥ miss bascom sat back in her chair with a lookof triumph on her plain, gaunt face. clearly, she was rejoiced at her denunciationof the girl before her, and pleased at the

irrefutable theory she had promulgated. "and how did miss austin or the jap, either,leave the room locked on the inside?"å¥ propounded cray, his own opinions already swayed by thearraignment. "that,"å¥ said miss bascom, with an airof finality, "i can't explain definitely, but i am sure it was an example of japanesejugglery. when you remember the tales of how the japanese can do seemingly impossible tricks,can swallow swords and get out of locked handcuffs, it is quite within the realm of possibilitythat one could lock a door behind him, and give it the appearance of having been lockedfrom the inside."å¥ now, cray had already concluded that the doorhad been cleverly locked by some one, but

he hadn't before thought of the clevernessof the japanese. he rose almost abruptly, and said, "i mustlook into some of these matters. miss austin, you need not attempt to leave town, for youwill not be able to do so."å¥ "i most certainly shall not attempt to leave-asyou express it-if i am asked not to. but, i may say, that when i am entirely at libertyto do so, i propose to go away from corinth."å¥ her dignity gave no effect of a person afraidor alarmed for her own safety, merely a courteous recognition of cray's attitude and a frankstatement of her own intentions. miss bascom sniffed and said: "don't worry, mr. cray. i'll see toit, that this young woman does not succeed

in evading justice, if she tries to do so."å¥ at which miss mystery gave her a smile thatwas so patronizing, even amused, that the spinster was more irate than ever. "and, now, miss austin,"å¥ the attorneysaid, "i'll take your finger prints, please, as they may be useful in proving what youdid not do."å¥ he smiled a little as the girl readily enoughgave her consent to the procedure. "and,"å¥ he went on, more gravely, "iwill ask you for one of your shoes-one that you wore on sunday."å¥ surprised into a glance of dismay, miss mysteryrose without a word and went upstairs for

the shoe. she returned with the dainty, pretty thing,and merely observed, "i'd like to have it back, when you are through with it."å¥ putting the shoe in his overcoat pocket, craywent away. "miss bascom,"å¥ anita said, turning toher enemy, "may you never want a friend as much as i do now."å¥ "the nerve of her!"å¥ liza bascom mutteredto herself, as miss mystery went upstairs to her own room. "there's a very deep mystery here!"å¥cray soliloquized, as he returned to the waring

house. "but i'm getting light on it."å¥ cray was far from lacking in ingenuity, andhe proceeded at once to compare the finger prints he had of anita austin with the printson the small black-framed chair that had been found drawn up to the desk chair of john waring. they were identical and cray mused over thefact. "that girl was here that night,"å¥ he decided;"there's no gainsaying that."å¥ he called the butler to him. "ito,"å¥ he began, "did you let in anyone late sunday night-after you came home?"å¥ "no, sir,"å¥ the imperturbable jap declared,thinking the question foolish, as all the

inquirers knew the details of his sunday eveningmovements. "do you remember seeing this chair, mondaymorning?"å¥ "distinctly. i saw mr. lockwood smoothingits back."å¥ "smoothing its back! what do you mean?"å¥ "i looked through from the dining-room window,to see if mr. lockwood was coming to breakfast, and i perceived him carefully smoothing theplush of the little chair, sir."å¥ cray meditated. here was a point of evidence.lockwood was not the sort to absent-mindedly paw over a chair back. he was doing it onpurpose. for what reason? what reason could be, save to erase some evidence?

cray examined the chair. it had a frame ofshiny black wood, while seat and back were covered with a dark plush of a fine soft quality. cray drew his fingers across the back. theyleft a distinct trail of furrows in the fabric. ito, watching, nodded his head, gravely. "not finger-prints,"å¥ cray said to himself-"but,maybe finger-marks. whose?"å¥ "you surely saw this, ito?"å¥ "yes, sir; and miss peyton also saw. shewas then in the doorway, asking mr. lockwood to come to breakfast."å¥ cray went in search of helen and put the questionto her suddenly.

"what was gordon lockwood doing, when youwent to call him to breakfast, monday morning?"å¥ "he was-i don't remember."å¥ "speak the truth-or it may be mean troublefor you and him, too."å¥ "he was-he seemed to be dusting off achair."å¥ "with a duster?"å¥ "no; just passing over it with his hand."å¥ "that isn't dusting it."å¥ "well, i don't know what you call it!perhaps he was merely pushing the chair into place."å¥

"it isn't his custom to push the studyfurniture into place. he was erasing indicative marks on that plush chair back-that'swhat he was doing."å¥ "absurd!"å¥ helen cried; "what marks couldthere be?"å¥ "i don't know. come and let us see."å¥ cray took helen to the study, and asked herto sit in the chair. "lean back,"å¥ he directed. "now, getup."å¥ the girl obeyed, and there was plainly seenon the plush the faint but unmistakable imprint of the beaded design that adorned the backof the frock she wore. "i told you so!"å¥ cray said, in triumph."that plush registers every impress, and

when lockwood rubbed it smooth it was to erasea damaging bit of testimony."å¥ "rather far-fetched, mr. cray,"å¥ said gordonlockwood himself, who had come in and had heard and seen the latter part of the detective'sinvestigation. "not so very, mr. lockwood, when you learnthat the finger prints on the chair frame are your own and those of a certain youngperson who is already under suspicion."å¥ gordon lockwood, as always under a suddenstress, became even more impassive, and his eyes glittered as he faced the attorney. "don't be too absurd, mr. cray,"å¥ headvised, coldly. "i suppose you mean miss austin-i prefer to have no veiled allusions.but the finding of her finger prints on a

chair in this room, and mine also, does notseem to me to be in any way evidence of crime."å¥ "no?"å¥ cray gave him scorn for scorn. "perhapsthen, you can explain miss austin's presence here that night."å¥ "i don't know that she was here-andi most certainly could not explain any of her movements. but i do deny your right toassume her guilty from her presence."å¥ "ah, you tacitly admit her presence, then.indeed, one can scarcely doubt it, when it is shown that this little shoe of hers,"å¥he took it from his pocket, "exactly fits the prints that cross the field of snow betweenhere and the adams house."å¥ "to measure footprints-after all thistime!"å¥ and lockwood's lip curled.

"the prints are exactly as they were made,mr. lockwood. the unchanging cold weather has kept them intact. i tried this shoe, andthe prints are unmistakable. moreover, the short stride is just the measure of the naturalsteps of miss austin. the footprints lead from the adams house over here and back again.the returning prints occasionally overlap the ones that came this way, showing thatthe trip away from this house was made latest. miss austin was seen to come over in thisdirection-well, none but a half-wit would be blind to the inevitable conclusions!"å¥ "none but a half-wit would read into thisevidence what you pretend to see,"å¥ retorted lockwood, almost losing his calm.

"that's my business,"å¥ cray said, sharply:"now, mr. lockwood, why did you smooth off that chair back? careful, now, two witnessessaw you do it."å¥ "i'm not denying it"å¥-lockwood smiledin a bored, superior way, "but if i did it, i was-and am unconscious of it. oneoften touches a piece of furniture in passing with no thought of doing so."å¥ "that won't go down. both the butler andmiss peyton saw you definitely and deliberately rub over the back of that chair. why did youdo it?"å¥ cray was inexorable. but the impassive secretary merely shruggedhis shoulders.

"i can't answer you, mr. cray. i can onlyrepeat it must have been an unconscious act on my part, and it has no sinister significance.i may have been merely pushing the chair out of my way, you know."å¥ "look here, mr. lockwood, you are a manof honor. do you, upon oath, declare that you did not purposely smooth that chairback,for the reason that it showed some incriminating impress?"å¥ "i am not under oath. i have stated thati did not do what you accuse me of, and i have nothing further to say on the subject."å¥ lockwood drew himself up and leaned with foldedarms against the mantelpiece.

cray dropped the subject, but his snappingeyes and compressed lips seemed to show he had not finally dismissed it. "at what time,"å¥ he said, abruptly, "diddoctor waring lock his study door?"å¥ "about ten o'clock,"å¥ the secretary replied. "and you heard nothing from the room afterthat? no sound of voices? nobody coming in at the french window?"å¥ "no,"å¥ replied lockwood. "then we are forced to the conclusion thatwhoever entered did so very quietly, that it was with the knowledge and permission ofdoctor waring himself, that the visitor was

the person whose footprints lead straightto the door, and whose finger prints are on the chair that stood near the doctor's ownchair. we are borne out in this view by the fact that the same person now possesses themoney and the ruby pin which we know doctor waring had in his room with him, and we knowthat the person is here in corinth for unexplained reasons, and is, in fact, so peculiar thatshe is known as-miss mystery. just why, mr. lockwood, are you arguing against theseobvious inferences, and why do you undertake to free from suspicion one against whom everythingis so definitely black?"å¥ "because,"å¥ lockwood spoke very quietly,but his jaw was set in a stubborn way, "the lady you call miss mystery, is a young anddefenseless girl, without, so far as i know,

a friend in this town. it is unfair to accuseher on the strength of this fantastic story and it is unfair to condemn her unheard."å¥ "not unheard,"å¥ said the attorney, "butwhat she says only incriminates her more deeply."å¥ chapter xiimaurice trask, heir the funeral services of john waring were solemnand impressive. no reference was made to the manner of his taking-off, save to call itmysterious, and the encomiums heaped upon him by the clergy and the college facultywere as sincere as they were well-deserved. there were two members of the great audiencewho were looked at with curiosity by many. one of these was miss mystery, the girl who,it was vaguely rumored was in some way connected

with the tragedy. to look at her, this seemed impossible, fora sweeter face or a gentler manner could scarce be imagined. anita austin sat near the front, on one ofthe side aisles. she wore a gown of taupe-colored duvetyn, and a velvet toque of the same color.her olive face was pale, and now and then her small white teeth bit into her scarletlower lip, as if she were keeping her self-control only by determined effort. a close observer might note that she paidno heed to the utterance of the able men who gave tribute to john waring's character,but her troubled eyes rested on the flower-covered

casket, and the rising tears overflowed asshe stifled an occasional sob. and then, fairly clenching her hands in adetermination to show no emotion, this strange girl would straighten up, and stare blanklyahead of her as if in utter oblivion of the scene. directly behind her was helen peyton, whohad chosen that place with the intention of watching miss mystery. mrs. peyton was byher daughter's side, but her whole attention was on the funeral services, and she thoughtof little else. not far off was gordon lockwood, and withhim were mrs. bates and her nephew, pinckney payne. of this trio only the secretary lethis gaze wander now and then to the sad little

face that was rapidly becoming the dearestthing in life to him. as the church filled, and the flower-scented atmosphere grew oppressive,miss austin let her coat fall from her shoulders, and lockwood noted with a start that she worethe same gown she had worn to the lecture at which he first saw her. again he countedthe queer little buttons that edged the sailor collar. he shook his head, and a great feelingof compassion filled his heart. "poor child,"å¥ he said to himself, "whatdoes it all mean?"å¥ the other magnet for strangers' eyes wasmaurice trask, the relative of john waring, who had come from his home in st. louis, totake possession of his inheritance. for, in the absence of any will, he had provedhimself the next of kin, and had gladly, even

eagerly, taken the reins of government ofthe affairs and home of the dead man. he was the son of john waring's cousin,and though the two men had never met, the credentials and records brought by mauricetrask left no possible doubt as to his heirship. trask was not prepossessing of appearance,though he was well-mannered and moderately well-dressed. his lack was that of sophistication,and he seemed ignorant of the finer conventions of life. he was what is known as a self-mademan, and men of home manufacture require some sterling qualities to start with if they areto turn out a satisfactory product. these qualities trask didn't have, and afirst glance at the sharp-featured face gave an impression of greed and shrewdness.

there was also a slight air of bravado, whichwas quite evidently caused by an uneasy feeling of inferiority. he seemed to say, "i amas good as you are,"å¥ because his conviction of that fact needed some such assertion tobolster it up. in his seat as chief mourner, he was decorumitself. his black garb was very black, and if it betrayed a provincial cut or fit, suchan effect was more in keeping with the man than correct apparel would have been. his grief might have seemed a trifle ostentatiousto one who remembered he had never seen his cousin, but on the whole maurice trask wasaccepted by those whose curiosity led to criticism, as a satisfactory heir to the waring estate.

nor was this an inconsiderable matter, forjohn waring, beside his profession, had written several successful books, and possessed inall a goodly fortune. moreover, there was no mystery about trask.his life was an open book, the lawyers had said; his family tree was of correct recordand his claim to the estate clear and true. while as to that minx, miss mystery, nobodyknew or could find out where she came from, what she was doing in corinth, or who shewas, anyway. clearly she was mixed up with doctor waring in some unconventional way-thatis, if the reports were true that she visited him in his study without the knowledge ofhis household. no shadow of blame was attached to john waring for this-although it wouldseem that the man was old and wise enough

to ward off an attack from such a small vampire. "that's what she is,"å¥ helen peyton concluded,to herself, as she mused on the girl who sat in front of her. "she just plain vampedpoor doctor waring-and she got into the study-and, now, i can prove it!"å¥ after the funeral, the chief mourners wentback to the waring home to discuss matters. mrs. peyton had tea served in the living-room,for all who came, and many neighbors, drawn by curiosity, accepted her hospitality. trask, rubbing his hands involuntarily, slippedeasily into his new rä‚â´le of host, and rather overdid his part.

"yes,"å¥ he would say, "yes, yes. i learnedfrom the addresses how fine a man my cousin was-yes, yes, a noble character. now, ican't expect to take his place in your community all at once-but i'll get there! i'llget there! and you'll all help me, won't you?"å¥ he beamed on them. "yes, yes, you'llall help me to become one of the first citizens of corinth-one of the first citizens ofyour lovely, tree-decked town. yes, yes."å¥ plate and cup in hand, he moved around amonghis guests, a little awkwardly but full of amiability and good cheer. his sentiment wasquite evidently, "the king is dead; long live the king,"å¥ and he wanted to get settledon his throne at once. but the cousin of john waring had anotherside to him.

this was shown when, later on, he met a fewpeople in the study. cray was there, by invitation, and mortonalso. lockwood and the two peytons. "just a few words at the outset,"å¥ traskbegan, and he was noticeably more at ease in this executive session than he had beenin the social atmosphere. "i want to maintain this household, fora time at least, as i find it. i shall be glad, mrs. peyton, if you will continue tokeep house for me, and i should like you, mr. lockwood, to remain as secretary, if youare willing. there is, of course, much to be done in settling the estate, and your knowledgewould be invaluable. also, if you will, mrs. peyton, i'd like you to engage servants-orkeep the ones you have. in fact, please look

after the house matters entirely. for, hereis what i want to do first. find the man who killed my cousin. i never shall feel rightin taking and using his home and his money unless i do everything in my power to discoverhis murderer."å¥ "it may be a case of suicide,"å¥ suggestedattorney cray, who was narrowly watching the speaker. "no-sir-ee! first place, as near as i canfigure it out, my cousin was not the man to take his own life. also, he was on the eveof taking a fine position as college president-also he was about to marry a beautiful lady. whyworry? and too-and this is to me the strongest argument against the suicide theory-i'veread lots of detective stories-you needn't

sniff, mr. cray, those stories are often foundedon fact-and many of them hinge on the mystery of a sealed room. often a book starts outwith a situation just like this; man found dead. room locked up. no weapon about. murderor suicide? and, listen here; invariably the solution is murder. yes, sir-invariably!why? 'cause suicide is a mighty scarce article. you don't find human nature putting an endto itself very often. that is, not worthwhile human nature. your suicides are weak men,down and outers, ignorant, half-baked chaps. not fine, upstanding men such as john waringwas. you know that, mr. cray?"å¥ "yes,"å¥ the attorney nodded. "that'scertainly so, mr. trask. and, anyway, if you're going to make investigations, you have tostart on the theory of murder."å¥

"just that exactly,"å¥ trask agreed. "thenif we run up against proof-actual proof of suicide, why then, we know where we'reat."å¥ lockwood looked at trask and listened to himwith interest. he was a new type to the secretary, who with all his knowledge of characterizationcouldn't quite place him. at first, lockwood had felt an instinctivedislike, the newcomer had been so patently pleased with his inheritance, and so evidentlyinsincere in his mourning. but this sensible, straightforward insistence on avenging hiscousin's murder-if it were murder-raised trask in lockwood's estimation, and he concludedto remain as secretary, for a time, at least. "you have the case in charge, mr. cray,"å¥trask went on, "and i want you to push it-push

it, sir. get help if you want-get some hifalutindetective, if that's the proper caper-but, get results. results, that's what i'mafter! here's my idea. get busy, and do all you can as quick as you can. don't dawdle.put things through. and then-if you can't find the criminal, after due effort, then,we'll give up the hunt. that's my idea. do all you can-and then quit."å¥ "very well, mr. trask,"å¥ cray replied;"i understand, and i'll do as you say. when you have the time to devote to it, i'llgive you a history of the case."å¥ "the time is now, mr. cray. and your historymust be put in a nutshell. the circumstances of john waring's death, i know. also, iknow whom i suspect as the murderer. so tell

me your decisions to date."å¥ "i fear we have made no decision, mr. trask.as a matter of fact the evidence to date points in a most painful direction."å¥ "what! you're deterred from justice becauseevidence points in a painful direction! my stars, cray! is that the way you detect innew england!"å¥ "but evidence may be false, and it is unwiseto accuse without certainty-"å¥ "i have some certain evidence,"å¥ said helenpeyton, and all turned to look at the girl, who spoke hesitatingly and in a low tone. "yes, i wouldn't tell it-but-i thinki ought to. i just found it out today."å¥

"of course you must tell it, miss peyton,"å¥trask said, dictatorially. "out with it!"å¥ "well,"å¥ helen spoke to cray, "you knowmr. lockwood rubbed off some marks from this chair the morning after-after we found doctorwaring."å¥ "yes, they were without doubt indicativemarks. what do you know about them?"å¥ cray looked at her earnestly, for he had greatinterest in that act of the secretary's. "they were the marks made by the buttonson the back of the dress miss austin wore today."å¥ for a moment gordon lockwood's calm almostdeserted him. it was but a fleeting instant, yet cray's sharp eyes caught the look ofutter dismay that crossed the impassive face

of the secretary. immediately the usual hauteurreturned and the grave eyes met cray's without a tremor. "how do you know?"å¥ cray was all alertness. "i sat behind her at the funeral. she tookoff her coat and i couldn't help noticing a certain arrangement of buttons. it struckme, because i noticed the marks on the chair back, and they were just the same design."å¥ "absurd,"å¥ lockwood said, quietly, butwith a deep scorn in his tone. "as if you could identify the trimming on a lady'sgown!"å¥ "but i did,"å¥ helen persisted, spurredby lockwood's manner. "i noticed it on

the chair, a clear pattern of the trimmingof the collar, and two rows down the back. and then i saw mr. lockwood rub it off ofthe chairback with utmost care. and today, when i saw miss austin's dress, i recognizedit at once. she was here that night-mr. lockwood knew it-and he erased the marks-"å¥ "helen, don't be too ridiculous!"å¥ lockwoodspoke now in a soft drawl, that made helen flush with anger. "i'm not ridiculous! am i, mr. cray? it'sevidence, isn't it? it proves that girl was here-doesn't it? and gordon did rubit off-ito saw him too, and i saw him. he was rubbing the chair when i came to callhim to breakfast-he can't deny it!"å¥

"i do deny it,"å¥ lockwood said, quietly."miss peyton is excited and doesn't remember accurately."å¥ "nothing of the sort!"å¥ blazed helen. "it'sall true. gordon won't admit it because-"å¥ "helen, hush!"å¥ gordon's look stoppedher at once. "don't say things you'll regret."å¥ "but i don't regret them,"å¥ put in cray."all this is important. mr. lockwood, do you deny obliterating these marks in question?"å¥ "of course i do,"å¥ lockwood smiled slightly."if i was moving the chair or touching it, when miss peyton came to call me to breakfasti don't remember it. at any rate, it was

with no intention of removing evidence."å¥ gordon lockwood told these falsehoods withas calm an air as he would have shown in making truthful statements. he was not only deeplyin love with anita austin, but he did not and would not believe her guilty of crime,or of any connection with a crime. wherefore, he was ready and willing to tell any numberof lies to save or shield her. and from his manner none could guess he wassaying other than absolute truth. "but look here,"å¥ spoke up maurice trask."this won't do, you know. are you people accusing a girl of doctor waring's murder?a girl!"å¥ "not accusation yet,"å¥ cray told him, "butwe want to know more about the young lady

in question. in fact, she's been dubbedmiss mystery, because so little is known about "miss mystery, eh? and she came here tosee the doctor the night he died?"å¥ "she did not!"å¥ lockwood asserted, calmly."had she done so, i should have known it."å¥ "of course you would,"å¥ trask looked athim shrewdly. "of course. but the impress of her clothing was left on the chairback?is that it?"å¥ "that's it,"å¥ said helen, sharply. "andwhen forty-leven other things prove her presence here that evening, i don't know why mr.lockwood so positively denies it. he must have a deep interest in the young lady!"å¥ helen's spitefulness was undisguised, andher mother looked pained and regretful. both

these women had hoped that gordon lockwood'saffections might turn toward helen, and the older one realized that such speeches as thiswould in no way further their plans. but helen was thoroughly jealous of miss mystery,for more reasons than one, and she let her unbridled tongue expose her feelings. cray knew all this, and therefore took helen'sstatements with a grain of salt. and yet, he soliloquized, she would scarcely make upthat rigmarole of the dress trimming. he fancied it was true. and why shouldn't it be? theevidence of anita austin's presence in john waring's study that fatal night was fartoo strong to be ignored. moreover, the girl's possession of the money and the ruby pin hadyet to be satisfactorily explained. it was

unthinkable that anyone should have stolenthese things and "planted"å¥ them in miss austin's bureau drawer! "i'd like to see this young woman,"å¥said trask, suddenly. "i'm going over to see her now, come along,"å¥invited cray, who was a little impressed by the perspicuity of this stranger. "i'm going, too,"å¥ declared helen peyton,and as lockwood couldn't keep away, they all went over to the adams house. in the cosy sitting-room they congregated,and mrs. adams went upstairs to summon anita. she found the room locked. when, in responseto a repeated summons, the door was opened,

mrs. adams faced a tearful, sad-faced girl,who asked indifferently what was wanted. "you'll have to come down stairs,"å¥ thelandlady said; "mr. cray is there, and-and some others. they want to see you."å¥ "i won't go down. i don't want to seeanybody."å¥ "i guess you'll have to."å¥ mrs. adamsspoke a little crisply. "it's a-a summons. you've got to come."å¥ "oh."å¥ miss austin's manner changed."well, i will, then. wait till i bathe my face."å¥ mrs. adams came in, closed the door and waited.she felt sorry for miss mystery, but she also

felt suspicious of her. perhaps the mysterywould now be cleared up. the good woman was about to speak kindly toher strange boarder but as she watched, she lost the desire to help her. for, to mrs. adams' primitive notions, thegirl was doing dreadful things. having bathed her tear-stained face, missmystery proceeded to powder it lightly, and, horror of horrors, she added the merest flickof rouge to her pale cheeks. and not content with such baseness she stooped to furtherdegradation and touched her pale lips with some heathenish contraption that made themjust a little redder! no, mrs. adams had no sympathy for a girlwho would do such awful things, and she waited

in a grim and stony silence. then miss mystery fluffed out her pretty darkhair a little more over her ears, settled her sailor collar, with its row of tiny buttonsfor trimming, and with a critical glance at her shoes, signified her readiness to go downstairs. still in disapproving silence, mrs. adamsmarched by her side, and they went together to face the visitors. the attitude of the girl as she entered theroom was a triumph of perfection. her beauty, which usually needed no artificialaid, was striking, and her large dark eyes rested on each in turn with an air of innocentwonder, quickly followed by a pathetic, beseeching

little smile that touched the heart of severalauditors, even though they deemed it disingenuous. maurice trask, shrewd and calculating, sizedher up, as he would have expressed it. and his sizing up was decidedly complimentary.so much so, in fact, that he almost concluded to take her part against all comers. "i'm for her,"å¥ he said to himself, "andyet,"å¥ he added, to the same confidant, "she's nobody's fool! that girl knows what she'sabout-and by jingo, if she wanted to kill a man, she could kill him! i'll say shecould!"å¥ it was miss austin's dress that caught everyone's eye. not a person present, among the visitors, but wanted to say, "turn around-oh,do!"å¥

but the girl sank into a low chair besidesaltonstall adams and quietly awaited developments. "may i present mr. trask,"å¥ cray said,a little awkwardly, for it was not easy to be casual under the glance of those patheticeyes. anita bowed courteously if coldly, and thenthere was an embarrassing silence. "well,"å¥ trask remarked, at last, "youpeople are not very talkative, guess i'll take the helm myself. miss austin, will yoube good enough to get up and turn around?"å¥ the request was so simply made, that, almostwithout thinking of its strangeness, anita did exactly as she was asked. sure enough, there were two rows of buttonsdown the back of her bodice, and another row

across the sailor collar. at a nod from trask she sat down again, andthen the storm broke. "i told you so!"å¥ cried helen peyton. "that'sthe very dress that made the marks on that chair back! dare you deny, miss austin, thatyou were in doctor waring's study that night he died?"å¥ the dark eyes of miss mystery opened widein horror. she seemed fairly paralyzed with fright, and glanced wildly from one face toanother. maurice trask's showed only frank admiration.he looked at the girl as if he had never before seen any one so attractive.

gordon lockwood's face betrayed no emotionof any sort. had he been indifferent to miss mystery instead of loving her, as he did,he could have shown no less expressive countenance. and all the others present showed definiteand decided suspicion, scorn and hatred. except one. old salt looked kindly at theagitated girl. he even held out a protective hand, and with a gentle inflection, said: "tell the truth, dear child. did you knowdoctor waring?"å¥ slowly miss mystery's eyes traveled roundthe room. looking at each face in turn, her own expression became more and more hard andstubborn. then, seeing the kindness on the face of old salt, she broke down utterly andsobbed out. "oh, he's dead-he's dead!

what shall i do?"å¥ chapter xiiithe truesdell eyebrows maurice trask looked at miss mystery withrapidly growing interest and curiosity. she seemed so young and helpless and she was sopretty and so pathetic that he immediately decided she could not be mixed up in any wrong-doing.he also decided, for he was a man of quick conclusions, that this was the girl for him.having his new fortune, he wanted a wife to help him enjoy it, and where could he finda more utterly desirable girl than miss austin? straightforwardly he asked: "did doctor waring make love to you? didyou love him?"å¥

the others looked aghast at these suggestions,and then mrs. adams said, "yes, she did! i saw her one night, kissingdoctor waring's picture."å¥ cray turned on anita. "did you love that man?"å¥ he asked, sternly."if you did, you surely didn't kill him."å¥ "of course she didn't kill him,"å¥ oldsalt put in. "impossible to imagine such a thing! speak up, little girl. why did youkiss the picture of a man you had never seen?"å¥ several of those listening waited breathlesslyfor a response. gordon lockwood, for one, could scarce controlhis impatience to hear the answer. for, only too well he remembered the letter he had foundin the doctor's waste-basket. the words

were graven in his brain. darling anita: at the first glance of yourbrown eyes love was born in my heart. life is worth living-with you in the world. if love at first sight had been born in theman's heart, must it not have found response in the girl's? or, even if not, could shehave killed a man who felt thus toward her? truly she was a mystery. for, the very factthat waring had fallen in love with her, made possible, even plausible, her clandestinevisit to him, and her possession of the money and jewel. could it be that the pretty little thing wasmerely a sly adventuress? that she cajoled

waring into giving her the valuables, andthen- no, gordon lockwood could not and would notbelieve any evil of the girl he loved. even though she should admit her love for waring,he would not lose faith in her. "answer me,"å¥ cray demanded. "answerthis direct question directly. did you love doctor waring?"å¥ almost like one hypnotized, miss mystery gavea helpless glance at her inquisitor and murmured a low, almost inaudible "yes."å¥ "then why did you kill him?"å¥ cray stormedat her. "i-i didn't."å¥

"you were there, in his study the nighthe-he died."å¥ "n-no, i wasn't."å¥ "you were! it's been proved. you wentover from this house, across the snow field, and you went in the study and you sat on theplush chair, near the desk. didn't you?"å¥ the great dark eyes seemed unable to tearthemselves from cray's face, and again the half-breathed whisper was, "yes."å¥ "i protest!"å¥ said trask. "that girlshall not be tortured. whether she's guilty or not, she's entitled to fairer treatment.you can't make her say those things that may be used against her! quit it, cray. iforbid it."å¥

"that's right, cray,"å¥ lockwood said,quietly. "you've no right to bait miss austin-you make her admit things throughsheer fright."å¥ and it was true. miss mystery was trembling,and her face was white, save for the delicate flush on her cheeks and lips that she hadplaced there herself. her great eyes, beneath their heavy dark browsflew from one face to another, and she did not fail to notice the fact that every manin the room, cray perhaps excepted, was in sympathy with her, while every woman was againsther. this must have comforted her, for she lookedabout, a faint smile dawning in her eyes. "is that true?"å¥ she said, "may i beexcused from this questioning until i can

get counsel? i don't know what to say-myself-"å¥ her pretty distress and helplessness againappealed to the masculine sympathy, and, realizing this, she ignored the other sex. a puzzled expression crossed the face of mauricetrask. "who in the world can she be?"å¥ he thought."that last flash of those eyes, as she drew her heavy eyebrows into a straight line surelyreminded me of somebody. by heavens! the truesdell brows!"å¥ again he scanned the oval little face. heshook his head in uncertainty, but again declared to himself, "the truesdell eyebrows!"å¥

"now look here, all of you,"å¥ old saltonstalladams said, "i don't believe this child is guilty of anything really wrong. if shecaught the fancy of doctor waring, it may seem pretty awful to us old fogies, but apretty girl like miss austin can't help charming the menfolks. i don't want to discussthat, but i do say that it's no crime to go to see a man in the evening, and too, shemay have had some errand we know nothing about. did doctor waring give you that money of hisown free will, miss austin?"å¥ "yes,"å¥ said anita, involuntarily, andthen bit her lip as she added, "i told you he didn't give it to me."å¥ "there, there, don't say any more, youonly contradict yourself. i had no business

to ask that. now, mr. cray, from now on, itake miss austin under my personal care. i'll be responsible for her appearance when youwant her. and,"å¥ he looked at his wife, "mrs. adams will back me up. she too will shelterand care for miss austin-"å¥ "unless she is proved guilty,"å¥ estheradams broke in. "in that case-"å¥ "wait until she is,"å¥ old salt said, inhis calm way. "i don't guarantee her innocence-i only want to prevent injustice to her. haveyou funds to engage a lawyer, miss austin?"å¥ again that frightened look made the girl seemanything but innocent. "would i have to tell a lawyer-everything?"å¥she asked. "yes, yes-to be sure,"å¥ trask broke in."but what of that? i'll bet you've nothing

to tell him incriminating to yourself. youexaggerate your connection with this matter. i'll bet you were there that night on someperfectly innocent errand-at least so far as doctor waring's death is concerned."å¥ "oh, i was!"å¥ anita said, and then, asquickly, "but i wasn't there at night-it was in the afternoon."å¥ lockwood groaned in spirit. everything thisgirl said made her more of a prevaricator, even though she might be innocent of crime.surely she was mixed up in the matter, and must know who gave the fatal stab-if shedidn't do it herself. if only nogi could be found. he, of course, was implicated.

"i'll get a lawyer for you, if you'lllet me, miss austin,"å¥ lockwood said, unable to resist his impulse to help her. "i am a lawyer,"å¥ said maurice trask, "ihere and now offer my services to miss austin. if you'll accept, my dear young lady, ipromise to use my best efforts to do all that can be done for you."å¥ "but do i have to tell you-"å¥ again anitabegan, perplexedly-her brows straight. trask gazed at her fixedly, and then he said,"that will be between us. you will decide when we talk things over, what to tell meand what not."å¥ he spoke as to a fractious child, and hisvoice was kind and helpful even though his

inflections were not cultured. lockwood looked at him uneasily. might notthis man's kindness and assistance to the distressed girl lead her to feel such gratitudethat it would be no hard matter for trask to win more than gratitude? lockwood was nervouslysensitive to the interest trask took in anita, and well knew his state of mind toward thelittle beauty. and, instead of being lessened by the trendof suspicion toward anita, lockwood's own infatuation deepened with every glance heallowed himself at the lovely face. the countenance of miss mystery was ever changing.now, she was a wistful-eyed child, and in a flash she was an inscrutable young woman-onlyto change the next instant to a wrongly accused

and innocent martyr. anyway, lockwood told himself, he meant towin her, and if trask stood in his way, trask must be set aside, that was all. an indomitablewill ought to be able to conquer the intents of a self-made, unattractive man of trask'stype. and, too, a love like his own, surging more fully every moment must appeal to thegirl, once he could get a chance to declare it. lockwood was by no means a conceited man,but he had a true sense of value and he knew that he was a fitter mate for miss mysterythan trask, if the girl could know them both. "i know a lawyer,"å¥ lockwood began, "herein corinth. might he not be a better man for

you, miss austin, than a stranger in the town?"å¥ "just why?"å¥ trask said, his eyes coldlyscanning lockwood's face. "because he would have known doctor waring,and-and all the circumstances,"å¥ lockwood concluded a little lamely. "not much of an argument,"å¥ trask dismissedthe suggestion. "also, i promise not to cost the lady as much as any other counselwould."å¥ this speech was accompanied by an admiringglance that was so nearly a smirk that lockwood with difficulty kept his hands off trask'sthroat. mrs. peyton, who with helen had sat almostwordless through the whole session, now rose

to go. "come, helen,"å¥ she said, "we are ofno use here, and i'd rather take you away."å¥ her implication that the presence of missmystery was contaminating was too plain to be mistaken, and mother and daughter leftthe room. "well,"å¥ cray said, "i've pretty muchmade up my mind in this matter. i make no arrest now, since you're going to be responsible,mr. adams, for miss austin's presence when desired. but, i think i see it all. i thinki can reconstruct the whole case, and i think there will be decided developments very soon."å¥ "you do,"å¥ was trask's response to thisspeech, and as one by one all present rose

to go, trask remained, and asked that he mightsee miss austin alone. "guess i'll stand by,"å¥ said old salt,and something in the grim but kindly old face made trask give tacit consent. straightforwardly the man set about his inquiries. "now, first of all, miss austin,"å¥ trasksaid, "where is your home?"å¥ an obstinate look came into her eyes, andshe hesitated a moment. then, with a sudden change of expression, she said, "indianapolis."å¥ "address?"å¥ "six-twenty-seven jackson street."å¥

trask's eyebrows went up at this, and hegave her a searching look, but miss mystery showed no embarrassment. "sure of the number?"å¥ he said, "i knowindianapolis pretty well."å¥ "i'm sure,"å¥ was the cool reply, andtrask went on. "know doctor waring before you came here?"å¥ "no."å¥ "never saw him before?"å¥ "never, to my knowledge."å¥ "you didn't kill him?"å¥

anita only shook her head slowly, but traskdid not press her for a verbal answer. "yet you were there that night. now, it'suseless to deny it, for the prints of those doodads on the back of that very frock youhave on now were on the plush back of the chair you sat in. young lockwood smoothedthem away-lord knows why! he must suspect you, i should say, and tried to shield youthat way."å¥ "could he?"å¥ asked miss mystery, hopefully. "could he shield you? no, my child, he couldn't,but i can. you just trust yourself to me, and you'll have no trouble, no trouble atall. you've got mr. saltonstall, here, and me for friends. something tells me you won'tneed anybody else. we'll pull you through,

eh, old salt?"å¥ though accustomed to the nickname from thetownspeople, mr. adams didn't relish it from this stranger, and he merely said, "i'mmiss austin's friend, be sure of that."å¥ "so'm i,"å¥ trask declared. "now, littlelady, you needn't tell all you know, but some things you must tell me. anybody amongyour relatives named truesdell?"å¥ only a quick eye could have caught a fleetinglook of dismay on her face, as anita promptly responded, "no-not that i know of."å¥ "falsehood number one,"å¥ said trask tohimself. "what the deuce is she up to?"å¥ but aloud, he only said,

"all right. now, why did you come to corinth?"å¥ "to sketch,"å¥ said anita glibly, and smilingat him. "i'm an artist, you see-i paint water-colors."å¥ "yes-i see. now, just why did you hidethat stiletto of yours?"å¥ "i was frightened. i was afraid they wouldthink i killed doctor waring."å¥ "why did you fear that?"å¥ "oh, i don't know."å¥ she was almost flippantnow. "those detectives are so queer, they're likely to suspect anybody. and they said theweapon used was a round, sharp instrument, so-so i hid the thing."å¥

"you didn't use that to kill him?"å¥ "oh, no!"å¥ "what did you use?"å¥ "i didn't kill him."å¥ "who did?"å¥ "i think he killed himself."å¥ "mr. adams,"å¥ trask turned to the old man,"please leave us two alone for a few moments. i ask you as a personal favor."å¥ without a word old salt left the room.

"now, look here, miss austin,"å¥ trask said,in a determined tone, "i know you killed that man as well as i know you're here.also, i know why. or, at least, i don't know exactly why, but i have knowledge thatwill lead straight to a revelation of the whole affair. i know you are related to thetruesdells-though perhaps you don't know that yourself. now, here's my proposition.i'm a lawyer, and i'm known as a shrewd one. many a time i've made black appearwhite-and i can do it in your case. but-if you'll marry me, i'll get you off. waita minute-don't speak yet. i'm not bad-looking, i'm kind-hearted and, by my cousin's death,i'm a rich man. you may not love me yet-but i'll guarantee i can win your affection.i fell in love with you, the very minute i

saw you and i want you for my wife. you needn'tmarry me now-wait as long as you say-but give me your promise, and i'll clear youof all suspicion in this terrible affair. on the other hand-"å¥ there was a pause, and then anita said: "on the other hand?"å¥ "i shall tell what i know about you-and,well, you know yourself what chance you will have then of getting off scotfree!"å¥ "a threat?"å¥ and miss mystery flung upher proud little head. "no; don't misunderstand. not a threat.but i admit, a bribe. marry me, and i'll

free you. say no-and i don't have to doa thing. the law will do it all. you simpleton! do you suppose you can keep your secret oncethe law really begins to hound you? cray is only just opening his eyes to your connectionswith the case. lockwood has realized that you must be guilty, though he's trying hardnot to believe it. old salt only befriends you because you're helpless and pretty-notbecause he thinks you're innocent-any more than his wife does. the two peytons hateyou-for reasons of their own-probably because you snared lockwood away from thelovely helen. but none of those things will matter if you take up with my offer. i'llcarry you through with flying colors. you'll be not only freed from suspicion but eulogizedand beloved by all who know you, and as my

wife, you'll have a proud and enviable position."å¥ miss mystery gave the speaker a look thatnot only took him in from head to foot but seemed to penetrate his very soul, and ina quiet, even tone, she said: "rather than marry you-i would face theelectric chair."å¥ the scorn in her voice, even more than thescathing words themselves, enraged trask. "oh,"å¥ he said, with ill-repressed fury,"you would, would you? have your own way, then, miss mystery-and soon your mysterywill be known and you may have your desire, and-face the electric chair!"å¥ the girl rose, and stood, waiting.

"go,"å¥ she said, without glance or gesture. and in a white heat of anger, trask went. "now, dearie,"å¥ mrs. adams said, comingin, "i don't want you to tell me anything. my husband bids me befriend you-and i will,so long as your case is uncertain. but if you're proved to be guilty, i-"å¥ "oh, don't fail me,"å¥ and miss mysterythrew herself into the other's arms. "i am so lonely and so friendless-"å¥ "why are you? where's your folks?"å¥ then miss mystery drew herself up, with aforlorn little attempt at dignity, and said,

"i'd like to go to my room now, please."å¥ upstairs she went, slowly, and as she nearedher own room lockwood met her in the hall. "count me your friend,"å¥ he said, simply,and held out his hand. "i will,"å¥ she replied, putting her littlehand in his, and then, with one deep glance, each knew of the other's love. lockwood's was written plain on his face,and his eyes, usually so calm and cold, were lighted with the intensity of his passion. this anita read, and her own response wasquick and involuntary. perhaps it was a rebound from the awful proposalsof maurice trask; perhaps it was a heart finding

its mate-perhaps, remembering miss mystery'sways, it was mere coquetry, but the glances were exchanged and they knew. anita went on to her room, and throwing herselfinto a chair, sat long in thought. "what shall i do?"å¥ she asked herself overand over again. "what can i do? if only i hadn't taken the money-and the pin.why did i do it? and he said truesdell! how did he know? my eyebrows, i suppose. thatawful man! and he'll tell-oh, yes, he'll surely tell-and that will poison gordon'smind against me-oh, was anybody ever in such trouble as i?"å¥ a tap at her door announced the maid witha note.

alone again, anita read it. it was from lockwoodand begged an interview. "please let me see you alone,"å¥ it said;"i don't know how best to manage it. will you go for a walk with me now? there's timefor a short stroll before dark."å¥ hurriedly anita flung on hat and coat, andopened her door. lockwood was on the stair. "going out?"å¥ he said, casually, "mayi walk with you?"å¥ "please do,"å¥ said anita, and they startedout together. "i'm sorry enough to do anything thatseems clandestine,"å¥ said lockwood as they walked, "but that feline lady, miss bascom,is watching your every move, and i can't

let her get anything to criticise you for."å¥ a grateful look rewarded him, and then gordonwent on: "tell me, did i read your eyes aright? do you, can you care to know how ilove you? how i have loved you from the moment i first saw you. do you care, anita? may ilove you?"å¥ "but you don't know me,"å¥ she said, ina soft little voice. "and you do know dreadful things about me."å¥ "i don't care for any of those things.if they're dreadful, they're not true."å¥ "yes-they are true-some of them. andthere are more dreadful things to know-that you don't even suspect-gordon."å¥

the last word, spoken in the lowest, tenderestof voices, completed lockwood's infatuation. had she not said that, he might have beendeterred by her statements, but that softly-breathed name, stirred his pulses, and in the deepeningdusk he found her hand and said: "anita, i want you-i love you-none ofthese things count. i know you are in no way guiltily connected with this crime-if youare mixed up with it, it is through force of circumstances, and anyway, i don't carewho or what you are-i love you, i believe in you and i want you."å¥ "but it's all so dreadful-and i can'ttell-"å¥ "don't tell anything you don't wantto-"å¥

"but that man will tell. that terrible traskman."å¥ lockwood didn't waver in his fealty or loyaltybut it was a blow to learn that trask knew something of anita's secrets. "i don't care,"å¥ he said, firmly, "ilove you."å¥ chapter xiva proposal maurice trask took up his reins of governmentwith a firm hand. he left all housekeeping and domestic matters to mrs. peyton, but thebusiness affairs of doctor waring, he concluded to clean up as rapidly as possible. "it's astonishing,"å¥ he said to lockwood,"what a lot of varied interests my cousin

had. this morning's mail brings all sortsof things from rare book catalogues to mining prospectuses. by the way, i think i shallhave an auction of his rare books. such things don't interest me, and i believe they havea big money value."å¥ "some of them have,"å¥ lockwood returned,indifferently. he could not bring himself to like his newemployer, but as he had agreed to stay with him for a time, he did his best to meet requirements. "take this lot, now,"å¥ and trask indicateda bookcase full of old volumes of the classics. "they mean nothing to me-i can't readlatin or greek, and wouldn't if i could. my good heavens! look at this one!"å¥

trask had taken down the volume that had beenon doctor waring's desk the night of his death. as he flipped over the pages, two werestuck together, and the ghastly red stains showed only too clearly that they were thespilled blood of the dying man. "ugh!"å¥ he said, holding out the volumeto lockwood, "burn that up. how could anyone have put it back on the shelf? never let mesee it again!"å¥ the secretary took it, noting that it wasa copy of martial, to which doctor waring had been greatly attached. indeed, it had,to lockwood's knowledge, been lying on the doctor's desk for a week or more beforehis death. laying the stained volume aside in his owndesk, lockwood proceeded to assist in the

examination of the books. he was not at all surprised to find traskdiscarding the ones he would have retained and keeping the most worthless-though therewas little that could really be called trash in the waring library. "where are the story books?"å¥ the new ownergrumbled. "no detective stories? no spicy novels? no joke-books?"å¥ "doctor waring was serious-minded,"å¥ lockwoodreminded him. "he cared little for lighter reading. he was a scholar."å¥ "he sure was-to judge from these old dry-as-dusttomes. but, i'll fire a lot of the poky

old stuff, and so make room for more entertainingbooks. you see, lockwood, i hope-and i expect to get me a wife before long."å¥ gordon's heart seemed to contract, for hedivined what was coming. "yeppy, that's so. little old mauricewants a wifie-and-who do you suppose has caught my fancy?"å¥ "who?"å¥ was the mechanical response. "why, none other than the little miss mystery.oh, yes, i know she is under a cloud-but i can get her off-i'm a bird of a lawyer,you know-and we'll fix up all that. then, i'll elevate that little nonentity to theelevated position of the missus of maurice

trask. hey, my boy, how's that?"å¥ had lockwood's calm not been habitual withhim, he could scarcely have maintained it through this scene. as it was, he was a boiling,seething furnace inside him, but his judgment told him that any exhibition of surprise orannoyance would only irritate the other man without doing any good. moreover, if trask were really a shrewd lawyer,and if he knew something that would make any trouble for anita-and she had hinted thathe did-then, lockwood argued, he must keep friendly with trask, at least until he foundout more of the matter. so he said, lightly, "has the lady agreed?"å¥

"well-not yet; but-i say, lockwood,you're hit in that same direction, eh?"å¥ "i admire miss austin very much, yes."å¥ "well-you keep off-do you hear?"å¥ "i hear,"å¥ said lockwood, in his imperturbableway, but when trask looked up and caught the cold stare of his secretary, he dropped thesubject and returned to the books. since doctor waring's death, lockwood hadformed the habit of going back to the adams house for his luncheon. this, of course, inthe hope of seeing something of anita, and also, because his new employer preferred itthat way. at luncheon, trask took occasion to eulogizemiss austin.

helen peyton stood it as long as she could,and then broke out with: "i don't see what you can find to admire in that thin,sallow little thing! and, beside, she is a wicked girl. i think she killed doctor waring,but even if she didn't, she came over here to see him, secretly, late at night, and ifthat isn't wrong-doing, i don't know what is! but just because she puts up a helplessbluff, all the men fall for her!"å¥ "jealous, miss peyton?"å¥ and trask lookedat her shrewdly. "no,"å¥ helen tossed her head. "i'veno reason to be. that girl is nothing to me, and the sooner she gets out of corinth thebetter. if the police will let her go!"å¥ "now then, miss peyton,"å¥ trask began,in his most emphatic manner, "and mrs. peyton,

too, once for all, i will hear no word againstmiss austin in my house. put any meaning you like into that, but remember it. one wordagainst anita austin, and the speaker of it goes out of my door never to return. am iclear?"å¥ "clear? yes; but i can tell you-"å¥ "hush, helen,"å¥ said her mother. "wewant to stay here, don't we? well, then, as mr. trask is evidently much in earnest,i insist that you obey his wishes-as i shall."å¥ "that's right, mrs. peyton. and if yourdaughter forgets my hints i trust to you to keep her reminded. that's all about that."å¥ in this fashion maurice trask settled everyquestion that arose. his word was law, and

he spoke no unnecessary words. the servants could obey or leave. the housekeeperhad been told the same, and the secretary understood it, too. returning to the library after luncheon, trasksat at the desk in deep thought. "got to get the girl,"å¥ he told himself."plenty to hold over her head-but she's skittish, that's plain to be seen. also,she's in love with lockwood. got to get him out of town. nothing doing while he'saround. now, how? morton hinted of his being deeply in debt. if so, he's got some pasthistory, guess i can get something on him-got to, whether i can or not. h'm. wonder ifthe little girl did do the sticking. hard

to believe it, and yet that kid's got itin her. she sure has! and she's a truesdell all right. nobody ever had those beetlingbrows, almost joining above those dark eyes, in that level line-why, if she's a truesdell-!good lord, i've got to marry her! i'll have to scare her into it! now, maurice, myboy, get in some of your finest work."å¥ clapping on his hat, he started for the adamshouse. as luck would have it, he met anita and hissecretary walking toward him. "playing truant?"å¥ he called out gailyto lockwood. "i'm just on my way to your house,"å¥gordon returned, coldly. "you too, miss mystery?"å¥ and trask gaveher a wide smile.

"no; i'm going to the post-office."å¥ "ah, i see. then, on your way, lockwood-andi'll step along with miss austin."å¥ there was no good way out of this arrangement,so it obtained, and trask fell into step with the girl, as lockwood turned off toward thewaring house. "now, my dear young lady,"å¥ trask began,unheeding her look of aversion, "you may as well understand me first as last. i'vegot the whip hand-or, as that isn't a very graceful expression, let us say, i holdthe trumps. i know all about you, you see. i know why you went to the doctor's librarythat night, and-i know what happened there."å¥ "you don't,"å¥ said anita, coolly. "you'rebluffing, and i know it."å¥

"no, i'm not bluffing-not entirely,anyway. true, there are some things i don't know yet, but-i soon will! don't thinkyou can keep anything from me! i'm going to take a week for investigation. also, togive you your chance. if i find out what i fully expect to find out i shall make it allpublic-how will you like that?"å¥ a great fear showed in anita's eyes, andshe murmured, brokenly: "don't-oh, mr. trask, don't!"å¥ "hah! scared, are you? i thought you'dbe! now, you know my price. you marry me-promise to marry me, that is, and i'll get you throughthis thing with bells on. no shadow of suspicion shall remain attached to you-or, to anyone you care for."å¥

"i heard you were not going to rest untilyou learned who killed doctor waring,"å¥ anita temporized. "yes, yes; but that was before i saw you.now, i don't care if you have killed half the people in corinth, i want you all thesame. you've bewitched me. you, a silly little slip of a girl, with no particularclaim to beauty, except your big, mournful eyes, and your peach of a mouth! i'll bringthe smiles to that sad little face. oh, anita, i'm not a brute, and i do love you so. giveup your foolish fancy for lockwood, for it is only a passing attraction. and he hasn'tany money, and he's deeply in debt, and oh, i'm a thousand times a better catch!"å¥

"if you knew how you damaged your causeby talking like that-"å¥ the girl began, her eyes cold with scorn. "then i won't talk like that,"å¥ trasksaid, humbly. "only take me, anita, and you can make me over to suit yourself. i'lldo whatever you say. i'll read the books you want me to, i'll get cultured and refined-andall that."å¥ anita almost laughed. "you are so funny,"å¥she said. but this was a little too much for trask'sself-love. "funny, am i?"å¥ he stormed. "funny! you'llsee how funny i am when i tell the police why you killed that man! you'll see if i'mfunny when i refuse the evidence that might

help you out. when i keep still instead ofspeakin' out in meetin'! you look here, anita austin, i hold you in the hollow ofmy hand, and don't you forget it! you've got a deep dark secret-and though i don'tknow quite all of it-i'll know it soon. what m. trask sets out to find out, he findsout. see? now, do you want to tell me who you are-or not? want to tell me who yourfather was? your mother was a truesdell-i'll bet on that!"å¥ miss mystery's face fell. abject despairwas written on every line of it. she glanced at trask, and his own determined expressionshowed her that she could hope for nothing from him save on his own terms.

and those terms were too hard for her. justaware of loving lockwood, just learning to know what love meant and how sweet it couldbe, just realizing, too, the awfulness of her own position, the dire necessity for secrecy,the terrible result of trask's revelations, should they be made, altogether miss mysteryfaced a dangerous crisis. "you say you'll give me a week?"å¥ shesaid, at last, grasping at a hope of reprieve. trask looked at her with curiosity. "what good'll that do you? better putyourself under my protection at once. every day you lose is that much nearer discovery."å¥ "all right, i'll dare it! they won't-won'tcondemn me, anyhow."å¥

"ho, ho. banking on your sex to save you!well, honestly, i don't really think they'd send a pretty girl like you to the chair,but a trial would convict you in the eyes of the world, even if twelve men were toosoft-hearted to see you electrocuted. and there'd be imprisonment-"å¥ "oh, hush! mr. trask, have you no pity?"å¥ "plenty for the girl that is to be my wife.none for any other. and especially none for a girl who scorns me and throws me over formy own secretary. i'm a red-blooded man, i am, and you can't play fast and loosewith me and get away with it!"å¥ "i don't mean to play fast and loose withyou, if by that you mean changing my mind.

but, i do ask for a few days to think it over.that's not unreasonable, is it?"å¥ miss mystery's little smile was cajoling,and trask couldn't resist it. "all right,"å¥ he said, as he looked hungrilyat her bewitching face, "take a coupla days, then. but, only on condition that you don'tlet lockwood make love to you. promise me that for the forty-eight hours, you won'tsee that man alone."å¥ "how can i promise that?"å¥ "you'll have to, whether you can or not."å¥ "all right, i promise."å¥ he looked at her sternly.

"and you'll keep that promise, or you'llbe sorry! i haven't much opinion of your promises, you're not the sort to keep faith.but, remember i'm a power. maurice trask can do whatever he sets out to do. and ifyou forget that, you're mighty apt to regret "i gave you a promise,"å¥ anita said, lookingat him coldly, "and i fully intend to keep it. it's not such a very hard one to keep."å¥ her lip curled, and though he guessed thetumult in her heart, there was no sign of it on her face. trask accompanied her to the postoffice, andthen, bidding him a careless good afternoon, anita went into a large drygoods shop andhe made no attempt to follow her.

he would have been interested, however, hadhe noted her proceedings. for she went straight to a telephone booth, and called up the waringhouse. ito answered and when she asked to be connected with mr. lockwood, the butlergave the connection without question. "gordon?"å¥ came the soft little voice."this is anita."å¥ and then she told him quickly but fully allthat had passed between her and trask. "so you see,"å¥ she concluded, "i do wantthese two days to think things out, and i mustn't see you alone, for he's sure toknow of it."å¥ "all right,"å¥ lockwood said, "we'lldo our courting over the telephone. let me see, i'll go down town this evening andtelephone you-"å¥

"no, that won't do. i can't talk toyou in the adams front hall! here's a better plan. tomorrow, when mr. trask goes out, youcall me up there, and i'll go out to a pay station and call you up where you are now.and the day after tomorrow the time will be up."å¥ "yes, and what are you going to do then?"å¥ "i don't know,"å¥ said the girl, her voicesuddenly losing its brightness. "i'm going to think it out. good-by."å¥ "oh, wait a minute. i'll see you at dinner,shan't i?"å¥ "oh, yes; and this evening, i suppose, butonly with others present."å¥

and after a few more words anita left thebooth and walked slowly home. when trask returned to his library he saidto lockwood, "get busy on those old books at once, will you? i want the shelves clearedfor some of my own books that i've sent for."å¥ "very well,"å¥ returned the secretary, thinkingof the probable difference between the expected books and those they would replace. "do you mind, mr trask, if i take a fewof these old ones myself? i'll pay you whatever price a first class dealer sets on them."å¥ "oh, take what you want, without pay. i'min a good humor today, lockwood, better take

advantage of it. help yourself from the shelves."å¥ "thank you, i'll not impose on your kindnessand generosity."å¥ nor did he, but among the few volumes he chosewas the crimson stained copy of martial's epigrams. distasteful though it was, lockwood lookedat the book with a feeling of reverence and opened the volume at the page that had lastheld the interest of its owner's scholarly mind. the crimson stain completely obscured theprint, but lockwood gazed long at the defaced page.

"i wonder,"å¥ he said to himself, "ifa crack detective could get anything from this. there's that stone, mercer is alwaysraving over-i suppose he's terribly expensive-yet this strange case might intrigue him-andyet-there's anita to be considered. if it should turn the tide against her-"å¥ later that afternoon, trask went out againand lockwood seized his chance. calling anita at the adams house, he said,"listen, dear, you needn't say anything but yes or no, and then no one will understand."å¥ "all right,"å¥ came the reply. "i've just about come to the conclusioni'll get a clever detective and put him

on the case. i mean a real detective-infact, fleming stone."å¥ "oh, no!"å¥ anita's voice was one of utterdismay. "why not?"å¥ "i-i can't tell you this way! you said-"å¥ "so i did. well, here, i'll ask questions.don't you want me to do this?"å¥ "no!"å¥ very emphatically. "you'd rather i wouldn't?"å¥ "very much rather."å¥ "because you fear ill effects to yourself?"å¥

"you are sure you're not overestimatingthe danger of that?"å¥ "i am sure."å¥ "then there's no more to be said. good-by."å¥ lockwood hung up the receiver, and turnedaround to see trask frowning at him. "so that's the way you and miss austinwhip the devil around the stump!"å¥ "that's the way,"å¥ returned lockwood,coolly. "she promised not to see you alone-isthis how she keeps the letter of her promise and breaks it in spirit?"å¥ "leave her out of this. i called her up,she did not call me."å¥

"all the same. now, i gather from the interestingtalk i overheard that miss austin does not wish to have fleming stone take up this case."å¥ "you are at liberty to gather anything youchoose."å¥ "see here, lockwood, you make a mistakewhen you try to antagonize me. i'd be a better friend to you than an enemy."å¥ "i've no reason to want you for either."å¥lockwood was by no means impertinent, he merely spoke indifferently. trask noted this, andwent on, more suavely: "now, my dear lockwood, what i propose todo now, is to employ fleming stone myself."å¥ lockwood was astounded. at first he was glad,for he felt sure stone could solve the whole

mystery. but, then, suppose it incriminatedanita, and though lockwood was sure of her innocence, he was just enough so to realizethat his surety was largely because of his affection for her. suppose stone should proveher to be the criminal! it couldn't be-and yet- he looked up to find trask smiling broadly. "you've the reputation of being of animpassive countenance, lockwood, but to me your face is as an open book! however, it'sonly because you are up against a difficult problem. you want stone to come, yet you'reafraid he'll find out that miss austin is pretty deep in this murder mystery. but i'vemade up my mind, and i think you'll see

that any attempt on your part to change mydecision would look bad for miss austin."å¥ "you let her name alone, trask, or i'llreason with you myself."å¥ "have you any real right to tell me to leaveher name alone?"å¥ "yes, i have."å¥ "are you and she engaged?"å¥ "so far as i am concerned, we are. missaustin prefers to wait until later to announce it, but i can answer for her to you in confidence."å¥ "oh, it's in confidence, all right. don'tfear i'll breathe the news. for, you see, i've made up my mind to marry anita austinmyself; and if fleming stone proves that she

is a murderess, i'll marry her all the same.she'll escape punishment-what woman doesn't?"å¥ "then, look here,"å¥ lockwood's mannerchanged. "if you're going to get stone anyway, why can't we work with each otherand not at odds? whatever else we think or feel we both want to save miss austin allthe trouble or distress we can. let's be friends, then, and talk things over with stone,and then-"å¥ "i'm on! then if we see things are goingagainst her, shut him off!"å¥ "well, yes, if we can."å¥ "of course we can. i've money enough foranything-even to buy off fleming stone. no man's too big to be bought."å¥

"i don't mean all this exactly as youdo, but i do mean this: if stone can solve the mystery and clear anita, let him do it.if he finds her implicated, let it be understood by him beforehand, he is to cease investigations."å¥ trask thought a minute. "that goes,"å¥ he said; "i agree."å¥ chapter xvfleming stone comes "terence."å¥ "we're off for new england."å¥ "new england it is."å¥

"start this afternoon, stay a few days,maybe a week among the classic shades of corinth."å¥ "corinth it is."å¥ this somewhat laconic conversation was allthat was necessary for fleming stone's assistant and general factotum to make preparationsfor the trip, achieve tickets, and arrive, with his chief, at the train gate at the propertime. terence mcguire, sometimes called fibsy, becauseof a certain tendency to mendacity, had begun as stone's office boy, and, by virtue ofhis general aptitude for detective work and his utter devotion to stone, had become aworthwhile and much appreciated assistant. not only did the lad look after all detailsof their trips as well as taking care of the

offices, but many times his ingenious mindso stimulated or aided stone's own, that more often than not they were practicallycolleagues. they had a compartment to themselves at theend of the car, and they were no sooner started than stone began to discuss the case withthe boy. "i don't know all the details, of course,"å¥he began, "but it's a setting after my own heart."å¥ "then i can guess it,"å¥ put in the wisefibsy. "man found dead in sealed room."å¥ "you're a wizard! what made you thinkof that?"å¥ "'cause that's the problem you likebest, f. stone. wise me up some more."å¥

"it's further interesting, because thevictim is a great and good man, in fact, the president-elect of the university of corinth."å¥ "my! somebody didn't want him for president?that the idea?"å¥ "apparently not. nothing in the letter aboutthat."å¥ "who wrote the letter?"å¥ "the relative who inherits the whole estate."å¥ "he do the job?"å¥ "no reason as yet to think so. but the criminalmustn't be guessed at. the point is, the locked room."å¥

"how was the killing done?"å¥ "stabbed. no weapon found and no way toget in or out of the locked room. fine problem."å¥ "yes-if we don't find a secret stairway-or,a lying servant. such cases generally fizzle out that way."å¥ "fibs, you're a boy cassandra."å¥ "what's that?"å¥ stone explained, for it was his habit to supplementmcguire's very scant education by bits of information now and then, when time served. "but, there's a queer clause in the arrangement,"å¥stone went on, "if we find the evidence

leading in a certain direction, the chaseis to cease."å¥ "that won't do."å¥ "of course not, and i'll soon make thatclear. but i can't think it will lead in the given direction as that implicates a younggirl, and rarely indeed, have i found a criminal answering to that description."å¥ "'tisn't usual-but, you know, f. stone,since the war, girls are so independent and so cocky that there's no telling what they'lldo. me for the girl-as a suspect."å¥ "fibsy, you're a fool."å¥ "no, sir. i don't admit it. see here,sir, if they're so 'fraid s'picion will

turn to that girl, there's reason for it.yet, as you can guess, if she didn't do it, they want her skirts entirely cleared."å¥ "pretty good deduction so far. but we can'tjudge rationally until we know the facts."å¥ the facts were told them, when, some hourslater, they sat, alone with maurice trask in the room where john waring breathed hislast. "i'm a plain man,"å¥ trask said, for hedidn't care to pose unduly before an astute detective. "i've come into this estateof my cousin's-my second cousin, he was, and i started out with a firm determinationto find the villain who killed him. but, there is some cause for suspicion of the young ladyi expect to marry. and here's the situation.

if you can solve the mystery of doctor waring'sdeath, and free that girl from any taint of blame, go ahead. but if your investigationleads to her-stop it. i want to marry her just the same, whether she killed anybodyor not. but if she didn't do it, i want to know it."å¥ "can't you learn the truth from the younglady herself-if she is your fiancee?"å¥ asked stone. "oh, she says she didn't do it, of course.but there's such an overwhelming mass of evidence-or, apparent evidence against her,that it's the deepest sort of a mystery."å¥ "main facts first. where was the body found?"å¥

"in that desk chair, seated at his desk,as he often was evenings. reading in a latin book, so you see, he wasn't looking fortrouble."å¥ "found dead in the morning? been dead allnight?"å¥ "yes, to both those questions. and lockedin his room. had to break in."å¥ "and no weapon about?"å¥ "not a sign of any-"å¥ "then that cuts out all suicide idea."å¥ "it does and it doesn't. you may as wellsay the locked up room cuts out all idea of a murder."å¥

"but it must be one or the other. and isn'tit more plausible to look for some way that the murderer could have gone away and leftthe room locked, than to think up a way that the suicide could have disposed of this weapon?"å¥ "yes, that's so, but i want you to investigateboth possibilities. you see, if you could prove a suicide, that would free miss austinat once. and-if things go against her-i want you to-oh, hang it, it's hard toput into words-"å¥ "i'll do that,"å¥ said fibsy, "if thingsgo against miss austin, you want mr. stone to frame up suicide, and declare it the truth."å¥ "exactly that,"å¥ and trask looked relievedat the thought all his cards were on the table.

"i don't want miss austin suspected, buti do want to know if she's innocent."å¥ "any other suspects?"å¥ asked stone. "not definite ones. there's the japanesewho absconded that same night, and of course, there's the secretary, gordon lockwood.i'd like to suspect him, all right, and he has a round silver penholder that justfits the wound that killed waring. but it doesn't look like he did it, he never wouldhave left the penholder in evidence, and he would have arranged matters to look more likea suicide. then, too, how could he lock the door behind him?"å¥ "that question must be answered first ofall,"å¥ said stone. "i'll examine the

room, of course, but after the local policeand detectives have done that, i doubt if i find anything enlightening. so far as ican see, this whole affair is unique, and i think we will find some surprising evidenceand soon. tell me more of this miss austin. who is she?"å¥ "nobody knows. in fact, they call her missmystery, because so little is known of her. she appeared here in corinth from nowhere.she knew no one, and as she began to make acquaintances somebody brought her over here.she met doctor waring, and inside of twenty-four hours had so bewitched him that it would seemhe had her visiting him in his study late at night. she said at first, she wasn'there, but as she left the impress of her dress

trimmings on that chair-back, and as she hasa ruby pin and a lot of money that were in the doctor's possession, it looks, one mightsay, a bit queer."å¥ "weren't the valuables planted on her?"å¥put in fibsy. "that's what she says-or rather, that'sone of the things she said. the girl contradicts herself continually. she says one thing oneday and another the next."å¥ "is she pretty?"å¥ this from fibsy. "pretty as the devil! and that's not sobad as a description. she has great big dark eyes, with straight black brows that almostmeet. she has a jaunty little face, that can be roguish or scornful or merry or patheticas the little rascal chooses. she has completely

bowled me over, and i'd be glad to haveher on any terms and whatever her past history. but, there it is. if she has a clean slatein this murder business, i want to know it."å¥ "and if she hasn't?"å¥ "then i don't want anybody else to knowit. if you find, mr. stone, real evidence that anita austin killed john waring, or ifshe confesses to the deed, then you whip around and prove a suicide, and i'll double yourcharge. you needn't do anything wrong, you know. just sum up that all indications pointto a suicide, and let it go at that. nobody will arrest miss austin if you say that."å¥ "you must be crazy, mr. trask,"å¥ returnedstone, coldly. "i don't conduct my business

on any such principles as those. i can'tperjure myself to save your lady love from a just condemnation."å¥ "you haven't seen her yet."å¥ trask noddedhis sagacious head. "wait till you do."å¥ "give me all the points against her,"å¥the detective suggested. "i will. i'd rather you knew them fromme. not that i'll color them-they're facts that speak for themselves, but otherpeople might exaggerate them. well, to begin with, this girl, a day or so after she arrivedhere was seen kissing the picture of doctor waring which she had cut from a newspaper.i tell you this, 'cause you'll hear it anyway, and the gossips think it shows a previousacquaintance between the two. but i hold that

as girls have matinee idols and movie heroes,this girl might easily have adored the scholarly man, though she had never seen him."å¥ "it is possible,"å¥ stone agreed, "butnot very probable. she denies they were acquainted?"å¥ "yes. vows she never saw him until one nightshe went to his lecture, soon after her arrival here."å¥ "what is she in corinth for?"å¥ "to sketch-she's an artist."å¥ "go on."å¥ "well, as i said, she must have come herethat sunday night, for one of the boarders

at the house she lives in saw her cross thesnowy field. also, the footprints just fitted her shoes. also, the tracks led right up onthe side porch here to that long french window. and led right back again to the adams house."å¥ "whew!"å¥ fibsy exploded, "aren't yourubbing it in?"å¥ "well, that's what they tell me-"å¥trask asserted, doggedly, "and i want you to know it all, mr. stone, before the otherpeople tell you a garbled version."å¥ "then, they say, the girl left marks ofher dress trimming on that chair, and lockwood, the secretary, rubbed them off next morning,as soon as the body was discovered. we have the word of two witnesses for this episode."å¥

"who are the witnesses?"å¥ "ito, the japanese butler, and miss peyton,who lives in this house."å¥ "well, then, ever since the tragedy, missaustin has acted queer. queer in all sorts of ways. she is sad and desolate one minute,and saucy and independent the next. i can't make her out at all. and she is more thanhalf in love with this lockwood. i have to cut him out, you see. and i figure, if youprove the case against miss austin, and if i agree to marry her and hush up the wholematter, and make it seem a suicide-"å¥ "you figure that she'll throw over thesecretary for you,"å¥ cried fibsy, his eyes aghast at the man's plan.

"exactly that. you see, mr. stone, i don'ttry to deceive you. while i have a natural sorrow at my cousin's death, yet rememberthat i never knew him in life, and that, while i want to avenge his death in any case butone, i do not want to if it implicates anita austin."å¥ "i understand,"å¥ said stone, seeminglynot so shocked at the conversation as his assistant was. "there's another queer thing,"å¥ saidtrask. "they tell me that when the body was found there was the impress of a ringon the forehead."å¥ "a seal ring?"å¥

"oh, no. not a finger ring, but a circle,about two inches across, a red mark, as if it had been made as a sign or symbol of somesort."å¥ "it remained on the flesh?"å¥ "until the embalming process took place.that removed it. i didn't see it, but i'm told it was a clearly defined circle, quiteevidently impressed with some intent."å¥ "sounds like a sign of a secret society,"å¥fibsy suggested, but stone paid no heed. "let's reconstruct the case,"å¥ he said;"waring sat at his desk his secretary outside in that hall?"å¥ "yes; the japanese, the other one, the onethat disappeared, brought in water, and then

doctor waring closed the door and locked it."å¥ "immediately?"å¥ "i don't know that, but anyway, no onethat we know of saw him again alive. nogi is under no suspicion, for after he came outof the room, the doctor rose and locked the door. lockwood can't be suspected, as heheard the door locked, and couldn't get in. he is more or less suspected because ofhis penholder, but much as i should like to think him the criminal, i know he isn't."å¥ "you're very honest, mr. trask."å¥ "yes, because i want the truth. can youget it?"å¥

"i think so."å¥ "you still eliminate suicide?"å¥ "i can't see how i can think it, withno weapon. you say that death was instantaneous-?"å¥ "yes; the doctors agree that it was. positivelyhe had no chance to hide or dispose of the instrument of death."å¥ "and why should he? suicides never maketheir death seem a murder, though often a murderer tries to simulate a suicide."å¥ "yet that wasn't done in this case, orthe murderer would have left the weapon."å¥ "that may be the very point he neglected.now, how did the murderer get out? get busy,

fibs."å¥ for nearly half an hour, the three men searchedthe room. had there been any secret exit, or any concealed passage, it must have beenfound. fleming stone's knowledge of architecture would not let him overlook any thing of thesort, and fibsy's alert eyes and quick wits would have found anything out of the ordinary. "no way out,"å¥ stone concluded, finally;"and no way of locking a door or a window after departure from the room. looks as ifthe murder theory was as untenable as the other. no chance of a natural death?"å¥ "with a round hole in his jugular vein?no, sir. the doctors here won't stand for

that. try again."å¥ "i shall. i don't know when i've hadsuch a baffling, intriguing case, as this appears to be at first sight. it may resolveitself into a simple problem, but i can't think so now. even if it were the work ofyour miss austin-how did she get in and out?"å¥ "oh, she got in, all right. waring let herin, at the french window. probably that's when he locked his door. but-say she killedhim-how did she get out and lock the room behind her?"å¥ "she couldn't. the window locks are bolts,and could not be shot from outside. for the

moment i see no explanation. it is blank,utter mystery. when can i see miss austin?"å¥ "too late tonight, tomorrow morning willhave to do. but she won't run away. the police won't let her."å¥ "yet they can't hold her."å¥ "they are doing so. they claim she was thelast one to see the victim alive-"å¥ "does she admit that?"å¥ "not she! she admits nothing. you'll getnothing out of that little sphinx!"å¥ "all right, then, mr. trask, if you'vefinished your tale, suppose you leave me here to ruminate over this thing, and i'll goup to my room when i wish."å¥

trask went off to bed, and stone and his youngassistant sat and looked at each other. "up against it, f. stone?"å¥ "i certainly am, fibs. and yet, the thingis so absolutely impossible that there must be a solution within easy reach. it can'tbe suicide, with the weapon gone, and it can't be murder with the room locked up. now, asit must be either suicide or murder, then it follows, that either the weapon isn'tgone, or the room isn't locked up."å¥ "wasn't, you mean."å¥ "yes, wasn't. but i don't yet thinkthat any one disturbed the conditions purposely. for why would the secretary take away theweapon to make it seem a suicide-"å¥

"he would if he did it."å¥ "he didn't do it. trask sees that. theman trask is a sharp one. he sees all there is to see, and since there's practicallynothing to see that solves the mystery, he sent for me. it would be a good one on me,terence, if i have to give the thing up as unsolvable."å¥ "that won't happen, f. stone, but i'mfree to confess, i can't see any way to look."å¥ the next morning, maurice trask went overto the adams house, and brought miss mystery back with him.

she came willingly enough, and the interviewwith the detective took place in the room of the tragedy itself. stone noticed that the girl showed no horroror distaste of the scene, and even sat in the chair he placed for her, which was thesame plush-covered one that had received the tell-tale imprints. fleming stone regarded miss austin curiously.not only was her beauty all that trask had described it, but there was an added qualityof fineness, a trace of high mentality, that naturally enough maurice trask quite overlooked. at first glance, stone's thought was-"thatchild commit murder? never!"å¥ but a few moments

later, he was not quite so sure of his negation. fibsy just sat and looked at her. he had nooccasion to speak, unless addressed, so, in silence he merely let his eyes feast on thepiquant face with its ever changing expressions. after casual questions, stone said directly,"did you know doctor waring before you came to corinth, miss austin?"å¥ "no,"å¥ she said, a little hesitantly; "ihad heard of him, but i had never before seen him."å¥ "how had you heard of him?"å¥ "there was much in the papers about hiselection."å¥

"and that interested you?"å¥ "not specially,"å¥ she said, with a suddenaccession of hauteur. and thereupon, she became a most unsatisfactorywitness. she listened to stone's questions with an absent-minded air, answered in monosyllables,or by a movement of her head. she even gave a side smile to fibsy, which, though it amazedhim, also filled him with a strange exultant joy, and made him her abject slave at once. stone went on, drawling out a string of unimportantquestions in a monotonous voice, and at length, he said, in the same unimportant way, "and when you saw doctor waring that night,was there a red ring on his forehead?"å¥

"no,"å¥ said miss austin, and then, suddenlyawakening to what she had done, she cried impetuously, "i mean, i don't know. iwasn't here."å¥ stone smiled gravely. "you were here,"å¥he said. "now let us talk about what happened during your visit."å¥ an interruption was caused by a tap at theclosed door. impatiently, trask rose and went to the door.it was ito, bringing a telegram for miss austin. it had arrived at the adams house, and hadbeen sent over. miss mystery read it, with great difficultycontrolled her agitation, as she quickly went to the blazing log fire and dropped the paperin.

"skip over to the telegraph office and geta copy,"å¥ said stone quietly, and fibsy obeyed. then to miss austin's continued distress,stone read the message aloud. it was from san francisco, and it said: "better own up and tell the whole truth.i have annexed carl."å¥ it was signed merely "a"å¥ and apparently it was of dire importto its recipient. miss mystery sat silent, and wide-eyed in desperation, as she lookedhopelessly from one to another. "don't you think,"å¥ said stone, not unkindly,"that you'd better follow a's advice and make a clean breast of the whole matter?"å¥ chapter xvimiss mystery's testimony

miss mystery looked from stone's impassiveface to fibsy's eager boyish countenance. then she looked at maurice trask. the latter showed deepest sympathy and interestbut trask also had a wary air, as if ready to interrupt any disclosures that might bedamaging to the girl. "first of all,"å¥ stone said, "who sentyou that telegram from san francisco?"å¥ "i don't know."å¥ the calm little facewas as expressionless as stone's own, and she made her statement as straightforwardlyas if it had been true. "miss austin,"å¥ stone spoke severely now,"it's to your own advantage to adopt a more amenable manner. you will not help yourcause by prevarication or evasion. unless

you will answer my questions truly, i mustfind out these things for myself. i can do "if you can find out who sent that telegram,go ahead,"å¥ she flared at him. "i tell you i don't know who sent it, and i don'tknow who " a' is."å¥ "i know who she is,"å¥ said fibsy, and thenanita's quick, startled glance proved to the boy that his little ruse was successfuland he had at least guessed the sex of the sender. "a woman,"å¥ the astute lad mused, "andshe has annexed carl. maybe carl is another name for that escaped japanese. but it'sall so far away. how can they conduct operations between here and california!"å¥

"miss austin,"å¥ stone tried to win herconfidence, "believe me i am most anxious to help you. please tell me why you came overhere that sunday night. it is utterly useless to deny that you did come, now tell me why."å¥ anita looked baffled, but after a moment'spause, she said, "do you think i killed "i know you didn't,"å¥ broke in fibsy,with enthusiasm. "now, come across, miss austin, and i'll bet you f. stone can dopeout the whole game."å¥ "i know most of the circumstances already,"å¥stone smiled, and followed up the small advantage he had gained. "you came over here late,secretly, across the snowy field. doctor waring let you in?"å¥

"yes,"å¥ anita breathed the word, and herstarry eyes never left stone's face. she seemed almost hypnotized. "then you sat down in the chair you'rein now, and he locked the door-why did he do that?"å¥ "i don't know-he didn't! stop! youhave no right to torment me like this! i have counsel-mr. trask here is my lawyer. lethim tell me what to do!"å¥ her nerves were tense, and her little fingerswere continually twisting round themselves. her face was agonized, and stone felt as ifhe were guilty of utter cruelty. but he must go on.

"mr. trask cannot tell what he does notknow,"å¥ he said, coldly. "i am in authority, you must answer me. did doctor waring giveyou the money and the ruby pin?"å¥ "yes, he did."å¥ "why?"å¥ "as gifts. why does any one give presents?"å¥ "because he loved you?"å¥ "yes."å¥ anita's voice dropped to a softertone, her eyes had a faraway look, and her sensitive little mouth quivered. "yet you had known him but a few days! youhad never seen him before you came to corinth?"å¥

"never."å¥ "isn't that a strange admission? how couldhe become so infatuated in so short a time?"å¥ "have you never heard of such a thing?"å¥the face was almost roguish now, and the dark eyes showed a hint of smile. stone was baffled. he gazed at this strangeyoung person, who was either fooling him to the top of her bent or was a helpless, harassedchild. "was doctor waring related to you?"å¥ heasked, with a sudden new idea. "oh, no. he was no relation. i tell youi never met him before i came here."å¥ "and he gave you the valuables?"å¥

"he did. i'll swear to that-though ihave no witness to prove it."å¥ "and you accepted them! accepted a largesum of money and a pin set with a precious stone from a man you scarcely knew! a manengaged to be married! a man of twice your own age! you must admit this calls for explanation."å¥ "why does it? hadn't he a right to giveme those things if he chose?"å¥ "wait a minute, miss austin. you loved him?"å¥ "maybe."å¥ "then, if you did, do you want his namestained, his memory blotted by an act that is, to say the least, questionable?"å¥

"but he did give them to me."å¥ "unless you can say more clearly why hedid so i'm not sure i can believe you. did you ask for them?"å¥ her disclaimer sounded true, but stone beganto think she was a consummate little actress as well as a clever falsifier. "well,"å¥ he said, after a short pause,"i may as well tell you, miss austin, that i am here to solve this mystery. that i amnot at all satisfied that you are telling me the truth; that, therefore, i shall haveto seek the truth elsewhere. i will tell you, too, that i don't want to implicate you,that i should much prefer to keep your name

out of it all, but that you leave me no choicebut to go ahead with my investigations wherever they may lead. a few more questions and youmay go. what was doctor waring doing when you came?"å¥ "he-he was sitting at his desk."å¥ shelooked troubled at stone's speech and seemed half inclined to be more friendly. "you saw him through the french window,before you came in?"å¥ "yes; the window has a silk curtain, buti saw him between the edge of the silk and the window sash."å¥ "was he reading?"å¥

"no; there were books on the desk, but hewas not reading."å¥ "he rose and let you in?"å¥ "he had sent for you?"å¥ "no-that is, yes."å¥ "you spoke truly the first time. he didnot send for you and you came of your own accord. was he surprised to see you?"å¥ "he didn't say so."å¥ "what did he say? what was his first word?"å¥ "why-i don't know. he said-" anita!you!'-or something like that."å¥

"and kissed you?"å¥ "yes."å¥ and then a sudden wave of crimsonspread over the scared little face. it was evident she had not voluntarily made the admission.it had slipped out as her memory was busy with the scene. "i won't stand it!"å¥ she cried, "ican't stand it! mr. trask, save me from this terrible man!"å¥ maurice trask sitting near her, held out hishand, and miss mystery took it. it seemed to reassure her, and she said, "remember,you're my lawyer. don't let him question me any more. tell him things yourself-"å¥

"but he doesn't know things-"å¥ saidstone, gravely. "then let him make them up! i refuse tostand this persecution. i didn't kill that man-"å¥ "wait a moment, miss austin,"å¥ stone fearedif he let her go now, he would lose his chance, "since you are admittedly the last personwho is known to have seen doctor waring alive, you cannot avoid, or evade the strictest questioning.you were here,"å¥ he spoke very gravely, "late at night. next morning he was found dead.there are no footprints in the snow but your own. there was no other way into the room.therefore, you are responsible for his death or-you know who is."å¥

"must i-must i be convicted?"å¥ her tone was heartbroken, her strained littleface piteous in its appeal. but stone did not believe in her. he had concluded she wasentirely capable of pulling wool over her questioners' eyes, and he watched her keenly. "i don't say you must,"å¥ he returneddeliberately, "but i say you may."å¥ "never,"å¥ declared trask. "you know whati told you, mr. stone."å¥ "and you know that i refused to accept yourterms. i shall carry this matter through to the end. i do not say i think miss austinguilty of crime, but i do say she knows all about the death of doctor waring and she mustbe made to tell."å¥

"suppose i say i-he killed himself,"å¥she said, "will you believe me?"å¥ "with your stiletto?"å¥ asked stone, quickly. "y-yes."å¥ "and then you took the stiletto home andhid it?"å¥ "what for?"å¥ "to shield his memory. suicide is a coward'sact."å¥ "rubbish!"å¥ fibsy exploded, unable to keepquiet any longer. "i say, miss mystery, you are a mystery! why don't you tell whatyou know. it's up to you. here you were with the victim, shortly before his death,you probably know all about what happened.

by the way, how did you get out?"å¥ "out the same way i came in."å¥ "and bolted that window-door behind you?"å¥ "oh-no-well, you see-"å¥ "i see you are not to say another word,miss austin,"å¥ trask decreed. "i'm very sorry i asked mr. stone to take up this case.however, i shall take you home now, then i'll come back and i hope i can persuade mr. stoneto discontinue his work. if i'd had any idea of these disclosures you've made, inever should have engaged his services. come, anita, i will take you home. mr. stone, awaitmy return. i shan't be long."å¥

the two went, and stone, pacing up and downthe long room said musingly, "all centers round that girl."å¥ "righto,"å¥ said fibsy, "but she didn'tkill the man."å¥ "the trouble is, terence, your saying thatdoesn't make it so."å¥ "no, but its being so makes me say it."å¥ gordon lockwood came in, his face full ofanxiety. "i'm glad to see you alone for a moment,mr. stone,"å¥ he said. "i saw trask taking miss austin home. now, tell me, please, canyou get at the truth about that girl?"å¥ "i haven't as yet. she's as great amystery as the death of doctor waring."å¥

"she is. but i have every faith in her.she is the victim of some delusion-"å¥ "delusion?"å¥ "yes; i mean she's under a mistaken senseof duty to somebody, or-"å¥ "state your meaning more definitely, willyou?"å¥ "i'm not sure that i can. but i'm positive-"å¥ "ah, now, mr. lockwood,"å¥ this from fibsy,"you're positive the young lady is an angel of light, because you're head overheels in love with her. that's all right, and i don't blame you-but, take it fromme, you'll prove your case quicker, better and more surely, if you investigate the secretof miss mystery, than if you just go around

babbling about her innocence and purity."å¥ lockwood looked at the boy, ready to resenthis impudence. but fibsy's serious face and honest eyes carried conviction and thesecretary at once took him for an ally. "you're right, mcguire,"å¥ he said; "and,i for one am not afraid of the result of a thorough investigation of miss austin'saffairs."å¥ "you've reason to be, though,"å¥ stoneobserved. "i can't be sure, of course, but many stray hints and bits of evidence,to my mind point to miss austin's close connection with the whole matter."å¥ "what is your theory as to the death, mr.stone,"å¥ lockwood asked. "suicide or murder?"å¥

"honestly, i don't know. i'm quite readyto form an opinion when i get some real evidence. i'm through questioning miss austin-ishouldn't have let her go otherwise. i want next to do a lot of further questioning. andi'd very much like to get hold of that servant, nogi."å¥ "you think he's implicated?"å¥ lockwoodstared. "why else would he run away? he must befound. he is probably the key to the whole situation."å¥ "guilty?"å¥ "maybe and maybe not. if he and miss austinwere in collusion-"å¥

"i beg your pardon, mr. stone, but i cannothave any thing said in my presence that reflects on that young lady's good name. we are engagedto be married-that is, i consider myself bound to her, and hope to win her full consent."å¥ "but i understood-i thought, trask-"å¥ "mr. trask wants to marry her, but i hardlythink his suit will succeed. the lady must decide, of course, but i have reason to hope-"å¥ "gee, mr. lockwood, 'course she'll takeyou,"å¥ fibsy informed him, "now, let's you and me get busy to find out miss mystery'smystery. you ought to know it, if you're going to marry her-and too, you can'tbelieve there's anything that can't stand

the light."å¥ "what can it be?"å¥ lockwood asked, helplessly."how can a young girl like that have a real secret that so pervades and surrounds herwhole life that she will give no hint of it? who is she? what is she? why is she here?i don't believe she came here merely to sketch in water colors."å¥ "no,"å¥ agreed stone. "if that were all,why the mystery about her home and family? i understand she has given several contradictorystatements as to where she really lives."å¥ "she has,"å¥ assented lockwood. "but mayit not be just a twist of her humorous nature? i assure you she is roguishly inclined-"å¥

"no; it isn't a joke,"å¥ fibsy said, frowningat the thought. "she's got a real secret, a mystery that means a whole lot to her,-andprob'ly to other people. well, f. stone, i guess it's up to me to go out and seekher people."å¥ he sighed deeply. "i hate to leave the seat of war, but i gotta do it.nobody else could ever ferret out the antecedents and general family doings of miss mysterybut yours truly. and this is no idle boast. i'm going out for the goods and i'll fetchhome the bacon."å¥ he looked glum at the prospect, for it lookedlike no easy or simple matter that he proposed to undertake. "you see,"å¥ he went on, "that girl isstubborn-my, but she's stubborn. you'll

have a handful, mr. lockwood. but if so be'syou're willing to face the revelations, i'll go and dig 'em up."å¥ "where do you think you'll go, terence?"å¥asked stone. "to california, f. s., of course. didn'tthat telegram come from there? all i've got to do is to find " a' and the " carl'that she " annexed' and there's your mystery of the young lady solved. but thedeath of the doctor-that's another thing."å¥ "do you really mean this?"å¥ lockwood said,staring at fibsy. "how can you find a needle in a haystack, like that?"å¥ "i can't-but i've gotta."å¥

"but it's so much simpler to get the informationfrom miss austin herself."å¥ "you call that simple!"å¥ fibsy looked athim. "well, it isn't. it's easier to go to mars, i should say, than to get anyreal information out of that little scrap of waywardness."å¥ "no, nothing can be learned from her,"å¥said stone. "then, shall i be off?"å¥ asked fibsy. "wait twenty-four hours, my lad, and thenif we're no further along, i suppose you'll have to go. nogi must be found."å¥ "i'm glad mr. trask called you in, mr.stone,"å¥ lockwood said, slowly, "but i

do hope you won't associate any thoughtof miss austin with the crime. she could no more commit crime than a small kitten could."å¥ "i fancy you're right,"å¥ and stone, halfabsent-mindedly, "but opinions as to what people can or can't do, are of not muchreal use."å¥ "have you a theory?"å¥ "yes, i have a theory, but the facts don'tfit it-and it seems as if they could not be made to. yet it's a good theory."å¥ "you don't care to tell it to me?"å¥ "why, i'm willing to do so. my theoryis that john waring committed suicide, but

i can't make any facts bear me out. yousee, it's not only the absence of a weapon, but all absence of motive, and even of opportunity."å¥ "surely he had opportunity-in here alone."å¥ "it can't be opportunity if he had noimplement handy. and nothing can explain away the missing weapon, and the locked room, onthe suicide theory."å¥ "what can explain the locked room, on amurder theory?"å¥ lockwood asked. "i haven't thought of anything as yet.what book was doctor waring reading that night?"å¥ "there were several on his desk, but theone that was found nearest the body, the one stained with blood, is a copy of martial'sepigrams."å¥

"may i see it, please?"å¥ lockwood brought the book and fleming stoneexamined it carefully. it was not a rare or finely bound edition, it seemed more a workingcopy or a book for reference. it was printed in latin. "he was fond of martial?"å¥ asked stone. "he was a reader of all the classics. hepreferred them, of course, in their original latin or greek. he was also a modern linguist."å¥ stone opened the volume to the stained page,which was numbered 87. he studied it closely. "it's all greek to me,"å¥ he said, frowning,"even though it's latin, but i hoped to

read something on the page beside the printedtext."å¥ however, the irregularly shaped red blur gavehim no clue, and he returned the book to lockwood. "had the doctor any private accounts?"å¥the detective asked suddenly. "not that i know of,"å¥ replied the secretary."he was a man of singularly few secrets, and i was always at liberty to open all letters,and had free access to his desk and safe. i never knew him to hide or secrete a paperof any sort."å¥ "no harm in looking,"å¥ stone said, andbegan forthwith to search the desk drawers and compartments. the search was fruitless, until at length,a small checkbook was found.

and a curious revelation it gave them. forof its blank checks but one had been torn out, and the remaining stub gave the informationthat it was a check for ten thousand dollars drawn to the order of anita austin. those who looked at it stared incredulously. "it is dated,"å¥ stone said, "the datethat doctor waring died."å¥ it was. had this too, been given to the strangeyoung woman, whom stone was beginning to designate to himself by the title of adventuress? wasit possible that young girl, who seemed scarce more than a child, had some how maneuveredto get all this from a man whom she had deliberately fascinated and infatuated?

it was incredible-yet what else could beassumed? gordon lockwood looked deeply distressed.his lips set in a tight line, and he said, through his clenched teeth: "i don't care! nothing can shake my faithin that girl! she is blameless, and only these misleading circumstances make you think otherwise,mr. stone."å¥ the detective looked at him as one might regarda hopeless lunatic. but young mcguire's face was a study. he looked horror-stricken and then dazed.then he had an inspiration apparently, for he smiled broadly-only to lapse again intoa profound gloom.

"if it ain't the beatin'est!"å¥ he said,at last. "whatcha make of it, f. stone?"å¥ "i'm completely staggered for the moment.fibs,"å¥ the detective returned, "but these cumulative evidences of miss mystery's-er-acquisitivedisposition, seem-i say seem to lead to a suspicion of her undue influence over doctorwaring, at least, as to obtaining money."å¥ "oh, she didn't!"å¥ lockwood fairly groaned."don't blame her! perhaps waring fell a victim to her beauty and grace, and perhapshe urged these gifts upon her-"å¥ "perhaps,"å¥ fibsy said; "perhaps he threatenedto kill her if she didn't accept his checks and coin and rubies!-and maybe she had tokill him in self-defense-"å¥ "self-defense!"å¥ lockwood cried, graspingat any straw. "could it have been that?"å¥

"no,"å¥ stone said; "be rational, man,whatever made anita austin kill doctor waring, it wasn't a case of self-defense."å¥ chapter xviiplanning an elopement there was some sort of telepathy or some subconsciousimpulse that made anita austin open her bedroom door in response to a light tap, althoughshe had resolved to talk to nobody just then. but when she saw gordon lockwood she was gladshe had, and, without waiting for an invitation he stepped inside the room and closed thedoor. he looked at her with a face full of compassionand love, but he spoke as one who must attend to an important business.

"anita,"å¥ he said, speaking very low, "thecrisis has come. they have learned of the check doctor waring gave you that night, andit is the last straw. stone is already, i think, convinced of your guilt, and that youngchap, mcguire, will get at the bottom of everything, i'm sure."å¥ "check? what do you mean?"å¥ miss mysterysaid, with a blank look on her face. "don't equivocate with me, dear."å¥ lockwoodlaid his hand gently on hers. "there's no time now to tell you of my love, as i wantto tell it. now, we can only assume that it is all told, that we are engaged, and thatwe are to be married at once. we are going to elope, anita."å¥

"elope!"å¥ she stared at him, but her eyesgrew soft and her pale cheeks flushed. "what do you mean?"å¥ "it isn't a pretty word,"å¥ gordon smiled,"but it's the only thing to do, you see. if you stay here, you'll be arrested. ifyou go, i go with you. so-we both go, and that makes it an elopement."å¥ "but, gordon-"å¥ "but, anita-answer me just one question-doyou love me?"å¥ "yes,"å¥ with an adorable upward glanceand smile. "more than you loved doctor waring?"å¥

their eyes met. lockwood's usually inscrutableface was desperately eager, and his deep eyes showed smouldering passion. he held her bythe shoulders, he looked steadily at her, awaiting her answer. "yes,"å¥ she said, at last, her lovely lipsquivering. "that's all i want to know!"å¥ he whispered,triumphantly, as he kissed the scarlet lips, and drew the slender form into his embrace. "you must know more-"å¥ she began, "and-andi can't tell you. oh, gordon-"å¥ she hid her face on his broad shoulder, andhe gently stroked her hair, as he said: "don't tell me anything now, dearest.don't ever tell me, unless you choose. and,

anyway, i know it all. i know you had neverknown the doctor before, and i'll tell you how i know. i found in his scrap basket anote to you-"å¥ "a note to me!"å¥ fresh terror showed inthe dark eyes. "yes-don't mind. no one else ever sawit. i burned it. but it said, " darling anita. since you came into my life, life is worthliving'-or something like that-"å¥ "when-when did he write that?"å¥ "sometime on that fatal sunday. i supposeafter he met you in the afternoon, and before you came that evening. remember, sweetheart,if ever you want to tell me all about that late visit to him, do so. but, if not, i nevershall ask or expect you to. but that's all

in the future-our dear future, which weshall spend together-together, anita! are you glad?"å¥ "oh, so glad!"å¥ and the soft arms creptround his neck and miss mystery gave him a kiss that thrilled his very soul. "willyou take care of me, gordon?"å¥ "take care of you, my little love! takecare of you, is it? just give me the chance!"å¥ "you seem to have a pretty big chance, rightnow,"å¥ a smiling face reached up to his. "but-"å¥ she seemed suddenly to recollectsomething, "about a check-he didn't give me a check-"å¥ lockwood laid a hand over her mouth.

"hush, dearest. don't tell me things thataren't-aren't so. i saw the stub-a check for ten thousand dollars-made outto anita austin, and dated that very sunday. now, hush-"å¥ as she began to speak, "we'veno time to talk these things over. i tell you the police are on your track. they willcome here, they will arrest you-try to get that in your head. i am going to save you-first,for your own sweet sake, and also for my own."å¥ "but, gordon, wait a minute. do you believei killed john waring?"å¥ lockwood looked at her. "don't ask me that, anita. and, truly,i don't know whether i believe it or not. i know you have told falsehoods, i know youwere there that night, i know of his letter

to you, of the check and of the ruby pin andthe money. but i-no, i do not know that you killed him. there are many other theoriespossible-there's nogi-but, my darling, it all makes no difference. i love you, iwant you, whatever the circumstances or conditions of your life, or your deeds. i love you so,that i want you even if you are a criminal-for in that case, i want to protect and save you.now, don't tell me you did or didn't kill the man, for-"å¥ he gave her a whimsicalsmile, "i couldn't believe you in either case! i've not much opinion of your veracity,and, too, it's too big a matter to talk about now. of course i don't believe youkilled him! you, my little love! and yet, the evidence is so overpowering that i-believeyou did kill him! there, how's that for

a platform? now, let all those things be,and get ready to go away with me. i tell you we're going to elope and mighty quicklytoo. the difficulty is, to get away unseen. but it must be done. pack a small handbag-avery small one. i'll plan our way out-and if we can make a getaway under the noses ofstone and his boy, we'll soon be all right. i've a friend who will motor us to a nearbytown, where a dear old minister, who has known and loved me from boyhood, will marry us."å¥ "doesn't he know about-about me?"å¥ "my little girl, leave all the details ofthis thing to me. don't bother your lovely head about it. it will be all right-trustme-if we can escape."å¥

"is it right for me to go? oughtn't istay and-what do they call it? give myself up?"å¥ "anita, if i didn't love you so, i'dscold you, hard! now, you obey your future lord and master, and get ready for a hurry-upwedding, i'm sorry that you can't have bridesmaids and choir boys-but, you'llpardon me, i know, if i remind you that that isn't my fault."å¥ miss mystery looked up and broke into laughter.truly, she was a mystery! her gayety was as spontaneous and merry as if she had neverheard of crime or tragedy. lockwood gazed at her curiously, and thennodded his handsome head, as he said, "you'll

do, anita! you're a little bit of all right."å¥ but in a moment her mood changed. "gordon, we can't,"å¥ she said, slowly."we never can get away from this house-let alone the detectives. miss bascom is on continualwatch and mrs. adams-"å¥ "i know, dear. that's it. i thought ifyou could manage that part, i'd see to evading the stone faction. can't you think up aplan?"å¥ "love will find a way,"å¥ she whispered,and unable to resist the inviting smile, gordon again caught her in his arms, and held herclose in an ecstasy of possession. "you are so sweet,"å¥ he murmured, withan air of saying something important. "oh,

my little girl, how i love you! the momenti first saw you-"å¥ "when was that?"å¥ "that night at-at the doctor's lectures.i sat behind you, i changed my seat to do so-and i counted the buttons on your dearlittle gray frock-that was one way i discovered your presence in the study that night."å¥he spoke gravely now. "and there was another way. i heard you talking. yes, i heard yourblessed voice-remember, i loved you then-and i heard waring talking to you. i could makeout no word-i didn't try-but now i wish i had-for it might help you."å¥ "i wish you had, gordon,"å¥ she returned,solemnly, "it would have helped me."å¥

"but you can tell me, dear, tell me allthe conversation. surely you trust me now."å¥ "i trust you-but-oh, as you say, there'sno time. it's a long story-a dreadful story-i don't want to tell you-"å¥ "then you shan't. i've promised youthat, you know. not until you want to tell me, will i ask for a word of it."å¥ "now, here's another thing,"å¥ and anitablushed, deeply, "if we go away-as you say-what about-about money?"å¥ lockwood stared at her. "i have money,"å¥he said; "why do you ask that?"å¥ "but-but the awful detective people-saidyou-you were terribly in debt."å¥

"brave little girl, to say that. i knowyou hated to. well, my darling, those precious bills that those precious detectives dug upin my desk, are old bills that were owed by my father-his name was the same as mine-"å¥ "the same as yours! how queer!"å¥ "oh, not a unique instance. anyway, thosebills i am paying off as i can. i'm not legally responsible for them, but i want toclear my dad's name, and all that. now, all that can wait-while i take unto me awife, and arrange for her comfort and convenience. but, is there-now remember, i'm not prying-isthere any one whose permission you must ask to marry me?"å¥

"no, i'm twenty-one-that's of agein any state."å¥ "why, you aged person! i deemed you abouteighteen."å¥ "do you mind?"å¥ "no; you goosie! but-your mother, now?"å¥ "oh-my mother. she doesn't care whati do."å¥ "and your father? forgive me, but i haveto ask."å¥ "my father is dead."å¥ "then come along. let's begin to get readyto go."å¥ "wait a minute-gordon-to get married-musti-must i tell my real name?"å¥

his eyes clouded a trifle. "yes, dear heart,"å¥ he said, very gently,"yes, you must."å¥ "then i can't get married, gordon."å¥ miss mystery sat down and folded her littlehands in her lap, her whole attitude that of utter despair. "but, sweetheart, no one need know exceptthe minister and witnesses-"å¥ "and you?"å¥ "yes-and i-"å¥ "oh, i can't marry you, anyway. i can'tmarry anybody. i can't tell who i am! oh,

let them take me away, and let them arrestme and i hope they'll convict me-and-"å¥ "hush, my precious girl, hush."å¥ lockwoodtook her in his arms, and let her stifle her sobs on his breast. he was bewildered. whatwas the truth about this strange child? for in her abandonment of grief, anita seemeda very child, a tortured irresponsible soul, whose only haven was in the arms now aroundher. "you will go with me, anyway, anita,"å¥he said, with an air of authority. "i must take care of you. we will go, as i planned.the minister i told you of, is a great and good man, he will advise you-"å¥ "oh, no, i don't want to talk to a minister!"å¥

"yes, you do. and his wife is a dear goodwoman. they will take you into their hearts and home-and then we can all decide whatto do. at any rate, you must get away from here. come, now, pack your bag-and wouldyou mind-anita-if i ask you not to take the-the money and the ruby pin-"å¥ "but he gave them to me! i tell you, gordon,john waring gave me those of his own free will-"å¥ "because of his affection for you?"å¥ "yes; for no other reason! i will keep thepin, anyway-i will!"å¥ "anita, have you any idea how you puzzleme? how you torture me? well, take what you

like. will you get ready now, and i will letyou know as soon as i can, how and when we can start."å¥ a loud rap was followed by an immediate openingof the door, and mrs. adams came into the room. she stared at lockwood, but made no commenton his presence there. "miss austin,"å¥ she began, "i do notwish you to stay in my house any longer. i have kept you until now, because my husbandwas so sorry for you, and refused to turn you out. nor am i turning you out, but-iwish you would leave us alone, mr. lockwood."å¥ gordon started to speak, but anita interruptedhim.

"go, please,"å¥ she said, quietly, and lockwoodobeyed. "i cannot blame you, mrs. adams,"å¥ missmystery said; "i daresay you have to consider your other boarders, and i thank you for yourkindness and forbearance you have shown me so far."å¥ the tears were in the big dark eyes, and evenas they moved mrs. adams to sympathy, she also wondered if they were real. "a girlwho would redden her lips would be capable of any deceit and duplicity,"å¥ esther adamsreasoned. but she went on, calmly. "i come now, miss austin, to tell you thatmr. trask is down stairs and wants to see

you. he wants you to go to his house to stay.the peytons are there, of course, and he offers you the shelter of his roof and protectionuntil this dreadful matter is settled up."å¥ "mr. trask!"å¥ anita looked her amazement. "yes; now don't be silly. you very wellknow he is mad about you, and he hopes to get you freed and then marry you."å¥ "oh, he does!"å¥ it was the old, scornfulmiss mystery who spoke. "well, will you please tell him from me-"å¥ "now, don't you be too hoity-toity, miss!you're mighty lucky to have a home offered you-"å¥

"yes, that's quite true. well, mrs. adams,will you go down, then and say i'll be down in a moment or two. give me time to freshenmy appearance a bit."å¥ "yes, with paints and powders and cosmetics!"å¥esther adams grumbled to herself, as she went down the stairs. as a matter of fact she quite misjudged thegirl. very rarely did anita resort to artificial aid of that sort, but when she so desired,she used it as she would any other personal adornment. "she's coming down,"å¥ mrs. adams announced,as she returned to trask and they waited. but when the minutes grew to a quarter ofan hour, and then nearly to a half, mrs. adams

again climbed the stairs to hasten proceedings. this time she found the room empty. the absence, too, of brushes and combs, thedisappearance of a small suitcase, and the fact that her hat and coat were gone all pointedunmistakably to the assumption that the girl had fled. "well!"å¥ mrs. adams reported, "she'slit out, bag and baggage."å¥ "gone!"å¥ exclaimed trask in dismay. "well, she isn't in her room. her trunkis locked and strapped and her suitcase is missing. her hat and coat's gone, too, soyou can make your own guess."å¥

but maurice trask didn't stay there to makehis guess. he went back home as fast as he could andtold fleming stone the news. "run away, has she?"å¥ said stone. "irather looked for that."å¥ "you did! and took no steps to prevent it!you're a nice detective, you are. well, if you're so smart, where'd she go?"å¥ "where's lockwood?"å¥ was stone's laconicresponse. "lockwood!"å¥ exclaimed trask. "whereverhe is, he hasn't run off with anita austin! if he has-by jove, i'll break every bonein his body!"å¥ "you'll have to catch him first,"å¥ smiledthe detective.

"i'll catch him! i'll set you to doit. and, looky here, if she's gone off with that man, you can go ahead and catch her,catch them both, and then go ahead and prove her guilty."å¥ "is she?"å¥ "is she? you bet she is! and i know it."å¥ "i'll tell you. i know her eyebrows!"å¥ "so do i know her eyebrows. but they don'ttell me she's a murderer."å¥ "well, they tell me that! it's this way.her eyebrows, are not only heavy and dark, but they almost meet over the bridge of hernose."å¥

"darling nose!"å¥ put in fibsy, who wasinterested in anita but not in trask's deductions. "does your knowledge of physiognomy tellyou that those meeting eyebrows are a sign of a criminal?"å¥ asked stone. "nothing of that sort. but they are thetruesdell brows."å¥ "the truesdell brows?"å¥ stone raised hisown. "sounds like a proprietary article. not artificial, are they?"å¥ "now, see here, mr. stone, i'm in no moodto be guyed. those eyebrows are frequently seen in the truesdell family. my grandfather'sbrother married a truesdell."å¥ "your grandfather's brother married atruesdell. and your own grandfather didn't?"å¥

"no; i haven't those brows."å¥ "well, you're not entitled to them, havingno truesdell blood in your veins."å¥ "but that girl has."å¥ "indeed! interesting, is it not?"å¥ "aw, come off that line o' talk, f. s.,"å¥said fibsy, knitting his brows, which were not truesdellian. "i'm seein' a chinko' light. the brother of your grandfather, now, mr. trask, he was named-?"å¥ "waring, of course. henry waring. my grandfatherwas james waring."å¥ "and this henry waring-he was the fatherof doctor john waring?"å¥

as fibsy said this, stone sat upright, andgazed hard at trask. "yes, john waring's father was henry,and my grandfather was henry's brother james. that's how i'm related. and being theonly one, that's why i'm the heir here. but, don't you see, doctor waring's motherwas a truesdell-"å¥ "and miss austin is a relative of hers-aconnection of the truesdell family somehow-"å¥ exclaimed the now excited fibsy, "and shefound out about it, and came here and-"å¥ "yes,"å¥ trask said, "and tried to getsome money from john waring on the ground of relationship."å¥ "what relation could she be?"å¥

"maybe a niece of doctor waring-or a cousin.maybe the same relation to doctor waring's mother that i am to his father. then, thatwould explain his giving her money and the pin-and maybe she burnt the will! and thenshe-"å¥ "but it complicates everything,"å¥ saidstone, who was thinking quickly. "however, if miss austin is connected with the truesdellfamily it gives us a way to look to learn her history."å¥ "well, learn it,"å¥ said trask, abruptly."i'm not afraid of losing my inheritance for i'm in the direct waring line and shecan't be."å¥ chapter xviiimiss mystery no longer

trask, helped along by fleming stone, investigatedthe family tree of the warings. but they ran up against a blank wall. as far as they couldlearn doctor waring never had brother or sister. his mother, who was a truesdell, had alsobeen an only child. but of course, miss mystery could be of the truesdell family, and could,as trask observed, be the same relation to john waring's mother that trask was to johnwaring's father. which relation was that of second cousin. "it gives a reason for the girl's presencehere,"å¥ stone said, "and as it's the only reason we can think of, it must be followedup."å¥ "and i'll follow it up,"å¥ trask said,"if i once get hold of that girl. where

can she be, mr. stone?"å¥ "not very far away, i think, as all thestations and routes out of town are watched. she'd have trouble to leave corinth."å¥ "she could get out in a motor car."å¥ "who'd take her?"å¥ "lockwood, of course."å¥ but just then, gordon lockwood came into thewaring study. his usual calm was entirely gone, his eyes wildly staring and his voicequivered as he said, "she's gone! anita's gone!"å¥

"yes, i know it-i thought you went withher!"å¥ and stone stared in turn. "no, i didn't!"å¥ lockwood said, quiteunnecessarily. "find her, mr. stone-you can, can't you?"å¥ "i can find her,"å¥ said fibsy, "if you'lltell me one thing, mr. lockwood, right straight out."å¥ "what is it? i'll tell you anything. i'mafraid-"å¥ "you're afraid she's killed herself,"å¥said fibsy, calmly. "well you tell me this. are you two-aw-you know-"å¥ the boy blushed, and stone smiled a littleas he said:

"mcguire is a bit shy of romantic matters.he means are you and miss austin lovers?"å¥ "we are,"å¥ said lockwood, emphatically."she is my fiancee-"å¥ "all right,"å¥ said fibsy, "then i'llfind her. she hasn't done anything rash, in that case."å¥ he wagged his wise little head. "where is she?"å¥ stone asked, confidentthat the boy could tell. he knew of fibsy's almost clairvoyant powers of divining truthin certain situations. "want her here?"å¥ he asked, laconically. "i'll get her."å¥

snatching his cap, he darted from the house,but he was closely followed by maurice trask. lockwood would have stopped trask, but stonesaid: "let him go. this thing is coming to a crisis-traskwill help it along."å¥ fibsy went toward the adams house, but stoppedat the house next door to it. this was the home of emily bates. ringing that lady's doorbell, fibsy askedto see her. "mrs. bates,"å¥ he said, politely, whiletrask listened, "we want to see miss austin, please."å¥ "anita!"å¥ said mrs. bates, flurriedly;"why-she-she isn't-"å¥

"oh, yes, she is here,"å¥ said the boy,patiently, rather than rudely. "we have to see her, you see."å¥ "here i am,"å¥ said miss mystery, comingin from the next room. "i think,"å¥ she said turning to mrs. bates, "i think, asyou advised me, i'll tell all."å¥ "don't tell it here!"å¥ cried fibsy. "please,miss austin-don't spill your yarn here-oh, i mean, don't-don't divulge-"å¥ the unusual word nearly choked the excitedboy, who always in moments of strong emotion lapsed into careless english, but who triednot to. "now, look here,"å¥ maurice trask put in."here's where i take hold. miss austin,

you have told your story to mrs. bates?"å¥ "yes,"å¥ said, anita, looking very sad,but determined. "then you tell it to me. i'm heir to thewaring estate, and so i have a right to know all you know about-the family."å¥ his knowing look proved to anita that he assumedalso her right to be classed with "the family"å¥ and she looked at him in astonishment. "you know?"å¥ she cried. "yes-i know,"å¥ he spoke very sternly."and i insist upon a private interview with you, before you tell your story to any oneelse."å¥

"you shall have it, then,"å¥ she said, andher eyes grew grave. "mrs. bates, will you and terence leave us alone for ten minutes.that will be long enough, and then, i'll go to see mr. stone-if necessary."å¥ "now, look here,"å¥ trask said, as the doorclosed after the others, "i know who you are."å¥ "i don't believe it,"å¥ and miss mysterylooked at him straight from beneath the "truesdell brows."å¥ "well, anyway, i know you are a truesdellconnection."å¥ "yes, i am. go on."å¥

"i don't know just what branch,"å¥ hewent on, a little lamely. "but it's a branch strong enough to holdme-and also to interfere with this heirship of yours."å¥ "can't be. there's no truesdell so closeto john waring as i am."å¥ "you think so? then listen."å¥ as miss mystery told him her story, the man'sface fell, he sat, almost petrified with astonishment, and when she had finished the short but amazingrecital, he said: "my heavens! what are you going to do?"å¥ "i don't know what to do."å¥

"if you tell-i-"å¥ "of course you do."å¥ "and if you don't tell-then john waring'sname is left unstained-"å¥ "there is no shadow of stain on john waring'sname! what do you mean?"å¥ "now, look here, miss austin, you keep quietabout all this, will you? i'll call off those sleuths and i'll arrange to closeup and cover up the whole matter. then, you marry me-there's only a distant cousinshipbetween us-and i'll put up the biggest memorial to waring you ever heard of."å¥ "omit the clause about my marrying you,"å¥she returned, "and i may agree to your plans.

i haven't quite decided what to do-andbeside, mr. trask, who killed my-doctor waring?"å¥ "never mind who killed him. call it suicide-itmust have been anyway-"å¥ "no-i'm not sure it was-oh, i don'tknow what to do."å¥ "time's up,"å¥ called fibsy through theclosed door. "and, i say, miss austin, you take my tip, and come along and tell yourstory to f. stone. it'll be your best bet in the long run."å¥ perhaps it was the boy's speech, perhapsit was the gleam of disappointed greed that anita saw in trask's eyes, but she rose,with a sudden decision, and said, as she opened

the door: "that's just what i'll do. come withme, mrs. bates-or, would you rather not?"å¥ "oh, i can't,"å¥ said emily bates, "don'task me, anita, dear."å¥ "no, you stay here. i'll come back soon."å¥ and so miss mystery again walked across thesnow-covered field to the waring house, this time to remove all occasion for using hernickname. "you found her?"å¥ said stone, as the triocame into the study, where he and lockwood still sat. "yes,"å¥ said fibsy. "i just thought wherewould a poor, hunted kid go? and i said to

myself, she'd go to the nearest and nicestlady's house she knew of. and of course, that was mrs. bates' and sure enough thereshe was. and-she's going to tell all!"å¥ fibsy was melodramatic by nature, and hisgesture indicated an important revelation. "i am,"å¥ said anita, quietly. she went straight to lockwood's side, andhe took her hand calmly, and led her to a seat on the wide davenport, then sat besideher. her hand still in his, she told her story. "i am of truesdell blood,"å¥ she began,"as mr. trask surmised. but, also, i am of waring blood. doctor john waring was myfather."å¥

no one spoke. the surprise was too great.in his wildest theories, fleming stone had never thought of this. fibsy's great astonishment was permeatedwith the quick conviction, "then she didn't kill him!"å¥ gordon lockwood was conscious of a rapturousreassurance that he had no rival as a lover. trask, already knowing the truth, sat gloomilyrealizing he was not the heir. anita, her beautiful face sad, yet proud toacknowledge her ancestry, went on: "this is his story. when john waring wastwenty years old, he met a young woman-an actress-who so infatuated him that he marriedher. they were absolutely uncongenial and

unfitted for one another, and after a fewweeks, they agreed to separate. there was no question of divorce, they merely preferredto live apart. he sent her money at stated intervals but he pursued his quiet, studiouslife, and she her life of gayety and sport. she was a good woman-she is a good woman-sheis my mother."å¥ another silence followed this disclosure.is, she had said-not was. and john waring her father! gordon lockwood held her hand closely. hewas content to listen. whatever she could say could not lessen his love and adoration. "i tell you this, for her sake and-myfather's also. there is no stigma to be

attached to either, they were merely so utterlyopposite in character and disposition that they could not live together. "as i said, after a few weeks they separated,and-my father did not know of my birth. my mother would not let him know, lest hecome back to her. she was a light-hearted, carefree girl, and while she loved me, shedid not love my father. later on-when i was about four, i think, she caused a noticeof her death to be sent to my father. this was because she wanted to sever all connection,and take no chance of ever meeting him again. she was at that time a successful actress,and earned all the money she wanted. she adored me, she had no love affairs, she lived onlyfor me and her art. though a good actress,

she was not widely renowned, and in california,where she had chosen to make her home, she was liked and respected. the climate justsuited her love of ease, freedom and indolence-as a new england life of busy activity wouldhave been impossible to her. i want you to understand my mother. she was-she is, amere butterfly, caring only for trifles and simple gayety. her home is charming, her personality,that of a delightful child. but her temperament is one that cannot stand responsibilitiesand chafes at demands. however, all that matters little. the facts are that john waring, learningof his wife's death, devoted himself utterly to his books and his study. "when my mother saw in the papers he wasabout to marry, she was appalled. she didn't

know what to do. she couldn't let him marryanother woman, unaware of her existence. she couldn't raise a question of divorce forshe knew that would tend to reflect unpleasantly on his past. "and, too, at last, she was beginning tofeel as if she might like to resume her position as his wife, now that he was prominent andwealthy. she told me the whole story-of which i had been utterly ignorant, and shesent me here. i was to see doctor waring and use my own judgment as to when and how i shouldtell him all this. "i came here, with a feeling of dislikeand resentment toward a father who had been no father to me. mother exonerated him, tobe sure, but it was all such a surprise to

me, that i accepted the errand in a spiritof bravado and was prepared to make trouble if necessary. "but when i saw john waring-when i realizedthat splendid man was my father-i knew that all my love, all my allegiance was his, andthat my mother was as nothing to me, compared with my wonderful father! "except for what mr. trask calls the truesdellbrows, i look exactly like my mother. also she resumed her maiden name of anita austinafter they separated. so you may imagine the shock when doctor waring first heard the name,and first saw the living image of his wife, whom, you must remember, he supposed dead.

"but i had my mission to perform-and so,i came here, that sunday night."å¥ the audience sat motionless. lockwood, holdingher hand, felt every tremor of her emotion as the girl told her story. fleming stone,realizing that he was hearing the most dramatic revelation of his career, listened avidly.fibsy, with staring eyes and open mouth, clenched his fists in enthralled interest, and mauricetrask heard it all with ever growing conviction that he must give up his supposed inheritance. as anita began to tell of that sunday night,the situation became even more tense. "i came to the french window, and tappedlightly. doctor waring let me in, and i sat by him in that plush chair.

"the conversation i had with my father ishall not detail. it is my most sacred and beloved memory. we were as one in every way.we loved each other from the first word. we proved to be alike in our tastes and pursuits.oh, if he could have lived! i told him of my mother and myself, and he was crushed.i wanted to spare him, but what could i do? he had to know-although the knowing meantthe ruining of his career. he said, at once, he could not take the presidency of the college,with the story of his past made public, nor could he honorably suppress it. he couldn'tmarry mrs. bates-nor could he instal my mother as mistress here. "he had done no real wrong, in making thatearly and ill-advised marriage, but it seemed

to him a blot on his scutcheon, and an indelibleone. "he would sit and brood over these fearfulconditions, then, suddenly he would realize my existence afresh, and rejoice in it. heloved me at once and deeply-and i adored him. never father and daughter, i am sure,crowded a lifetime of affection into such a few moments."å¥ bravely anita went on, not daring to pauseto think. her hand, tightly clasped in lockwood's, trembled, but her voice was steady, for itwas her opportunity to clear her father's name, and she must neglect no slightest point. "at last, he told me i must go away, andhe would think out what he could do. he gave

me the money, for he was afraid i hadn'tsufficient cash with me, and he gave me the ruby pin, saying i must keep it forever asmy father's first gift to me. with infinite gentleness he bade me good-by, and softlyopened the glass door for me. i went away and he closed the door. "i went home to the adams house, making,of course, those footprints in the snow. it was a very cold night, i remember the clearshining stars, but i thought of nothing but my father-my splendid, wonderful father.and i hoped, oh, how i hoped, that some way would be found that he and i could spend ourlives together. i didn't know what he would do-but i prayed to god that some way outmight be found.

"the rest you know. of the manner of myfather's death, i know nothing at all. of nogi, i have no knowledge. i kept all thissecret at first, because i hoped to shield my father's name better that way. but ithink now, it's better told. i couldn't live under the weight of such a secret. "one more word as to my mother. she hashad an admirer for many years, named carl melrose. she has kept him at a distance, but,as you know from the telegram she sent me, she has already either married him or promisedto. also, she advised me to tell the whole truth. i have done so."å¥ unheeding the others, lockwood put his armround the exhausted girl as she fell over

toward him. his wonderful calm helped her,and his gentle yet firm embrace gave her fresh courage to endure the strain. "thank you, miss austin,"å¥ and stone spokealmost reverently. "you have shown marvelous wisdom and bravery and i congratulate youon your entire procedure. you are an exceptional girl, and i am proud to know you."å¥ this was a great deal for fleming stone tosay, and anita acknowledged it with a grateful glance. fibsy, his eyes streaming with unchecked tears,came over and knelt before her. "oh, miss austin!"å¥ he sobbed, "oh, missanita!"å¥

trask alone remained unmoved, and sat withfolded arms and frowning face. but little attention was paid him, and stonesaid, thoughtfully: "our problem of the mystery of doctor waring'sdeath is as great as ever."å¥ "it is,"å¥ agreed lockwood, "but i amsure now, mr. stone, that it was a suicide. the motive is supplied, for i knew doctorwaring so well, i knew the workings of his great and good mind, and i am sure that hefelt there was no other course for him. i can see just how he decided that the exposureof all this would react against the reputation of the college. that the sensation and scandalthat would fill the papers would harm the standing of the university of corinth, andthat-and that alone-caused his decision.

i know him so well, that i can tell you thatnever, never would he take his life to save himself trouble or sorrow, but for others'sake-and i include mrs. bates-he made the sacrifice. "i can see-and i am sure of what i say-howhe realized that the press and the public would forgive and condone a dead man, when,if he lived, the brunt of the whole matter would fall on his beloved college and on thewoman he loved and respected. "now-as i feel sure he foresaw-suchof this story as must be made public will have far less weight and prominence, thanif he were alive. i know all this is so-for, i knew john waring as few people knew him."å¥

a grateful glance from john waring's daughterthanked him for this tribute. "that ten thousand dollar check?"å¥ trasksaid, suddenly, for his mind was still concerned with the financial side. "i think that must have been sent to mymother,"å¥ said anita. "she, as i told you, returned to the use of her maiden name, andduring our interview, my father told me he should write her at once and send her money.i feel sure he did do so-"å¥ "without doubt,"å¥ lockwood said; "andif so, the letter would have been mailed with the collection next morning. the returningvoucher will show."å¥ "also the letter he wrote my mother willcorroborate all i have told you,"å¥ said anita,

and both her assertion and gordon's, latercame true. "i felt,"å¥ anita said, by way of furtherexplanation, "that mrs. bates ought to know all. so, when mrs. adams practically put meout of her house, and i had no wish to accept mr. trask's invitation to come over here,nor,"å¥ she smiled affectionately at lockwood, "could i fall in with your crazy plans-ijust went next door and told mrs. bates all about it. she was very dear and sweet to me,and now, if you please, i will go back there. i am weary and exhausted-i cannot standany more. but when you want me, i can be found at mrs. bates'. i leave all matters to bedecided or settled, in the hands of mr. lockwood and mr. stone. fibsy, dear, will you escortme home?"å¥

with a suddenly acquired dignity, fibsy rose,and stood by her side, and in a moment the two went away together. when the boy returned the others were absorbedin the discussion of the mysterious death of john waring. "i'm inclined to give it up,"å¥ flemingstone said, thinking deeply. "don't do it, f. stone,"å¥ fibsy said,earnestly. "it's better to find out. you never have gave up a case."å¥ "no. well, fibs, which way shall we look?"å¥ a strange embarrassment came over the boy'sface, and then he said, diffidently:

"say, gentlemen, could i be left alone inthis room for a little while? i don't say i kin find out anythin'-but i do wantatry."å¥ the lapse into careless enunciation told stonehow much in earnest his young colleague was, and he rose, saying, "you certainly may,my boy. the rest of us will have a conference in some other room, as to what part of missaustin's story must be made public."å¥ left to himself, fibsy went at once to thebookcase that held the defaced copy of martial, that john waring had been reading the nighthe died. opening the volume at the blood-stained page,the unlettered boy eagerly read the lines. tried to read them, rather, and groaned inspirit because he knew no latin.

small wonder that he was nonplused, for thiswas all he read: martial's epigrams liber iv, epigram xviii qua vicina pluit vipsanis porta columnis et madet assiduo lubricus imbre lapis, in iugulum pueri, qui roscida tecta subibat, decidit hiberno praegravis unda gelu: cumque peregisset miseri crudelia fata, tabuit in calido vulnere mucro tener.

quid non saeva sibi voluit fortuna licere? aut ubi non mors est, si iugulatis aquae? his chin in his hands, he pored over the latinin utter despair, and rising, started for the door. then he paused; "i must do it myself-"å¥he murmured: "i must."å¥ so he hunted the shelves until he found alatin dictionary. he was not entirely unversed in the rudimentsof the language, for stone had directed his education at such odd hours as he could findtime for study. and so after some hard and laborious digging,fibsy at last gathered the gist of the latin

stanza. his eyes shone, and he stared about the room. "it ain't possible-"å¥ he told himself,"and yet-gee, there ain't nothing else possible!"å¥ he rose and looked out at everywindow, he noted carefully the catches-he paced from the desk to the small rear windowsof the room, and back again. "it's the only thing,"å¥ he reiterated,"the only thing. oh, gee! what a thing!"å¥ he went in search of stone, and found thethree men shut in the living room and with them was nogi. stone's persevering efforts, by advertisementsand circulars had at last succeeded, and the

impassive and non-committal japanese was there,and quite willing to tell all he knew. fibsy interrupted his story. "go back,"å¥ he directed, "to the beginning.let me hear it all. it's o. k., f. s."å¥ "i was attending to my dining-room duties,"å¥nogi said, "and i had taken the water tray to the study. i was weary and hoped the masterwould soon retire. so, i occasionally peeped through the small window from the dining-room.i saw a lady come and make a visit, and then i saw her and i heard her go away. then ihoped the master would go to bed. but, no-he was very busy. he wrote letters, he burnedsome papers, he moved about much. he was restless, disturbed. then he sat at his desk and readhis book."å¥

"this one?"å¥ cried fibsy, excitedly wavingthe martial. "i think so-one like that, anyway."å¥ "this was the one! go on."å¥ "then-oh, it was strange! then the mastergot up, went to the small window at the back of the room-"å¥ "which one?"å¥ "the one by the big globe, and he openedit. but for a moment-"å¥ "did he put his hand out?"å¥ fibsy cried. "yes, i suppose to see if it rained. yes,he put his hand out for a moment, then he

closed the window."å¥ "and locked it?"å¥ asked fibsy. "it locks itself, with a snap catch. then-ah,here is the strange thing! then he went back, sat at his desk, and in a moment he fell overand the blood spurted out."å¥ "didn't he stab himself?"å¥ fibsy asked. "i don't know. he didn't seem to doanything but scratch his ear, and over he fell! such a sight! i was afraid, and i ranaway-fast."å¥ "all very well,"å¥ said stone, "but whatbecame of the weapon?"å¥ "i know,"å¥ fibsy almost screamed, in hisexcitement. "oh, f. stone-i know!"å¥

"well, tell us, terence-but steady, now,my boy. don't get too excited."å¥ "no, sir,"å¥ and the lad grew suddenly quiet."but i know. wait just a minute, sir. where are the photographs of the house that thedetectives took the day after?"å¥ "i'll get them,"å¥ lockwood said, andleft the room. he returned, and fibsy found a magnifyingglass and looked carefully at certain pictures. "it proves,"å¥ he said, solemnly. "f.stone, you have solved your greatest case!"å¥ it was characteristic of the boy, that althoughthe solution was his own, his deference to stone was sincere and un-self-conscious. "please,"å¥ he said, "i don't know latin,but you will find the explanation of doctor

waring's death on that red stained page.he was reading martial, as we know, and-"å¥ he pointed to the epigram on the page in question,"as he read that, he found a way out."å¥ the grave statement was impressive, and stonetook the book. "shall i translate, or read the latin aloud?"å¥he asked the others. "wait a minute, i'll get a martial inenglish,"å¥ lockwood said, out of consideration for trask's possible ignorance of the deadlanguage. "what number is the epigram?"å¥ he asked,returning. stone told him, and lockwood found the place,and passed the english version to stone. aloud, the detective read this:

translation book iv, epigram 18 on a youth killed by the fall of a piece ofice. just where the gate near the portico of agrippais always dripping with water, and the slippery pavement is wet with constant showers, a massof water, congealed by winter's cold, fell upon the neck of a youth who was enteringthe damp temple, and, when it had inflicted a cruel death on the unfortunate boy, theweapon melted in the warm wound it had made. what cruelties does not fortune permit? orwhere is not death to be found, if you, the waters, turn cut-throats.

"and so you see,"å¥ fibsy broke the ensuingsilence, "he decided to stab himself with an icicle, and he did. he did!"å¥ he repeated,triumphantly, "he went to that window back by the big globe and got one-and here'sthe proof! look through the glass, f. s."å¥ stone did so, and without doubt, the fringeof icicles that hung from that particular window sash showed one missing! it was thevery window that nogi stated waring had opened, and had put his hand out of for a moment. clearly, he had broken off an icicle, strongand firm on that freezing night, had returned to his chair, and inspired by the story ofthe youth under the portico of agrippa, had stabbed his own jugular vein with the sharp,round point, and had fallen unconscious.

the icicle, melting in the wound, had disappeared,and death had followed in a moment or two. they went to the study, and nogi was madeto imitate the movements he saw doctor waring make. it left no doubt of the exact factsand the mystery was solved. "do you suppose he meant to make it seema murder?"å¥ asked stone, thoughtfully. "he did not!"å¥ defended lockwood. "thatis he did not mean to implicate anybody. he was a man amenable to sudden suggestion, andapt to follow it. i am certain the idea came to him, as he read his book, and in the impulseof the moment he rose, got the implement and did the deed. it was like him to read thatbook after his talk with his daughter. he often resorted to reading for a time to clearhis mind for some important decision. had

he not read that very page, he would in allprobability not have taken his life at that time."å¥ "there can be no doubt of it all,"å¥ saidstone. "fibsy, the credit of the discovery is yours. you did a great piece of work."å¥ fibsy blushed with delight at stone's praise,which he cared for more than anything else in life, but he said: "aw, i just chanced on it. but i found outanother thing! while i was workin' on that translatin' business, the telephone rang.i answered, but somebody took it on an extension, so i hung up.

"but i was waitin' quite a few minutes,and, what do you think? i happened to rest my forehead on the telephone transmitter,and-"å¥ "the red ring!"å¥ cried stone. "of course!"å¥ "of course,"å¥ fibsy repeated. "pokin'around for a latin dictionary, i passed a lookin' glass, and there on me noble foreheadi saw a red ring, about two inches across. it's gone now."å¥ "yes,"å¥ stone said. "without doubt, doctorwaring was telephoning-or perhaps was answering a call and he rested his head on the instrument."å¥ "he often did that,"å¥ said lockwood, "buti never noticed a ring left."å¥

"in life,"å¥ stone said, "it would disappearquickly. but if it happened just before he died, rigor mortis would preserve the mark.any way it must have been that."å¥ the solution of the mystery, so indubitablythe true one, was accepted by the police. the matter was given as little publicity aspossible, for anita and mrs. bates, the two most deeply concerned both wished it so. nostigma of cowardice rested on john waring's name, for all who knew him knew that his actwas the deed of a martyr to circumstances and was prompted by a spirit of loyalty tohis college and unwillingness to let his own misfortunes in any way redound to its disparagement. he trusted, they felt sure, that the truthwould never be discovered and that the tragedy

of his death would preclude blame or censure. himself, he never thought of, in his unselfishlife or equally unselfish death. trask, perforce, resigned all claim to theestate, and anita and her mother arranged matters between themselves. the assumption was that john waring's will,which he burned, had been made in mrs. bates' favor, but on learning of his nearer heirs,he destroyed it. "anita waring,"å¥ lockwood murmured softlywhen at last they were alone together. "i love the name,"å¥ she said, "and itis really mine."å¥ "but it will be yours so short a time, it'sscarcely worth while to use it,"å¥ gordon

returned. "it will be a short time, won'tit, sweetheart?"å¥ "yes, indeed! i want to go away from corinthforever. i love my father's memory, but i can't stand these scenes. i am tired ofmystery in name and in deed. i just want to be-anita lockwood."å¥ whereupon gordon lost his head entirely.