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@@ -1,40 +1,4 @@ -Project Gutenberg's The Mystery of the Hidden Room, by Marion Harvey - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org/license - - -Title: The Mystery of the Hidden Room - -Author: Marion Harvey - -Release Date: October 23, 2012 [EBook #41151] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ASCII - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE MYSTERY OF THE HIDDEN ROOM *** - - - - -Produced by Robert Cicconetti, Mary Meehan and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive/Canadian Libraries) - - - - - - - - - - +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 41151 *** The Mystery Of @@ -2308,7 +2272,7 @@ harsher as he said abruptly: "You were not on good terms with your husband. Did you know that he was making a new will when he was shot?" Ruth opened her eyes wide in astonishment. "Why, how could I know what -he was doing when I did not know he was at home?" she asked naively. +he was doing when I did not know he was at home?" she asked naïvely. "Do you know anyone by the name of Cora Manning?" pursued the coroner. @@ -3770,7 +3734,7 @@ I was surprised, but Ruth said calmly, "I don't know her, Mr. McKelvie." "Very much." -"She's Lee Darwin's fiancee. I have never met her, but one day he +"She's Lee Darwin's fiancée. I have never met her, but one day he confided in me and showed me her picture. She is a very beautiful and noble girl, so please don't drag her into this inquiry, for whatever Phil's motives in leaving his money to her, I am sure that she is @@ -3794,7 +3758,7 @@ no or yes. By the time the coroner repeated his question she had made up her mind." "That's so. Now that you mention it, I recall that she seemed disturbed -by the question. And so she is Lee's fiancee, yet he denied all +by the question. And so she is Lee's fiancée, yet he denied all knowledge of her," I mused aloud. "Strange that everyone should have been so intent on shrouding her identity in mystery. What was their reason, do you suppose?" I asked suddenly. @@ -5608,7 +5572,7 @@ right have you to question me?" McKelvie suavely. "And that gives you the right to intrude on my privacy, I suppose?" -continued Orton sarcastically (he had abandoned his role of "humble +continued Orton sarcastically (he had abandoned his rôle of "humble still," or rather he was Uriah Heep grown bold through triumph), "and to force yourself into my rooms?" @@ -8628,7 +8592,7 @@ he was about it." "Who and what is Cora Manning?" -"She is, or was, Lee's fiancee. As to what she is, I'll tell you better +"She is, or was, Lee's fiancée. As to what she is, I'll tell you better when I see her. According to McKelvie she's a beauty," and I smiled. "Also, if you can believe what he says, the criminal is in love with this girl, so she is not the one who fired the shot." @@ -10151,366 +10115,4 @@ The next moment Ruth was in my arms. 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You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org/license - - -Title: The Mystery of the Hidden Room - -Author: Marion Harvey - -Release Date: October 23, 2012 [EBook #41151] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE MYSTERY OF THE HIDDEN ROOM *** - - - - -Produced by Robert Cicconetti, Mary Meehan and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive/Canadian Libraries) - - - - - - - - - - - - The Mystery Of - - The Hidden Room - - BY MARION HARVEY - - - GROSSET & DUNLAP - PUBLISHERS NEW YORK - - Made in the United States of America - - Copyright, 1922, by - Edward J. Clode - - PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA - - - - -CONTENTS - - - CHAPTER PAGE - - I. THE NOTE 1 - - II. THE SHOT 9 - - III. THE POLICE 15 - - IV. THE INQUEST 24 - - V. THE SECRETARY 36 - - VI. CORROBORATIVE EVIDENCE 44 - - VII. THE LAWYER 51 - - VIII. LEE DARWIN 56 - - IX. THE VERDICT 63 - - X. JENKINS' ADVICE 72 - - XI. ARTHUR TRENTON 79 - - XII. AN EXPLANATION 85 - - XIII. THE SUICIDE 92 - - XIV. GRAYDON MCKELVIE 100 - - XV. THE INTERVIEW 108 - - XVI. THE EXHIBITS 115 - - XVII. THE LAMP 121 - - XVIII. THE SECRET ENTRANCE 133 - - XIX. THE LAWYER AGAIN 141 - - XX. DEDUCTIONS 146 - - XXI. THE STEWARD 157 - - XXII. ORTON'S ALIBI 167 - - XXIII. GRAMERCY PARK 177 - - XXIV. THE SIGNET RING 192 - - XXV. THE DECEPTION 200 - - XXVI. JAMES GILMORE 208 - - XXVII. THE STRONG BOX 216 - - XXVIII. GOLD AND BLUE 222 - - XXIX. THE REWARD 229 - - XXX. THE CURIO SHOP 236 - - XXXI. THE RESCUE 243 - - XXXII. LEE'S STORY 250 - - XXXIII. THE SECOND BULLET 257 - - XXXIV. THE WOMAN IN THE CASE 265 - - XXXV. A STRANGE ACCOUNT 273 - - XXXVI. THE TRAP 282 - - XXXVII. MCKELVIE'S TRIUMPH 288 - - XXXVIII. THE MOTIVE 297 - - XXXIX. CONCLUSION 309 - - - - -THE MYSTERY OF - -THE HIDDEN ROOM - - - - -CHAPTER I - -THE NOTE - - -I had intended spending the evening at the Club; but after my solitary -meal, I found that I was too tired to care to leave my own inviting -fireside. Drawing up a chair before the open grate in my library, for -the October night was chill and the landlord had not sufficiently -relented to order the steam-heat, I settled myself comfortably with my -book and pipe. The story I had chosen was a murder mystery, extremely -clever and well-written, and so engrossed did I become that I was -entirely oblivious to the passage of time. - -The entrance of my man, Jenkins, brought me back to my surroundings with -a start to find that the clock on the mantel was chiming eleven. A -little impatient at the interruption for I had not concluded the story, -I grew sarcastic. - -"What is it, Jenkins? Have you come to remind me that it is long past my -bed-time?" I inquired. - -Jenkins' face grew longer if such a thing were possible in a countenance -already attenuated by nature into the semblance of perpetual gloom, and -shook his head with a grieved air as though he considered my remark an -aspersion upon his knowledge of his duties as a valet. - -"A man who claims to be Mrs. Darwin's chauffeur, sir," he replied in a -tone that indicated that he at least would not be responsible for the -veracity of the statement, "has just brought this note. He says that he -will await the answer below in his machine, sir." - -He extended an unaddressed white envelope with a funereal air. The note -was from Ruth. The message was brief and to the point. - -"Will you return at once with my chauffeur? I need you." - -"My hat and coat, Jenkins," I cried, flinging aside my jacket. "You need -not wait up for me. I have my key," I added. - -I could have descended the stairs a half dozen times before the elevator -finally arrived, or so it seemed to my impatience. The moment we reached -the lobby I was out of the elevator and down the steps into the waiting -motor before the boy had recovered his wits sufficiently to follow me to -the door. - -The chauffeur evidently had his instructions, for I was hardly within -before the machine was speeding toward the Drive. My bachelor apartments -were situated on 72nd Street, just off the Park, and I knew we could not -cover the distance to the Darwin home on the outskirts of Riverside -Drive in less than twenty minutes, even at the rate at which we were -traveling. - -I had stuffed Ruth's note into my pocket as I left. Mechanically I drew -it forth and tore it to shreds, flinging the scraps from the window. -Letters are compromising things. - -What had possessed Ruth to commit herself to writing after the compact -we had made to have no further communication with each other! It was she -who had suggested that we become as strangers, and I could only read in -this sudden appeal and the haste with which I was being whirled toward -her some dread calamity. Nor was my anxiety lessened by the fact that I -was hopelessly in love with her. Yes, hopelessly, I speak advisedly, -because she was another man's wife, and while that man lived she would -be true to him although he deserved it less than anyone I knew. - -To think that a few short months ago Ruth and I had been engaged! If I -had had my way we should have been married at once without any fuss, and -so should have avoided the trouble that befell us, but Ruth wanted a -trousseau and a big wedding, so like many a better man before me I -humored her to the extent of promising to wait another month. - -Did I say a month? Six have passed and I am waiting yet, while Ruth has -had her wish, for her wedding was a sort of nine days' wonder, Philip -Darwin having long been voted by his feminine friends as "the type of -man who never marries, my dear." - -In letting my bitterness run away with my discretion, I have begun my -story at the wrong end, giving a false impression of the facts of the -case, for I never once dreamed of blaming or censuring Ruth for the -misery that her decision cost me. - -Two weeks before the date set for my wedding, Ruth came to me with tears -in her eyes, and laying the ring I had given her upon the table begged -me if I loved her never to see her again. I was decidedly taken aback, -but I retained sufficient presence of mind to laugh at her and to -request her not to be absurd. She was not to be diverted, however, nor -would she say anything beyond a reiteration of the fact that if I loved -her I would be willing to obey her without questioning her motives. - -All of which was folly to my way of thinking, and being very much in -love, I refused to be disposed of in any such high-handed fashion, -particularly as I felt that as her affianced husband I was entitled to -some say in the proceedings. Never in the course of my life before had I -been called upon to plead so skillfully, and plead I did; for it was -more than my life I was fighting for, it was our love, our happiness, -our future home. Gradually I wore down her defenses and finally she -sobbed out the whole pitiful story. - -Her brother, her adored and darling Dick, whom she had mothered almost -from the time that he was born, had fallen of late under the influence -of Philip Darwin, director of the bank of which her father was president -and Dick assistant cashier. Handsome, spoiled, the boy had been -flattered by the attentions of the older man, who explained his interest -on the ground that Dick reminded him strongly of what he had been ten -years before. Under his tutelage, then, the boy early became a devotee -of the twin gods of gambling and of drink. - -Two nights before in a questionable gambling den to which Philip Darwin -had taken him, Dick, his temper inflamed by the strong liquor he had -been drinking, quarreled with his neighbor, accusing him of trying to -cheat. The fellow, a big, powerful chap, made for Dick, who pulled out a -pistol which Darwin had given him, and fired. His opponent went down -like a log, and as the man fell, Darwin extinguished the light. In the -confusion that ensued the older man got the boy away to his home, where -Dick gathered some things together and with the connivance of his father -left for the West. - -Of course the affair came out in the papers, I recalled it as Ruth -spoke, and the police were on the hunt for the unknown assailant of the -dead man. Fortunately for Dick, both he and Darwin attended these places -in disguise and a trip West for the scion of a wealthy family was no -unusual event, hence his absence from social circles was easily -accounted for, and Ruth and her father were merely waiting for the -furore to abate before sending for the boy, when Darwin exploded a bomb -in their midst. - -He had always admired Ruth, he had always wanted to make her his wife. -She had spurned his love and he had accepted defeat stoically. But now -things were different. Her brother was wanted by the police for murder. -The police, to be sure, didn't know it was her brother that they wanted -but he, Philip Darwin, was quite willing to supply them with the -information unless Ruth agreed to become his bride. - -"What was there for me to do, Carlton, but to acquiesce?" she had ended -with a sob. "Philip Darwin is an implacable man. And even if Dick eluded -the police, think of the disgrace for Daddy and for me. It's terrible -enough that he should have killed a man, but that he should become a -hunted thing, my little brother--! No, no! I'd rather sacrifice my love -than have that happen!" - -I remained silent, for I could think of no argument that would suffice -to meet the situation, and taking my apparent immobility for acceptance, -she continued: "It's a big sacrifice, dear, I know, but you will bear -it bravely for my sake, because--because there is more in life than -love alone and it's the honor of my name that is at stake." - -In the face of her sublime unselfishness I felt that I could do no less -than prove myself as noble as she deemed me. I agreed, therefore, to -give her up and when she said we had better not meet again I consented -dumbly, comprehending the wisdom of her decision even while my heart -rebelled against its enforcement. - -When she had gone my resentment flared full and strong, but curiously -enough not against the one who had been the chief cause of the ruin of -my happiness. I felt only pity, a profound and sincere pity, for the -misguided boy who had committed the crime. My anger blazed toward that -man who by his foolish adoration of his only son had spoiled and -indulged the boy to his own undoing. What right had any man to bring up -a son in that fashion? How dared his father let him loose upon the world -without teaching him the first principles of self-restraint? - -It was not Dick but Mr. Trenton who was to blame for the boy's act. -Almost from the moment that he could make his wants known the boy had -been given to understand that what he wanted was his for the asking. -Everyone in the home had to give way before him. He was never crossed -and never denied. Small wonder that when he grew to manhood he should -expect the world to give as much and more than his father had done, that -when he ran across temptation he had no moral strength to resist, and -that he became an easy prey to a man of Philip Darwin's type. - -Here my thoughts veered abruptly to the man who would soon become Ruth's -husband and for a moment I saw red. Ruth, pure, sweet Ruth, married to -that vile wretch! I could not endure it. - -I had actually grasped my hat and was on the point of hastening to her -home to plead with her not to sacrifice herself in so dreadful a manner, -even if she never married me, when I paused, for the horrible -alternative flashed across my mind. With a groan I returned to my -library where the remainder of the night I wrestled with what to me -seemed the only solution to the problem, the instant and speedy death of -Philip Darwin. - -By morning I was saner. There was not much use in jumping out of the -frying-pan into the fire, and besides what did I know of Philip Darwin -beyond the fact that he had been the one to lead Dick astray? For ought -I knew to the contrary he might make Ruth a very good and devoted -husband. There were hundreds of cases on record where a man had been -reformed and steadied by marriage. - -Though all this philosophizing by no means alleviated the pain in my -heart, still it helped to allay the fever in my tortured brain, and from -that time on I resolutely put Ruth from my mind and plunged into my work -in an effort to forget. - -Forget! How much had I forgotten in the six months that had passed? Not -one single detail had escaped my memory and it all came back with -tenfold force for having been thrust out of sight so long. With a groan -I buried my head in my hands. - -How long I remained thus oblivious to time and space I do not know. The -chauffeur's voice brought me back to a realization that we had arrived -at our destination. I alighted and as he backed the car down the drive I -paused a moment before ascending the steps to try to distinguish -something of this home whose mistress Ruth had become. - -It was very dark, a dull, cloudy night, and all I beheld was a great -black bulk looming before me like some Plutonian monster, harbinger of -evil, and the soughing of the wind in the branches of the nearby trees -gave me such a feeling of superstitious dread that I raced up the steps -and rang the bell as though in fear of my life. - - - - -CHAPTER II - -THE SHOT - - -The door was opened for me by Ruth herself, who drew me within, and -locked it behind me. Then with a finger on her lip, she led the way in -silence to the drawing-room, seeming to breathe only when the door of -that room was closed against further intrusion. - -"What is it, Ruth?" I asked, more and more alarmed by all this secrecy -coming on top of my own foolish fears. - -Instead of answering she drew me down beside her on the divan and -touched with her fingers my graying temples. - -"Did I do that to you, Carlton?" she murmured, brokenly. "Oh, my dear, I -wonder you had the courage to forgive me!" - -"Ruth!" I cried sharply and at the misery in my voice she slipped to her -knees and buried her face in her arms. - -"Forgive me," she sobbed. "I should not have let myself go, but -sometimes I feel I must go mad, alone night after night in this great -silent house with only that horrible secretary of Phil's for company!" - -"Hush," I returned, drawing her to me, but she pushed me from her and -raised her head in a startled way. - -"Listen!" she whispered, holding up her hand. "I thought I heard someone -prowling around." - -More to satisfy Ruth and ease her fears, for I had heard no sound, I -went to the door and flung it open. But the dimly lighted hall was empty -save for the wavering shadows that lost themselves in the gloom of the -stairwell. The utter silence and loneliness of the great house gave me -an eerie feeling, and I was glad to close the door and return to Ruth. - -She had regained command of herself and was once more seated on the -divan. As I approached she questioned me with her eyes. With a shake of -the head and a reassuring smile, I resumed my place beside her. - -"I thought I could stand it," she said, after what seemed an -interminable interval, "but you don't know what I have had to put up -with. No, Carlton, please!" for I had caught her to me in my desire to -shield her from all harm. - -"Forgive me," I returned humbly, rising and pacing the long room, "but I -can't bear to hear you say such things when I love you so!" - -"I know, Carlton. I won't grieve you that way again. It was for another -reason that I asked you here." - -She was so long, however, in telling me that reason that I had time to -study her more closely, and my heart grew ever more bitter as I saw how -thin she was and how the lines of suffering had gathered on her white -brow and around her sweet, drooping mouth. Verily I cursed the day that -Philip Darwin had crossed Ruth's path, and if he had entered the room at -that moment I honestly believe I should have killed him. - -She must have read my thought for she cried out sharply, "No, no, -Carlton, not that!" and when I flushed she added more quietly, "Won't -you come and sit beside me, please?" - -When I had complied with her request, she lowered her voice until it was -the merest thread, at the same time looking around her as if she feared -the presence of someone else in the room. - -"You know I have a feeling that Mr. Orton, Phil's secretary, is always -hanging around listening and spying upon me. Ugh, he makes me shiver -with his prominent, near-sighted eyes, his eternal humility and mock -grin. He reminds me of Uriah Heep in _David Copperfield_. I suppose I'm -foolish, but I've been alone so much of late." - -"But, Ruth, I thought your father lived here with you?" - -"Yes, he did, but two weeks ago the doctor told him to take a vacation -and he has been visiting friends out of town. I expect him home -to-morrow or the next day at the latest. Then I shall be all right -again." - -She clasped her hands in her lap and strove to keep back the tears. - -"Ruth, dear," I said, taking her little trembling hands in both my own, -"why did you send for me? Surely there is something I can do!" - -She smiled faintly as she gently withdrew her hands and reclasped them -in her lap. "It was for your sake I sent for you," she said, simply. - -"For my sake?" I asked puzzled. - -"You'd think that I had caused you enough suffering without adding -needlessly to your sorrow," she continued, as if to herself. "Oh, -Carlton," turning suddenly toward me, "forgive me, but I did a very -foolish thing last night. I was so lonely and dispirited and nervous -with hearing Mr. Orton prowling around and seeing him appear suddenly -from shadowy corners that I locked myself in my room and poured out my -heart to you." - -"Ruth, darling!" I murmured. - -"It was foolish, Carlton, nay more, it was imprudent, and realizing this -last fact I tore up the letter and threw it in my waste basket. I would -have done better to have kept it, for to-night about ten-thirty, when I -was on the point of retiring, Mr. Orton knocked on my door and said that -Phil desired my presence in his study." - -"You obeyed?" - -"Yes," she answered wearily. "It is only one of the many indignities I -have had to endure. So I followed him to the study and there on the -table the first thing I laid my eyes on was my letter--all those scraps -pasted together on a larger sheet. Think of it, Carlton!" - -But I couldn't think. The petty sordidness of it was beyond me. I could -only stare at her and speak a name below my breath. Orton was what I -said. - -"Yes, he had found the letter. He examines my waste basket every day it -seems," she continued, bitterly, "in hopes of finding just what he did -find this morning. An unfaithful husband is always sure to be suspicious -of his wife, and her moral superiority is equally sure to gall him." - -"I am not going to tell you what Phil said," she went on presently. "I -couldn't, for most of it passed me by. But when he spoke of revenging -himself upon you, of ruining you and breaking you, then I decided it was -time to act. He told me he was going out, so I sent my maid with the -note and instructions to my chauffeur. I had to warn you, to put you on -your guard that you might be able to fight any rumors which he may -spread. But, Carlton, please promise me that you will keep out of his -way. Please, for my sake!" - -She clung to me as I shook my head impatiently. "It would only make it -harder for me, Carlton!" she pleaded. - -"Never mind me, Ruth!" I said almost angrily. "Think of yourself for a -few minutes. Why don't you get a divorce or at least a separation? You -have more than enough grounds." - -"No, no. He would take it out on Dick. Don't you see he has me in his -power?" - -It was useless to try to influence her, especially as I could well -appreciate the justice of her remark. I slightly cursed Philip Darwin -for a blackguard, and then turned the conversation into a side channel. - -"Ruth, do you think you could get that letter for me?" I asked. - -"Why, Carlton?" - -"Because it is a powerful weapon to hold over you if he should ever -decide to cast you aside." Seeing that this had no effect upon her, I -added--would that I had cut my tongue out ere it had uttered those -words! "because he can use it as a weapon against me." - -Instantly she was on her feet. "He put it in the drawer of the table in -his study. Stay here, dear, while I see if I can get it." - -She opened the door of the drawing-room and crossed the hall to the -study. The drawing-room occupied about one-third of the lower floor of -the main wing and lay to the right of the entrance hall, while the study -was its exact counterpart on the left, so that the door of the study was -directly opposite the door of the drawing-room which was now open -before me. - -I saw Ruth try the door of the study and as it yielded to her hand she -advanced timidly into the room, leaving the door barely ajar behind her. -My view being thus effectually cut off I strained forward in an endeavor -to catch the slightest sound, but was only rewarded by the most profound -stillness, through which there presently echoed and re-echoed the voice -of the old clock in the hall proclaiming the midnight hour. Then, as if -that ancient time-piece had been the signal previously agreed upon, -there rang through the house from the direction of the study the sharp -report of a pistol, followed by silence, absolute, profound! - -A moment I remained petrified, then with a bound I gained the study -door, my one thought for Ruth. But on the threshold I stood rooted to -the spot by the sight that met my eyes! - -In the patch of light cast by a small lamp upon the study table, lying -back in his chair with a sardonic grin on his face and an ever-widening -stain upon his shirt front, was Philip Darwin, while beside him as if -turned to stone, stood Ruth with a pistol in her hand! - - - - -CHAPTER III - -THE POLICE - - -"Ruth!" - -My cry startled her. Dropping the pistol and flinging out her arms, she -laughed hysterically and stumbled toward me. Something in my face, -perhaps the horror I could not help revealing, arrested her before she -reached me. - -"Carlton! Surely you can't think I killed him!" she cried. "It--it would -be too monstrous!" And with a fluttering sigh she sank in a heap on the -floor. - -Tenderly I gathered her limp form in my arms and was on the point of -bearing her from the room when suddenly without any warning the study -was flooded with light and Philip Darwin's secretary was standing -obsequiously before me. - -"Shall I telephone for a doctor, Mr. Davies? And for the police?" with a -glance at his erstwhile master. - -At mention of the police I frowned though I knew of course that their -presence was inevitable. But there was no need to bring them buzzing -about our ears any sooner than was absolutely necessary. - -"A doctor, yes. The police can wait," I said abruptly. - -"Just as you say, Mr. Davies," he returned with a leering smile. "I'll -call Dr. Haskins." - -He stepped to the table and picked up the phone and while he summoned -the doctor I looked at him more attentively. He was just as Ruth had -described him and instinctively distrust of this pale-faced secretary -arose in my mind, distrust of him and his pussy-footing ways. I had not -heard him enter the room behind me. For ought I knew to the contrary he -might have been in the study when the shot was fired, sulking among the -shadows in the corner while awaiting a chance to kill his employer. But -then how in the name of all the gods had Ruth come by the pistol! - -Which brought me back to the realization that I was still holding her -unconscious form in my arms. I must carry her upstairs to her room. Yet -I disliked intensely leaving the secretary alone with the dead, fearing -I knew not what perversion of justice, dreading also that he might take -the opportunity to summon the police before I was ready for them. - -I glanced around the study and was relieved to find that the room -possessed only one door, that by which I had entered, whose key was -still in the lock, but on the inside. Ordering the secretary to lead the -way to Ruth's apartments, I closed and locked the door of the study -behind me, and pocketing the key followed him up the broad staircase. - -Hardly had I laid Ruth upon her bed when a sharp ring startled me, and I -glanced apprehensively at Orton. Could it be that others besides -ourselves had heard the shot? - -"No one could hear anything. The grounds are too extensive," he said, -answering my unspoken thought. "That must be the doctor. He lives only a -short distance from here." - -Much as I disliked him I could have blessed him for those words, for -already the plan to keep the police from questioning Ruth that night -was simmering in my brain. - -"Bring him here at once," I commanded, and Orton slipped noiselessly -from the room. - -I heard him opening the front door, heard the sound of voices apparently -in consultation, and then the doctor's step upon the stair. I had -expected an old family physician. The man who stepped briskly across the -threshold was small and slight, almost a boy in years, yet having an air -of knowing his business to perfection. Without ostentation, and also -without asking needless questions, he examined Ruth quietly and -attentively while I explained that she was suffering from the shock of -having discovered her husband's murdered body. - -"And, Doctor, could you not give her an opiate to insure a perfect -night's rest," I added in a lower tone. - -He gave me a swift appraising glance from his keen eyes, then as if -satisfied, nodded to himself. - -"Yes, I think you are right. It is far more important to save her reason -than that the police should have the satisfaction of questioning her." - -As he administered the dose to the now conscious girl I mentally decided -that there was not very much that escaped this young doctor's -observation. - -"Is there no one to stay with Mrs. Darwin?" he inquired in a -dissatisfied tone. "Where is her maid?" - -"She sleeps in the servants' wing, Dr. Haskins," replied Orton. - -"Go and get her," ordered the doctor briefly. - -When the maid arrived on the scene, only half awake and very much -tousled as if she had flung on her clothes without regard to appearance, -the doctor bade her establish herself in the boudoir. Then satisfied -that there would be someone within call in case of necessity, he asked -to be conducted to the scene of the tragedy. - -"You have notified the police?" questioned Dr. Haskins as we descended -the stairs. - -"No," I replied. "I waited to hear your verdict first." - -"Better send for them at once," was his reply. - -"I will do it, Dr. Haskins," put in the secretary eagerly. - -As Orton moved to the hall phone I inserted the key in the lock of the -study door and opened it with some trepidation, remembering what lay -within. I had forgotten to turn out the lights and as we entered from -the semi-obscurity of the hall, the chair and its horrible occupant -seemed literally to spring out at us as we approached. To the doctor -death was a familiar sight, but I could not bear to watch him as he -probed the wound with skillful fingers, so I turned away and desirous of -having something other than my thoughts to occupy my mind, I took -cognizance for the first time of this room where the crime had been -committed. - -The study, as I remarked before, lay to the left of the hall and like -its counterpart, the drawing-room, it was exceedingly large, a good -forty feet in length at the very least. Again, like its counterpart, the -side opening upon the garden was a series of French windows hung with -velvet draperies of a rich brown that harmonized perfectly with the -luxurious appointments of the room. Whatever one might say for his -morals, one could certainly find no fault with Philip Darwin's taste in -furnishing his study. It was the den of a sybarite, not the conventional -study of the modern business man. The only jarring notes were supplied -by the mahogany table directly in the center of the room, at whose head -stood the chair in which the dead man lay, and by an immense safe let -into the narrower wall, whose highly varnished surface reflected -Darwin's face as clearly as any pier-glass would have done. - -For a space I stood gazing at the safe, wondering what any man would -want with such a gigantic contraption when I became conscious of the -reflection of the doctor's occupation. With a feeling of nausea I swung -away toward the windows when, struck by a sudden idea, I hastily -examined them. It had occurred to me that while we were standing idle -the murderer had probably made good his escape through one of them, -since there was no other means of egress which he could have used with -impunity. Imagine then my feelings to find that the windows were not -only locked, but were also supplied with burglar alarms, which precluded -beyond the shadow of a doubt their recent use by anyone intent upon -escaping from the study! - -With dwindling hope I tried the safe and finding that locked also, I -returned to the table, where despite my aversion I could not help -glancing at the man who, living, had destroyed my happiness and who, -dead, was about to bereave me of all hope as well. - -I had known Philip Darwin very slightly, a mere bowing acquaintance, so -that it was a distinct shock to me to discover that he was so -fine-looking a man. I had always accounted him handsome in a bold, -dashing way, with his dark hair, his gold eyeglasses, and his neatly -trimmed coal black Vandyke; but, death, that dread visitant that plays -such queer tricks upon us mortals, had ennobled his countenance and -rejuvenated him by wiping away all traces of the dissipation which of -late had coarsened his features and left its marks beneath his eyes and -around his mouth. Had it not been for that red stain which seemed to -mock me as I gazed, I would have said that he was merely asleep, so -gracefully did he repose in the big chair, the left hand holding a small -handkerchief upon his knee, the right flung out across the arm of the -chair. - -Just then I noticed that the doctor was gravely regarding the pistol as -it lay on the floor beside the chair, and recalling where I had last -seen it, I hesitantly asked the question whose answer I knew before the -words had left my lips. - -"Is there any possibility of suicide?" - -"None at all," replied Dr. Haskins. "He has been shot through the left -lung and death occurred from internal hemorrhage. The absence of powder -stains and the fact that the bullet entered at an angle preclude the -idea of suicide." - -"Then Mr. Darwin was not killed instantly?" I asked. - -"No. I should judge that he had lived at least twenty minutes after the -shot was fired." - -It could not have been more than twenty minutes, or at most, a half-hour -since I had heard the report that had turned my world so suddenly upside -down! Had he then been alive when I carried Ruth from the room? Had I -locked him in to breathe his last alone, when perhaps I might have saved -his life? The thought was too horrible to contemplate! - -"Doctor!" I cried. "You mean he has only just died? That something could -have been done to save him?" - -The doctor looked at me in some surprise. "Nothing could have been done -to save him," he answered quietly. "From the condition of the body----" - -But we had no time for further discussion for a great pounding had -ensued at the front door and in a few moments Orton returned with the -police. There were five of them, the Sergeant and his two men and a -couple of detectives from the Central Office, and they made an imposing -array as they entered the room. - -The Sergeant, a mild-looking man, nodded to us pleasantly enough, -deplored the necessity which had brought him to the house, and ordered -his men to guard the premises and to permit no one to leave the place -under any circumstances, while the detectives made the rounds of the -room, examining everything from the carpet to the ceiling. - -"I do not believe I can be of further use," said Dr. Haskins. "Let me -know when the inquest is called and I shall be glad to give my -testimony." - -The Sergeant took down his name and address, and, when the doctor was -gone, turned to me and asked me who I was. I mentioned the name of the -brokerage firm with which I was connected and of which I had the honor -of being the junior partner. The name of that firm was a well-known one -throughout the city and its effect upon the Sergeant was instantaneous. -Glancing at me with marked respect he asked me to give him an account of -the affair. It was precious little that I could tell him, however. I had -been in the drawing-room, had heard the shot, and on rushing in had -found Darwin dead. - -While the Sergeant was transcribing this information in his notebook the -younger of the two detectives, who had been glancing over the objects -upon the table, spoke up. - -"It was an inside job, then, Sergeant. The windows are all locked and -anyone leaving by the door would have encountered this gentleman coming -in," and he looked at me very suspiciously indeed. - -The worthy Sergeant scratched his chin and looked perplexed. Then his -eye fell on Orton standing meekly in the doorway. - -"Hello, where the devil did you come from?" he asked. - -"I--I'm the man who sent for you, who just let you in," he stammered, -whether from fright or awe I don't know. "I'm Mr. Darwin's secretary." - -"I see. What do you know about this affair?" - -He was opening his mouth to say I know not what when he caught my eye. I -was determined that Ruth should have a night's rest if I had to go to -jail as the consequence. - -"I heard the shot and when I entered the room Mr. Davies was looking at -the body," he said with a malicious glance in my direction. - -I could have laughed aloud as the Sergeant regarded me from beneath -frowning brows. I was a prominent man and he dared not risk a false -arrest. - -"Are you the only two people awake in this house?" he inquired, to gain -time. - -"Mrs. Darwin heard the shot but she was prostrated by the news and the -doctor does not wish her disturbed until morning," I said, purposely -giving the wrong impression by my statement. - -Again the Sergeant's troubled glance rested upon me. "What are you doing -here at this time of night, Mr. Davies?" he asked abruptly. - -"I came here on important business," I answered. - -At this juncture the older detective whispered something to the Sergeant -and handed him a paper he had taken from the table drawer. - -"Mr. Davies, I am under the painful necessity of keeping you under -surveillance until the arrival of the coroner. You will remain in this -house until that time." - -I bowed. "Then you have no objections to my retiring?" I asked. - -"None at all, Mr. Davies. Gregory," he called, and when the burly -policeman appeared in the doorway, "You will accompany Mr. Davies to his -room and see that he does not attempt to leave the house." - -"Very good, sir," saluted the policeman. - -"Good night, Sergeant," I said. "I am sorry to put you to so much -trouble." Then I touched Orton upon the shoulder. "If you will be so -kind I should like to be shown to a vacant room and might I borrow a -suit of pajamas?" - -I linked my arm through his and forced him to accompany me upstairs. By -dint of hinting that he had no way of proving that he was not in the -study at the fatal moment and that my word had far more weight than his, -should I choose to cast suspicion upon him, I frightened the cowardly -fellow into promising to keep his knowledge to himself for that night at -least. That the police were bound to learn that Ruth was also in the -study was inevitable, but at any rate I should have gained her a few -more hours of freedom, for whichever way I looked at it the case was -black against her. - - - - -CHAPTER IV - -THE INQUEST - - -When I awoke the sun was pouring into the room and my watch pointed to -eleven o'clock. After hours of pacing the floor in utter anguish of -spirit while the specter of murder stalked hand-in-hand with innocence -and love, outraged nature had asserted herself and I had found respite -in oblivion. But now the weary round of thoughts must be taken up again -and it was with a sigh of relief that I obeyed the summons to present -myself in the study where the coroner was holding the inquest. - -The body had been removed and in the chair where it had so lately rested -reposed the coroner with his papers spread out on the table before him. -I noticed that he had taken the chair from the head of the table and had -placed it around the corner on the right side, facing the direction of -the door instead of the safe. - -In the corner opposite the door sat the younger of the two detectives -who had accompanied the Sergeant to the house the night before. Beside -him was Orton, looking pale and dispirited, while huddled in the -adjacent corner like a herd of frightened cattle stood the servants, -their eyes fastened upon the coroner, watching his every movement as if -in terror lest they be accused of having murdered their master. Grouped -around the table but slightly behind the coroner sat the jury, and I was -glad to note that the coroner had had the good sense to pick a fairly -respectable set of men to judge the case, from which I argued hopefully -that the gray-haired, heavy-set gentleman in charge of the case might -possess a modicum of intelligence and a keener brain than the average -coroner. - -Back of the jury stood Dr. Haskins, in conference with a rotund -individual whom I assumed rightly to be the coroner's physician. Beyond -the doctors sat the assistant district attorney, surrounded by the very -few newspapermen who had got wind of the affair and had insisted upon -being present. - -Passing the jury I seated myself near one of the windows beside a man -whom I recalled having seen, but whom I could not at the moment place, -and looked around in vain for Ruth. Evidently Coroner Graves (I obtained -this information from the man beside me) intended to spare her as much -as possible, for which consideration I thanked him from the bottom of my -heart. - -They must have been awaiting my presence since I was no sooner seated -than the coroner called on Doctor Haskins to give his testimony. The -doctor repeated what he had previously told me, that Philip Darwin had -been shot through the left lung, that death had resulted from internal -hemorrhage, and that the victim had lived at least twenty minutes after -the bullet had penetrated his body. Asked if he had examined Mr. Darwin -immediately upon his arrival, the doctor replied that he had first -attended Mrs. Darwin and that it must have been ten or fifteen minutes -later that he had entered the study. He had found Mr. Darwin lying back -in his chair with a smile on his lips, one hand closed over a -handkerchief, the other hanging limply over the arm of the chair. From -the condition of the body he must have been dead from twenty to thirty -minutes. Also there was a small abrasion on the little finger of his -left hand, as if a ring had been violently removed. Questioned as to -whether he was the family's physician, he said no, that he only knew Mr. -Darwin by sight and had probably been summoned because he was the -nearest doctor. - -This evidence was partially corroborated by the coroner's physician, who -added that he had made a post-mortem examination and had extracted the -bullet, which had narrowly missed entering the heart. From the nature of -the wound it would have been impossible for him to have shot himself, -and the absence of all powder stains pointed to murder rather than -suicide. - -Then he continued, with a slightly commiserating look in Dr. Haskins' -direction: "You have heard Dr. Haskins' testimony, your honor, that the -victim lived twenty minutes after he was shot, and that at the time that -the doctor examined him he had already been dead from twenty to thirty -minutes. This last statement is correct. The post-mortem examination -proves conclusively that Mr. Darwin died at midnight or shortly -thereafter. From questions that I have already put to Mr. Orton I have -learned that the shot was fired as the clock finished striking twelve, -therefore since that was the only shot fired Mr. Darwin must have died -immediately, or at the best, must have lived only five minutes, for Dr. -Haskins was in the study by twelve-thirty." - -"But," interrupted Dr. Haskins, "the nature of the wound is such that -instantaneous death could not have possibly occurred." - -"Please do not volunteer information unless you are being questioned," -returned the coroner with some asperity. He turned to his physician, -"You were saying, Doctor?" - -Dr. Haskins shrugged his shoulders at the coroner's words, while his -boyish face flushed angrily at the rebuke, and he walked away from the -table, but turned to listen as the physician took up the cudgels again -by answering the query he had propounded. - -"Dr. Haskins is young in his profession and this is his first criminal -case, hence his natural inference that because in his medical books such -a wound should produce such results, therefore it must be so in -practice," said the coroner's physician, with pompous superiority. "Now -as a matter of fact where one man will live an hour another will survive -only a few minutes, depending on the life each has led. Now Mr. Darwin, -I have been told, led a very fast life, which probably accounts for his -quick demise. After all, you see, it's a question of fitting your facts -to the circumstances of your case and in this instance no other -conclusion is possible." - -I could see that Dr. Haskins was not at all convinced, and I set it down -to professional jealousy and his desire not to be outdone by the -coroner's physician. I can imagine that that "is young in his -profession" rather stuck in his gorge. - -When the physician had seated himself the coroner took up the bullet and -called the detective, to whom he handed it along with another object -that had been lying upon the table. Whereupon the detective took a step -forward and held up the object for our inspection. It was a -long-barreled thirty-eight caliber revolver, just the sort of weapon a -man would keep in his house for use against burglars, since it insured a -fair chance of more accurate marksmanship. - -"This revolver, gentlemen," said the detective, speaking to the jury, -"was found on the floor beside the chair in which the victim lay. As you -can see for yourselves," here he broke the pistol, "it is fully loaded -with the exception of one chamber, which has recently been discharged. -The bullet extracted from Mr. Darwin's body corresponds in every respect -with the bullets remaining in this pistol. Therefore I have no -hesitation in stating that the deceased was killed with this weapon in -my hand." - -He passed the revolver and the bullet to the jury, adding that Mr. -Darwin had been standing when he was shot, and that as he had been -engaged in writing the moment before, the inference was plain that he -had risen to meet the person who killed him. - -"What makes you certain he was standing when he was shot?" inquired the -coroner. - -"The carpet, if you'll notice," replied the detective, whose name, by -the way, was Jones, "has a very heavy pile. The marks made by that -arm-chair as it was pushed back from the table were apparent to me when -I examined the carpet around it. Now Mr. Darwin had been writing, for we -found a half-finished word on the paper before him, and must therefore -have been seated in the chair. Hence the only person who could have -produced those marks in the carpet was the victim himself, and they -could only have been made if, as I said, he had risen suddenly to meet -his murderer, who was evidently known to him, since Mr. Darwin was -smiling when he was killed." - -There was a murmur of admiration for the clever way in which he had -deduced his statement, and the man beside me softly clapped his hands as -he whispered to himself, "admirable, marvelous. Upon my soul I could not -have builded better had I tried." - -The thought came to me that my companion might be a detective also, and -that he was delighted with the intelligence displayed by his -professional brother, but I had no time to nurse idle speculations, for -Jones had resumed his seat, and I expected the coroner to make an -attempt to discover the ownership of the pistol. To my surprise he -ignored that point and turned his attention to the servants. - -The butler, who was the first servant called upon and who was a vigorous -old man about sixty years of age, gave his name as George Mason and -stated that he had been in his position for thirty years. I saw the -coroner's face clear at this statement, for surely a man who had been -the family retainer for so long a time could be relied on not to pervert -any knowledge he might possess of the events of the previous night. The -coroner should have recalled that though not given to perverting justice -old family servants have a faculty for forgetting what they would rather -not explain. - -"I understand that it is your duty to secure the house at night," began -the coroner. - -"Yes, sir." - -"What time do you usually lock up?" - -"When Mr. Darwin left the house for the evening, sir. Or if he was away, -as he sometimes is, for days together, it would remain locked while he -was gone. That is, it was that way before his marriage, sir. Now I lock -up when Mrs. Darwin goes upstairs." - -"What time did you close the house last night?" - -"At nine-thirty, sir." - -"You are sure you locked all the doors and windows securely?" - -"Oh, yes, sir, everything except the study, for to my surprise Mr. Orton -was in there and said he'd lock the windows himself, sir." - -"Why did Mr. Orton's presence in the study surprise you?" - -"Because Mr. Darwin always keeps the study locked, sir. I have a -duplicate key to let the maid in to clean, sir, and it was my custom in -my rounds at night to knock on the door. If I got no answer I went in to -see that everything was all right, sir." - -"How long has Mr. Darwin been in the habit of locking his study?" - -"A good many years, sir, ten or more." - -"For what reason?" - -"I do not know, sir." - -"Did Mr. Orton explain how he came to be in the study?" - -"No, sir. When I found him there I withdrew at once." - -"After that, what did you do?" - -"I saw to it that all the servants had left the main wing and closed the -door into the servants' wing. When that door is closed it is impossible -to hear what goes on in the main part of the house, sir. We went to bed -and did not know the master was dead until Mr. Orton informed us this -morning, sir." - -"I see. This applies to all the servants, you can swear to that?" - -"Yes, sir, to all except the valet and Mrs. Darwin's maid. They do not -leave the main wing until dismissed for the night." - -"Who opened up the house this morning?" - -"The police, sir." - -The coroner looked inquiringly at the detective, who answered promptly: -"Nothing had been tampered with. The burglar alarms on the windows were -all intact and the front door was double-locked when the doctor -arrived." - -The coroner turned once more to the butler. "When did you last see Mr. -Darwin alive?" - -"Yesterday about six o'clock, sir. He was just going out." - -"Then he was not home for dinner?" - -"No, sir. Mr. Orton and Mrs. Darwin dined alone, sir, for even Mr. Lee -was away." - -"Who is Mr. Lee?" - -"Mr. Darwin's nephew, sir. He has lived here ever since he was a lad, -sir." - -Coroner Graves pondered a moment, then asked abruptly, "Have you ever -noticed any signs of ill-feeling between your master and mistress?" - -The answer came without a moment's hesitation, "No, sir, and even if I -did it was not my place, begging your pardon, sir, to pry into the -affairs of my betters." - -The jury smiled, but the coroner frowned as he told Mason that he was -through questioning him, for he was evidently a stickler in regard to -upholding the dignity of the law as embodied in his own proper person, -of course. - -The examination of the other servants was a mere formality. None of them -knew anything of the tragedy and they were disposed of in a group with -the exception of the valet and Ruth's maid. - -The former, being questioned, stated that his master had given him the -evening, that he had left the house at six and had not returned until -eight this morning. Where had he been at midnight, why at the Highfling, -on Fourteenth Street, dancing with his girl. - -The coroner summoned a policeman and sent him out to verify this -statement, then called Ruth's maid, who supplied him with the first bit -of tangible evidence against her mistress. - -"How long have you been in your present position, Annie?" he asked, -glancing at the sheet he held in his hand. - -"Five months, sir," answered Annie, with a grin and curtsey. She was -quite a pretty girl and it was evident that she was bursting to tell all -she knew, so the coroner asked her to relate everything that had -happened the night before, admonishing her to be careful not to forget a -single detail. - -She tossed her head. "As if I'm like to forget, sir, with it all ending -in murder, sir." She spoke the word in a thrilling whisper, enjoying to -the full her connection with so sensational an affair. - -"Last night, sir, about ten-thirty, as I was getting my mistress ready -for bed, came a knock at the door and who should it be but Mr. Orton, -saying that the master wished to see my mistress in the study. Quick as -a wink she was after him down the stairs, and I hadn't hardly had time -to fix the bed before she was back again----" - -"Be more definite," interrupted the coroner. "Was she gone five -minutes?" - -"Nearer ten, sir," came the ready answer. - -"Were you making the bed that it took you ten minutes to fix it?" -inquired the coroner, sharply. - -The girl hung her head. "No, sir. I went out in the hall to see if I -could hear anything, but there was no sound and when I saw my mistress -coming up the stairs I ran back in the room and noticed the clock said -about twenty to eleven, sir." - -"Be careful how you give false impressions, my girl. Remember that we -always learn the truth," said the coroner, severely. - -The girl was quite abashed and just a little frightened. "It wasn't any -harm, sir," she murmured, "and I didn't hear anything, so I thought it -didn't have to be told." - -"Go on with your story," shortly. - -"Yes, sir. My mistress came back looking very excited and sat down at -her desk. She wrote something on a paper and put it in a white envelope, -then she told me to give it to her chauffeur and to tell him to go for -Mr. Davies and bring him back as fast as possible. She said I needn't -come back to her, so I did what she told me and then went to bed. I -don't know how long I'd been asleep when Mr. Orton woke me and told me -my mistress was ill. I flung on some clothes and followed him to her -room, where the doctor told me to stay the rest of the night. I didn't -know the master was dead until I went to get my breakfast. The butler -told me, and that is all I know, sir." - -"You have no idea what was in the note?" - -"No, sir. It was sealed." - -The chauffeur was called next and testified that what the maid had -related with regard to him was correct. He had taken the note to my -house and delivered it to my man. When I had entered the machine he had -driven me to the Darwin home and left me at the front steps. - -"Did the maid give you Mr. Davies' address?" asked an inquisitive juror. - -"No, sir. I was Mrs. Darwin's chauffeur before her marriage and had -often driven Mr. Davies home, sir." - -"Then Mr. Davies was acquainted with Mrs. Darwin before her marriage?" -This from another juror. - -"Yes, sir." - -"Did you not think it odd that your mistress should send for Mr. Davies -at that time of night?" inquired the coroner. - -"I didn't think about it one way or 'tother. I'm paid to obey orders, -sir." - -There was nothing more to be obtained from him and as by this time it -had grown late a short recess was called for luncheon. I had hoped to -see Ruth, but I was disappointed for she kept her room and so, not -caring to join the others in the dining-room, I had Mason bring me a -bite in the room adjoining the study. - -When the inquest was reopened I once more took a chair near a window but -above the table instead of below it, where I could watch more closely -the witnesses as they were called. To my surprise my companion of the -morning again chose a seat beside me. - -Then the coroner rapped for order and inquired if Gregory had returned. - -"Yes, sir," answered the policeman promptly, coming forward and -saluting. "The valet's alibi is O. K., sir. The music hall attendant -remembers speaking to him at midnight, and his girl corroborated his -testimony." - -"Very well. That effectually disposes of the servants," remarked the -coroner. "Now for the more important witnesses." - -I was hoping that he would call me first, but the name that fell from -his lips was that of Claude Orton, private secretary and creature of the -murdered man. - - - - -CHAPTER V - -THE SECRETARY - - -What was Orton going to say? How many of last night's events had come -under his notice? I had no recollection of having seen him until he had -turned on the study lights, yet Ruth had been manifestly uneasy and had -thought that she had heard his step in the hall. Where had he been when -Ruth left the drawing-room and how close was he to the scene of the -tragedy when the shot was fired? But all this was idle conjecture. I -would know soon enough what I had to fear from this man, and as I caught -the ugly gleam in his prominent eyes when he turned them for an instant -my way I realized that he would do his very best to hurt me. My -peremptory manner last night would be paid back in full, measure for -measure, and he was cunning enough to guess that he could wound me most -through Ruth. - -"You are Mr. Darwin's secretary?" the coroner was saying when I was once -more cognizant of my surroundings. - -"I am his private secretary. I have charge of his business affairs," -with a trace of condescension beneath his apparent humility. - -"Where do you discharge your duties?" - -"At his office in Broad Street. I attend to his correspondence." - -"Is it not odd that a man of Mr. Darwin's--er--wealth--should introduce -his secretary on an equal footing with his family?" - -The secretary squirmed and the man beside me grinned delightedly through -his forest of red whiskers. - -"I am a distant connection of the family," answered Orton. "I--er--he -asked me to make my home with him a month ago." - -"And how long have you been in his employ?" - -"About two months." - -"You are then acquainted with his private affairs also?" - -"Not at all, only those relating to his business." - -"And what is this business you are always talking about?" inquired the -coroner ironically. In his opinion rich men evidently had no need of -occupation. - -"He was director of the Darwin Bank," answered Orton, discomfited. "He -also played on the market." - -"A speculator, eh? Did he also play fast and loose in his domestic -affairs?" continued the coroner with a shrewdness I should not have -given him credit for. - -For a moment Orton was puzzled, then a great light dawned upon him and -he laughed feebly. "Yes, he was not on good terms with his wife, if that -is what you mean. He was not what you would call a model husband." - -"What an infernal idiot that fellow is," said the man beside me with a -sneer, but I was too much concerned with what Orton would reveal to take -any interest in side comments. - -"You testified last night that you had heard the shot?" remarked the -coroner, changing the subject abruptly. "Where were you at that -particular time?" - -"On the stairs. I had been doing some work in the little room beyond the -study and on my way to my room had paused on the lower step to count the -strokes of the hall clock. Just as I finished counting twelve the shot -rang out," answered Orton very humbly, as if anxious to efface his -personality from the minds of his listeners. - -"What did you do then?" - -"My first impulse was to flee up the stairs. I am a timid man and -dislike the sight of bloodshed. But sometime previously I had heard a -step in the hall and looking out had seen Mrs. Darwin enter the study. -Fearing that it was she who was hurt I followed Mr. Davies into the -study." - -He wiped his brow with a trembling hand and I mentally decided that he -had had a bad minute concocting that piece of testimony--for one part of -it at least was a decided fabrication. Ruth had been in the study only a -minute and had not gone in some time before, as he tried to imply. - -"Mr. Davies entered ahead of you? Where did he come from?" queried the -coroner. - -"He was in the drawing-room, which is nearer the study than the stairs, -and so he reached the room first, but he paused at the door for a minute -and I was right behind him when he spoke to Mrs. Darwin." - -"What did he say to Mrs. Darwin?" - -"He cried out, 'Ruth!' and she dropped something shiny from her hand and -fainted. While Mr. Davies picked her up I turned on the light and -noticed for the first time that Mr. Darwin was dead." - -Another prevarication! He could no more have helped knowing who had been -shot than I if he was right behind me as he said! - -"The study was in darkness then?" - -"No. There was a small lamp lighted on the table but it did not give -sufficient light to distinguish clearly the rest of the room." - -"And when you turned on the light how many persons were in the room?" - -"Just Mr. Davies, Mrs. Darwin, and I." - -"Might there not have been someone else who left by the windows before -you lighted the room?" - -"No, for I locked the windows at Mr. Darwin's request a half-hour -before, and they were still locked when the police arrived." - -"Could anyone have escaped by the door then?" - -"Impossible, for I should have seen that person. Besides, Mr. Davies was -at the door almost immediately after the shot was fired." - -"You said Mrs. Darwin had something shiny in her hand. Were you able to -tell what it was?" - -"Yes, it was a pistol," he said, with a triumphant look in my direction. - -"That's a lie!" cried a man's voice, and Ruth's chauffeur detached -himself from the group of servants to shake a finger beneath Orton's -nose. "It's a lie, you miserable little worm! Take it back or I'll wring -your neck!" - -I think he would have done it, too, had not a policeman thrust him out -into the hall, where he remained to curse Orton roundly before he moved -away. A servant's loyalty to a sweet and gentle mistress, and I -determined it should not go unrewarded, for nowadays such loyalty is -rare. - -The murmur of approval that followed this act showing in what odium the -secretary was held by the servants, made the coroner a little doubtful -of his man and more than ever anxious that his statement be properly -substantiated. - -"Have you any reason to suspect Mrs. Darwin other than the fact that she -held the pistol in her hand?" he asked after due deliberation. - -"She knew that Mr. Darwin kept a pistol in the drawer of this table and -she had quarreled with him an hour and a half before," replied Orton -with a triumphant expression on his pale face. - -"She quarreled with him, you say? Tell me all you know about it." - -"Mr. Darwin was away for dinner and I believe he returned about -ten-thirty, but of this I cannot be absolutely sure, since he has a key -of his own and I was in the study with the door closed." - -"What were you doing in the study?" interrupted the coroner. - -"I was answering some letters which Mr. Darwin had left for me," replied -Orton. - -"Mason testified that the study was usually kept locked," continued the -coroner. "Have you also a duplicate key?" - -"No, I have no key. He told me he would leave the door open for me and -he unlocked it before he left the house," returned Orton, quietly. - -"Go on with your story." - -"At ten-thirty Mr. Darwin entered the study and told me to call Mrs. -Darwin," resumed Orton. "She, as you know, answered the summons. At -first they talked in low tones, but presently from their raised voices I -knew that they were quarreling and quarreling bitterly, for I heard Mr. -Darwin threaten to do something or other to Mr. Davies. Then Mrs. -Darwin opened the door and rushed upstairs and Mr. Darwin called me to -him. He said that he was expecting a visitor but wished me to watch Mrs. -Darwin's movements and, when he summoned me, to report them to him. -After which he closed and locked the door. It was then that I heard Mrs. -Darwin telling her maid to make haste. I hurried to the back stairs and -followed Annie to the garage where I heard her instructions to the -chauffeur. Coming back to the house I hung around the darkened hall and -while I waited I heard voices in the study, but I was unable to -distinguish whose they were. Then Mrs. Darwin came downstairs and I drew -back into the little room next the study to await developments. She -lighted the drawing-room and about eleven-twenty-five she opened the -front door, admitted Mr. Davies, locked the door, and led him into the -drawing-room. It must have been about five minutes later that Mr. Darwin -called me to the study and asked for my report. He was seated in that -chair leaning back with his pen in his hand and in just the same -position as we found him when he had been shot. I told him what I had -seen and he laughed and clapped his hands softly as if something tickled -his fancy." - -"'So we've a broker in the house, eh?' he said. 'He should know how to -play fast and loose, eh? I'll make him useful, this broker lover of our -stainless Ruth!'" - -Orton got no further. It was more than flesh and blood could endure to -sit and hear him repeat that odious man's remarks in that softly -insinuating voice. "Stop!" I cried, springing to my feet. "Your honor, I -protest against such things being dragged into this court of inquiry!" - -"That will do, Mr. Davies," said the coroner stiffly. But I believe he -feared to antagonize me too far, for he said to Orton, "You need not -repeat Mr. Darwin's conversation." - -Orton bowed obsequiously in deference to his superior. Ugh, how I -despised him! - -"It was then that he told me to lock the windows and he was laughing -when I left the room," finished Orton. - -"Do you know what occasioned the quarrel between the husband and wife?" -suddenly inquired the inquisitive juror. - -"It was a love-letter that Mrs. Darwin had written to Mr. Davies," said -Orton. - -I think the coroner was afraid he was going to divulge its contents, for -he interposed hurriedly, "Did anyone else know that the pistol was kept -in this table drawer?" - -"No, only Mrs. Darwin and myself." - -"Is this the pistol in question?" pointing to the revolver. - -"Yes. It belongs to Mr. Darwin and has his initials engraved on the -handle." - -The coroner nodded in confirmation. "Do you recognize this -handkerchief?" holding up a dainty lace-covered bit of cambric partly -stained with blood. - -"I have seen Mrs. Darwin carry one like it." - -"Are you and Mrs. Darwin the only members of the household?" - -"We were last night. Mrs. Darwin's father has been away for two weeks on -a vacation, and Lee Darwin, Mr. Darwin's nephew, left the house -yesterday morning." - -"What do you mean?" - -"He had a dispute with his uncle and I overheard Mr. Darwin tell Lee to -get out and stay out, which he promptly did. He went to the Yale Club -and has not been back since." - -"That is all, Mr. Orton. Gregory," called the coroner. - -"Yes, sir," answered that worthy. - -"Go to the Yale Club and inquire for Mr. Lee Darwin. If possible bring -him here." - -"Very good, sir." - -When the policeman had gone the coroner turned to me. "Now, Mr. Davies, -we will hear what you have to say." - - - - -CHAPTER VI - -CORROBORATIVE EVIDENCE - - -How I wished that I had been born blind, or failing that, that I had -been a thousand miles away when that fatal shot was fired! A coward's -attitude? Perhaps, but for the life of me at that moment I could not see -how my testimony could be anything but damaging to the girl I loved. - -"Mr. Davies, will you tell the jury what happened last night," said the -coroner. - -Very calmly I told them all that had happened, saying that I was a -life-long friend of Ruth, that she had asked me to come to the house, -and that in the course of conversation I had urged her to get me a paper -which was of value to me. She entered the study and almost immediately -the shot rang out. I ran to the door and found her standing beside her -husband. The shock of his death caused her to faint and I carried her -from the room. - -When I was through, the coroner stroked his chin reflectively. I was -hoping he would dismiss me without further parley, but instead he began -his cross-examination. - -"Mr. Davies, did you not think it strange that she should send for you -so late at night?" he commenced, after a slight pause. - -"Under the circumstances, no," I replied. - -"Under what circumstances?" - -"In the interview between Mr. and Mrs. Darwin, of which you have heard, -Mr. Darwin threatened to ruin me. Mrs. Darwin sent for me because she -desired to warn me against her husband." - -I saw several of the jurymen nudging each other and even the coroner's -brows shot up a trifle, but I decided that it was far better to -strengthen the case against her than to have them construing all manner -of scandal from my refusal to answer. - -"Could she not have written to warn you, just as well?" pursued the -coroner. - -"She believed that I would take no notice of such a warning unless it -were given in person," I replied. - -"Would not the next morning have been ample time?" caustically. - -"I can't presume to say," I shrugged. - -"You were acquainted with Mrs. Darwin before her marriage. Was it merely -in the capacity of her friend?" He spoke diffidently, as if anxious not -to offend my sensibilities. - -I debated the point and finally came to the conclusion that there was no -object in airing the family skeleton, more particularly as it might get -Dick into trouble with the authorities and thus set at naught Ruth's -dearly bought sacrifice. - -I bowed therefore and replied quietly, "Yes, your honor, I was merely -her friend." - -The coroner gave me a swift glance from beneath half-closed lids as he -fingered a sheet of paper thoughtfully. - -"You said that Mrs. Darwin entered the study to reclaim a paper which -was of value to you, did you not?" he inquired. - -"Yes," I answered, briefly. - -"Is this the paper?" he continued in a peculiar tone, holding up the -letter that Ruth had described to me. - -"I have no idea," I retorted. - -"What do you mean by that?" he continued sharply. - -"Mrs. Darwin simply told me that in the study-table drawer was a letter -which her husband could use against me. I urged her to retrieve it. -Never having seen it I cannot possibly say whether the paper in your -hand is the one or not," I returned, quietly. - -For a moment he was nonplussed, and then he asked: "You heard Mr. Orton -say it was a love-letter written to you by Mrs. Darwin?" - -"Oh, yes, but I didn't hear you ask him how he knew this. No, nor did I -hear him tell you that he fished the torn scraps of Mrs. Darwin's -private correspondence from her basket and pieced it together for her -husband's delectation," I replied, scornfully, glad of the chance to let -the jury know the truth concerning that letter. - -I saw the look of disgust with which various of the members of the jury -favored Orton, and even the coroner was impressed to the point of laying -the letter aside and resuming his attack upon a different line. - -"When you sent Mrs. Darwin into the study you were both aware, of -course, of Mr. Darwin's presence in that room?" - -"No. Mr. Darwin had told his wife he was going out and we had no idea -there was anyone in the study." - -"But finding him there unexpectedly might she not have shot him to -secure the letter?" pursued the relentless voice. - -I shook my head and replied abruptly (I have learned since that he had -no right to ask that question, but I had no knowledge of legal -technicalities): "Impossible. She was in the study only a minute before -the shot was fired. This I am positive of, Mr. Orton's evidence to the -contrary. She had left the door slightly ajar and I remember listening -for sounds from the study just before the clock struck twelve. I heard -no voices. Besides, the study was in total darkness----" - -"You are sure the study was in darkness?" he interrupted with an odd -look. - -"Yes, I think I can safely say it was." - -"It has been proven that Mr. Darwin was writing just before he was shot. -Do you think he was in the habit of writing in the dark?" he inquired -sarcastically. - -I reddened. The detective's statement had slipped my mind, but I refused -to be ridiculed into changing my opinion. I could have staked my life -upon it that the study was dark. - -"Of course I was not in the room itself," I returned stiffly, "but by -the hesitating way in which Mrs. Darwin entered and from the fact that -no glow came through the doorway as she opened the door, I judged that -the study was in darkness." - -"The lamp on this table could never give sufficient light to be seen -from that doorway, Mr. Davies," remarked the coroner. - -I shook my head impatiently. "Nevertheless, I am convinced the study was -in darkness," I reiterated stubbornly. - -Seeing that he was getting nowhere he dropped the point, and asked: "Did -you also see the pistol in Mrs. Darwin's hand?" - -There was no use in quibbling since the fact was known, and I had no -idea of what Ruth herself would say on this point, so I replied in the -affirmative, adding: "As I stood in the doorway I could see that Mr. -Darwin had been shot as plainly as I could see that Mrs. Darwin was -standing beside his chair." - -"I thought you said the study was in darkness?" - -"It was, but the lamp was lighted as I sprang for the door." - -"Then you think there may have been someone else in the room?" - -"Yes." - -"Could you see the door of the study from your position in the -drawing-room?" - -"Yes." What was he getting at, anyway? - -"So that you could see whether anyone came out of the study, or entered -it after Mrs. Darwin?" - -"Yes." - -"Did anyone come out or go in?" - -"No." - -"You heard the evidence concerning the windows?" - -"Yes." - -"Do you still persist in saying there was someone else in the study?" - -So that was it. He was trying to trap me into making a contradictory -statement to pay up for my stubbornness concerning the study. But I had -no intention of being trapped by him. - -"I cannot be absolutely positive, your honor," I said, "but of this I am -certain. I had no knowledge of Mr. Orton's presence until he lighted the -study. Whether he was already in the room when Mrs. Darwin went in, or -whether he entered behind me, I am not prepared to say." - -"That's not so!" cried Orton, his face more pallid than ever. "I was out -in the hall, your honor, I was out in the hall!" - -The detective said something to him in an undertone, whereupon he -subsided tremblingly, but it was very plain to be seen that the coroner, -who had not been previously impressed with the man and who had since -come to regard him in the light of a sycophant, began to be suspicious -of the secretary, eyeing him with great disfavor, wondering, no doubt, -whether he were as innocent as he gave out. I began to breathe more -freely for Ruth, but at the coroner's next words my hopes were dashed -once more. - -"Knowing that Mrs. Darwin was in the study, why did you give the police -the impression last night that she had heard the shot from upstairs?" - -"She was ill. I didn't want her disturbed," I explained. - -"In other words, you feared to tell the truth," he commented. - -I made no answer. Protestations would only have made a bad matter worse. - -"Mr. Davies, you know, of course, that if a man dies intestate, his wife -inherits his property?" - -I nodded, but was decidedly puzzled. - -"Mr. Darwin died intestate," he continued quietly, watching to note the -effect upon me. - -"I don't understand you," I said, and I spoke the truth. I was out of my -depth, for he surely couldn't suppose that I was intimately acquainted -with Philip Darwin's personal affairs! Either that, or else he -possessed information of which I had no knowledge. It proved to be the -latter case. - -"In the waste basket we found partially burned scraps of what was -presumably a will, Mr. Davies, and here," holding up a heavy paper, "is -what Mr. Darwin was at work upon when he was shot. It is a will, Mr. -Davies, or rather the beginning of one, and it is not in Mrs. Darwin's -favor." - -I made no comment, but I could see what he was driving at. This was -another powerful factor to be added to Ruth's motive in taking her -husband's life. - -"This will is in favor of Cora Manning. Did you ever hear of her, Mr. -Davies?" continued the coroner. - -"I can't say that I have." - -"Do you also identify this handkerchief?" - -"No, I have never seen it before to my knowledge." - -"It might be Mrs. Darwin's?" - -"I don't know." - -"That is all at present. Mr. Cunningham, please." - - - - -CHAPTER VII - -THE LAWYER - - -At the coroner's words the man beside me arose and walked to the front -of the room. He was about Philip Darwin's build and height, but his face -was fleshier, and he wore a full, square beard of a peculiar mottled -red, the same shade as his hair, as though both had been liberally -sprinkled with gray. He was very fastidiously dressed, I might say -almost foppishly so, even to the point of wearing spats and an eyeglass, -which he was continually screwing into his eye as he spoke. - -"You are Mr. Darwin's lawyer?" asked the coroner. - -"Yes. You will pardon me if I reply rather briefly. I have a bad throat -to-day and find it trying to speak at length," he apologized in a husky -voice. - -"Certainly, certainly. This is a mere formality," responded the coroner -affably, whereat the lawyer smiled, rather sardonically, I thought. - -"Mr. Cunningham, do you know whether the will that was destroyed was in -Mrs. Darwin's favor?" - -"It was." - -"Are you absolutely certain?" - -"Yes. I made it out when Mr. Darwin was married." - -"Do you know whether Mr. Darwin keeps any of his valuable papers in that -safe?" - -"I am sure he keeps nothing of value in it. His papers are in his vault -at the bank." - -"Have you none, then?" - -The lawyer shook his head and replaced his eyeglass with great -deliberation. "Two nights ago Mr. Darwin removed the last of his -securities from my office," he said with evident difficulty. - -"The last of his securities? Do you mean that he had been gradually -removing them from your care?" - -This time the lawyer nodded. - -"For what purpose?" asked the coroner. - -"I do not know," was the candid answer. "He was rather secretive. I -surmised he needed them in his dealings in Wall Street." - -"He did not actually say so?" - -"No. He told me nothing." - -"Since he was so secretive, might he not have put some of his securities -in that safe?" - -"No, I don't think so. However, you might have it opened--to satisfy -yourself," with a slight, rather mocking accent on the last word. - -"I think it just as well," responded the coroner, briskly. "Mr. -Cunningham, you don't by any chance happen to know the combination?" - -"No, I do not." - -"Jones, can you open that safe?" inquired the coroner. - -"I think so." The detective rose and advanced down the long room to the -safe, where he knelt down, the better to hear the fall of the tumblers. -While he twirled the knob of the dial now this way and now that, Mr. -Cunningham, as if in no way interested, moved to the window, where he -stood looking out with his back to the room. Now it happened that I was -sitting so that I could see his reflection in the window-pane, and I was -surprised to note the look of diabolical joy that overspread his -countenance as he rubbed his hands together in unholy glee, for it -seemed to me that such levity was decidedly out of place at this -particular time. - -But now my attention was diverted, for the detective straightened to his -full height and opened the safe door, which swung back on noiseless -hinges. As the detective darted within the cavernous depths, the lawyer -turned toward the room once more with a remnant of his smile on his lips -as he stroked his beard with a well-kept white hand. And then it flashed -across me where I had seen him before. It was on the Knickerbocker Roof, -late one evening in September, where I was supping with my partner after -the show. Cunningham had come in with a couple of chorus girls and my -partner had mentioned that he was a gay old boy, to which I had agreed -after watching him as he stroked his beard and made love to the girls. I -had not seen him since that night, roof gardens not being much in my -line, and so, of course, I had failed to remember him until that gesture -which seemed habitual with him recalled him to my mind. - -"Nothing, your honor," reported the detective, emerging with a -crestfallen face. "Nothing but a few receipted tailor's bills, an empty -cash box and a stoneless ring." - -"A what?" The coroner screwed himself around in his chair and the jury -strained backward as Jones spoke. - -Mr. Cunningham involuntarily put out his hand for the bauble as the -detective passed him, but Jones shook his head with a smile, as he -returned to the front of the room and placed the objects on the table -before the coroner. - -Coroner Graves examined with meticulous care the sheaf of bills, the -empty box. Then he put them aside and turned his attention to the -stoneless ring. - -"Odd, very odd," he said. "Why should a man like Mr. Darwin preserve a -stoneless ring?" - -"I think I can explain that," said the lawyer, coming forward very -leisurely. "May I look at it?" He held out his hand and the coroner -placed the ring within it. "Ah, yes, it is the same." He handed it back -with a courteous air, but I could not help feeling that somehow he was -merely amused by the attempts of the coroner to solve the problem. But -it must have been my own overwrought fancy, for his voice was sinister -enough through its throatiness, as he said: - -"My client, as perhaps you know, was very fond of the ladies. Before his -marriage he met a very beautiful young lady--her name does not matter, -it was not her own, for she was an actress, I believe--of whom he became -very fond. In fact, he told me he was going to engage himself to her, -and showed me that ring which he had bought her. It held within that now -broken setting a magnificent blue-white diamond. If you will look within -you will see the inscription which Mr. Darwin had engraved upon it." - -He paused, as much to rest his voice as to give the coroner the -opportunity of reading aloud for the benefit of the jury the sentiment -which graced the ring: "To my one love--D." - -"I remonstrated with him, told him she would take the ring and leave him -high and dry, but he would not listen and bestowed it upon her," resumed -the lawyer. "A week later he received a letter from her enclosing that." -He waved his hand toward the golden circlet contemptuously. "She had -kept the diamond and returned him his ring. She left the country and he -never heard from her again. Why he kept that empty shell I don't know. -Perhaps he put it in the safe and forgot it was there." - -"Where did you find it, Jones?" asked the coroner. - -"In one corner of the top shelf. I only discovered it because as I -passed my hand over the shelf the broken prong scratched me," replied -Jones. - -The coroner nodded. "A thin bit of gold not worth considering," he said, -adding as the lawyer was about to return to his seat: "Mr. Cunningham, -do you know Mr. Darwin's nephew?" - -"Yes, I have met him several times," responded the lawyer. - -"Was there not a will in his favor before the wedding?" - -"Yes, but it was destroyed when the new will was made." - -"Did Mr. Darwin mention to you recently that he intended changing his -will?" - -"No." - -"Have you ever heard of Cora Manning?" - -"No." - -"Yet Mr. Darwin had written her name on the will he was making at the -time he was shot, Mr. Cunningham." - -"Indeed? This is all news to me, sir. My client, as perhaps you have -heard, was exceedingly peculiar. He did not confide all his affairs to -me. In fact, he often employed more than one lawyer." - -The coroner raised his brows. "Well, he certainly was peculiar if he did -that. One lawyer ought to be enough for any sane man." - -"Quite right," responded Mr. Cunningham with an odd smile. "But perhaps -my client wasn't quite sane." - - - - -CHAPTER VIII - -LEE DARWIN - - -The coroner's retort, if he made one, was lost to me, for at this moment -loud voices were heard in the hall and a burly policeman came hurriedly -into the room. - -"What is it, Riley?" asked the coroner in an annoyed tone. - -"Beggin' yer pardon, sorr, but there's a young man out here and a divil -of a strong young man he is, yer honor," said the policeman. - -"What does he want?" - -"Shure an' he says he's Lee Darwin, but Oi'm on to their little tricks. -An' shure by the looks of him I'd say he was one of thim fresh cub -reporters that worries the life out of us huntin' for noos." - -"Reporter be hanged!" exclaimed a wrathful voice, as a young man strode -into the room. - -Here the details of the scene before him, the frowning coroner, the -amazed jury, the dignified lawyer, sank into his consciousness and he -stopped abruptly a few feet from the table. - -"What is the meaning of all this?" he inquired, but in a more subdued -tone. "Mr. Cunningham, what are all these people doing here?" - -Before the lawyer could answer him, he cried out suddenly, "My uncle! -What has happened to him!" - -"Mr. Darwin was shot last night," answered the coroner. - -"Shot? You--you mean murdered?" in a horrified whisper. - -The coroner nodded, then said briskly: "I am glad you are here. There -are several questions I should like to ask you." - -"I am at your service." - -The defiant lift of the head as he spoke, and the fiery look he cast -around the room as if challenging us to contradict him, were so like the -actions of a creature at bay that I examined him more attentively. He -was a tall, broad-shouldered, dark, young man, with a pair of snapping -black eyes that roamed restlessly about the room during his entire -examination. It was evident that he was laboring under some strong -emotion, for much as he controlled his voice and strove to appear calm -the muscles of his face betrayed him by their involuntary twitching, and -his hands were clenched convulsively at his sides. - -"You had a misunderstanding with your uncle yesterday morning. Is my -information correct?" - -No answer, only a savage look in Orton's direction, as though he divined -the source of the coroner's knowledge of his affairs. - -"I should like an answer, if you please," with some asperity. - -The young man laughed harshly. "I'd call it a quarrel," he said. - -"A quarrel, eh? What was the subject of this quarrel?" - -A slight pause while he mentally debated the wisdom of replying, then -with a sudden abandonment of his former brief manner, he said quickly: -"I objected to the way my uncle treated his wife. He took umbrage at -what he called my impertinence and told me to clear out. I did. It was -none too congenial here." - -"What do you mean by that last statement?" - -"My uncle was always at dagger's points with his father-in-law." - -"For what reason?" - -"I do not know. I fancy, though, that it was something pretty strong -that my uncle held over Mr. Trenton. I have heard him say things that -had I been Mr. Trenton, instead of listening meekly, I'd have jumped up -and knocked him down." - -"What was Mr. Trenton's attitude toward your uncle?" - -"He was always very pleasant to him, and never seemed to take offense at -what my uncle said." - -The coroner made a note on one of his many papers and then resumed his -questions. "What brought you back this morning if you had left the house -for good?" - -"I came to get the rest of my belongings. I left rather suddenly -yesterday." - -"When did you last see your uncle?" - -"In this study when I quarreled with him yesterday morning." - -"Did you notice whether he was wearing a ring on the little finger of -his left hand?" - -Was it my fancy, or did he pale? - -"My uncle never wore any rings," Lee Darwin answered. - -"Yet the physician testified that a ring had been pulled off his -finger." - -"He wore none when I saw him last." How proudly, and it seemed to me how -sadly, that was said. - -"Mr. Darwin, did you ever see that handkerchief before?" - -As the coroner held up the dainty trifle the young man started and with -a quick indrawn breath he leaned closer to examine it. Then with a look -of relief he straightened to his full height. - -"No, I do not recognize it," he said. - -"Whose did you think it was when I first held it up?" Again Coroner -Graves surprised me by his astuteness. - -"Why--why, Ruth's--Mrs. Darwin's," stammered the young man, somewhat -taken aback. - -"And it isn't hers?" persisted the coroner. - -"No, I'm positive it isn't." - -Certainly he was a young man after my own heart. - -"Would you swear to that fact?" went on the coroner inexorably. - -"Look here, do you think I'm lying to you?" demanded Lee Darwin, -angrily. - -"Would you swear to that fact?" repeated the coroner monotonously, -taking no notice of the outbreak. - -A dull red suffused the young man's dark face and his eyes smoldered as -he glanced at the coroner. "I refuse to answer," he said, sullenly. - -The coroner shrugged, having won the battle by creating just the -impression that he desired, namely that the handkerchief was Ruth's and -that for some reason Lee was trying to protect her. I swore softly below -my breath at the blunder young Darwin had committed in becoming angered, -for though I knew he could possibly have no motive for shielding Ruth, -having heard none of the previous evidence, he had yet managed to -strengthen the case against her by his strange attitude. - -"Mr. Darwin, did you ever hear of Cora Manning?" suddenly inquired the -coroner. - -Lee Darwin had himself better in hand this time, for his face did not -change from its sullen aspect, but he could not help clenching his -closed hand tighter until the knuckles showed white through the flesh. -That action alone told me that he knew the woman whose name was on -Philip Darwin's unfinished will. It also told me that he would deny it. -So I was not surprised when he said, a little stiffly, as though he -found it hard to speak at all: - -"No, I do not know her." - -"When you first recognized my official capacity what made you think -something had happened to your uncle?" - -For a moment he seemed nonplussed, then he answered readily enough, "I -suppose it was because I was entering his house and the thought of its -master and our last meeting was uppermost in my mind." - -"You are sure that it wasn't because you knew beforehand that he was -dead?" - -I thought he was going to faint, so pale did he become, but he rallied -instantly and said, haughtily, "Do you presume to intimate that I killed -my uncle?" - -"Not at all, since you could not possibly have been in the room at the -time," responded the coroner. "I merely wished to learn, whether when -you were standing outside the house late last night, you saw what -occurred in the study." - -This statement created an immense sensation. Everyone looked at everyone -else and then at Lee Darwin, who stood before the coroner with blazing -eyes and head flung high. - -"I came here to get my belongings and not to be questioned about an -affair of which I know nothing!" he exclaimed angrily. "I refuse to -answer further." - -The coroner shrugged. "Of course it is not really important. You can -tell your story in court when you have been arrested as an accessory -after the fact." - -"I know nothing about it, I tell you!" cried Darwin in exasperation. - -"Your footprints were found in the flower-bed, outside the study window. -What were you doing there at that time of night?" - -Lee Darwin laughed outright, whether with relief or hysteria I don't -know, though I incline to the former. - -"Your honor, your minions are not as clever as they seem to think. I -made those footprints yesterday morning when I left the house through -the study window. I turned around and stood there a moment to shake my -fist at my uncle," he said, sarcastically. - -"Just a moment, Mr. Darwin. Mason," called the coroner. - -The old butler came forward timidly. "Did you see Mr. Lee Darwin leave -the house yesterday morning?" inquired the coroner. - -"No, sir. I knew he was in the study after breakfast but I did not -notice whether he came out," he answered, peering anxiously at the young -man. - -"That will do. Mr. Orton, please." - -The secretary rose and took the butler's place, and as though he had -anticipated the question he said eagerly, "Mr. Lee Darwin left the house -by the window yesterday morning." - -It struck me he was trying to curry favor with young Darwin by the way -he spoke and fawned upon him. - -"You are positive of this?" said the coroner. - -"Yes, Mr. Lee was just leaving the house when his uncle said something -to him and he followed him into the study. I was waiting for Mr. Darwin -in the hall, and after the quarrel, I entered the study at Mr. Darwin's -summons in time to see Mr. Lee leave by the window and then turn back -again, as he said." - -"Now that the word of a gentleman has been vouched for by that of a -miserable spy, I trust you will permit me to go to my apartments." The -sneer that accompanied the words made Orton wince, but the coroner -remained imperturbed. He granted the permission with a wave of the hand. - -"Would it be asking too much to allow me to see my uncle's body?" -inquired the young man, pausing in the doorway. - -"Unfortunately your uncle has been removed to the undertaker's," -responded the coroner affably. "If you care to call on them----" - -With a gesture of disgust the young man left the room and the coroner -was human enough to enjoy his advantage after his own discomfiture at -young Darwin's hands. - -And now only Ruth remained to be questioned. Would he tell me or Orton -to summon her? To my surprise he called Cunningham to him and after a -whispered consultation the lawyer left the room and I heard him -ascending the stairs. - -This unexpected move the coroner explained in a few curt words. "Under -the circumstances Mrs. Darwin is entitled to counsel," he said. "Mr. -Cunningham has kindly consented to act in that capacity this afternoon." - -Had the case against her progressed to the point where she needed legal -advice? Then, indeed I had nothing to hope for from the interview which -was now about to take place. - - - - -CHAPTER IX - -THE VERDICT - - -A few moments later Cunningham returned alone, and presently I heard -Ruth's step upon the stair. I arose and as she entered the room I -hastened to her and led her to a chair, giving her a reassuring smile as -I did so. She looked so little, and so tired, so in need of comfort that -it seemed a sacrilege to question her. As for believing her guilty of -murder, that was too preposterous! - -But then the coroner was not in love with her, and he had his duty to -perform. I will give him credit for this, that as he looked into her -sweet, gentle face his duty became none too pleasant for him and he -conversed with a stranger who had entered the room before he again took -up his burden of office. When he did it was to say: - -"Mr. Ames, the finger-print expert, has a word to say before we can pass -verdict on this case." - -Before Ames could speak, Cunningham held up his hand. - -"I would like you to hear what Mrs. Darwin has to say first before you -attempt to actually incriminate her," he said. - -At his words Ruth turned and glanced at him sharply, with a puzzled -expression on her face which I could not account for, as she stared at -him uncomprehendingly, but as the full meaning of his words dawned upon -her, she turned her terrified eyes in my direction. - -"Carlton," she said, and she raised her right hand solemnly, as though I -were the judge before whom she was taking an oath, "I am innocent of any -crime. In God's name, tell me you do not believe me guilty!" - -She caught my hand and drew me down so that she could see my face. - -"Ruth," I replied--it cost me an effort but for her sake I strove to -speak quietly--"when I found you in the study I was startled, but never -once have I believed you guilty, and now I know that you are innocent." - -She released my hand and settled back in her chair with a sigh of -relief. As long as I knew her innocent what mattered what anyone -thought, was her attitude. But, alas, it was not I but the jury she -would have to convince. - -"Mrs. Darwin, I should like very much to have your version of the events -of last night," said the coroner, and his voice was very gentle as he -addressed her. - -"Ruth," I interposed quickly, "be careful what you say." I was in mortal -dread lest she incriminate herself beyond redemption, and yet I knew her -to be innocent! Explain the paradox as best you may. I could not. - -"Well meant, but ill-advised," said Mr. Cunningham. "Your best plan, -Mrs. Darwin, is complete frankness." - -Again that strange puzzled look on Ruth's face as she turned toward him, -then as if his words found an echo in her own heart, she looked once -more toward me and said simply, "Yes, Carlton, why shouldn't I tell him -all since I am innocent?" - -I groaned and mentally anathematized the coroner for his choice of -counsel. I was powerless to help her in the face of her guileless -attitude and evident inability to realize the danger of her position. - -Very quietly and very candidly she told the coroner all that had -occurred that fateful night, most of which was already known to those -present in the room, the only new evidence being her account of what -took place after she entered the study. - -"The study was dark and as I left the door only barely ajar and the hall -was dim, it was impossible to see any objects in the room. I knew -however about where the table was located and I groped my way to it, and -found the drawer. It was closed and I had to pull quite hard to open it. -As I did so I thought I heard someone breathe quite close to me. I was -paralyzed with fright, but as moment after moment passed and I heard no -further sound, I decided I was mistaken and slowly put my hand in the -drawer and felt around for the letter that I had come to get. Just as my -hand closed around it I heard again that sound. Oh, it was horrible! -Like someone trying to breathe who couldn't!" - -She broke off and hid her face in her trembling little hands, and at my -suggestion Mason brought her a glass of water. When she had sipped it -she thanked him with a sweet smile and I saw the old man hastily wipe -away a tear as he departed. I am not sure but that I did the same -myself, as Ruth resumed her narrative in a voice not quite so steady as -before. - -"I snatched my hand from the drawer and had taken but two swift steps -away from the table, as I thought, when there was a sudden deafening -roar. I stood stock-still, unable to move, and when I did finally take -a step I trod on something hard. Mechanically, I stooped and picked it -up. It was then that the lamp lighted and I saw Phil lying -there--dead--almost beside me. I was stunned and stood like one stricken -until I heard Carlton's voice. I had no idea what I had picked up until -that moment, but when I saw what it was and what Carlton was thinking, I -cried out in horror--and fainted. That's all I know," she ended, -faintly. - -I don't think they really believed her. The skeptical smile on the -coroner's face was reflected on the countenances of the jury. It was an -ingenious account but there was entirely too much that was still -obscure. - -"Why did you not light the study instead of groping in the dark?" asked -the coroner. - -"Because I knew that Mr. Orton was spying upon me, because I saw him in -the hall as I entered, and did not wish him to follow and see what I was -doing," she answered quietly, thereby drawing the noose tighter about -her own neck by providing with a perfectly good alibi the only other -person who could possibly have been in the room at the time! - -But she was ignorant of their suspicions and failed to see the look of -relief that crossed the secretary's pallid face. - -"Mrs. Darwin, do you recognize this pistol?" - -"Yes. It is Phil's. It's the one I picked up." - -The coroner scratched his head in perplexity. Either she was innocent or -she was a magnificent actress, for only in those two instances could she -answer these questions with so much directness and sincerity. I could -see that he inclined toward the latter assumption for his tone grew -harsher as he said abruptly: "You were not on good terms with your -husband. Did you know that he was making a new will when he was shot?" - -Ruth opened her eyes wide in astonishment. "Why, how could I know what -he was doing when I did not know he was at home?" she asked naïvely. - -"Do you know anyone by the name of Cora Manning?" pursued the coroner. - -"Cora--Manning? No." Her voice trembled slightly as she pronounced the -name. - -"You are sure?" - -"I do not know her," repeated Ruth firmly. - -"She is the lady whose name is on the unfinished will. Evidently your -husband must have thought a good deal of her for he had torn up his old -will and was apparently going to leave everything to her." - -Ruth drew herself up proudly. "Excuse me, sir, but my husband's affairs -were his own. I take no interest in them whatsoever." - -"Not even to the extent of losing several millions?" spoke up the juror -who seemed always to have so much to say. - -But Ruth did not deign to answer him. Instead she addressed the coroner. -"By a legal agreement entered into at the time of our marriage my -husband was free to dispose of his wealth as he saw fit." - -If her voice held a tinge of bitterness who can blame her? - -"As you saw fit, since his murder gives it all to you," continued the -irrepressible juror. - -"Your honor, I protest against such insinuations," I cried, for -Cunningham seemed to have fallen asleep. - -"I don't understand you," faltered Ruth, her eyes growing dark as they -traveled over the stern, set faces of the jury. Then her hand fluttered -involuntarily to her throat. "I don't understand you," she said again. - -As the juror opened his mouth to reply, the coroner silenced him with a -gesture. "Kindly permit me to conduct this investigation," he said -curtly, then to Ruth, "Mrs. Darwin, was your husband in the habit of -wearing rings?" - -"I never saw him wear any," she answered. It was plain she was puzzled -by his question. - -"Yet he might have done so last night?" - -"I suppose so." - -"You didn't happen to remove it, did you?" - -"Most certainly not," she said, highly insulted by the implication. - -"Your honor, may I make a suggestion?" Cunningham awoke suddenly to the -exigencies of the situation. - -"Certainly, Mr. Cunningham," responded the coroner graciously. - -"It has occurred to me that perhaps Mr. Darwin had in a moment of -sentiment slipped that stoneless ring on his finger, and then had -trouble in removing it. Of course it is only a suggestion," -apologetically. - -"No doubt it was just as you say," answered the coroner. "After all, the -ring has nothing to do with the actual murder. Thank you, Mr. -Cunningham." - -As the lawyer resumed his seat with that sardonic smile upon his lips, -the coroner picked up the handkerchief. "Is this yours, Mrs. Darwin?" - -"No." - -"Are you sure?" - -"Yes." - -"May I see that handkerchief that you are holding so tightly in your -hand?" - -Without a word she passed the bit of cambric to him and he held it up -beside the blood-stained handkerchief. They were exactly the same, -texture, pattern, and design! - -"Well?" The coroner laid the two articles upon the table and bent a -flashing look upon her. - -"I don't understand how it can be just like mine when it doesn't belong -to me," she said in a frightened voice. "Phil bought it for me at the -church bazaar--just after we were married. He--he only bought me one." - -"Wasn't it strange--his buying only one?" - -"No--no. I wouldn't let him get me any more. I--I didn't want him to buy -me anything at all." - -"Then since it is quite evident that you did not love Philip Darwin, -will you explain why you married him at all?" - -"Ruth," I said, warningly, and this time she heeded my advice. - -"I can't discuss my private affairs, sir. They have nothing to do -with--with Phil's death, and they are my own," she said with troubled -dignity. - -"Do you realize that your silence will militate against you?" - -"I can't help it, sir," she answered with tears in her eyes. - -"Just one thing more. What is your father's present address?" - -"Daddy's address? Surely you can't think--but he wasn't here last -night!" she cried in terror. - -"I know. It is merely a formality," replied the coroner, in a soothing -voice. - -"Shall I tell him, Carlton?" she asked me, ignoring her counsel. - -"Yes, I suppose you had better," I returned. - -"He is staying with Mrs. Bailey at Tarrytown." - -"Thank you, Mrs. Darwin. If you will remain where you are, please, we -will now hear from Mr. Ames," said the coroner. - -The finger-print expert stepped forward. "My evidence is of the -briefest," he said. "I have examined the pistol and have taken an -impression of the finger-prints upon the handle. I have the enlargements -with me and I should like to compare them with a set made by Mrs. -Darwin. If you please." - -He extended an inked pad toward Ruth and showed her how to make the -impressions that he desired. Then followed silence while he compared -them with the enlargements. Then with a brisk nod he passed the plates -to the jury. - -"Well, Mr. Ames?" asked the coroner. - -"Finger-prints, as you know, are infallible evidence," said the expert. -"The finger-prints on the handle of the pistol are the same as those -made by Mrs. Darwin here in your presence and there are no other prints -of any kind upon the pistol. Therefore I do not hesitate to say that the -only person who handled that revolver last night was Mrs. Darwin." - -The expert sat down, and satisfied that the chain of evidence was -complete the coroner ordered the jury to leave the room and arrive at a -decision. We had not long to wait. No sooner had they filed out than -they were back again, nor do I think that anyone was surprised when -they found that the deceased had come to his death by a pistol shot -fired at the hands of his wife, Ruth Darwin. - -"Carlton, do you still believe in me?" she asked dully. - -"With all my heart and soul, Ruth, dear. I shall always believe in you -even against all the world," I answered simply. - -She gave me a look of love unutterable, then for the second time in -twenty-four hours crumpled in a heap on the floor beside me. - - - - -CHAPTER X - -JENKINS' ADVICE - - -Philip Darwin was a man of so great wealth and social prominence that -the news of his murder and the subsequent arrest of his wife aroused the -public to such a pitch of sensational excitement and furor that the -district attorney, an exceedingly clever man by the name of Grenville, -was forced to set the trial for the end of November, within two months -from the date of the murder. - -Whereupon I hastened to lay the case before my lawyers, who were also -the Trenton solicitors, since I took no great stock in Cunningham for -the reason that he had been Darwin's attorney. Therefore, as I remarked -before, I went to the firm of Vaughn and Chase, where I found the senior -partner in his office. I would rather have spoken to Chase, who was -younger and more enthusiastic, but he was out of town, so I had to -content myself with Richard Vaughn. - -The senior partner was the old-fashioned type of lawyer, cautious and -unimaginative, and he listened to my rather disconnected statements with -patient tolerance. When I had finished he shook his head and eyed me -rather pityingly. - -"You know of course that we do not make it a practice to take up -criminal cases?" he said with indulgent kindliness. - -"I didn't know," I said, rising and walking toward the door. "I came to -you because you have handled her father's business for years, but I -certainly won't trouble you to defend her since it might break a rule of -your firm," and I flung open the door. - -"Tut, my dear boy, don't fly off the handle at my first remark. Close -the door and sit down, please. Of course we'll take the case," he -continued as I resumed my seat, "or rather we shall see to it that she -has proper counsel at the time. But you must realize for yourself that -we haven't much evidence to go on." - -"You have a good knowledge of her character, you know she is incapable -of murder, and you have her account of what happened in the study," I -returned. - -Again he bent upon me that tolerant, pitying look. "My dear boy," he -said, laying a hand on my knee, "you are young and in love and as is -only natural you are letting your heart run away with your head. Besides -you know nothing of courts and their proceedings. Mrs. Darwin's account -of that minute or two in the study is, to say the least, extremely -fanciful." - -"But true," I interrupted with conviction. - -"Yes, yes, of course," he replied soothingly. "But remember that a jury -of twelve honest, but more or less stolid, citizens is convinced by -facts and not by fancies." - -"What do you advise then?" I asked dully. - -"I shall call on the little lady myself and have a talk with her and -arrange for her defense. I shall also try to make her more comfortable. -My advice to you is, get more evidence, good, substantial, unshakable -evidence." - -It was all very well for Mr. Vaughn to talk of getting further evidence, -I muttered savagely to myself as I dined that night. But where in -Kingdom Come was I going to find it? Over and over I reviewed the -coroner's inquest and the more I studied the facts the blacker things -grew for Ruth. - -In utter weariness of mind I finally flung myself into my chair, from -which I had been called so abruptly two nights before, and waived aside -the newspapers that Jenkins was offering me. I had caught a glimpse of -the headlines. Philip Darwin's life history, his penchant for chorus -girls, his wealth, and his prominence, were blazoned forth for all to -read. Even his wedding was raked from the files, and old pictures of the -wedding party were on display. I had no desire to go over the sickening -business again. - -And then as Jenkins laid the papers on the table, the name, Cora -Manning, caught my eye and I picked up the discarded sheet and avidly -devoured the column devoted to this woman whose name had appeared on -Philip Darwin's will. An enterprising reporter had discovered where Cora -Manning lodged and had forthwith set out to interview her. But the only -person he saw was the girl's good-natured landlady who declared that -Cora Manning had left the house at eleven the night of the murder, -carrying her suitcase and that she had told her landlady that she was -going on a journey of great importance and not to worry in the least -about her. When the reporter asked where the girl had gone the landlady -returned that she had no idea, but that since she had taken artists, -writers, and actors as lodgers, she had ceased to worry herself about -their comings and goings so long as they paid their board, for according -to her they were all erratic and far from responsible. - -All of which, contended the reporter who had made the scoop, only -corroborated the statement which he had made the previous evening as to -what actually took place in the study between the husband and wife. Mrs. -Darwin had entered the study and had quarreled with her husband about -the letter. Mr. Darwin in anger had torn up his will and had defiantly -begun a new one, writing down the first name that occurred to him to -annoy his wife, whereupon she snatched the pistol from the drawer and -killed him. - -"Fool!" I muttered, flinging the paper into the fire in my indignation. -"Of all the idiotic trash that has been printed that's about the worst. -Does the young idiot think all that could happen in two minutes? Ye -gods, has the whole world gone mad that they can believe her guilty!" - -"It's a dreadful thing, sir," said Jenkins respectfully, as he -replenished the fire that I had so signally extinguished. - -"It's a miserable business and blacker than Egypt," I answered dismally. -Then recalling Mr. Vaughn's words I said abruptly, "Jenkins, if you were -the jury, knowing what you have read in the papers, would you say that -Mrs. Darwin was guilty?" - -"If I were twelve easy-going men not given to much reasoning, I'd say -she was, sir," he replied deferentially, adding before I could speak, -"But knowing Mrs. Darwin--as it were--personally--sir, I'd say she was -innocent." - -I buried my face in my hands with a groan of utter despair. If Jenkins, -a servant, albeit an ultra-intelligent one, was as persuaded as Mr. -Vaughn that the jury would find Ruth guilty, I might as well give up at -once. - -"If I were you, sir, if you will pardon the liberty of my giving advice, -I'd ask Mr. McKelvie to help me, sir." - -I raised my head. "Who is Mr. McKelvie, Jenkins?" - -"He is a gentleman, sir, who is interested in solving problems of crime. -It's a sort of hobby with him, sir," said Jenkins, his usually somber -eyes beginning to sparkle as he spoke. - -"You mean that he is a private detective?" I asked, not overly pleased, -for Jones of Headquarters had struck me as being up to snuff and yet -every clue that he found had only drawn the net more tightly about Ruth. -It was no wonder therefore that I was chary of detectives, for except in -books, I deemed them all cut out of the same mold and after the same -pattern. - -"Oh, no, sir," returned Jenkins, horrified. "He's not a detective in the -ordinary sense of the word. He is what you call an investigator of crime -and he only takes cases that he thinks are worth-while solving. He does -it mostly to amuse himself, sir." - -"Oh, I see. A second Sherlock Holmes, eh?" I said ironically. - -Jenkins looked hurt. "He says, sir, that there is no one who can equal -Sherlock Holmes. He says, sir, that beside Holmes he's only an amateur -burglar, though begging his pardon, I don't agree with him, sir." - -"How does it happen that you know so much about him, Jenkins?" I asked -suspiciously. - -"He once saved my life in the Great War, and in return I help him with -his cases when he needs me, sir." - -"Humph. I thought I employed you, Jenkins." - -"Well, yes, sir. But I have my free hours, sir." The poor fellow's face -grew so very mournful at my insinuation that I could not help smiling -even in the midst of my despondency. - -"I'm not blaming you, Jenkins. I was merely wondering why he didn't hire -you altogether," I said. - -"He's rather eccentric, sir. He does not want to be bothered with -servants." - -"And do you think this very strange gentleman will condescend to help -me, Jenkins?" I inquired dubiously. - -"Oh, yes, indeed, sir, if I ask him." - -"Do you really believe that he can find a ray of light amidst the -Stygian darkness of this horrible business?" I asked, interested in -spite of myself. - -"I'm sure of it, sir." - -"Very well, then. Get me my hat and give me his address. Anything is -better than this deadening inaction." - -When he returned with my overcoat and hat, Jenkins handed me a folded -note. "If you don't mind, sir," he said apologetically. "Mr. McKelvie -doesn't always receive strangers, sir." - -Queer customer, I reflected as I departed on my errand and I had my -doubts of his ability to aid me, grave doubts which were only increased -by the faded gentility of the old house on Stuyvesant Square, and far -from quieted by the sight of the darky who popped her head out of the -front window at my ring. It was a head calculated to frighten away any -but the boldest intruder, a head bristling with wooly gray spikes set -like a picket fence around a face the whites of whose eyes gleamed -brighter and whose thick lips flamed redder against the shiny blackness -of her skin. - -"Courageous man to employ such an apparition," was my thought as I -proferred my request. - -"Mistuh McKelvie?" she repeated after me, parrot-like. "No, suh, he -ain't home, no, suh." - -"Are you sure?" I persisted, holding out the note; for I recalled -Jenkins' remarks. - -"Ah ain't 'customed to tellin' no lies, young man," she responded with a -haughty toss of the head. - -"Will you please tell me then when I can find him at home?" I continued, -too weary to be amused by the incongruity of unkemptness trying to look -haughty and dignified. - -"About a week, suh. He's away, yessuh," and she pulled in her head and -slammed the window in my face. - - - - -CHAPTER XI - -ARTHUR TRENTON - - -Discouraged I returned to my car and as I drove across the Square it -suddenly occurred to me that it was somewhere in this vicinity that the -evening paper had stated that Cora Manning lodged. Her name carried me -back to the inquest and the coroner's attempts to learn the girl's -identity. It seemed strange now that I thought of it dispassionately, -that of all the persons present in the study not one had any idea who -she was. I did not for a moment credit the statement of the reporter who -claimed that Darwin had put down the first name that had occurred to him -merely to annoy Ruth. Men as a rule do not leave their fortunes on -impulse to the first person they happen to think of, and I was pretty -certain that Philip Darwin was no exception to this rule. If therefore -the uncle deemed her worthy to become his chief legatee, was it not more -than likely that the nephew was also acquainted with the girl? I -recalled the fact that Lee himself, in view of Ruth's statement, was -Darwin's real heir, yet he had not seemed to take it amiss that his -uncle intended to disinherit him, and I also recollected his peculiar -actions as he denied all knowledge of Cora Manning, and my own belief at -the time that he knew the girl well. - -Now I was convinced of the fact and acting on the impulse I headed the -car in the direction of the Yale Club, determined to see Lee Darwin and -learn the truth from him. When I arrived at my destination, I eagerly -ascended the steps and entered the club; for though not a member myself -I foresaw no difficulty in the way of securing an interview. To my -chagrin the steward to whom I confided my errand told me that Lee Darwin -had gone South the afternoon of the eighth, ostensibly on business, nor -as far as I could discover had he left any address behind. - -That he should leave the city the day after the murder without waiting -to attend his uncle's funeral, which was scheduled for the morrow, -seemed to me the height of disrespect. I began to wonder if Lee Darwin -had had a very urgent reason for leaving town as soon as possible. He -had sensed that his uncle was dead when he saw the coroner. Was it -because he was the murderer? If so, why had he been foolhardy enough to -return to the house, and how in the name of goodness had he vanished -from the study after killing his man in the dark! - -Whereupon I gave it up in disgust and went home. Jenkins had waited up -for me and had evidently been listening for my return, for hardly had I -inserted the key in the lock when he opened the door. - -"There's a gentleman waiting to see you, sir. He is in the library," he -said in a low tone, as he helped me off with my overcoat. "He refused to -give his name, sir." - -"Very well, Jenkins." I started down the hall when I heard him again at -my elbow. - -"Pardon my curiosity, sir," he whispered eagerly, "but did you see Mr. -McKelvie, sir?" - -"No. He is unfortunately away and won't be home for a week," I said -bitterly, realizing for the first time how much I had unconsciously -counted upon this man's aid. - -"Never mind, sir. The trial is two months away and in seven weeks Mr. -McKelvie can solve anything, sir." - -"Thank you for your encouragement at any rate," I answered, touched by -his desire to console me. - -"It's the truth, sir," he replied simply. - -"I wish I could think so," was my comment, but I did not speak it aloud. -Not for anything would I have hurt his feelings by displaying the doubts -which had descended upon me again as to the ability of this man he so -evidently worshipped. Instead I nodded agreement and stepped into the -library. - -"Mr. Trenton!" - -Ruth's father was the last person I had expected to see, for I still -held him responsible for all my misfortunes and I believe he was aware -of the state of my feelings in the matter, since he had refused to give -Jenkins his name, fearing that I might beg to be excused from seeing -him. But he had taken me unawares and there was no retreat after my -first exclamation. - -"Carlton, have they really dared to commit Ruth to jail?" he asked in a -voice that trembled with anger and emotion. - -I nodded dumbly, and abruptly he sat down and hid his face in his hands, -then as abruptly he rose and fell to pacing the room in an agitated -manner. Apathetically I watched him. I too had had my siege of walking -the floor. It was only fair that he should have his turn. - -That he was suffering as I had suffered I divined, but it had no effect -upon me beyond rousing a dull wonder and perhaps anger, that he should -look no older than when I saw him last, six months ago. But, no, I was -wrong. He was still the same spare man with a magnificent head of -snow-white hair above a massive brow and a pair of gray eyes, deep-set -and penetrating, but sorrow and pain had left their trace, for so I read -the meaning of the deep lines that had graven themselves around his -mobile mouth and sensitive nostrils. - -"Has counsel been appointed to defend her?" Mr. Trenton spoke so low and -his voice was so charged with emotion as he sank wearily into my big -chair, that his words made no impression on my brain and he was forced -to repeat them before I could comprehend sufficiently to answer in the -affirmative. - -"Mr. Vaughn will arrange for her defense," I added. - -"You will be permitted to testify in her behalf?" he inquired. - -"No, I'm the chief witness against her," I answered sadly. - -"What!" He was absolutely dumbfounded. - -"Haven't you read the papers?" I asked him. - -He shook his head. "I have been ill for days. To-day the doctor told me -I could go out. I overheard my hostess asking her husband if he thought -it would hurt me to tell me about Ruth. I at once demanded an -explanation and when I had been told that Ruth was in jail charged with -the murder of her husband, I waited to hear no more but took the train -and came straight to you. I naturally supposed--that is, of -course--knowing your love for her I assumed you would do your best to -free her by--by taking her side," he said brokenly. - -I sighed. Once more the miserable details had to be recounted and then I -laughed harshly. Mr. Trenton looked at me as though he thought that I -must have taken leave of my senses. For the moment I verily think I had, -for the thought came all unbidden that I was another Ancient Mariner -relating my tale to all who crossed my path, only I could not remember -what crime I had committed that I should be punished in so terrible a -manner. - -"Do you suppose it could have been in a former reincarnation?" I asked -him in all seriousness. - -"For heaven's sake, man, brace up!" cried Mr. Trenton alarmed. "You -can't afford to go to pieces now!" - -I passed my hand wearily across my brow. "I--I guess I'm pretty nearly -all in," I mumbled, sinking into a chair. - -Ruth's father looked across at me compassionately. "Poor boy," he said -gently. "I won't worry you for your story to-night." - -"Have you any objections to my remaining here with you?" he continued -presently, as I preserved an unbroken silence. "I--I can't bear to -return--to that crime-haunted house," he added with a shudder. - -"Certainly. Glad to have you. I'll ring for Jenkins," I murmured -vaguely, trying to rise. But my legs refused to support me and my head -fell back heavily against the cushions. - -When next I opened my eyes I was in my bed and Jenkins was moving softly -about the room. - -"What time is it, Jenkins?" I asked, sitting up. - -"Twelve-thirty, sir," responded Jenkins, pulling aside the curtains to -let in the light of day. - -"Have I been asleep all that time?" I inquired aghast. - -"You were very tired, sir. You hardly slept the night before," he -apologized for me. - -"Mr. Trenton is waiting luncheon for you, sir. He wants to know how you -are feeling, sir," he continued presently. - -The events of the previous evening flocked into my mind, and I felt the -blood surge into my cheeks. What a chicken-hearted fellow her father -must have thought me! - -"Tell Mr. Trenton I'll join him in the library in half an hour," I said -decisively. - -"Very well, sir." - -It was more than thirty minutes before I made my appearance, but I had -myself well in hand now and after luncheon, at which we spoke only of -common-places, I told him that I was ready to give him the details of -the case. Immovably he sat with his head bowed upon his hands while I -related the facts, nor did he interrupt by word or gesture at any time -during the recital. - -When I had finished he raised his head, and I was startled by the old -and haggard look upon his face. He had aged ten years in as many -minutes. - -"The sins of the father," he said, hoarsely. "Carlton, it's all my fault -that Ruth has killed that wretch!" - - - - -CHAPTER XII - -AN EXPLANATION - - -When a human being has run the gamut of horror and suffering in a short -space of time his mind ceases to be affected by further sensations. At -any other time I should have been appalled that Mr. Trenton could even -for a moment believe his daughter guilty. As it was, I merely accepted -his words as one more link in the chain of evidence against her. - -"My boy," he said humbly, "I know that you have held me responsible for -your misfortunes. And you are perfectly right to feel so. I, and I -alone, am to blame for all that has happened." - -He paused to wipe the moisture that had gathered on his forehead, -showing what an effort he was making to control his emotion. - -"But if I am to blame in spoiling the boy, I have been punished beyond -my due. You do not know, I hope you may never know the anguish, the -torture, the awful horror, of learning that the being you have -worshipped and adored is worthless clay, a--a common murderer! I was -frantic, crazy, and to save my boy I sacrificed my girl. And now, and -now--" He broke off with a sob and buried his head in his hands. - -"Mr. Trenton, don't. I'll stake my life that Ruth is innocent." I held -out my hand, touched as I had thought I no longer possessed the power to -be touched by his sorrow. Certainly if I had suffered, he had been in -hell. - -"My boy, you give me new life," he said, raising his head and taking my -hand. "I do not deserve your forgiveness." - -"It's all behind us, Mr. Trenton, and can't be undone. The task before -us is to free Ruth. We will work together toward that end," I answered. - -He was silent a moment, evidently pondering mentally some question, then -he said with the air of one who has arrived at a decision by which he -will abide whatever comes, "And the first step is to show you something -that I had hoped not to reveal. The very day of the murder I received a -letter from Dick stating--but you had better read it yourself." - -He took from his wallet a single sheet of notepaper which he handed me. -It was dated from Chicago two days before the murder and written in -Dick's unmistakable flowing hand. - - "Dear Dad," it began. - - "Philip Darwin has persecuted the Trenton family for the last time. - I have a weapon to use against him which will free Ruth and myself - from the bondage we are in to that cur. I am leaving for the East - to-morrow and when my task is completed, I shall call upon you at - Tarrytown. - - "Your repentant son, - - "DICK." - -When I finished reading I looked across at Mr. Trenton, wondering if to -him too had occurred the thought which possessed me. Could the weapon be -murder and the answer to the problem the fact that Ruth was shielding -her brother again? Then I shook my head. - -"If Dick was in the study how did he get away without my seeing him?" I -said aloud. "He couldn't vanish into thin air." - -"Carlton!" The word was a cry. "No, no, he would not dare again!" - -"What did he mean by weapon then?" I inquired bluntly. - -"Not--not murder! I could not bear that! No. I am sure he meant that he -had learned that Philip Darwin was his uncle," he said low. - -"His uncle!" I gasped, horrified. - -"Yes, his uncle. But not Ruth's, Carlton! No, no, she was no relation to -him," he reassured me quickly. - -My head began to whirl. Affairs were growing too complicated for me. "I -don't understand what you are talking about," I returned wearily. - -"I'll explain. It all happened so very long ago that I never mention it, -but the fact is that two years after Ruth's mother died I married Philip -Darwin's sister." - -"Darwin knew then that Dick was his nephew?" I asked when he paused. - -"No. No one knows it except myself. Philip Darwin could not have been -more than ten or so at the time, and I doubt if he remembers that he -ever had a sister. You see when I met her I had no idea who she was, for -she was acting under an assumed name. She had been on the stage six -months and was heartily sick of it when I was introduced to her. We fell -in love with each other and before the wedding she confided her story to -me. - -"Her father, Frank Darwin, was a stern, unyielding, puritanical man, who -had no use for what he called the lure of the world. On the other hand, -Leila was just eighteen, beautiful, proud, wilful. She had read of the -wonders of the stage and when her father opposed her desire to become an -actress she ran away from home. When he learned that she had actually -joined a theatrical company, he disinherited her and refused to have -anything further to do with her, forbidding his two sons, Robert, who -became Lee's father, and Philip, from ever mentioning her name or seeing -her again. She died when Dick was born, poor little girl, more than -twenty-five years ago, and I think I had almost forgotten the -relationship. A quarter century is more than ample time to erase a -memory," he ended with a sigh. - -I was silent for a while and then asked him why he had not told Philip -Darwin that Dick was his nephew, thus avoiding all the dire consequences -which had followed Darwin's threat of exposure. - -"Because it would have made no difference to him at all," answered Mr. -Trenton. "He wanted Ruth and if she had refused him he would have -revenged himself by exposing Dick, knowing that we would suffer far more -than he. Besides, he would have demanded proofs. I had none which I -could give him." - -"What about family resemblance?" - -Mr. Trenton shook his head. "They are both dark and about the same -build. That is as far as the resemblance goes, and that's no proof, for -Ruth is dark, too." - -"And you really think that Dick--" - -"Yes, I do. I believe that in some way the boy learned that he was -Darwin's nephew and hoped to use the knowledge to force Darwin to -divorce Ruth," he interrupted. - -This time it was I that disagreed. "But you said yourself that the -knowledge would cut no ice with Darwin," I said, impatiently. - -"But Dick wouldn't know that. He is young and to him it would seem only -natural that an uncle should desire to shield his nephew. The husband -bound to secrecy to preserve his good name would be unable to fight -proceedings if Ruth brought suit for divorce against him. At any rate, -that is how I read it." - -I did not like to say so, and thus shatter his fool's paradise, for he -was entitled to any consolation which he could draw from his deductions. -To me, however, there were two flaws in his reasoning. In the first -place, if Mr. Trenton was the only one who knew his wife's identity and -he had almost forgotten it, how in the name of all the gods had Dick -learned it? And in the second place, I was firmly convinced that Mr. -Richard Trenton stood in no ignorance of Mr. Philip Darwin's true -character and would be under no delusions as to the exact reception such -knowledge would receive. - -No, Dick had some other weapon in mind, and the only one which would -free both himself and Ruth at one stroke was the death of Philip Darwin. -Dick had killed a man once under less provocation. What was to prevent -his repeating the act when he realized the injustice that had been done -Ruth in forcing her to marry such a man? But in that event why had he -not come forward to free Ruth from jail? Surely he had not sunk so low -that he would permit her to pay the extreme penalty for his act. It's -true that she was allowed to shield him once, but I very much doubt -whether Dick knew anything of it until after the wedding when his -coming forward would certainly have created a terrible scandal without -in the least bettering conditions for Ruth. - -Besides, the whole thing was illogical. If Dick killed Darwin to free -Ruth, it was ridiculous to suppose that he would then run away and leave -her to face the consequences. I was more inclined to believe that the -boy had discovered some counter-knowledge which would buy his freedom -from exposure. He had been in New York the day of the murder, or should -have been, according to his letter. Why then did he remain in hiding, or -had he returned to Chicago without making use of his "weapon" when he -learned that Darwin was dead? On the other hand, that would also be a -senseless proceeding, for Darwin dead, he, Dick, had nothing further to -fear. - -The whole affair was a muddle and growing more complicated at every -turn, and I heartily wished that Dick would show up to settle all doubts -on his score at least. - -As if in answer to my thought, the phone in the hall rang sharply and -Jenkins appeared to announce that Headquarters would like to speak with -me. I sighed. What new evidence had they discovered now, I thought -savagely, and my "hello" must have sounded like a roar in the -Inspector's ear. - -When he was through explaining I leaned limply against the wall and -wiped my forehead with a trembling hand. - -"Jenkins!" I said hoarsely. "Ask him if--if--it's really true!" - -Jenkins took the receiver from my nerveless hand and spoke into the -phone. "Yes, sir. I'll tell him, yes, sir." He rang off and turned to -me, his long face graver than ever. - -"He says there is no mistake, sir. And he'd be obliged if you and Mr. -Trenton would receive Detective Jones and give him all necessary -information, sir." - -"Would you tell him--now?" I asked dully. - -"It would be far kinder, sir," answered Jenkins. "I'm very sorry, sir." - -I went slowly back into the library wondering how best to break the news -to Mr. Trenton. My face must have told him much, for he sprang toward me -with a sharp exclamation. - -"Dick!" he cried. "You have news of Dick?" - -I nodded, for I was unable to speak. - -"Don't keep me in suspense, Carlton! What is it? Have they--" Then he -turned away and sought a chair. "You need not tell me," he said very -quietly. "I know that he is dead." - -"Yes." I found my voice, but I hardly knew it for my own. "Yes, he--he -drowned himself in the East River early this morning!" - - - - -CHAPTER XIII - -THE SUICIDE - - -I had anticipated trouble when I gave Mr. Trenton the Inspector's -message, but shock seemed to have rendered his sensibilities numb for -the time being and he made no demur about receiving the emissary from -Headquarters. - -It was just two-thirty, the hour set for Philip Darwin's funeral, when -the Inspector called me and while I awaited the arrival of Detective -Jones my thoughts reverted to the funeral. I pictured to myself the -solitary coffin being lowered into its grave unmourned and unattended by -any save the faithful Mason, for I do not count the idle and the curious -who merely come to gape and stare and be amused. - -He had been rich and popular, with a host of friends, yet I was willing -to wager that not one had taken the trouble to escort the body to its -final resting-place, and though I had never had any use for the man -while living, still my heart was strangely stirred by the spectacle of -desolation which I had evoked. Death is after all dread enough without -the added knowledge that no single human being will shed a tear at our -passage from this earth. Even his own flesh and blood had turned from -him, and for a minute I was sorry I had not attended. If I have one -regret in all this terrible business it is that one omission to -accompany the dead on its journey to the grave. - -"Mr. Davies, how do you do, sir," said Jones, entering and breaking in -abruptly on my thought, for I had not heard his ring. "And this -gentleman is Mr. Trenton, I take it?" - -"Yes, Mr. Jones. I have told him the sad news. You--you wish him to -identify the body?" I asked, returning to earth with a decided jolt, -mental if not physical. - -"Unfortunately," answered Jones, with a commiserating look at Mr. -Trenton, who sat staring vacantly into space, "the body has not yet been -recovered. I really don't need it, but thought I might as well have an -identification of his belongings." - -He placed the package he had brought with him upon the table and opened -it, exposing to view a gray suit of good material, a rather shabby cap, -a watch, and a pocket notebook. - -"These articles," he said, speaking rather loudly to attract Mr. -Trenton's attention, "were found in a lodging-house on Water Street. -Yesterday about noon, a dark young man, not any too well-dressed, and -looking dishevelled and unkempt, applied for lodgings, and was taken in -by the landlady, Mrs. Blake, herself. He spent the afternoon and early -evening wandering about among the wharves and spoke to several loungers -to whom he made no secret of where he was staying. This morning, before -it was light, this strange lodger arose and went out. Mrs. Blake saw him -go, but thought he was going to work. Fifteen minutes later someone -banged on her door to tell her that her lodger had thrown himself into -the river and had drowned. She was frightened and called the police. On -the wharf was found the cap he had worn and in his room those other -articles in a suitcase." - -The detective paused in his narrative to pick up the watch. "The -clothes are new and give no clue except that they evidently belonged to -a gentleman. This watch is more helpful. Do you recognize it, Mr. -Trenton?" - -Mr. Trenton, still somewhat dazed by the rapid sequence of the other's -story, received the watch with tender reverence, looked at it, nodded, -and passed it to me. How well I remembered that gold time-piece of -biscuit thinness, with its plain R. T. engraved upon the back, which Mr. -Trenton had given Dick on his twenty-first birthday! And in further -proof, if such were needed, the inside of the case held a round kodak -picture of Ruth and Dick, taken on the same day! - -No, there could be no mistake as to the identity of Mrs. Blake's lodger! - -"The watch is really superfluous evidence," continued Jones. "In that -notebook we found your name, Mr. Trenton, written along with his on the -sheet reserved for identification." - -He opened the book and showed us the page which had a place for name, -address, parentage, age, height, etc. Dick had filled in only his own -name and his father's. - -"You identify the handwriting?" asked Jones. - -"Yes, it's my son's," returned Mr. Trenton in that same monotonous tone -in which he had first spoken of Dick's death. - -"Knowing that these articles belonged to Mr. Richard Trenton, and -knowing also that he was Mrs. Darwin's brother, we had these things -brought to Headquarters for investigation, because we thought there -might be some connection between this suicide and the murder of Philip -Darwin." - -"I don't believe that Dick had anything to do with the murder," I said -slowly. "Surely you are not of the opinion that he killed Darwin?" - -"Well, hardly, since he wasn't in the study when the crime was -committed. What I meant was that he might have been the instigator; and -she, the tool, as it were." - -I stiffened. "What do you mean?" I asked coldly. - -"This." Jones spoke sharply. "I have been delving into Richard Trenton's -past history. One of the things I learned from a former servant was the -fact that six months ago Richard Trenton came home hurriedly one night -in company with Philip Darwin and that after a consultation with Mr. -Trenton, the boy was packed out West. The next night, according to the -same servant, Philip Darwin came to the house and was closeted with Mr. -Trenton and his daughter for several hours. When Darwin finally left, -Mr. Trenton looked ten years older and Miss Trenton was in tears. Two -weeks later, to the servant's astonishment, she married not you, but -Philip Darwin." - -He looked at me shrewdly and I nodded in confirmation of his story. -"Having satisfied myself that there was decided connection between the -flight of the brother and the marriage of the sister, I proceeded to -trace Richard Trenton's movements on the night of the murder. He came to -New York on the seventh of October and arrived at Grand Central at 10.10 -p. m. From there he took a taxi to the Corinth Hotel. He registered, -went to his room, and in a few minutes came down again and went out on -foot. He returned to the hotel about one o'clock. According to the night -clerk he looked haggard and weary. The next morning he paid his bill -and again left on foot. To-day, the tenth, he commits suicide. Mrs. -Darwin declares she has not seen her brother since he left for Chicago, -but admits corresponding with him and refuses to say about what. Now, -the question is, What was he doing between the time he left the hotel -and one o'clock on the night of the murder? Where did he go between the -morning of the eighth and the afternoon of the ninth? Did he instigate -the murder and then in remorse commit suicide?" - -"No, I don't believe it," I said stoutly. "You have learned so much that -I think the best course which I can follow is complete frankness. -However, there is no need to rake dead ashes, so I will merely say that -Dick was forced to leave New York and that Philip Darwin had the boy in -his power because he knew the reason for Dick's flight. And basely -Darwin used his knowledge to force Mrs. Darwin to marry him to save her -brother from exposure." - -"I see, and of course it strengthens my point. Driven to desperation -young Trenton may have returned with intentions to kill Darwin," put in -Jones. - -"Yes," I interjected eagerly, "and very probably he went so far as the -Darwin home that night. Then he may have thought better of it and -tramped about as one will when fighting a mental battle. In the morning -he left with intentions of returning to Chicago. Then he read of the -murder in the papers and decided to lie low and see what happened. When -he learned that his sister was arrested, he probably considered himself -the primal cause of all the trouble and in a fit of despondency drowned -himself." - -I was quite proud of the theory I had evolved and doubtless it was the -right one. Jones weighed it in his mind and then he said, "You're right, -Mr. Davies, that's probably just what did take place." - -"Besides, if he had instigated the murder, since he was putting himself -beyond the power of the law, he would have left behind a written -confession to that effect," I added. - -"Yes, that's so. Well, I guess we can say he had nothing to do with it -after all. Probably thought he was morally responsible. 'In pace -requiescat.'" - -"Amen to that," I answered so surprised to hear him quote Latin that for -a space I could find nothing to say. - -"There is no hope of finding the body?" I asked when I had recovered my -mental balance. - -"I'm afraid not. It has probably been carried out to sea." - -"You are certain that he drowned himself," I persisted, for I recalled -that Dick could swim. - -"Yes, he was seen and recognized by the men to whom he had spoken the -previous evening. They saw him throw himself into the river. Before they -could reach him he had gone down beyond recall." - -"I should like to interview Mrs. Blake and the others," I said, not with -any hope of discovering a flaw in the evidence, but because I could not -endure to witness the poor father's silent grief. - -"Certainly, Mr. Davies. I have my car outside. I will take you there -myself," answered Jones affably. - -As the detective began to wrap Dick's belongings, Mr. Trenton, who I am -confident had heard no word of our conversation, suddenly realized that -the conference was over and leaning forward took the watch from the -table. - -"May I keep it?" he begged. - -"Yes, we have sufficient evidence in case we should need it," answered -the detective. - -"I'll be with you in a moment," I said, for I wished to give Jenkins -directions to keep an eye on Ruth's father. When I returned Jones had -his package under his arm and though he said good-by, Mr. Trenton did -not respond. - -"Poor old chap," he whispered. "It must have been an awful blow to him." - -"Worse than anyone can imagine," I returned, thinking of the confession -he had made. So we went out, leaving him there alone with the thoughts -of his dead. - -We drove in silence to Water Street and pulled up before a shabby old -house. Decidedly Mrs. Blake's was not the type of home I should have -picked out to live in, but when one has no intention of using one's -lodging, the more obscure the better, I imagine. And it certainly was -obscure, and dingy and ill-smelling. - -I was shown the room in which Dick had slept and where he had left his -clothes, and it struck me that if he hired that room to remain unknown, -he had been very negligent in leaving his belongings around. Then I -decided he chose that locality because it was near the river and the -river was the most convenient end he could think of. Poor Dick! - -I talked with the men who had witnessed the suicide, I was even shown -the place where the event occurred, and the point where the body -submerged! It was all very gruesome and alas, all too true! The only -thing that puzzled me was why the lad had done it. - -It was one thing to convince Jones, but quite another to satisfy myself -that my reasoning was correct. Dick was not despondent by nature and -though he might hold himself responsible for Ruth's marriage, surely he -would have the sense to see that committing suicide would only add to -her sorrow without in the least aiding to free her. I gave it up unless -he really killed Darwin and feared to face the consequences, but that -would make him out a despicable creature indeed, and I resolutely closed -my mind to such a suggestion. - -When I reached home Mr. Trenton put into words the thought I had refused -to harbor. - -"Carlton," he said, with the calm of desperation. "I have been thinking -things over and I believe you are right. We will go to Ruth and tell her -that it is useless for her to shield Dick any longer." - - - - -CHAPTER XIV - -GRAYDON MCKELVIE - - -It was easy enough for me to procure through Mr. Vaughn an interview -with Ruth and the next afternoon Mr. Trenton and I visited her in the -prison, or rather in that gray reception-room which is as far as -outsiders may come in the Tombs. She was delighted to see her father, -concerning whose silence she had been quite worried, and when he broke -down and told of yesterday's happenings, she wept with him for a few -minutes, then quietly dried her eyes and set herself to comfort him. -What she said I do not know, for I did not like to intrude myself upon -their sorrow, and I withdrew to the other end of the room and looked out -the grated window. - -To think that Ruth, my beloved, should have to spend her days in such a -place, barred from association with her friends, and from the blessed -light of day, innocent of any wrong, yet suffering for some wretch's -crime! Ruth and the horrible creatures who infested the jail! The -thought goaded me to desperation. Abruptly I swung back toward her and -spoke hoarsely, - -"Ruth, for God's sake if you are shielding Dick, tell us at once, for I -can stand this suspense no longer!" - -She had been seated on a chair beside her father, but at my cry she -jumped up and came to me. Verily I must have been mad, I think, for I -caught her to me and kissed her again and again. A moment she clung to -me, then she pushed me away. - -"Carlton! No, you must not!" she sobbed. "No, no," as I followed her, -"not until I am cleared of the shadow of murder!" - -"You have committed no crime," I replied savagely. "What do I care for -the world's opinion!" And I caught her to me once more. - -"Carlton! If you kiss me again I--I shall hate you!" she whispered -fiercely. - -Instantly I released her and walked rapidly away to the other end of the -room. - -"Carlton, please don't be angry," she said, brokenly, timidly touching -my arm with the tips of her fingers, "but, oh, my dear, if you kill my -self-respect what in all the world have I left to offer you!" - -Humbly I carried her hand to my lips. "Forgive me, dear. I don't deserve -to be allowed even the privilege of looking upon you." - -She gave me a smile so forgiving that it brought the tears to my eyes, -and seeing how I was moved she turned away to her father. - -"Ruth," he said, relieving the tension, "we have come here, Carlton and -I, to ask you a question." - -"Yes, Daddy," she replied, softly, sitting down beside him again. - -He drew out Dick's letter and handed it to her. When she had read it he -explained the process of reasoning that had led him to believe that Dick -had killed Darwin and had then committed suicide. - -"And now, Ruth, if you saw him there in the study and helped him to -escape, if you are shielding him as you did once before, I hope you -realize that he is quite unworthy and that it is too much of a sacrifice -for you to suffer for his crime." - -He had spoken with difficulty, showing how much the words cost him, yet -determined to make amends for all the wrong that had been done to Ruth, -both by himself and Dick. When he finished she looked from him to me in -utter bewilderment. - -"I am shielding no one, Daddy. And as far as I know Dick was not in the -study when I was there." - -There was no mistaking her sincerity. She was telling the truth and the -whole business was a worse tangle than ever before. - -"Besides," she added, "I do not think Dick would do such a thing." - -"He did once," returned her father, gloomily. - -"But, Daddy, dear, he did not know what he was doing and it--it was -Phil's fault for giving him that pistol. I have mothered him for years -and I know. Whatever reason he had for committing suicide, Daddy, rest -assured in the conviction that he did not kill my husband." - -A ray of hope lighted Mr. Trenton's face. "You really believe that, -Ruth? You are not saying it just to comfort me?" - -She laid a hand upon his arm as she answered quietly, "I don't believe -it, Daddy. I know he did not murder Phil." - -After that we could not believe it either, and so we were back once more -exactly where we started from. In other words, we were moving in circles -which ended where they had begun: namely, in the police's assertion that -Ruth was guilty, a beginning which we knew to be false on the face of -it, but which we had no means of proving to anyone's satisfaction. - -"The only thing to do is to hire a competent detective," said Mr. -Trenton emphatically, that night at dinner. - -This recalled McKelvie to my mind. "I have one in view," I answered, -"but he is away at present." - -"Hire another one then," he retorted. - -But I preferred to wait, for as I said before I had not much use for -detectives, private or police, and the only reason that McKelvie -appealed to me at all was because he did not seem from Jenkins' account -to have much in common with the usual sleuth. Then Mr. Trenton wanted to -rush out and employ a man on his own initiative, but this also I -negatived, since no detective was far better than a mediocre fellow -without a grain of imagination. I remembered Jones, and shuddered for -Ruth. - -I should like to say right here that if the reader thinks that both Mr. -Trenton and I got over our grief at Dick's horrible end very rapidly, he -must remember that human beings cannot be kept at high tension for a -great length of time or the brain would snap. Everyday occurrences and -the dire need of doing something for Ruth pushed to the background more -recent happenings, particularly when Jenkins brought me word late that -same night that Graydon McKelvie would see me at his home. - -Mr. Trenton of course desired to accompany me, but I finally dissuaded -him, telling him that it was better that only one of us should apply to -McKelvie, especially as I had been forewarned that he was rather -eccentric. To which Mr. Trenton grudgingly agreed, and I set out to -interview this solver of crimes with a fluttering heart, for upon him I -based all my remaining hopes. - -As I sat in the cosy little sitting-room of the old house on Stuyvesant -Square to which I had been conducted by a better combed and more civil -Dinah with the announcement that "Mistuh McKelvie'll be down in a -secun', sah," I conjured a vision of the type of man I expected to see. -I evolved a cross between an oddity and a mental Sampson, a fretful, -thin man, with a head too big for his body, who would speak in a -querulous high-pitched voice. - -The man who entered the room at that moment and came toward me with -extended hand was none of these things. He was a slender, well-dressed -young man, well above the medium height, with a pleasant, but rather -rugged cast of countenance, whose main features were a tenacious chin -and a pair of brilliant black eyes. But when he spoke my name I forgot -his appearance. Never had I heard such a melodious voice. It soothed the -ear with its mellow richness and remained in the mind long after it had -ceased, like the echo of some clear-toned bell. And such was its power -that by merely pronouncing my name he had made me believe that he alone -of all the world could possibly solve the problem which was well-nigh -overwhelming me. - -Later I came to know him better and I should have liked him even without -the added attraction of his voice, for he was a refined and cultured -man, extremely clever, if eccentric, whose main idiosyncrasies seemed to -be confined to a whole-souled worship of Sherlock Holmes, a decidedly -autocratic manner, and a fondness for speaking satirically, even at the -expense of his friends. - -"Jenkins has told me that you have a problem which you wish me to look -into," he said, motioning me to be seated as he settled himself in a -large arm-chair. "Will you give me briefly the details of the case?" - -I am afraid my story was far from brief, for I told him everything from -the moment I heard the shot, through the inquest, to Dick's suicide. He -listened attentively to every word without comment and when I was -through he briskly assumed command. - -"I have read of the crime in the papers," he said, "but I must study the -coroner's personal notes of the inquest, before I come to a decision." - -He rose and walked to his desk as he spoke, where he scratched off a few -lines on a sheet of notepaper, which he enclosed in an envelope. - -"What was the reason for young Trenton's removal from New York six -months ago?" he asked abruptly, turning toward me as he sealed the -envelope. - -"Is it necessary to the investigation?" I inquired, loth to reveal the -family skeleton. - -"I do not ask unnecessary questions," he returned coldly. - -Without more ado I related the affair in all its sordid details. When I -finished he held out the envelope which he still retained in his hand. -"Kindly tell Jenkins to take this note to Coroner Graves," he said. -"Meet me here at ten o'clock to-morrow for your answer. Good-night, Mr. -Davies." - -Before I could adjust my thoughts to his rapid speech I found myself in -the street looking in some perplexity at the closed door of Graydon -McKelvie's house. - -"Well, I'll be hanged!" I exclaimed wrathfully, as I climbed into my -car. - -I drove away in no very pleased frame of mind at the reception I had -received, for when I reviewed the conversation I realized that he had -not compromised himself to help me at all. The moment I reached home, -however, I forgot my annoyance at the cavalier way I had been treated. -The sudden transformation of Jenkins' lugubrious countenance into an -ecstatic smile as he hastened to carry out McKelvie's command, for -that's just what it was, made me feel sanguine once more of that -gentleman's aid. I put down his manner, therefore, to eccentricity and -the natural desire to know more of the problem before he promised to -bring his faculties to bear upon it. - -I passed the evening in Elysium and I came down to earth with a bang -when promptly at ten o'clock the next morning, in answer to my query, -McKelvie tossed a sheet of paper across the table to me with the remark: - -"Find the answers to those questions and you'll have the name of the -person who committed the crime." - -I looked at him, sitting smoking unconcernedly, to the paper in my hand, -undecided which to tackle first, when my mind caught the sense of the -words before me. After that I forgot my surroundings until I had -absorbed every line that McKelvie had written. The document was drawn up -in the form of a series of questions, with sufficient space below each -one to insert the proper answer, and it read as follows: - -(1) Why was the pistol fired at midnight? - -(2) Did the murderer also light the lamp? - -(3) How did the murderer enter and leave the study? - -(4) What was the motive for the murder? - -(5) Why did the doctors disagree, and which was in the right? - -(6) Why did Philip Darwin put that ring on his finger and then pull it -off? - -(7) Whose is the blood-stained handkerchief? - -(8) Where did the second bullet go? - -(9) Why is there so much evidence against Mrs. Darwin, and who would -most desire to injure her? - -(10) Is Cora Manning the woman in the case and if so, who and what is -she? - -(11) What has become of Darwin's securities? - -(12) What is Lee Darwin's connection with the affair? - -(13) Why did Richard Trenton come to New York and then commit suicide? - -(14) What is the relation between Mr. Cunningham and the murdered man? - -(15) Which one of those having a sufficient motive for killing Darwin -answers to the following description: clever, unprincipled, and -absolutely cold-blooded? - -"Find the answers to those questions!" I repeated when I had devoured -the sheet with my eyes. "It would take me a lifetime! For mercy's sake, -don't fail me now when I have only you to depend on to help me!" I -cried. - -With an odd smile he took his pipe from his mouth and tapped the bowl -upon his open palm. Then he looked at me and spoke abruptly, "If I take -this case it will be on one condition." - -"A thousand if you wish," I exclaimed impatiently. - -"No, only one, that when I give commands they shall be obeyed -implicitly, even though you may not be able to perceive their wisdom at -the time." - -I blinked at the unexpectedness of the answer and then held out my hand. -"It shall be as you say, Mr. McKelvie, only don't let them convict -Ruth." - -He clasped my hand. "I won't, Mr. Davies, if she is guiltless, and my -first command is this: I want an interview with Mrs. Darwin this -afternoon." - - - - -CHAPTER XV - -THE INTERVIEW - - -When we entered the Tombs that afternoon I noticed that several of the -wardens smiled at McKelvie, as if his presence were a familiar one in -that place of horrors. The matron too was very accommodating, more so -than she had been to me, when McKelvie suggested that she stand out in -the corridor when Ruth arrived. I noticed, however, that though she did -as he asked and moved out of earshot, she remained where she could keep -an eye upon our movements. - -When I presented Graydon McKelvie to Ruth and explained his mission, she -gave him such a sweet, pathetic smile and wished him success in so -gentle a manner that he was won over to her cause on the spot. - -"Mrs. Darwin," he said, with feeling, in that wonderful voice of his, -"my best is the least I can offer you." - -From that moment I had no misgivings as to the outcome of the affair. -Let come what would, Graydon McKelvie would prove Ruth innocent, not -because he believed, but because like myself he knew her to be innocent. - -"Mrs. Darwin," McKelvie was saying gently, "in order to get at the -bottom of this matter it will be necessary to ask you certain pertinent -questions. I trust you won't be offended by anything I may say and also -that you will answer me truthfully in every case." - -"I will tell you anything you desire to know," she answered quietly. - -"The coroner's inquest brought out a number of facts which do not, in my -estimation, agree with one another. You say the study was in darkness -when you entered, yet the lamp was lighted after the shot was fired. You -are sure you did not light it yourself, unconsciously, perhaps?" he -inquired in a brisk manner. - -"I did not touch it," she answered with conviction. "I had just picked -up the pistol and was standing beside the chair some distance from the -table when the lamp apparently lighted itself." - -"If someone had pulled the cord of the lamp would you have been able to -see that person?" he persisted. - -"Yes, for I turned toward the table the minute the light went on. There -was no one there--except Phil--and myself," she said low. - -"Point to investigate," he muttered, making a note in a small black -book. "Memo: How was the light turned on? - -"Now, Mrs. Darwin, please go back in your mind to the moment when you -heard the shot. What part of the room did it appear to come from?" he -continued. - -"I--I'm afraid I couldn't say." - -"Did it sound very close to you, or far away?" he prompted. - -"Quite close. It was deafening," she said. - -"Did it sound in front or behind you?" he continued, patiently. - -"Behind, I think." - -He nodded. "You say you trod on the pistol as you moved forward. You did -not hear it fall near you, for instance?" - -"No, when I heard the shot I involuntarily closed my eyes. It's a habit -with me when anything startles me. When I opened them again I took a -step and trod on something hard. I heard no sound at all." - -"I see. You did not know the object was a pistol you said?" - -"I did not know it. I merely felt something hard under my foot and in a -dazed way I picked it up, without actually being conscious of what it -was." - -"One thing more. Supposing there had been someone behind you, could you -have heard that person?" - -"No. The carpet is very thick and absolutely deadens any footfall. -Besides I do not see how anyone could have been back of me for I heard -no one breathing." - -"That doesn't follow. A person might have stood far enough away so that -you would not notice the breathing, particularly if that person took -pains that you shouldn't. And now we come to the breathing that you did -hear. Where did it seem to come from?" - -"It was right beside me, very, very close." - -"Was it normal, hurried breathing, or was it labored?" - -"Oh, horrible! A--a gasping sort of breath!" - -"What advice did Mr. Cunningham give you at the inquest?" he asked, with -a sudden change of subject. - -"I don't understand what you mean, Mr. McKelvie," she answered, -surprised. - -"The coroner appointed him your counsel pro tem. and he left the room to -consult with you. Did he not tell you what you should or should not say -in answer to the coroner's questions?" he explained. - -"Oh, no. He merely sent word by a policeman that I was to come down and -that he considered it best that I tell frankly all that had happened -that night. I did not see him until I came into the study and he first -spoke to me, advising me to answer," she replied. - -He made one or two more notes and then held out his hand. "Thank you, -Mrs. Darwin. You have helped me materially. Good-by for the present." - -"Good-by, Mr. McKelvie. Good-by, Carlton. See how quickly you can solve -this mystery, won't you please? It's horrible there!" and she pointed -toward the corridor. - -"I will do my very best, Mrs. Darwin, but don't hope too soon, for the -way is long and dark," returned McKelvie with deep sympathy. - -When she had disappeared from sight around the bend of the corridor, he -spoke again. "She's a brave little woman," he said, greatly moved. "God -grant I'm not too late!" - -I was silent, for Ruth's incarceration was the one subject I dared not -permit myself to dwell on if I desired to retain my sanity, and in -another moment McKelvie himself had changed the subject. - -"By the way, I clean forgot to ask her a rather important question," he -said, and he called to the warden, who brought Ruth back as far as the -door of the reception-room. Somehow I could not bear to part from Ruth -again and as there was no necessity for me to show myself, I remained -where I could hear him without being seen. - -"I'm sorry to disturb you again, Mrs. Darwin, but I forgot to ask you -this question. Why did you deny knowing Cora Manning at the inquest?" - -I was surprised, but Ruth said calmly, "I don't know her, Mr. McKelvie." - -"But you know who she is," he returned, smiling. - -"Will it help you?" - -"Very much." - -"She's Lee Darwin's fiancée. I have never met her, but one day he -confided in me and showed me her picture. She is a very beautiful and -noble girl, so please don't drag her into this inquiry, for whatever -Phil's motives in leaving his money to her, I am sure that she is -innocent of any knowledge of his actions," she pleaded. - -"I won't bring her into it unless it's absolutely necessary," he -replied. - -"Are you a mind-reader?" I inquired as we walked slowly across the -courtyard to the men's building and so out into the street. - -"Not that I'm aware of," he replied seriously. "What makes you ask?" - -"I'd have sworn that Ruth had never even heard of Cora Manning," I said. - -"That's because you hear and see without observing," he explained. "I -read what you heard: namely, that Coroner Graves, dissatisfied with Mrs. -Darwin's first answer, asked her again if she knew Cora Manning. The -inference was plain. She knew or knew of this girl and hesitated to say -no or yes. By the time the coroner repeated his question she had made up -her mind." - -"That's so. Now that you mention it, I recall that she seemed disturbed -by the question. And so she is Lee's fiancée, yet he denied all -knowledge of her," I mused aloud. "Strange that everyone should have -been so intent on shrouding her identity in mystery. What was their -reason, do you suppose?" I asked suddenly. - -McKelvie shrugged. "I do not know--yet. 'There are more things in heaven -and earth than are dreamed of in your philosophy, Horatio,'" he said -lightly. - -I opened my eyes wide at this apt quotation for I did not know him then -as I do now and I pondered in silence upon the oddity of hearing a -detective spout Shakespeare, until I remembered that Jenkins had said -that McKelvie was not a detective in the ordinary sense of the word. - -"Very kind of Jenkins," said McKelvie aloud. "By the way I phoned him to -meet us at the Darwin house. I may need him in the course of the -afternoon." - -In view of his stipulation and fearing to lose him before he had begun -work on the case, I murmured hastily, "That's quite all right," then I -gasped and looked into his amused, slightly ironical eyes. - -"Why, man, it's marvelous," I said. - -"What is?" he asked coolly, although he knew exactly what I meant. - -"Your reading of my thought," I replied. "Why you might almost be -Sherlock Holmes himself." - -"No. I lay no such flattering unction to my soul, if you will pardon the -misquotation. Sherlock Holmes is in a class by himself. No one can touch -him, but I have studied his methods and in this case it was not very -difficult to guess what you were thinking when you eyed me so hard and -murmured, 'Jenkins,' unconsciously, particularly when I know Jenkins so -well." - -We had been walking up Center Street as we talked, in total disregard of -the fact that my car was parked in front of the Tombs, but now McKelvie -paused abruptly and I saw that we were standing in front of Police -Headquarters. - -"I had intended going out to Riverside Drive at once, but I have changed -my mind," McKelvie explained. "I want to look at the exhibits before I -view the scene of the crime. The scent is decidedly cold. I must see -what I can do to warm the trail." - -"Do you think the police will let you see them?" I asked dubiously. - -"We can do no more than ask. I have influence yonder," with a nod of the -head toward the massive abode of the representatives of law and order. -"Besides I would be a poor specimen indeed if I couldn't bamboozle Jones -into giving me whatever I want." - -"You know Jones, then?" - -"We have crossed one another's paths occasionally. Why?" - -"He's persuaded Ruth is guilty. He unearthed most of the evidence -against her," I warned, "and he will guard it jealously." - -"Not Jones. It's only natural that you should be prejudiced against him, -of course. But really he's not a bad sort, and he's only doing his duty -as he sees it." - -"You are not small-minded at any rate," I answered smiling. - -"Oh, well, I always believe in giving the devil his due," he returned -with a mocking laugh as he ascended the steps. - - - - -CHAPTER XVI - -THE EXHIBITS - - -We entered the building and at McKelvie's request Detective Jones was -sent for. We awaited his arrival in silence, merely because McKelvie -refused to talk, but he found his golden tongue readily enough when -Jones came forward and blandly inquired what he could do for us. - -The police detective was a shorter man than McKelvie, but heavier of -build, with a pleasant enough face and fairly agreeable manners. He -seemed to consider himself well enough acquainted with McKelvie -magnanimously to overlook his eccentricities, and asked in a bantering -way what he expected to get out of a case which had already been -satisfactorily solved by the police. - -McKelvie laughed good-humoredly, and answered in kind. "I was asked to -investigate," he said, "and my aim, you know, is always to oblige." - -"Whom? Yourself or your client?" inquired Jones shrewdly. - -"My client, of course," McKelvie returned sententiously. "But, -seriously, Jones, I did not come here to exchange witticisms, pleasant -though it is to me to do so with such an opponent as yourself." - -"What did you come for then, you blarneyer?" demanded Jones. - -"I want a look at the exhibits. Come now, be a sport and show them to -me." - -"They will be of no use to you," answered Jones a trifle suspiciously. -"They are all evidence against the accused." - -"What's the objection then to showing them to me?" McKelvie responded. -"I just want to satisfy my client that I have done everything possible -to solve the case. I don't expect to learn anything from them." - -Jones shrugged. "We have deduced all there is to learn and you are -welcome to that," he said quietly. - -"But not welcome to look at the articles themselves, is that it?" -returned McKelvie, with a curl of the lip. Then he laughed outright. - -"Say it. Go ahead. Don't spare me," remarked Jones with a grimace. - -"I was wondering how soon it would be before you would be coming to me -for advice, as you did in that last case of yours," McKelvie answered -reflectively. - -Jones flushed, then grinned. "You win," he said, and ushered us into his -private office. From a cupboard in a corner of the room he produced the -articles in question, and placed them on the flat-topped desk before us. - -McKelvie picked up the pistol and examined it carefully. "Mrs. Darwin's -finger-prints, I understand?" - -"Yes." - -"Anyone else's?" - -"No." - -"Dear, dear, that's too bad." McKelvie laid down the pistol and poked -the bullet with his forefinger. - -"Another theory gone up in smoke?" asked Jones, with a laugh. - -"More or less. Sure the bullet fits the pistol?" - -"As sure as human beings can be of anything in this world. We had the -fellow from whom both pistol and bullets were purchased examine the -weapon." - -"So. You're sharper than I'd have given you credit for being." - -"The police are not overlooking anything in this case," retorted Jones -with some pomposity. - -"Exhibit three--two handkerchiefs," muttered McKelvie. "Where did they -come from?" - -"The blood-stained one was in Mr. Darwin's hand. The other belongs to -Mrs. Darwin. As you see, they are identical," explained Jones. - -McKelvie sniffed at each one critically in turn, and then without any -warning of his intention, passed the blood-stained handkerchief suddenly -beneath my nose. Instinctively I drew back, inhaling involuntarily as I -did so, and then I blinked and looked at McKelvie. But he was engrossed -in reading the sheaf of bills and taking this as a sign that he did not -wish his action remarked upon, I busied my brain in trying to recall the -name of that delicate fragrance that for one fleeting second had -assailed my nostrils when McKelvie brushed my face with the -handkerchief. But try as I would I could not remember, and I decided to -ask McKelvie the name of the perfume when we were once more alone. In -the interest aroused by more pressing matters, however, I completely -forgot the trifling episode. - -By this time McKelvie had opened the cash box and was engaged in peering -at the stoneless ring through his lens. - -"Thank you, Jones," he said, replacing the ring beside the other -objects. "But, hello, what's in this envelope?" - -"Burnt scraps of the torn will. And look here, you have overlooked the -will he was making," returned Jones, pushing forward a heavy sheet of -paper. - -"I noticed that," responded McKelvie indifferently. "May I look inside -this envelope?" - -"Surely. You will find that the most interesting scraps are the one with -the name Darwin and the one with the partially burned letter R," -explained Jones. - -As in the case of the ring, McKelvie used his lens on the scraps, then -he replaced them in the envelope. - -"Thank you, Jones. Some day I hope to return the favor." - -Jones, who had been highly amused by McKelvie's actions, waived aside -the other's acknowledgment with a lordly air. "You are welcome to -whatever you learned. Not much, was it?" he said. - -"No, not much," replied McKelvie with a twinkle, adding as we passed out -of earshot, "not much but quite enough, thank you, Mr. Jones." - -"Then you did learn something of importance after all," I remarked as, -seated once more in my car, we drove swiftly toward Broadway and headed -uptown on our way to the Darwin home. - -"Two things, one of which would have told me if I had not been positive -before that Mrs. Darwin is innocent." - -"Yes?" I prompted as he paused. - -"There's entirely too much evidence against her. Why, man, it's -overwhelming! One quarter of it would be sufficient to establish her -guilt! Just go over it calmly. The quarrel, the change of will, the -letter--any one of which would be ample motive. Her presence in the room -when the shot was fired, your testimony that she held the weapon in her -hand, the finger-prints on the pistol, the handkerchief, the closed -room--It's much too much and thereby proclaims her innocence." - -"And the second thing?" I asked. - -He did not answer for he was employed in making what looked like a -series of hieroglyphics on a page of his notebook. As I shifted closer -to watch his occupation, between the traffic signals, he tore out the -page and turning it over made four letters on it and handed it to me. - -Keeping one hand on the wheel, I accepted the page with the other, and -stole a quick glance at it. The letters he had made were capitals and -were arranged in two sets. In the first group the L and the R were -written with a flourish, so that the first stroke of the R resembled -that of the L. In the second set the first stroke of the L was looped -while that of the R was straight. - -"Well?" I questioned, decidedly puzzled. - -"I wish I knew whether Darwin made his capitals with a flourish," -returned McKelvie. "The initial letter of the name on the scrap Jones so -obligingly showed me had been burned away, leaving only the first stroke -of the letter visible. If Darwin made his capitals like the first set on -this sheet," tapping the paper I still held, "then the will might have -been in favor of either the wife or the nephew and there is no way of -proving which, except by taking Cunningham's statement as truth. If, on -the other hand, Darwin made his capitals like the second set, then the -will he destroyed was in favor of Lee Darwin, and Lawyer Cunningham was -guilty of prevarication at the inquest. It makes a nice little problem -to think about. I must find an answer to it as speedily as possible." - -"Ruth would know Darwin's hand," I said eagerly. - -"But the prison authorities aren't going to let us run in and out of the -Tombs every time we happen to think of something we should like to know -about," he replied dryly. - -Piqued by the irony in his voice I remained silent, for I was not yet -sufficiently accustomed to his manner to let his sarcasms pass -unnoticed, and the remainder of the drive was accomplished in unbroken -silence on both our parts. - - - - -CHAPTER XVII - -THE LAMP - - -The moment we drew up before the house, McKelvie sprang out and -disappeared from view. I switched off the motor and clambered out to -find Jenkins waiting for me. He nodded in the direction of the grounds -and as I had no mind to hunt for McKelvie I was on the point of -ascending the steps when he appeared suddenly from behind a clump of -bushes. - -"Just taking stock of the general atmosphere, as it were," he said, -waving his hand in the direction of the grounds, which made me take a -second look at my surroundings. - -My first visit had not been conducive to leisurely inspection and I now -saw that the house was exceedingly unusual, a replica of the relic of a -bygone age, although by no means so very old itself. It had been modeled -after a type of dwelling that is now obsolete, but which was much in -vogue when the English held sway over the Island of Manhattan, and was a -massive affair with the servants' wing tacked on at the back like an -after-thought (which it probably was, since it looked newer than the -original domicile), and connected with the main building by a narrow -enclosed passageway. - -The entire structure, including the garage in the rear, stood directly -in the center of the vast grounds, and was completely screened from the -view of the curious by the forest of trees that surrounded it. It was an -odd house, and it is a great pity it is no longer standing, but in a -way I can hardly blame the heirs for having had it torn down and a -modern home built on the site, since it must forever have remained -coupled in their minds with associations which we who were in any way -connected with the events which took place in that house, were all of us -endeavoring to forget. - -"Only two things to be learned here," said McKelvie. "First, that it -would be easy for anyone to enter or leave the grounds unnoticed on a -dark night." - -"And it was dark that night, beastly dark," I interrupted. - -"And secondly, that there is more space occupied by the left side of the -house than by the right." - -He pointed to the building and I saw what he meant. The left side jutted -out almost beyond the steps. The right side was cut off level with the -topmost gradient and in line with the front door. - -"What a curious way to build a house," I remarked. "What's the -interpretation, McKelvie?" - -His answer was to spring up the steps and ring the bell. He waited a few -minutes, then hearing no sound rang again. - -"It's no good," said McKelvie, with a shrug, after our third attempt to -rouse the inmates. "They've probably deserted the ship. It's a habit -with servants when things go wrong in a house. Jenkins, go around back -and see if you can unearth the butler. He can be depended upon to have -remained behind. Tell him that Mr. Davies wishes to enter the house." - -As Jenkins disappeared, McKelvie continued: "Strange that Orton hasn't -the gumption to find out what's wanted." - -"He left the house for good after the inquest," I returned. "I doubt if -there is anyone living here now." - -"What about young Darwin?" - -"Lee? The last I heard of him he had gone South." - -"Lee Darwin gone South?" he repeated. "How do you know?" - -"I forgot to mention it last night, but when I first called on you I -also went to the Yale Club. They told me Lee had left for the South the -previous afternoon. At the time I thought it queer that he should go so -soon after the murder, without waiting to attend his uncle's funeral." - -"It was odd. I'll have to start somebody on his trail at once. Did you -know that he was here the night of the murder?" - -"Here in the house?" I gasped. - -"No. Outside the study window," he returned. - -"But McKelvie," I answered, thinking to trip him, "that footprint was -made by Lee Darwin in leaving the study." - -"What footprint?" He stared at me in evident surprise. - -"I understood you to mean that you had deduced Lee's presence from the -footprint that Jones discovered," I returned abashed. - -He laughed heartily. "My dear man, where are your reasoning powers? -Footprints don't last forever and we have had a shower since the murder. -Besides I'm not clairvoyant enough to guess by a look at the imprint -whose shoe made it. No, I base my deduction on this." - -He held up a stick-pin of a peculiar dull brown hue, made in the shape -of the head of a bulldog. On the gold setting around the base of the -head had been engraved the name, L. Darwin. - -"Where did you find it?" I asked eagerly, as he slipped it into his -wallet. - -"Beneath the first two windows of the study the ivy has grown very -thickly. I found the pin close to the wall and directly beneath the -second window, entangled in the vine. The head is exactly the color of -the ivy stem and it had remained unnoticed. I saw it because I was -hoping to find proof of his presence there." - -"But I do not see how you could possibly know he had been there," I -objected. - -"I've learned to read between the lines and I spent the night in -thoroughly acquainting myself with the inquest. Besides, Mr. Davies, you -have a very retentive mind and you told me more than you guessed last -night. One of the things you emphasized was the fact that Lee Darwin had -seemed to know that his uncle was dead when he saw the coroner, and that -he had turned deathly pale when suddenly accused of being outside the -study that fatal night. You ended by saying that although that point was -cleared up to everyone's satisfaction you were still persuaded that the -young man knew more than he gave out, and I agree with you there." - -"But if he witnessed events, why doesn't he clear Ruth then?" I -protested. - -"I didn't say he saw anything. I merely said he was there," he retorted, -and refused to discuss the point further, which was just as well -perhaps, for Jenkins was holding the door open and there was much to be -done if McKelvie was to clear Ruth before her trial. - -As we entered I noticed Mason hovering in the background, and I nodded -to him. "Mason, this gentleman is a detective who has come to solve the -mystery of your master's death. I should be obliged if you would let him -in whenever he comes here." - -"Yes, sir, indeed I will, sir. Master was my master and I'm not saying -anything against the dead, sir, but I'd like to see someone else swing -for it, indeed I would, sir," he said in a troubled whisper. - -"Thank you, Mason. That is all. If we need you we shall call you." - -He moved slowly toward the servants' entrance and I turned to look for -McKelvie. He had been examining the lock of the front door, and now he -was employed in measuring the respective distances of the stairs and the -drawing-room door from that of the study. As Mason disappeared, however, -McKelvie looked up at me with a smile. - -"Ready?" he inquired, and when I nodded he opened the door of the study -with an eager air and the light of battle in his eyes. - -I had expected to see him whip out a lens and begin a minute examination -of the room. Instead he adjusted the chair in the position in which it -had stood on the fatal night, and seating himself in, closed his eyes. - -This procedure did not at all impress me as the right way to go about -solving the crime, when every moment was precious. I was on the point of -remonstrating with him when Jenkins enjoined silence upon me. - -"He's thinking, sir," he said low. - -Thinking! I was thoroughly disgusted. With my intimate knowledge of the -case thinking for five consecutive days had brought me nowhere, yet here -was this man whom I had engaged to find clues and investigate the murder -thoroughly, sitting back in a chair thinking--goodness knows about what, -since all the thinking in the world would not produce the tangible -material evidence of which we stood in such dire need! - -"Jenkins!" McKelvie sat up with a suddenness that startled me. "Open -that safe." - -As Jenkins knelt before the huge contraption and manipulated the dial -with deft fingers, McKelvie turned to me with a quizzical smile. - -"Don't become annoyed, Mr. Davies," he said quietly. "Each man his own -method, you know. I was just trying to decide a certain small point and -now that I have satisfied myself as to my correctness in the matter, -I'll be as energetic as anyone could possibly wish." - -I felt the blood surge into my cheeks, as I said a little stiffly, "I -didn't mean to criticize----" - -"No harm done," he interrupted lightly, rising and laying a hand on my -arm for a moment. Then he addressed my man. "You're mighty slow for an -adept, Jenkins." - -"An adept! Jenkins!" I could hardly articulate the words. - -"A former adept in the art of safe-cracking," answered McKelvie with a -flourish. "But I trust you won't count that against him since he -reformed some years ago." - -"No, of course not," I murmured hastily, as Jenkins looked up at me with -pleading in his somber eyes. "He's a very good servant, whatever else -he may have been." - -With a beaming smile Jenkins rose and opened the door of the safe. - -"Now," said McKelvie, "I'm going to show you several curious, but rather -interesting facts." - -He turned to the lamp upon the table and gazed at it thoughtfully for a -moment, then he snapped it on and off. "Did you notice anything odd -about it?" he asked. - -In imitation of his manner, I too gazed steadily at the lamp. I had paid -no great attention to it before, being too overwrought to notice -details, but now I saw, or thought I saw, what he meant. - -In keeping with the style of the room, the lamp though small was made in -the shape of a bacchante who wore on her hair a crown of leaves and -about her bare shoulders a wreath of the grapevine, so exceedingly heavy -that she held it away from her graceful body with her hands, from which -depended a rather large cluster of magnificent grapes. - -"It is very beautiful," I responded, "but odd for a lamp, and that bunch -of grapes seems almost out of all proportion to the rest of the figure." - -"True, but that is not what I referred to," he returned. "Look here!" - -Again he pulled the cord which cleverly imitated a stray tendril -clinging to the wreath, and a pleasant glow suffused the table, but much -as I looked I could detect nothing amiss. - -McKelvie smiled involuntarily at my anxious endeavor to discover the -flaw. "Don't you see that the light comes from the right side of that -cluster and not from the center?" he remarked. "Which means a double -socket of course. Why then doesn't the other bulb light also?" - -"There may be no bulb in the left-hand socket," I suggested. "Or it may -be broken." - -He nodded. "We'll soon settle that." He unscrewed the bunch of grapes -and revealed the double socket, each part of which was provided with a -bulb. He exchanged the bulbs and when he pulled the cord the same -condition obtained. Only the bulb on the right lighted. - -"It isn't broken, you see. Therefore, it must be lighted from some other -source. I divined as much when Mrs. Darwin declared she hadn't touched -it, and that if it had been lighted from the table she would have seen -the person who pulled the cord. The only thing remaining is to find the -switch that operates it." - -Without a moment's hesitation he made for the safe and I followed him -hastily. Now that I was in front of it I saw that the safe was nothing -but a closet containing three shelves, which were built into the side -walls at such a height that by stooping slightly a man could pass under -them with ease. I glanced along the lowest shelf, although I knew that -it was empty since Jones' entrance at the inquest, but McKelvie paid no -attention to the bareness of the cupboard. He was engrossed in fingering -the wall beyond the door. Then with a grunt of satisfaction he caught my -hand and placed it where his had been. Instantly my fingers came in -contact with a small button. I pushed it, and lo! the left bulb of the -lamp sprang suddenly into being. - -"Well, I'll be hanged!" I ejaculated, looking at McKelvie. "Why does any -sane person want to light his lamp from his safe?" I asked. - -"Because, Mr. Davies, it's no more a safe than I am--well--Jenkins," he -returned impressively. - -"Not a safe?" I exclaimed. - -"No." - -"Then what--?" - -"I'm going to show you." McKelvie again fingered lightly the wall, but -this time it was the wall which formed the back of the safe. - -Presently with that same peculiar grunt he took out a pocket-flash and a -knife. Opening the knife he pried the point into what looked by the aid -of the flash like a harmless knot-hole just beneath the lowest shelf. -(He was kneeling on the floor of the safe and Jenkins and I were -stooping to watch him.) The next moment the knot-hole had swung aside, -revealing to our astonished gaze a tiny key-hole! - -The back of the safe was in reality a door! - -Silently we watched as McKelvie fished out his keys and tried them in -the lock but without success. Then he spoke to Jenkins. "Tell Mason to -give you all of Mr. Darwin's keys, but don't let him come in here." - -"Very well, sir." - -When Jenkins returned with the keys McKelvie tried them in the lock, one -after the other, but the door remained as securely locked as before. - -"Strange," he said, looking annoyed. "You are sure you brought me all -the keys?" he added abruptly. - -"Yes, sir, even the ones he had in his pocket when he was shot, sir," -responded Jenkins. - -"Odd. I hate to break it open. It might be useful later on." - -Jenkins, who had been peering intently at the key-hole over McKelvie's -shoulder, spoke suddenly. "No need to smash it, sir. I still have my old -tool kit and if I'm not mistaken I have a master key that will fit this -lock." - -"Off with you, then. Break all traffic laws if necessary. Only be back -as soon as possible," cried McKelvie gayly, and I never saw the solemn -Jenkins move so fast before. - -While we awaited the man's return McKelvie came out of the safe and -resumed his indolent pose. Again I found myself growing exasperated with -his attitude. Surely there were clues to be found in the room, and he -wasn't thinking because those brilliant black eyes were wide-open and -wore an expression of contented ease. - -"Since you object to my inactivity," he remarked quietly, "let's talk. -At least we shall be exercising our tongues, if nothing more," and he -laughed oddly. - -I ceased trying to understand him and welcomed the opening that he gave -me. "Will you answer me three questions?" I inquired. - -"Depends on what they are," he returned laconically. - -"Nothing really startling," I answered, laughing. "I merely wished to -know why if Lee Darwin was outside that study window he did not leave -footprints for the police to discover, as they did the ones that he made -in the morning." - -"Because there is a flower-bed under all the windows except the first -two. Beneath those two the cement walk reaches to the wall. He stood on -this walk that night, but in the morning having just come in the door -he rushed out of the window nearest to him and stepped into the -flower-bed." - -"I see. Now here's question two. How did you know so unerringly that the -lamp was also lighted from the safe?" - -"Childishly simple. I had already deduced a secret entrance." - -"How?" I broke in. - -"Sherlock Holmes says, 'Exclude the impossible, whatever remains -improbable must be the truth.' Mrs. Darwin didn't kill her husband or I -should not be here. The case is one of murder, not suicide, therefore -someone else must have been in the room at midnight. He couldn't leave -by the windows or the door and flesh and blood doesn't vanish into air, -ergo he must have gone out by some other entrance, natural inference a -secret one, since it wasn't discovered." - -I nodded. So far it was absurdly simple and clear. I was a trifle -mortified that I had not divined it myself, but then such things were -not in my line and the affair stuck too close to home to leave me any -capacity for ratiocination. - -"The question that had to be settled then," he continued, "was the -situation of this entrance. I called your attention to the peculiar -architecture of the house. When I entered the study I noticed that the -safe occupied the wall in question. Jenkins opened it for me and I saw -that it was the size of an ordinary closet and not very deep. What was -more reasonable than to deduce that the remaining space between the back -of the safe and the outer wall of the house was occupied by a passage of -some kind!" - -Again I nodded. "Of course. It was just a question of accounting for the -extra square footage of house. But you haven't answered my original -query." - -"About the light? Mrs. Darwin said she didn't touch it, the dead man -presumably couldn't, therefore the murderer must have done so. If he had -pulled the cord Mrs. Darwin would have seen him, hence he lighted the -lamp from some other source. Where? Not at the main switch near the -door, for he had to vanish at once, knowing the shot would rouse the -household. Besides, Mrs. Darwin would have heard the click when he -pushed the button. The only place left was somewhere near the entrance. -It was more likely to be inside than out, since, as before, Mrs. Darwin -heard no sound. So I looked for it in the most plausible spot and found -it." - -I smiled. "You have answered my third question, which related to the -secret entrance, but I have thought of two more to take its place. If -the murderer used Darwin's pistol, how is it that only Ruth's -finger-prints are on it?" - -"He'd be too clever not to use gloves," returned McKelvie shortly. - -"To be sure. But here's a harder one. How did the criminal, if he was -behind Ruth, shoot Philip Darwin with such accuracy in the dark?" - -"Exactly, that's just the point," he replied enigmatically. - - - - -CHAPTER XVIII - -THE SECRET ENTRANCE - - -When Jenkins arrived with the keys, McKelvie looked them over -critically, selected a couple, and tried them on the door. The first was -too large, but the second turned the trick. Cautioning us to stoop to -avoid the shelves, McKelvie pushed open the back of the safe, which -swung away from him into the darkness beyond. With the flash to guide -him he stepped through the opening, then beckoned us to follow him. -Though it was too dark to see, I knew I was in a room of some sort, for -I felt the velvet softness of a carpet beneath my feet, and I also -tripped over some article of furniture. By this time McKelvie had -located the light and I saw that my room was really an alcove fitted up -with a luxurious divan heaped high with pillows, beside which stood a -small smoking-stand. But ornate and sumptuous as the alcove was I should -not personally have cared for it, since the atmosphere was close and -smoke-laden and there was no means of letting in the light of day. - -McKelvie glanced hastily about and then striding to the divan he bent -down and sniffed at it critically. Instantly I imitated him. To my -amazement the same fragrance clung to the Persian cover of the couch -that I had detected on the blood-stained handkerchief. I smelled it -again to make sure and then as my memory still played me false I turned -to ask McKelvie what it was. He was trying his key in the lock of a door -at the rear of the room, and if he heard my question he failed to reply -to it. - -With less difficulty this time he unlocked this second door, which swung -inwards and stood at the head of a flight of rather steep and dark -stairs. As before, McKelvie preceded Jenkins and myself, but we kept as -close as possible to him that his flash might guide us as well. At the -bottom of the steps was another door of similar make, which also opened -inwards, and to my astonishment it gave exit onto the garden at the side -of the house between the first study window and the corner. So -skillfully had it been cut in the masonry, however, that only one -initiated into the secret of the entrance would have known it was there. - -McKelvie examined the ground around the door and as at this point also -the cement walk reached clear to the wall, I wondered what he hoped to -discover. Whatever it was, his scrutiny satisfied him, for he stood up -with a smile and applied his lens to the key-hole of the door. Then he -nodded his head in a contented manner and remarked that we had better -return to the study. I noticed that he locked all the doors scrupulously -behind him, leaving the secret entrance exactly as he had found it, even -to replacing the round disk which counterfeited the knot-hole. - -Once in the room he knelt down and examined minutely the dial of the -safe. - -"Interesting and unique," he commented. "Look here, Mr. Davies!" He -pointed to the inside of the door, and I noticed to my astonishment that -the dial was duplicated within. "Do you get the significance?" he asked -quickly. - -"Why, that safe can be opened or closed by combination from the inside -as well as the outside," I hazarded. - -"Naturally, to be of any use as an entrance it would have to be capable -of being opened from the inside," he said caustically. "No, what I meant -was this. Supposing we want to lock the safe. Give me a combination." - -"I gave him 'Darwin,' the first word that occurred to me, for it was one -of those old style safes with the six-letter combination. He twirled the -knob of the dial on the outside and pointed as he did so to the inside. -Just as the inside handle of a door will revolve when the outer one is -turned, so the inner knob of the dial duplicated the revolutions of the -outer. - -"Now, don't you see that in order to use this entrance it is necessary -to know what combination was used to lock the safe from the study and -vice versa?" he questioned. - -"Yes, that's plain enough. To use the entrance the criminal had to know -the combination. Well, what of it? A clever man would hardly be balked -by so small a thing." - -"You still don't get what I'm driving at," he returned. "I'll try to -explain. You have arrived at the conclusion that I held a while ago; -namely, that the criminal came in and went out by the secret entrance. -Am I right?" - -"Yes, that is my opinion." - -"Now we come to my point," he said, rising and beginning to pace the -room. "If the criminal entered by the safe, he must have been cognizant -of three things: first, that there was such an entrance; secondly, that -three of the doors were opened by a key of a certain size and make; -thirdly, that the safe door was unlocked by a certain combination, that -combination being the one which Philip Darwin himself had used. That -the criminal should know of one, or perhaps of two of these facts, yes. -But that he should be aware of all three of them seems incredible!" - -"Why incredible?" I objected. "He may have known of the entrance. He -could easily then take an impression of the outer lock and have a key -made, and Philip Darwin himself may have revealed the combination to -him." - -"Very good, but not carried quite far enough," he said with his -quizzical smile. "Before I show you where you are at fault, answer me a -question. How do you suppose that entrance came to be there so very -handy for the criminal's purpose?" - -"I presume it was built with the house," I answered. - -"Precisely. When?" - -"Almost a hundred years ago--1830, to be exact." - -"Exactly, and old Elias Darwin, the great-grandfather of Philip, who was -a firm believer in the established order of affairs, modeled his home in -the country (for this stretch of land was country then) on that which -was built by his ancestors in pre-revolutionary days, secret entrance -and all; for, of course, in those times secret entrances were -indispensable for the concealment of friends, whether Tories or Whigs." - -"Where did you learn all this?" I asked in amazement. - -"I have a book home which details the histories of various mansions in -New York," he replied. - -"That accounts for the entrance. But what about the safe?" I continued. - -"The safe is decidedly more recent. Doubtless the secret entrance had -been blocked up, if it was ever cut through, and no one knew of its -existence until Philip Darwin stumbled on the knowledge. I looked up the -family history of the Darwins this morning while I was awaiting your -arrival. Who's Who describes Mr. Frank Darwin, the father, as having -been a strait-laced, Puritanical man, and you yourself know what the son -was. Can't you imagine the clash between them?" - -In view of Mr. Trenton's story concerning Dick's mother I could well -believe that father and son had not agreed. - -"In 1906 there is record that Frank Darwin went to Europe for a year. Of -course, this is mere conjecture, but it is reasonable to suppose that -Philip, who was then twenty-one, took the occasion to have the safe -built, and the secret entrance unblocked." - -"Mason should know," I said. - -"I don't think so, or he would have mentioned it at the inquest. -However, there is no harm in questioning him. Go and get him, Jenkins." - -When Mason stood before us McKelvie said quietly, though his eyes -sparkled: "You testified that you had been with the Darwin family thirty -years. Did you remain in the house when Mr. Frank Darwin went to Europe -in 1906?" - -"Yes, sir. I remained as caretaker." - -"Then you can tell us when that safe was built?" - -"Yes, sir. It was that same year, sir. Mr. Phil complained he had no -private safe and his father told him to have one built while he was -gone. He chose that place, sir, because he liked the study. His father -used the den upstairs." - -"Why did he build such a large safe?" - -"I don't know, sir. He sent me away to visit some of my folks, sir, -while it was being built. He told his father it was to hold his fortune, -sir." - -McKelvie looked across at me with a triumphant expression which said as -plainly as words, "Notice how accurately I deduced the truth," but his -voice was subdued enough as he continued his questions. - -"He did not get along with his father, I understand?" - -"No, sir. They had different ideas on every subject, sir." - -"Why didn't Philip Darwin live at his club then, when he came of age?" -McKelvie inquired. - -"Because his father told him, sir, that if he left the house it would be -for good, and not one penny of his money would he get, sir. Mr. Phil -knew that his father always carried out his threats, sir." - -"That is all, Mason." - -"Yes, sir." - -The moment the door closed behind the old butler McKelvie said, with a -smile, "Just as I thought. And what came in handy when his father was -alive was doubly useful after his marriage. And thus we come back to the -original discussion, whether the criminal would know the three necessary -facts to enter by the safe." - -"A member of the family might," I said. - -"Yes, a member of the family. Lee, for instance, or even Orton might -discover that there was such a passage and secure a key to it. Would -either of them know the combination?" - -"Orton was Darwin's private secretary." - -"As far as his business down-town went, but not his secretary, as far as -his personal affairs were concerned. Besides, recall Mason's testimony. -He was surprised to find Orton in the study because Darwin always kept -it religiously locked, to preserve his secret, of course. Then, too, -Orton was Darwin's creature and, therefore, he would be doubly careful -not to place himself in the fellow's power. He evidently considered he -was running no risk, since he let Orton into the study that night. -Besides, if you did not want anyone prying into your safe, what -precaution would you take to prevent it?" - -"I'd change the combination frequently." - -"Exactly; and there you have an answer to my problem. Granted that the -criminal knew the first two facts, was he going to depend on a -combination that might be changed five minutes before he wished to use -the entrance? No, no, we're dealing with a person too clever not to -foresee that contingency. Besides, as far as I could detect, no one has -recently taken an impression of the outer lock." - -"Then we get back where we started and the entrance is of no value to us -at all," I pointed out. - -"You jump back too far. It merely shows that the criminal did not enter -by the safe. That he left that way is proved by the fact that he -vanished from the study without using door or windows, and that he very -evidently took Darwin's key with him." - -"But--the combination?" - -"The safe was open, for Darwin had just removed the will from it. Even -if it had been closed, a clever man could find an excuse for making his -victim open the safe. Once inside any combination of six letters would -close the door effectually against intruders." - -"I suppose you are right, but how did he get in then?" - -"Darwin let him in himself, either through the window or the door. Most -probably through the window, since you would have otherwise heard steps -in the hall. Recall Orton's testimony. He went to the garage to follow -the maid. When he returned he heard voices in the study." - -"And when he went in at eleven-thirty, Philip Darwin was alone," I -remarked with a smile. - -"Yes, to be sure, Philip Darwin was alone," he repeated, crestfallen. - - - - -CHAPTER XIX - -THE LAWYER AGAIN - - -Before I could retort the front door-bell rang sharply. Turning quickly -McKelvie walked to the safe and silently locked it. Then he spoke to -Jenkins with his usual assured manner. "Tell Mason to answer the bell. -And I sha'n't need you again to-day." - -"Very well, sir." - -As Jenkins opened the door and went out McKelvie dropped into a chair -beside me. - -"I wonder who that can be," he murmured, "but whoever it may be, not one -sign, not one word of what we have learned." - -I nodded comprehendingly, and in the pause that ensued I heard Mason -shuffle to the door and fumble with the lock. Then a man's voice -inquired for me. I heard an answering murmur and rose, turning toward -the open study door just as Mr. Cunningham crossed the threshold. - -"Mr. Davies," he said, with a smile, extending his hand. He had -recovered his voice since the inquest and spoke in a rich baritone. - -I gave him my hand, but not over-cordially as I said, suspiciously, "How -did you know I was here?" - -He laughed, not at all put out. "I called at your apartments to give you -some information, and Mr. Trenton kindly told me where I could find you. -He also explained your mission. A very laudable purpose. Mr. McKelvie, -I presume?" turning toward my companion. - -"I beg your pardon," I said stiffly, for I was ashamed of my unjust -suspicion, which had its inception in the fact that he was the dead -man's lawyer, and as such prejudiced against Ruth, and introduced the -two men. - -McKelvie, who had also risen at the lawyer's entrance, and who was -standing with his hands behind his back, affected not to see -Cunningham's extended hand and merely nodded. Annoyed at his incivility, -and seeing that Cunningham frowned angrily, I hastened to make the -peace. - -"Mr. McKelvie put me out of his house when I first called on him," I -remarked to Cunningham with a laugh. "You may consider yourself highly -honored to have received a bow." - -The frown melted from Cunningham's brow as he said, pleasantly enough, -"I understand. The idiosyncrasies of the great must be indulgently -overlooked," and he returned McKelvie's nod with a ceremonious bow. - -"You have some information to impart?" broke in McKelvie briskly as we -seated ourselves. - -"Yes. I have discovered something that I thought might help toward -freeing Mrs. Darwin. You remember," turning to me, "that I testified -that Philip Darwin had removed his securities from my office. I learned -yesterday that he had used them as I thought upon the market. There was -a slump in the stock he was operating the afternoon of the seventh of -this month and as far as I can make out he was completely ruined." - -"Ruined!" I repeated, for I could recall no rumor to that effect on the -Street that day. "You are sure?" - -"Positive. He was completely, absolutely ruined," returned the lawyer. -He looked at me thoughtfully a moment and then added, "You were -wondering why, being a broker yourself, you had not heard of it? The -explanation is simple. The world has believed Philip Darwin immensely -wealthy for so many years that the truth concerning his financial -affairs would have been a decided shock to his friends and associates. -Naturally, though he lost heavily on the market on the seventh, no one -suspected that he was wiped out, and so nothing was thought of the -occurrence, for he had lost as heavily before without its making any -appreciable difference to him." - -"I understand. And, of course he knew that he was ruined?" I continued. - -"He must have known it." - -"Then why was he troubling himself to make a new will?" I said, -perplexed. - -Cunningham shook his head. "I never pretended to understand him. But I -thought my information might help along this line. If he had no money -Mrs. Darwin certainly didn't murder him to inherit his fortune." - -"She may not have known that he was beggared," I retorted. - -"Humph! If she swore she did know that fact, who could contradict her?" -and he smiled blandly. - -"Are you a criminal lawyer, Mr. Cunningham?" queried McKelvie suddenly. -He had arisen again when Cunningham began to talk and had been pacing -the room in apparent indifference to our conversation. - -"No, I am not," answered the lawyer promptly, just a little surprised. - -"What an infinite pity! You would make a great success in that line I am -sure," responded McKelvie, and in his flexible voice I again detected -traces of irony. - -Cunningham looked at McKelvie undecided whether to take the remark as an -insult or a compliment, and I saw McKelvie's lip curl just a trifle -before he continued suavely, "I meant it, Mr. Cunningham. You would make -a great criminal lawyer. I advise you to try your hand at that branch of -the profession." - -Cunningham laughed. "Thanks, but I'm too old a dog to learn new tricks. -Besides, I am planning to take a little vacation presently. I expect to -travel for the next few years, but I do not mean to intrude my own -uninteresting affairs upon you. You have no time to waste in this case. -Have you discovered anything of value so far?" he continued with -friendly interest. - -McKelvie shook his head and sighed. "I am afraid so far it is a losing -game," he said with an air of great candor. "The trouble is, as I -explained to Mr. Davies, that the scent is cold. The clues are in the -hands of the police. Ah, if only I could have been here from the first!" - -"It is a pity. They say you are a great detective. I should hate to see -you defeated," answered the lawyer, giving McKelvie a Roland for his -Oliver. - -McKelvie laughed--a short, hard laugh. - -"Don't fool yourself, Mr. Cunningham. I am not going to be defeated," he -said tersely. "No, not even if the criminal is the cleverest fellow -living." - -"Pride goeth before destruction, Mr. McKelvie. By this time the criminal -has doubtless betaken himself to other parts," returned the lawyer, -sardonically. - -"The world is small, and I am going to get him if it takes me the rest -of my life." McKelvie's jaw snapped with grim determination. - -The lawyer rose. "I must be going. Good-by, Mr. Davies. Farewell, Mr. -McKelvie. Long life to you, sir." - -"Damn his impudence," said McKelvie as the front door slammed, "but he's -right. I have no time to waste. I'll call you up in the morning if I -have news, and in the meantime say nothing to anyone of our -discoveries." - -"Not even Mr. Trenton?" - -"Not even Mr. Trenton. I'm trusting no one but you and--Jenkins. Also, I -do not want that meddlesome old lawyer hanging around when I want to -work. Good-by." - -"Just a moment. How does what Cunningham told us affect the case as it -now stands?" - -"Not a hair's breadth. I told you before there was more than enough -evidence against her. And I'm hanged if I don't believe he knew it, -too!" - - - - -CHAPTER XX - -DEDUCTIONS - - -Naturally, Mr. Trenton was eager to know what we had accomplished and -bombarded me with questions the moment I stepped foot in my apartments, -which was not until late, for I had stopped at the office to attend to -some pressing business first. I put him off, however, by saying that -McKelvie was just getting his bearings and we'd have definite news when -I heard from him again. I expected that he would call me up next day, -but I received no word from him, so that I had plenty of time to -speculate on the little I knew. - -Personally, I was not sorry that Philip Darwin had failed, because I did -not relish the idea of Ruth's inheriting his money, but I could not -understand why McKelvie had disparaged Cunningham's motive in giving us -this information. Not that I wanted to side with the man. I felt the -same unreasonable antagonism that McKelvie evidently experienced toward -him, but I wanted to be fair, and as far as I could see he was desirous -of helping us as much as he could. - -At any rate, motives for the crime, as far as Ruth was concerned, were -valueless, since we knew of the existence of the secret entrance. What -troubled me most was this point. Why should any sane man (I presume that -the criminal was sane, if criminality is not another form of insanity) I -repeat, why should any sane man shoot another one in the dark in the -presence of a third person with the chances ten to one against his -hitting the one at whom he aimed, and ten to one in favor of his being -discovered? It was absurd on the face of it, yet it was just what had -happened in the study that night, and twist it as I would I could make -neither rhyme nor reason out of it. McKelvie had said the criminal was a -clever man and clever criminals don't usually leave anything to chance, -for only chance could have directed his aim in a room so dark that he -could not possibly see his prospective victim! - -Though I thought about it continually, this point was still a puzzle -when McKelvie phoned me, early the second day after our visit to -Riverside Drive, and asked me to meet him there at ten o'clock, but to -tell no one where I was going. As I was in the habit of leaving for the -office about eight I said nothing of my ultimate destination to Mr. -Trenton, but I ordered Jenkins to be at the office as near nine-thirty -as possible. I did not know whether McKelvie wanted him or not, and it -was simpler to dismiss him than to send for him. - -When we entered Darwin's study at ten o'clock sharp McKelvie was -standing at one of the windows whistling. He greeted us with a smile and -the remark, "Well, I'm all ready to tell you how the murder was -committed." - -"You have discovered something new?" I asked quickly. - -"One or two things, but nothing bearing on my statement. I knew before I -entered this room day before yesterday how it was done. For another that -might seem impossible, but for me, no. It was simplicity itself." - -I couldn't help smiling at this piece of conceit and catching my look he -laughed good-humoredly. - -"All great detectives--and I am one, according to my friend, -Cunningham--are egotistical," he said. - -"Is that the reason that Sherlock Holmes is an egotist, sir?" asked -Jenkins suddenly. - -"Undoubtedly; and why not, since he is the greatest of his kind. -You see great detectives seldom fail, and so naturally they -become--well--self-opinionated," returned McKelvie. - -But I had not come there to discuss the failings of detectives, great or -small, so I proceeded to dismount him from his hobby. - -"You said you knew how the murder was done. So does anyone who reads the -papers. The coroner's inquest made that fact plain," I said to get him -started. I had learned already that he disliked having his statements -belittled. - -"The coroner's inquest!" he scoffed. "Haven't you the wit to see that -the inquest was in the hands of the police from the start? Jones -questioned Orton in the morning and then calmly used Graves and his jury -as a vehicle for tightening the net in which Mrs. Darwin had become -entangled. What chance then had the truth for even so much as lifting -its head? I suppose the police explained to your satisfaction how the -murderer shot so accurately in the dark?" he ended, cynically. - -I smiled inwardly as I realized that I had drawn the very fire I wanted. -Now I would have the answer to my puzzle. - -"Well, how did he do it?" I asked, unruffled. - -"He didn't. He shot Darwin while the lamp was lighted, like any -right-minded person," he answered triumphantly. "By the way, Jenkins, I -don't believe I'll need you to-day." - -"Very well, sir." - -I waited until Jenkins had gone and then I replied to McKelvie's -statement. "What you have just remarked is utterly impossible," I -retorted. "Ruth heard the shot before she saw the lamp spring into -being, and she was speaking the truth." - -He laughed. "Certainly, I am not disputing that point. I am merely -making the assertion that the murderer shot his victim while the lamp, -and for all I know, all the lights were lighted." - -"But----" - -"On second thoughts I don't believe I'll tell you. You might be as -skeptical of my information as you were triumphant just now at having -roused my ire," he answered laconically, and I knew that I had not -deceived him long with my pretense of blockheadedness. - -"I promise to believe anything you may say and swallow it all, hook, -line and sinker," I pleaded. - -"Well, perhaps under those circumstances--" he appeared to reflect, then -said abruptly, "Would you call Dr. Haskins a man who knew his business?" - -"Yes, decidedly so," I replied, surprised at the turn in the -conversation. - -"He remarked, if you remember, that Philip Darwin lived twenty minutes -after the bullet had penetrated his lung, and yet he also agreed with -the coroner's physician that Philip Darwin died at midnight or shortly -thereafter. You yourself can testify that the shot was fired at -midnight. How then do you account for the discrepancies in these various -facts, for facts they are?" - -My mind reverted to the inquest, and I heard again the pompous -coroner's physician explaining Dr. Haskins' mistake, and I also recalled -the young doctor's face, which certainly belied his apparent -acquiescence with the other's statement. And suddenly I saw what -McKelvie was driving at. Yet, how could it possibly be? - -"You mean that he had already been shot when Ruth entered this room?" I -said slowly, hardly daring to believe that which I uttered. It was so -incredible, so seemingly impossible! - -"Yes, just that." The words came with quiet conviction. - -"But I heard no other shot, and Philip Darwin was alive at -eleven-thirty!" - -"Of course you heard no shot. We're dealing with a clever man, I tell -you, and he wasn't advertising his actions," returned McKelvie, with -that note of impatience in his voice which crept into it whenever I -failed immediately to grasp the point. "I'll show you how it was done, -so that no one could possibly have heard that shot, even if there had -been someone listening at door or windows, which, of course, there was -not." - -He walked to the safe, and unlocked the door. Then he inserted his key -in the back wall and ushered me into the secret room. - -"In here," he said, "no noise, however great, could be heard without -these walls. They are sound-proof, for I have tested them myself. I -fired a pistol by means of a mechanism, and then listened in the hall -for its explosion. I heard nothing. When I returned to this room the -pistol had gone off, as was intended. So you can see that shooting his -victim in here with the doors closed there was no chance that the shot -would be heard by anyone in the house at the time." - -I stared at him in astonishment. "But, McKelvie, Jones proved beyond the -shadow of a doubt that Philip Darwin had just risen in his chair at the -table when he was shot," I protested. - -"Jones proved it!" he jeered. "Ye gods! Jones proved it! Of course he -proved it. What else would you expect of Jones? Why do you suppose the -murderer took the trouble to make those marks in the carpet except to -fool the police?" he raged. "Certainly Jones proved it when it was put -there for that purpose!" - -"Granted," I said pacifically. "He shot Darwin in this secret room. Then -what?" - -McKelvie calmed down and resumed his story. "Then he proceeded to -manufacture evidence. He carried his victim through the safe," returning -to the study as he spoke and relocking the entrance, "placed him in that -chair and arranged everything to look as though Philip Darwin had been -writing, as indeed he had been when Orton came in at eleven-thirty. -Then, satisfied that all was as perfect as he could make it, he turned -off the light and waited." - -"What for?" - -"Mrs. Darwin, naturally." - -"How on earth did he know she would come into the room? How could he -possibly divine that I would urge her to get me that letter when I only -spoke on impulse myself?" - -McKelvie sighed. "I'm not omniscient. If I could tell you how he knew -it, or why, I could tell you who committed the crime. I am only -reconstructing what actually happened, for he was in the room at -midnight, wasn't he, since he fired that second shot and lighted the -lamp? And is it reasonable to suppose that it took him twenty minutes to -shoot his victim and place him in that chair?" - -I acquiesced, but not because I could see through the affair. It was -growing more intricate with every step we took. "But why, man, why?" I -persisted. - -"Because he needed a scapegoat. It may be, of course, and probably is, -the fact that he was about to leave when he heard Mrs. Darwin try the -door, and that the idea then came to him to incriminate her." - -"Why--that's monstrous!" I cried. - -McKelvie shrugged. "When you are dealing with a murderer, his little -ideas are apt to be rather outside the pale of civilized folk," he -returned ironically. "By providing the police with a suspect he escaped -their vigilance. Mrs. Darwin had the most motive for killing her -husband; therefore, she made the best possible victim. But he figured -without me. It's like a game of chess. He makes a move. I block him. At -present it's 'check,' with all the advantage on his side and every -prospect of the jury finding Mrs. Darwin guilty of the murder." - -He had forgotten my presence and was talking to himself, his eyes grown -dreamy as he gazed into the distance. At my exclamation, he passed a -hand across his eyes, saying in a different tone, "I beg your pardon. I -forgot in my interest in matching my wits against his, that to you Mrs. -Darwin is more than a pawn in the game." - -"McKelvie, surely you can't be serious," I implored him. - -"I'm sorry to say that I am," he returned. "The prosecution has a very -strong case, and we have nothing we can offer that refutes a single -point that they can make." He moved away from the window, where he had -been sitting for some little time, and began to pace the room in long, -even strides. - -"If only I knew where that second bullet had lodged itself! The -physician declares there was only one wound and only one bullet; -therefore, it's not in Darwin's body. Also, I have searched every square -inch of this room--walls, ceiling, floor, carpet and furniture. There's -not a trace, nor even the faintest shadow of a trace of that bullet!" - -He shook his head despairingly, but I had hardly listened to his -harangue. My mind had leaped to a sudden joyful conclusion. - -"McKelvie," I cried, "we have evidence to refute their arguments! Let's -go before the district attorney and tell him what we have learned and -insist on his releasing Ruth at once!" - -"What evidence do you refer to?" he inquired a bit coldly. "Do you take -me for a mere calculating machine without any human feelings and -consideration for others? Don't you suppose that if I had any valuable -evidence I should have used it to advantage long ere this?" - -"Why," I stammered, all the wind taken out of my sails, "what about -the--the secret entrance?" - -"As to that, it may or may not have been used upon that fatal night. We -conjecture because we are proving Mrs. Darwin innocent, but we do not -positively know anything about it," he put in imperturbably. "Mr. Darwin -may have lost or misplaced his key." - -"How do you account then for the lighting of the lamp from the safe?" I -persisted. - -"Again, we do not know it was so lighted. Often, if a connection is -loose, a jar or shock will light the lamp of itself." - -"But the shot in the dark?" - -"Ah, the police don't believe for a second that the room was ever in -darkness at any time. They believe that you and Mrs. Darwin concocted -that bit of evidence." - -"When?" I spluttered. - -"You gave the wrong impression about Mrs. Darwin the night of the crime. -They would argue collusion before their arrival." - -"But, McKelvie, what about the actual time when Philip Darwin was -killed, twenty minutes before Ruth ever set foot in the study?" I -continued, exasperated by his skillful refutation of my arguments. - -"On what do I base that conclusion?" he asked quietly. - -"On Dr. Haskins' testimony." - -"Exactly. And do you believe for a moment that the district attorney -will give credence to a fact which Coroner Graves practically ruled out -of his court?" he demanded. - -But I was still determined to have my way, for I wanted to free Ruth -above everything else. "There's the second shot to prove it," I said -stubbornly. - -He looked at me a moment with a strange smile, then he tapped his head -significantly. "Pardon me," he said quizzically, as I flushed angrily, -"I had forgotten you are in love and that lovers are never logical. -Don't be angry with me and I'll show you what would happen if I -approached Grenville with your last statement as a proof of my previous -deductions. You have no experience in such matters, but, unfortunately, -I know Grenville so very well." - -McKelvie drew his mouth down in imitation of the district attorney, -whose picture I had seen more than once in the paper, and then continued -his exposition, mimicking Grenville's soft voice, as I suppose, whenever -the part demanded it. - -"When I had been ushered into his office he would adjust his glasses and -listen with an air of great politeness to all I had to say. Then, when I -was through he would smile, still politely, very, if a trifle -sarcastically, and remark in his purring voice (the purr of the tiger -before he shows his claws): - -"'Of course, since only one shot was fired from Mr. Darwin's pistol, you -have brought with you the weapon that produced the second shot?' - -"I would have to acknowledge that I not only had no such weapon, but not -even the prospect of finding it. - -"'No? Then, of course,' with a still deeper purr, 'you have brought me -the bullet itself?' - -"'Well, no,' I would answer sheepishly, 'I haven't even got that.' - -"'What! No bullet either? Dear, dear, Mr. McKelvie, you really are a -genius in your line. And you would actually have me credit the evidence -of a chimera, a hypothetical revolver that fires a shot that leaves no -trace----'" - -Here McKelvie broke off abruptly and banged his fist against his -forehead. "Stupid, stupid. Oh, that someone would write me down an -ass!" - -"What's the trouble, now?" I asked. "I thought you were doing very -well." - -"As regards Grenville? Well, I'm glad you realize that we couldn't prove -anything with mere deduction unsubstantiated by facts, for any clever -prosecutor could knock our evidence into a cocked hat. No, I was -referring to something else," he returned, gazing somberly before him -with a look akin to horror in his eyes. - -"What is it?" I demanded. - -He shook off whatever was troubling him and replied in a -self-contemptuous tone, "Nothing, except that I must be getting old. I -have actually allowed myself to ape that pompous idiot of a coroner's -physician, and have thus been guilty of the worst crime in the decalogue -of a detective. I have been fitting the facts to my theory instead of -fitting my theory to the facts!" - -"And that proves?" - -"Just what I told you before, that we are face to face with a far -cleverer, more cold-blooded man than even I had given him credit for -being!" - - - - -CHAPTER XXI - -THE STEWARD - - -I was taken by surprise when Mason knocked on the door to tell us that -he had prepared some luncheon for us. We had talked for two hours and -had virtually arrived--nowhere! The thing was beginning to get on my -nerves and I said as much to McKelvie as we seated ourselves at the -table. - -"Yes," he returned. "It's getting on mine, too. I feel like--well, a -person tied to a tree, who can go so far and no farther. But I'm going -to break away." - -"You mean you are going to try to locate the criminal since we can find -no clues to help Ruth?" I asked. - -"No, not directly, at present. I'm going to try to locate substantial -evidence against him, for your clever criminal is not so easily caught. -The trouble lies right here. Though I know the murderer is clever I have -no idea as to his identity, because I do not absolutely know the true -motive for the crime. Or, rather, I should say, no proof, for -unfortunately there are any number of persons who might have been in the -house at that time and who had sufficient motive for killing Darwin." - -"Can't some of them produce alibis?" - -"Alibis! I spent all day yesterday chasing alibis. Let's go over them. -First, there's Mr. Trenton----" - -"Heavens! You don't suspect him?" I gasped. - -"Why not? Don't you suppose he realized as you did that he was primarily -to blame for Mrs. Darwin's marriage? And didn't he, while living in -this house, have an opportunity to witness and resent the treatment -accorded to his daughter? And more than resent his own humiliation at -the hands of Philip Darwin, a humiliation of which even young Darwin was -cognizant, if he spoke the truth at the inquest?" - -"You're right. I hadn't connected him with the affair at all. I suppose -because he was away," I replied. - -He smiled. "I think we can safely knock him off our list, for though he -had motive he had not the opportunity. I motored to Tarrytown yesterday -and had an interview with Mrs. Bailey. On the night of the seventh, Mr. -Trenton was ill, too ill to leave his bed, and precisely at midnight -she, herself, and her doctor were in attendance upon him." - -"I'm glad of that," I said, drawing a long breath. "It's bad enough as -it is without dragging Mr. Trenton into it, too." - -"Though I made certain of his alibi because I am leaving no stones -unturned in this case, still I never for one moment believed him guilty. -It would be a monstrous father, indeed, who would let his daughter -remain in jail if a word from him could clear her, particularly if he -loved her and had bitterly repented of his former treatment of her." - -"That's one off the list. Who else could have done it?" I prompted, as -he remained absorbed in thought. - -"Cunningham is clever, and though he may have had opportunity, he lacks -motive. I saw the telephone girl in the apartment house where he has a -suite of rooms. She says that he left town about the first of October -and did not return until about ten o'clock the morning of the eighth. -Of course he might have got in the night before, in which case he spent -the night in the street or with a friend, for he is not registered at -any of the hotels, although he could have registered under an assumed -name, both of which presumptions are absurd, since he could have easily -returned home and none the wiser. The girl said he looked as he usually -did when he returned from out of town, but she had no idea where he -went. It seems he has many out-of-town clients whom he visits -occasionally, and it would certainly take quite a while to locate them -and get the desired information, with the chances ten to one that he -went somewhere else altogether, and had nothing to do with the murder -after all. The only thing I have against him is that he is clever, and -for that matter so I should judge was Richard Trenton." - -"You think Dick might have done it?" - -"I'm overlooking no one. I saw Jones and got from him all the data -concerning Trenton's actions on that night. Also I telegraphed to the -Chicago police to try to locate anyone who may have known him there and -we should be hearing from that end in a day or two. There is one fact -that stands out clearly, and can't be explained away. He left the hotel -before eleven and did not return until one. Also there is no trace of -where he went during that time since, though he taxied to the hotel, he -was clever enough to take the Subway or the surface car to his -destination. Then we have the letter he wrote his father, which -certainly points to his intention to see Philip Darwin. Whether he did -or not, we don't know, but it's quite probable that he did come here, -and that the two men had a conference of some sort. Again I'm inclined -to believe that he is innocent for the same reason that exonerated the -father in my eyes. Yet there is his suicide to account for, and the -still stranger fact that he left no word of any kind to explain his -act." - -He paused, then continued with a shake of the head, "There's not much -use bothering with him at present, for he's beyond helping us in our -predicament. There are others who may prove more useful." - -"What about Lee?" I inquired, remembering the stick-pin and where it had -been found. - -"Lee Darwin is the most likely suspect that I have," he returned, then -quietly busied himself with his dessert, for Mason had entered and was -hovering around. "By the way," he added, as we left the dining-room, "I -have an appointment with the steward of the Yale Club on this very -matter. I went there yesterday but Carpe was away and I left word that I -would call at one-thirty to see him. Supposing you drive me over." - -"After this visit I'll be able to decide whether our young friend had -the chance to commit murder," he continued when we were in the car -headed for the Yale Club. "He had plenty of motive." - -"Chance, too, McKelvie. Didn't you say yourself that he was there that -night when you first showed me his stick-pin?" - -"I said he was there and I still say it, but that means nothing at all. -We have got to prove that he was there at the psychological moment." - -I nodded. "But, even if he had been, I can't see where you find a -motive. He quarreled with his uncle, I know, but there was nothing in -that to cause him to shoot Darwin." - -"Wasn't there?" answered McKelvie. "Surely you don't believe that he -really quarreled with his uncle about Mrs. Darwin? It's absurd on the -face of it, that he should suddenly object to treatment that he had -accepted with utter indifference for five months or so. No, no, I have -another theory altogether about that quarrel." - -Our arrival at the Club put an end to our discussion. Carpe, the -steward, whom I had interviewed the night I first sought McKelvie, came -forward as we entered. He was a big, dependable fellow, this steward, -and had been in the employ of the Club for years. Moreover, he could be -trusted to give correct information about the doings of the various -members of the Club, all of whom he knew well. - -"Good afternoon," he said pleasantly. "If you will come into the office -I shall be glad to accommodate you." - -We followed him into a small room at the side of the hall and he invited -us to be seated, as he dropped heavily into a chair at his desk, but -McKelvie remained standing, and as he put his questions he paced back -and forth with his hands clasped behind his back. - -"I desire to ask you some questions about Mr. Lee Darwin, Mr. Carpe," he -began. "You have heard nothing from him since he left?" - -"No, sir, not a word," replied Carpe, slowly. - -"Go back to October seventh, Mr. Carpe. Lee Darwin engaged rooms for -that night, did he not?" continued McKelvie. - -"Yes. He called me personally about noon and said he wanted a suite of -rooms for an indefinite time. He came in some time during the afternoon -but went out again at five o'clock." - -"You are sure of the time?" - -"Yes. There was to be a banquet of some kind to which he had been -invited. It was just striking five as he came into my office here and -told me he could not attend, asking me to make his excuses for him. He -said he would not be back until late. It made an impression on me at the -time because he was not in evening clothes and I had always known Mr. -Lee Darwin for a very fastidious young man." - -"Do you know what time he got back?" McKelvie inquired after a pause. - -"He didn't come back that night," answered Carpe. - -McKelvie and I exchanged glances. "You could swear to that?" asked -McKelvie eagerly. - -"I could. I sleep on the first floor at the back of the house. About -five o'clock in the morning I heard someone knocking on my window and I -got up to see who wanted me at such an hour. We don't keep open house at -this Club. In the dim light I saw that the man was Mr. Lee Darwin, so I -motioned him to the back and opened the door for him myself. It was -quite a shock to me to see him, I can tell you. He was pale and -wild-eyed and his clothes were rumpled and dusty. He stumbled in and I -helped him to his room. He told me to keep quiet about him and naturally -I promised. I thought he had been out on a spree of some kind. He acted -as if he might have been drinking," explained Carpe ponderously. - -"What did he do after you promised silence?" McKelvie took a turn around -the room as he put the question. - -"He went to bed, and at luncheon time I awakened him. He dressed -hurriedly and rushed out without eating and did not return until three. -There was a telegram waiting for him. He read it and then tore it up and -his hands were trembling as he did so. Then he remarked that he was -leaving for the South on business and asked me to leave his rooms -undisturbed. He left in ten minutes and that is the last I have seen of -him," replied Carpe. - -"When he came back the morning of the eighth, were you really positive -that he had been drinking, or did he give you another impression as -well?" continued McKelvie. - -"Well, to be candid, at the time he seemed to me to be scared, as if he -had seen something that had terrified him plumb out of his wits. It was -afterwards in thinking it over that I decided that he had been out on a -lark," responded Carpe, after a moment's consideration. - -"I should like to examine his rooms," said McKelvie abruptly. - -"Certainly." Carpe rose and led the way up the stairs, along a hall and -into a suite consisting of a dressing-room, bedroom, and bath. - -The rooms were nicely furnished but were not unusual in any way and gave -no indication of having been recently used. Everything was in immaculate -order. - -"Any of his belongings still around?" queried McKelvie. - -"Yes, he left some things in the chiffonier." - -McKelvie strode to the article of furniture in question and examined its -contents with great care, as if hunting for some definite object. Then -with a shrug he announced that he was through. I thought he had been -disappointed in his search, but one look into his sparkling eyes told me -a different tale. He had been successful, but what had he expected to -find? - -"Thank you, Mr. Carpe. I'm much obliged to you. Keep my visit a secret, -particularly as your information may not be of value to me and might, if -gossiped about, merely create an unpleasant situation for the young -man," said McKelvie as we returned to the lower floor. - -"Just as you say. Good afternoon, Mr. McKelvie," and the door closed -behind us. - -As we descended the steps I said curiously, "What did you find, -McKelvie?" - -For answer he pulled from his pocket a small yellow satin sachet bag -with the initials L. D. embroidered on it in blue. He placed it in my -hand and with the remark, "Take a good whiff. It's a heavenly scent." - -I held the dainty bag to my nostrils and inhaled deeply. It was -wonderfully, delicately fragrant. I had a distinct recollection of -having been recently made conscious that there was in this world such a -subtle, elusive perfume, but for the moment I could not place it. Like a -melody that haunts by its familiarity even when its name eludes the -mind, did this perfume waft across my senses the knowledge that I had -breathed in its fragrance before and on two distinct occasions. Then -memory awoke and I saw myself drawing back from a blood-stained -handkerchief which had been suddenly thrust beneath my nose at -Headquarters, and recalled wondering where I had come across that -perfume before. Ah, I had it. It was Dick who first introduced me to -it. He also had a tiny sachet of yellow satin embroidered in blue and -when I noticed it with some astonishment among his things he laughed in -an embarrassed way and said a girl he knew had made it for him. When I -asked him what it was he named it for me with a shame-faced look. - -The subtle perfume that now assailed my nostrils and delighted my senses -was none other than the fragrance that scented Dick's belongings, that -clung to the Persian silk cover in the secret room, and that had left -its trace on that square of cambric that Philip Darwin had been holding, -the fragrance of Rose Jacqueminot! And Rose Jacqueminot meant a woman -and the only woman I could think of was--Cora Manning. - -"What do you make of this, McKelvie?" I asked, returning the sachet. - -He shrugged. "May be important and may not. I was more interested in -hearing that he had been out all night." - -"Which means of course that he had the opportunity," I interpreted. - -"Yes, he had the opportunity, but he may not have used it. His stick-pin -is no proof that he was there at midnight. There are all sorts of -possibilities in a case like this one. However, he did have ample -motive, for besides the quarrel there is the will. I examined specimens -of Philip Darwin's handwriting. He does not make his capitals with a -flourish. He makes his R's straight. So he was disinheriting his nephew -and not his wife. Also the criminal knew that fact, or why his attempt -to destroy the scraps by burning, which would account, you see, for his -still being in the study when Mrs. Darwin entered." - -"Somehow I can't believe Lee did it--unless it was on impulse," I said, -recalling the young man's noble countenance. "Besides, McKelvie, surely -he isn't so depraved as to implicate Ruth!" - -"'Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth?'" he quoted. "He has -the Darwin blood in his veins." - -"So has Dick for that matter," I thought to myself. - -"I don't mean to imply by that that he necessarily committed the -murder," continued McKelvie. "I merely state that he had plenty of -motive and chance. But so did several others, as we know. And even if he -is the murderer we have no proof of that fact; nor does there seem to be -at present any chance of questioning him. I have a man on his trail, but -so far Wilkins has met with no success. He's evidently disguised, since -no one recognizes his photograph, which, added to his use of Rose -Jacqueminot sachet, looks very bad indeed." - -"Why?" I put in. - -"Ask me that again later and I may be able to give you a more definite -answer," he retorted. "To return to the subject. It may take months to -find Lee and we haven't months to waste on this case." - -"What do you propose to do then?" I asked despairingly. - -"I'm going to let you drive me over to Forty-second Street to see Claude -Orton," he responded, entering my car. - - - - -CHAPTER XXII - -ORTON'S ALIBI - - -As we drove toward Forty-second Street, I recalled my instinctive -distrust of the secretary, his stealthy attitude, and very evident -desire to see Ruth convicted. I had suspected him that very first night, -and now I envisioned him sneaking through the secret entrance and -returning to the house in time to follow me into the study. - -"I know what you are thinking, but he couldn't possibly have done it," -said McKelvie quietly. "He's the only one I don't suspect. He hasn't the -nerve in the first place, and in the second place he hadn't the time. -How long do you suppose it takes to lock all those doors--they were -locked, remember--and return to the house and lock whatever entrance he -used--not the front door, for you would have heard him--and enter the -study a second after yourself?" - -"He may never have gone out," I cried. "He could easily have stayed in -the room all the time in a dark corner and have come forward when he -turned on the lights. I swear I never heard him!" - -"What about Mrs. Darwin's testimony that he was in the hall?" he asked. - -"She may have been mistaken. He gave false evidence concerning her." - -"That's what we are going to see him about. But, remember this, Mrs. -Darwin would have no reason for saying she saw him if she did not." - -To this last statement I had to agree, for Ruth I knew disliked Orton, -and would hardly be likely to shield him. So I ceased discussing the -point, knowing we would soon have the truth, for McKelvie could extract -information from a stone. - -In due course we drew up before a second-rate apartment hotel that was -sadly in need of a coat of paint. We entered a dingy hall and inquired -for Orton. - -"Suite Four, third door to your left," droned the switchboard girl. - -We walked down the hall, which would have been decidedly improved by an -application of a mop and some soap and water, and knocked at Orton's -apartment. As we waited we heard the sound of a door closing, and then -the shuffle of feet and presently the door opened a crack and Orton's -near-sighted eyes peered at us from the aperture. - -"What do you want?" he asked impatiently. - -"A moment's conversation," replied McKelvie, but at that minute Orton -recognized me and, swiftly retreating, began to close the door. - -McKelvie, however, was prepared for him and the closing door met an -obstruction in the shape of the toe of McKelvie's boot. - -"There is no use trying to keep me out," he continued sternly, "unless -of course you would like to tell your story to the police." - -At mention of the police Orton retreated still farther, and we followed -him into the apartment, closing the door behind us. We found ourselves -in a stuffy, gloomy little parlor filled with a lot of ugly, -old-fashioned furniture. Orton, who was clad in dressing-gown and -slippers, ungraciously asked us to be seated, but before we could state -our errand a quavering voice from somewhere in the rear reached us. - -"What is it, Claude? Who is in there with you?" it said. - -"You have frightened my mother," said Orton, plucking at the cord of his -wrapper, as if undecided whether to go or stay. - -"Tell her it's all right and that you know who we are," commanded -McKelvie. "And without leaving this room," as Orton started to move -away. "I guess she can hear you from here." - -Sullenly, Orton obeyed, and then seating himself on the sofa, demanded -what we wanted. - -"At the inquest you gave several bits of information which had no -foundation in fact," began McKelvie, going straight to the point. "You -lied and you know it. For that matter so do I. Now I want to know why?" - -"Mr. Davies, of course I know," answered Orton with a sneer. "But what -right have you to question me?" - -"I am investigating the case for Mr. Davies on the quiet," answered -McKelvie suavely. - -"And that gives you the right to intrude on my privacy, I suppose?" -continued Orton sarcastically (he had abandoned his rôle of "humble -still," or rather he was Uriah Heep grown bold through triumph), "and to -force yourself into my rooms?" - -McKelvie shrugged. "Really if you would rather be put through the third -degree at Police Headquarters it's a matter of indifference to me." - -Orton's pallid face became livid. "Are you trying to frighten me by -pretending that you believe that I killed Philip Darwin?" he cried, but -his voice trembled in spite of himself. - -"No, I'm not pretending any such thing. I know you didn't kill him. -You're too much of a coward," returned McKelvie contemptuously, whereat -Orton gave a gasping sigh of relief. "But I do say you know more of this -murder than you gave out, and a hint to that effect in the ear of Jones -will be quite sufficient to bring the police to this place. No doubt you -have a telephone that I can use. I'll give you five minutes to decide." - -But Orton didn't need five minutes, no, nor even ten seconds. McKelvie -had hardly finished speaking when Orton flung himself forward with -clasped hands, his prominent eyes fairly popping with terror. - -"I'll tell you everything, anything, though I declare I know nothing. -Only don't send the police here," he pleaded in a frightened voice. - -I was amazed at his abject fear but McKelvie motioned him back, and said -coldly: "Very well, but don't lie to me, for I know why you fear the -police." He leaned closer and whispered a word that I did not catch, but -which had the effect of making Orton wring his hands helplessly, and -whine that he never intended to lie, and would tell us everything we -wanted to know. - -McKelvie silenced him with a gesture, as he said: "I want an account, a -true one, of everything that you did and said and saw on the night of -October the seventh between ten-thirty, when you summoned Mrs. Darwin to -the study and midnight, when the shot rang out." - -"I wanted to tell what Mr. Darwin had said and they wouldn't let me at -the inquest," put in Orton, aggrieved. - -"You're not dealing with the police now, and I want every word that has -any bearing on the case, whatever its purport." - -"Very well. At ten-thirty I told Mrs. Darwin that her husband wanted her -and then I listened at the door. They were quarreling about the love -letter I had put together for him." - -"When did you show him this letter?" interrupted McKelvie. - -"In the morning after Lee left the study. Mr. Darwin told me to patch it -together because he said it would come in handy some day. It did--that -night," and he leered at me in a very unpleasant way. - -"Go on," said McKelvie peremptorily. - -"I couldn't hear what they said----" - -"Then how did you know that they were quarreling about the letter?" I -asked. - -"I was going to say," Orton ignored me completely, "that I couldn't hear -the words exchanged until I opened the door a crack. Then I heard very -well, indeed. Mr. Darwin was threatening Mr. Davies, and Mrs. Darwin -retorted that she would send for him and warn him, but he only laughed -in a queer way and then I saw her coming, so I retreated. After that he -called me in and told me to watch her. I crept upstairs and heard her -orders to the maid, whom I followed to the garage. Then I came back and -hung around the hall. Mr. Darwin had told me he was expecting a visitor, -so when I came back I applied my ear to the door. I could hear voices, -his and a strange one, but not what they said, though they spoke loudly -as if in anger." - -"Why didn't you open the door a crack?" I inquired sarcastically. - -"Because I was too clever. Mr. Darwin had locked the door when I went -out and I knew it was still locked. Besides at ten-thirty only the lamp -was lighted and the region of the door was in comparative darkness, but -at this particular time I could tell by applying my eye to the key-hole -that the other lights had been turned on as well. So even if I could -have opened the door I should still have been afraid of being seen." - -"Never mind that. Go on with what's important," broke in McKelvie, -impatiently. - -"At eleven-twenty-five Mr. Davies arrived, and at eleven-thirty Mr. -Darwin called me." - -"How?" - -"There's a bell connection between the study and my workroom. When I -went in Mr. Darwin had resumed his seat at the table and looked pretty -much as he did when we saw him later, except he was alive." - -"A good deal of difference, I should judge," I thought to myself, -"between a corpse and a well man. However, that's neither here nor -there." - -"He had just finished writing the name, Cora Manning, on his new will, -for the ink was not yet dry when I reached the table. I told him all -that had taken place. It was then he laughed and said: 'So we've a -broker in the house, eh? He should know how to play fast and loose, eh? -I'll make him useful, this broker lover of our stainless Ruth.'" - -Orton mouthed the words with devilish delight and I had all I could do -to keep my hands off of him. But McKelvie paid no heed to our feelings. - -"Go on, man," he said with growing impatience. "Don't repeat what I know -already." - -"You said that you wanted to hear everything that was spoken," grumbled -Orton. - -"Yes, so I did. Only hustle along and get it out. Was that all he said?" -demanded McKelvie. - -"No. He said something else. I remarked that a broker ought to know how -to play fast and loose, and he replied: 'Yes, and other things, too, eh? -Mr. Davies doesn't know it yet, but he has done me the very greatest -service by coming here to-night. See that the windows are properly -locked and then go to bed.' As I locked the windows I could hear him -laughing to himself, and he was still laughing when I closed the door -behind me." - -"What did you think he meant to convey by those words of his?" asked -McKelvie. - -"I thought he might be referring to the fact that now he had good -grounds for divorce. I believe he was tired of Mrs. Darwin," replied -Orton. - -"You are sure that Mr. Darwin was alone at eleven-thirty?" continued -McKelvie, after a slight pause. - -"Yes, absolutely alone," responded Orton. "There was no place where -anyone could hide. I examined the window hangings as I locked up." - -"What about the safe?" - -"It was partly open and I looked in as I passed. It was empty." - -"Humph. Now I'd have sworn--" murmured McKelvie. - -"What?" asked Orton inquisitively. - -"Nothing. What's the rest of your story?" retorted McKelvie. - -"I didn't go to bed. I wanted to see what would happen, for I was sure -from the way he spoke that Mr. Darwin meant to call Mr. Davies into the -study later on, so I continued to work in the little room until I grew -weary and thirsty, and going out in the hall found that it was about ten -minutes to twelve. Still nothing had happened, for I could hear the -murmur of voices in the drawing-room." - -He didn't have to tell us how he knew. We could guess. Ruth was right in -saying that he was always spying upon her. - -"I knew," he continued, "that Mr. Darwin kept a good brand of whisky, -private stock of course, in a cabinet in the dining-room, and I -determined to mix myself a drink. But just then I heard the key turned -in the study door and thinking Mr. Darwin was coming out, I went back to -my room and closed the door. I waited some time, maybe five minutes or -more, and then looked out. No one was around and both drawing-room and -study doors were closed. I decided I had missed the show, since there -was no sound from either room, and I determined to have my drink before -I went upstairs. I went in to the dining-room and had my hand on the -cabinet key when the shot rang out. I hurried to the study and saw--Mr. -Davies in the doorway, Mrs. Darwin holding the pistol, and Mr. Darwin -dead." - -"You didn't see Mrs. Darwin go into the study?" questioned McKelvie. - -"No, but I judged she had gone in when I heard the study door unlock. -You see, I did not know what might happen, especially when Mr. Davies -said I had no proof that I wasn't in the study also, so I decided to -have an alibi for the police. That's why I said I was on the stairs -because then they would not know where I had really been. I didn't know -that Mrs. Darwin had seen me." - -"A good thing for you that she did see you," returned McKelvie grimly, -"or you might be occupying that cell in her place." - -Orton blanched like the coward that he was. "But--but, I'm innocent," he -said, indignantly. - -"Well, you wouldn't be the first innocent person to grace a cell, I -assure you," retorted McKelvie dryly. "You have told us everything?" - -"Yes, everything." - -"Very well, then you can answer several questions. You are positive you -heard the key turned in the study door when you stood in the hall at ten -minutes to twelve?" continued McKelvie. "Remember I want facts, and not -impressions." - -"I am as positive as that I am sitting here. But it was more toward five -minutes to twelve because I paused to ascertain if Mrs. Darwin was still -in the drawing-room and I listened for a minute or two before I started -for the dining-room," replied Orton with conviction. - -"A minute is a good long while, longer than you think, Orton," returned -McKelvie. "But that point is, after all, immaterial. We will say that -somewhere between ten and five minutes to twelve the study door was -unlocked from the inside," and he looked at me significantly. - -If he was right in his premise, then the person who unlocked that door -could have been none other than the criminal, for at ten minutes before -midnight Philip Darwin was past unlocking doors! Yet it seemed a -foolhardy thing to do, for any one then could have entered and -discovered him. But, no, after all, it was the sensible thing to do from -his point of view, since otherwise the prospective suspect would have -been unable to enter the room. Then I looked at McKelvie with dawning -horror in my eyes. The unlocking of that door could have meant only one -thing, that the criminal knew Ruth was across the hall, and -deliberately, cold-bloodedly, planned to saddle her with the murder of -her husband! - -"Why, McKelvie," I began, horrified, but he tread on my toe as if by -accident, and I recalled hastily that we were not alone. - -"Even if I had not heard Mr. Darwin unlock the door," continued Orton -ingratiatingly, "he must have unlocked it at some time, for I heard him -turn the key in the lock when I left him at eleven-thirty and the door -was open when Mrs. Darwin entered the room. But, I know I'm not mistaken -in saying that I heard it unlocked." - -"How do you know that it was Mr. Darwin who unlocked it?" I asked -injudiciously. - -McKelvie frowned, but Orton answered without apparent suspicion, "He was -alone in a closed room. Who else could have opened it, Mr. Davies?" - -"No one, of course," I lied cheerfully, and subsided into the -background, not wishing to give Orton any further inkling of what we -knew. - -"When you came out into the hall the second time, you said that you -heard no sound from either room. Did you open the study door even a -crack that time by any chance?" resumed McKelvie. - -"No. Again I feared to be seen. You see that all the lights in the room -had been turned on," replied Orton. - - - - -CHAPTER XXIII - -GRAMERCY PARK - - -Even McKelvie was taken aback by this statement, more so than I was, I -could see, because he was firmly convinced that the criminal waited for -Ruth in a darkened room. I stole a glance at Orton to see whether he was -triumphing over us, but he was sitting in the same dejected attitude and -did not act at all as though he had made a remarkable declaration. Yet -if he spoke the truth, he sent our theories tumbling about our ears like -a house of cards from which one of the foundation units had been -suddenly removed. If the study was lighted at that time, then Ruth must -have seen the criminal, yet she had said she was shielding no one and I -believed her. What paradox was this, then? Even McKelvie was puzzled. - -"I wish I were sure you are speaking the truth," he muttered, looking at -Orton in a reflective way. - -"It is the truth. Why should I make it up? I applied my eye to the -key-hole to make doubly sure, even when I saw the light shining beneath -the doorsill," said Orton, and there was no mistaking his sincerity and -genuine surprise that McKelvie should doubt him. - -"You did not chance to see anyone when you applied your eye to the -key-hole?" went on McKelvie, putting aside his conjectures. - -"No, I saw no one." - -"You are acquainted with the details of Mr. Darwin's business, are you -not?" McKelvie remarked, abruptly changing the subject. - -"Yes, I'm conversant with a good deal of it," responded Orton. - -"Is it true that he removed his securities from Cunningham's office and -used them to speculate with?" continued McKelvie. - -"I suppose so since the lawyer says it. I myself never even knew he had -those securities. I attended strictly to his business in connection with -the bank, answering letters, arranging committee meetings, taking notes -of any agreements the directors came to, and so on. He speculated with -his own private funds, and advised his brokers himself, so I know -nothing beyond the fact that his transactions were large," answered -Orton. - -"You didn't hear any rumors that he was speculating in M. and R. stock, -for instance?" - -"Well, yes, he told me himself that he was going to take a chance on -it," replied Orton after a slight hesitation. - -"He didn't happen to mention that he was ruined, did he, on the -afternoon of the seventh?" insisted McKelvie. - -"Ruined!" Orton's eyes fairly popped with amazement. "No, I had no idea -it was as bad as that." - -"What do you mean?" asked McKelvie quickly. - -"I was watching that stock go down, and when he came into the office -that afternoon I asked him casually if he had invested. He said, 'Yes, -heavily,' in a dull kind of voice, but I thought nothing more about it, -because he was always pessimistic whenever he speculated and I also knew -he was too cautious to put up more than he could afford. I can't -believe he could have invested his whole fortune," and Orton shook his -head with a shrewd glance at us. - -"Rumors are apt to exaggerate," responded McKelvie lightly. "By the way, -how much was his whole fortune?" - -"I don't really know, but I believe he got quite a bit when he married -Mrs. Darwin. At least I gathered as much from something she said to him -one day when he had been particularly mean to her," explained Orton. - -"Do you recall the exact words?" asked McKelvie, ignoring my frown. - -"Not the exact words, but the sense of them," answered Orton with a -smile. "She wanted to know if he hadn't humiliated her enough when he -forced her to sign over to him her fortune, thus leaving her dependent -upon him, and he replied with a sneer, 'That's all I married you for, my -dear.'" - -At that moment I rejoiced in the murder, and should have thought no ill -of her if Ruth herself had done it. It was not murder but the -justifiable removal of a venomous snake. I was beginning to regret I had -not done it myself six months before when it first occurred to me as the -only solution to our trouble. - -"I think that is all then. Say nothing about our having been here, and -I'll do the same with regard to your affairs. By the way, at the trial -you may use the alibi you gave the police. You might find it awkward -explaining why you lied to them." McKelvie rose as he spoke, and walked -toward the door. - -"You're not joking? I can give the same evidence I gave before?" gasped -Orton incredulously. - -"Yes, only take care not to trip yourself up under cross-examination, -though I doubt if there is much danger from Mr. Vaughn. Why on earth did -you pick that old fossil to defend her?" he continued, as we re-entered -my car. "The prosecution will put it all over him from the start." - -"I went to him because he was the only one I could think of at the -moment, but he will not defend her himself, McKelvie. He will employ -other counsel. Though I can't see that it matters much what kind of -counsel we have or if we have any at all, for the prosecution has the -facts while we have--mere theories," I returned gloomily. - -"You're right. We have only theories and for a moment mine got a mortal -blow when Orton said the study was lighted, for as near as I can figure -that must have been just before Mrs. Darwin went in. Lord, if Grenville -knew that fact he'd laugh in your face when you testify, as I presume -you will, that the study was in darkness. Yes, and how much store would -the jury set by Mrs. Darwin's account then?" - -"Is that the reason you told Orton to repeat his evidence?" I asked. - -"Naturally. I'm not giving my opponents any more points in their favor. -The game is unequal enough as it is," he replied, drawing his brows -together in an effort to reconcile the various facts in the case. - -"But, Orton may give us away," I said presently. "He may become -frightened when he has to testify under oath." - -"He's looking out for A No. 1 and he's an adept liar, to boot. Besides, -he'd say nothing to make me reveal what I know about him," retorted -McKelvie, coming out of his abstraction. - -"What do you know about him?" I asked curiously. - -"Only that he's mixed up in some boot-legging scheme. Not much of a -hold, you think? Perhaps not, where a fearless man was concerned, but -Claude Orton is the greatest coward I have met in many a day. The very -word police is enough to scare him out of his wits, but he isn't worth a -moment's thought. I wanted to frighten him badly enough to get at the -truth and it netted us nothing in the end," he added, shifting -impatiently in his seat. - -I laughed sardonically. "You forget. It netted us a lighted room," I -remarked. - -McKelvie turned toward me with a look of deep concern in his eyes. "Tell -me," he said, "do you believe it was cleverness or sheer bravado that -made the criminal light the study with the door unlocked? Give me your -opinion." - -"How should I know?" I retorted glumly. "It's my opinion he was liable -to do anything." - -"He could hardly be cognizant of the fact that Orton was prowling -around, and he could easily turn off the lights when he heard footsteps -crossing the hall. That's doubtless just what he did, which would imply -that he was somewhere near the door. What a pity Orton caught no glimpse -of him! He would hardly leave Mrs. Darwin's entrance to chance. He'd -want to know when she was coming, for he couldn't be certain of the time -she would choose to enter, no, not if he were twice as clever." McKelvie -was thinking aloud, his brows knit once more, but I did not hesitate to -interrupt him. There was no Jenkins present to preserve the flow of his -thoughts undisturbed. - -"You seem to believe, or rather I should say, you seem absolutely -convinced that the criminal knew that Ruth would come to the study. The -same conviction, with all its attendant horror, flashed over me a while -ago when you were questioning Orton. But, upon my honor, now I review -the thing calmly, I can't figure on what you base your conclusion. Ruth -had no more idea of going into that study than I had, until I suggested -it to her on the spur of the moment. That's the truth. How are you going -to get around it?" I said emphatically. - -He pulled a briar pipe from his pocket and lighted it before he -answered. "That's easy. The criminal was in the room when Orton came in -at eleven-thirty. Probably he was hiding in the safe in the secret -room----" - -"I thought you deduced that the criminal knew nothing of the secret -entrance until he forced the knowledge from Darwin just before he killed -him," I pointed out. - -"I said he did not enter that way, not that he had no knowledge of it. -Orton said that Darwin and his visitor were quarreling. Darwin knew his -secretary and divined that he'd be hanging around the door listening. So -he called him in and got rid of him, in the meantime hiding his visitor -in the safe, from which point of vantage he heard the conversation -between Orton and Darwin. Am I correct so far?" he inquired. - -"Sounds plausible enough," I replied. - -"Knowing human nature (I make this deduction because throughout he has -most certainly traded on his knowledge of human beings in general, and -the police in particular), he put himself in your place. What would he -do if he were in love with Mrs. Darwin and had learned of the existence -of the letter. Why, naturally urge Mrs. Darwin to try to secure the -incriminating evidence. So you see he was pretty sure she would come, -but he did not know when. He couldn't possibly know when, could he?" he -asked appealingly. - -"No, I don't at this moment see how he could, unless he was a magician, -which isn't likely. I think myself we are on the wrong tack altogether. -We are trying to complicate a simple affair. The criminal, no doubt, -came in at midnight and shot Darwin without knowing that Ruth was there. -Then he went off again through the secret entrance, and Ruth was -implicated by pure chance, for, after all, there is only one pistol, -there was only one shot heard, and only one bullet found," was my -contribution. - -"All I can say to that, Mr. Davies, is that in that case the murderer -must have been a magician after all, for surely you are not implying -that Mrs. Darwin lied when she said the study was dark?" he remarked -with a smile, blowing wreaths of smoke along Broadway, for we were -driving slowly toward town. - -I groaned. I had forgotten the problem of the shot in the dark. -Assuredly it was a poser, for the feat was well-nigh impossible, unless -we explained it by assuming a previous shot, which would have been all -to the good if McKelvie could only have found the lost bullet. - -"You have reverted to the theory that the crime was one of impulse," -continued McKelvie. "Disabuse your mind of any such idea. That murder -was premeditated. It was done in cold-blood, and planned down to the -smallest detail, days before it occurred. And so very carefully was it -planned that the criminal was able to work Mrs. Darwin into the scheme, -without in the least disturbing his previous calculations. That is why -we are stumped for the present, because I have not yet been able to put -my finger on the weak spot in the link. There is bound to be a weak -spot, there always is no matter how clever the criminal, but it may take -longer than the time at our disposal before the trial. I shall have to -pick up a new trail, since Orton had nothing of value to give us," -McKelvie ended, knocking the ashes from his pipe. "Speed her up a -little, Mr. Davies." - -"What new trail?" I asked, obeying mechanically. - -"The woman in the case," he said impressively. - -"The woman in the case? You mean--Cora Manning?" I inquired. - -"Yes. You know the old French saying, 'Cherchez la femme.' I have done -my best to keep my promise to Mrs. Darwin to let Miss Manning out of it, -but now it is a matter of necessity. I firmly believe she was in -Darwin's study that night, somewhere between eleven-thirty and -midnight," he answered. - -"But, heavens, man, how did she get in?" I cried. - -"She lodges, or did, at Gramercy Park. Drive me over there. She should -be back by now and if she should prove to be the woman in the case, -we'll make her talk. It ought not to take more than an hour at most, and -if I am wrong, why we shall be no worse off than we are now." - -I gave my car more gas and continued down Broadway, intending to cut -across Twenty-first Street to Gramercy Park, remarking as I did so, -"You haven't told me how she effected an entrance into that closed -room." - -"She must have entered by the secret entrance," he replied. "Eliminate -the impossible, you know." - -"That's all very fine, but it plays ducks and drakes with your previous -reasoning, for how did she obtain a knowledge of those three -all-important facts about the entrance that you said even the criminal -could not divine?" I inquired. - -"When we meet the fair Cora you can ask her to explain the facts for -you, Mr. Davies. I confess that I cannot," he said a little wearily. "It -isn't good to jump at conclusions and I make it a rule not to say -anything which cannot be proved to have foundation in fact. Now I do not -know how she got there, but I do believe she was present in the study. -Until we make that a fact also, we will not discuss it." - -Annoyed at his tone I remained silent, but my eyes betrayed me as I -turned in his direction for a moment and he read curiosity in their -depths. He smiled and clapped me on the shoulder. "I'm an old crank. You -shouldn't mind my talk," he said. "I guess you have as good a right as -anyone to all the knowledge that can be gleaned in this business. I owe -my information to friend Jones. The blood-stained handkerchief is Cora -Manning's, I'm pretty sure, though the police are positive it belongs to -Mrs. Darwin. Perhaps you recall that I gave you an involuntary but -generous whiff of it that day. Did you recognize the perfume?" - -"Not at the time. I have since placed it as Rose Jacqueminot," I -replied. - -"That's right. It was very faint, but unmistakable. Now, I smelled the -other handkerchief also. It was scented with violet. You see, I have -made quite a study of perfumes and the different scents are as distinct -from each other as different brands of cigars or cigarettes. A refined -woman who has any taste at all chooses the perfume best suited to her -personality, and sticks to it. She doesn't use one kind one week, a -different kind the next. We will go over Cora Manning's room. If we find -even the faintest trace of Rose Jacqueminot we will know without a doubt -that the handkerchief is hers." - -By this time we had reached Gramercy Park, and running up the steps of -what was once a fashionable residence, we rang the bell. After an -appreciable interval we heard a shuffle of feet in the hall, and a thin, -emaciated-looking chap opened the door. - -"Is Miss Manning in?" inquired McKelvie. - -"I don't know," said the man, dubiously. "If you'll take a seat in the -parlor I'll call Mrs. Harmon." - -We did as he requested and entered a gloomy room in which all the shades -had been lowered, and as McKelvie moved restlessly around I seated -myself upon a very uncomfortable horsehair sofa. - -"No wonder yonder fellow is pale and thin," I thought, then I rose -hastily, more in astonishment than true courtesy, if the truth must be -told, for coming through the narrow doorway was the very largest woman I -had ever seen outside of a freak show, and when I say large, I don't -mean that she was tall. She was hardly more than middle height, but so -ample of girth that I expected to see her stick midway between the -door-posts, and pictured McKelvie and myself frantically endeavoring to -extricate her by hauling mightily upon her short, fat arms. But she was -evidently accustomed to this particular doorway, for with a sidewise -shift she entered composedly enough. - -"I'm Mrs. Harmon," she said affably. "What can I do for you?" - -"I wish to see Miss Manning," returned McKelvie. - -"Miss Manning has been away since the seventh of October," she replied -quietly. - -A shade of disappointment crossed McKelvie's face. "You know where she -has gone?" - -"No, sir. I don't. I thought she had gone to see some relatives, -perhaps." - -"Please be seated, Mrs. Harmon. I should like to ask a few questions." -She looked at him in evident astonishment, and he hastened to add, "I'm -investigating the Darwin murder and any information you can give me will -be appreciated." - -"Land sakes, you don't mean to tell me, young man, that you think she -did it?" she said indignantly. - -"Oh, no, but her name was on the will and I wanted to trace the -connection, that is all," he replied suavely. - -"There was a young man here not so very many days ago who talked like -that. I told him all I knew and he went and printed it in the paper. If -that's the kind you are I shan't say one word," she retorted, her fat -face flushing at the trick played upon her. - -"We are not reporters, if that is what you mean," returned McKelvie -soothingly. - -Under the spell of his voice she heaved an enormous sigh of relief and -lowered herself into a very wide arm-chair. - -"You said that on the night of the seventh of October, Miss Manning -went away from here?" McKelvie began. - -"Yes, she left somewhere around eleven o'clock." - -"On foot or in a taxi?" - -"She went on foot and I watched her cross Gramercy Park and go toward -the Subway," said Mrs. Harmon. - -"Didn't you think it peculiar that she should leave suddenly at that -time of night without leaving her address behind?" he continued. - -The woman rocked back and forth several times before she answered. -"Well, no. You see I didn't tell that other young man so, because he -didn't ask me, and besides I didn't like his looks. But I guess you're -all right. You have an honest face. I know pretty well why she wanted to -go away. I would have gone, too, in her place, poor girl. - -"It all comes of taking up with these idle rich young men who have more -money than brains, say I," she went on with a self-righteous toss of her -head. I smiled. I couldn't imagine any young man, rich or poor, taking a -fancy to Mrs. Harmon. I wondered what kind of man Mr. Harmon had been, -but then she may have been slimmer when he first met and married her. "I -told Miss Manning she was doing a foolish thing, but she wouldn't listen -and engaged herself to a young chap named Lee Darwin," the good lady -continued. "I hadn't anything against the young man, he seemed a nice -boy, but after a while another man took to coming around. He was older -and wore a beard and eyeglasses. I didn't like him and told her there -would be trouble, but she thought she knew best, and so there was -trouble." Mrs. Harmon closed her lips on the words complacently. - -"The morning of the seventh, Lee Darwin came here looking like a madman, -and they had some kind of a quarrel in this very room. I don't know what -it was about, but I heard him telling her that he was through with the -likes of her, and then he bounced out again. Well, she acted kind of -dazed for a while and then she made an appointment on the phone. When -she came back from her lessons he just mooned around, and at ten-thirty -that night she packed her bag and said she was going on a long journey, -and if anyone inquired where she was, to say I didn't know. But she -wouldn't tell me where she was going, and I figured she had decided to -hide away till she got over her hurt." - -"Yes, I guess you're right," said McKelvie. "And now one more request. I -should like to see her room." - -Mrs. Harmon eyed him suspiciously, but he gave her his best smile, which -would have melted a harder heart than hers, and hoisting herself to her -feet she led the way up the stairs to Cora Manning's room. - -It was a small room but nicely furnished and very dainty, as befitted -the bedroom of a refined young woman, but McKelvie hardly looked at it. -He opened a handkerchief box on the dresser and when Mrs. Harmon had her -back turned he slipped something into his pocket. - -"Thank you, Mrs. Harmon, you have been most kind," he said, as we left -the room. - -"Not at all. I guess you can find your way out. It's kind of hard for -me, climbing stairs so much. Give the door a bang and it'll lock -itself," she returned, and we followed directions while she watched our -departure from the head of the stairs. - -"Well?" I said, as we descended the steps. - -"It's hers. Look!" He removed from his pocket the article he had taken -from Cora Manning's room and held it out on his palm. It was a tiny -yellow satin sachet bag embroidered in blue! - -"This is getting ridiculous," I said, as we took our places in the car. -"How many more of these blooming things are we likely to run across -anyway? That's the third one I've seen." - -"Third? I have knowledge of only two, this one and Lee's, and it's not -difficult to conjecture where he got his," McKelvie said, with raised -brows, as he repocketed the bag. - -I told him of my discovery that Dick possessed one of these sachets -also, adding, "It's identical with this one. Do you suppose she gave it -to him?" - -"Richard Trenton," he mused, glancing at his watch. "We'll just have -time before dinner. Take me up to Riverside Drive, if you will be so -kind. I want another look at that secret room." - -I turned my car, and drove as swiftly as I dared along Broadway, asking -him, "Do you think that Cora Manning is in hiding because of that -quarrel?" - -He did not answer until we were skimming along the Drive. "No," he said -quietly then, "I don't think so." - -"Do you believe she killed Darwin?" I persisted. - -"No, I don't. It was not a woman's job, but I do believe she can prove -for us when he died," he answered. "And through her I hope to locate the -criminal." - -"If she is the woman in the case, she must be shielding the man or she -would have come forward long ago to free Ruth," I pointed out. - -"Or he may be holding her a prisoner because she knows too much for his -peace of mind and body," he retorted. "That puts a different complexion -on it." - -"In that case he will murder her, too, before we can reach her," I said -in a horrified voice. - -"A man kills the woman he loves for only one reason, which does not -exist in this case," he replied. - -"Good heavens!" I said. "The criminal in love with Cora Manning! Then -you mean that Lee killed his uncle?" - -McKelvie shrugged. "That I can't presume to say. Perhaps it's -Lee--perhaps it's another. Remember this. If Richard Trenton knew her, -ten to one he was in love with her, too. I have seen her picture." - -Which statement, since I was a man, only increased my eagerness to see -the fair Cora. - - - - -CHAPTER XXIV - -THE SIGNET RING - - -At McKelvie's request I parked my car a block from the house and we -traversed that distance in silence, entering the grounds as though we -had come on no good errand. When we reached the house McKelvie piloted -me to the back and rang the servants' bell. It was late, after six, and -growing dark so that Mason was hardly to be blamed if he failed to -recognize us, especially as he did not expect to see us again so soon. - -"It's Mr. Davies, Mason," said McKelvie. "Will you let us in to the main -wing through the passageway, please?" - -"Yes, sir," returned Mason. "This way, sir, if you please." - -He led us through the passageway and opened the door into the main wing, -going ahead of us to switch on the light in the hall. - -"That is all. Leave the door open into the passageway. We shall probably -depart the way we entered." - -"Very good, sir." - -McKelvie waited until the old man had shuffled away before he approached -the study door. It was little more than six hours since we had been in -that room, yet it seemed more like a week to me, so many things had -cropped up in the interval, and I waited impatiently for McKelvie to -turn the knob of the door. - -"I thought I heard someone in there," he whispered, and flung open the -door. - -For one swift instant I had the impression of a glaring eye that winked -and faded as I looked, then only darkness confronted us, darkness and a -brooding stillness in which I could hear my very heart-beats. - -McKelvie stepped into the room and found the switch, then as the study -was flooded with light, he turned and sped toward the safe with me at -his heels. - -"The windows," he said tersely, as he spun the dial. "See if anyone is -hiding behind those curtains." - -I hurried to the windows and swept back the hangings. There was no one -there, and I turned back to the safe just as McKelvie stood up and swung -open the door. - -"Come on," he said, thrusting his skeleton key into the inner door. -"Don't forget to stoop and be careful to make no noise." - -I followed him as he lighted his flash, and passed quickly through the -secret room to the door at the head of the stairs. Unlocking this he -motioned me to keep near him, and together we crept down the stone -staircase and out into the night. We listened a moment, but the only -thing we heard was the wind in the trees, which seemed to mock us -shrilly as we peered into the dusk beyond. - -"Come on back," said McKelvie quietly. "We have work to do yonder," and -he nodded toward the entrance. - -Wonderingly I obeyed him but asked no questions as he relocked the door -and led the way back to the secret room. Here he paused to turn on the -light and then lifting the divan aside with my help, he knelt and felt -the wall against which it had been placed. - -"What is it?" I whispered. His haste and mysterious actions made me feel -somehow that to speak aloud would be to commit an unpardonable offense. - -He raised his head as though listening to sounds from without, then he -sprang to his feet. - -"The divan, quick, and no noise," he whispered. - -I stooped to help him and as we lifted the divan to its place the fringe -of the cover caught in my cuff-link. I tried to untangle it, but -McKelvie had no time for such niceties. He wrenched the fringe free, -leaving a strand in my link, and as he did so something fell to the -floor and rolled along the carpet. He pounced upon the object, then -suddenly turned and switched off the light. By the aid of his flash he -crept to the rear door, and I distinctly heard the sound of steps on -those stairs as McKelvie unlocked the door. - -With a sudden movement he pulled the door open and flashed his light on -the stairs. Again there was nothing but darkness and brooding stillness, -and I could see that the door at the bottom was tightly closed. - -"Well, I'll be hanged," muttered McKelvie. "I must be hearing things. -Let's get back to the study." - -We returned to the brightly lighted room and McKelvie locked up behind -him with scrupulous care. Then he went over to the table and seated -himself at its head in the chair in which Darwin had been found, and -motioned me to take the place beside him. - -"Funny thing," he said presently. "I could have sworn there was someone -in this room when we first entered. I'm positive I saw this lamp go -out." - -"Was that it?" I answered. "It looked like an eye to me, a great glaring -eye that faded as I gazed." - -"You saw it too, then? I'm glad of that," he returned. "I was beginning -to think I was the victim of hallucination. No, it was the lamp, which -means someone was in that safe. However, he had the start of us, and -there is not much use in trying to catch him at present." - -"Who was it?" I asked eagerly. "Do you suspect?" - -He made no answer but took from his pocket the object which had fallen -from the divan. It was a heavy gold ring, evidently a man's. He looked -at it critically and then held it out to me. - -"Do you know whose it is?" he asked low. - -Before I could take it from him he hastily slipped it back into his -pocket and leaning closer, said in my ear, "Don't make a sound, but look -at the safe door. Then turn back and listen to me as though nothing were -amiss." - -I was sitting around the corner from the head of the table with my chair -turned slightly in McKelvie's direction so that my back was partly -toward the safe. At his words I turned and looked at the safe door, -expecting I know not what, and to my amazement I saw that the knob of -the dial was turning silently and apparently of itself! - -There was only one explanation. Someone was opening the door of the safe -from the inside, somebody who knew the combination which McKelvie had -used! And yet how could anyone have cognizance of the six letters -McKelvie had picked out to close the safe. For this was no attempt such -as Jenkins had made, no adept manipulation, since the dial was turning -with precision, as though the hand that twirled it knew exactly how to -spin it. - -McKelvie's foot on mine recalled the remainder of his injunction, and -turning back, I held out my hand for the ring. His lips formed the word, -"No," and his eyes directed me to what he held in his hand. It was Lee -Darwin's stick-pin. - -"I thought there was someone in the room when we entered," he said in a -clear voice, "but since you say you did not see the light, why I must -have been mistaken. The case is getting on my nerves, and nerves are -queer things when they begin to jump. I've been working too hard, and -it's time I took a vacation." - -He paused, and I had an uncomfortable feeling that whoever was in the -safe had succeeded in opening it and was gazing at us from behind the -shelter of the door. I shuddered as I realized the intensity of those -unseen eyes which held me riveted to my chair. I longed to turn around -and look and so break the spell, but McKelvie's glance on mine forbade -it. - -"I'm convinced that Lee killed his uncle," he continued. "The stick-pin -proves his presence, and doubtless he had knowledge of the entrance. -There is nothing more to be learned from this study. My work from now on -must be conducted outside. As I said, I've got a man in the South and -until he picks up Lee's trail there is nothing more to be done." - -He stood up and put the pin away. "I'm dog tired. We've had a strenuous -day. Take me home, Mr. Davies. I've earned a few days' rest." - -Disappointedly I looked up at him. He spoke very convincingly and he did -look tired, but somehow I had hoped that the ring had opened up a new -line of inquiry for the morrow. Inaction was hateful to me while Ruth -remained a prisoner. I wanted to be up and doing, even if it was only -following a false scent. - -"Come on, Mr. Davies. It's long past dinner time," he said impatiently. - -"All right," I said reluctantly, rising and glancing casually at the -safe as I did so. To my surprise the door was closed and had the -appearance of never having been touched. Was I too beginning to have -hallucinations? - -A warning pressure as McKelvie took my arm made me mask whatever -astonishment I felt, and also made me hasten with him from the room -without a backward glance. When we were in the hall I opened my mouth to -question him, but he shook his head and hurried me along to the door -leading into the servants' wing. - -"Wait here a moment," he said, indicating the passageway. "I'll be back -in a second. Keep the door closed." - -He disappeared down a side hall and I stepped into the passageway and -closed the door, wondering what it was all about, and particularly who -the man was who had evaded us to-night, if it was a man and not a freak -of my imagination. Still, McKelvie had heard him, too, and it was hardly -likely that both of us were dreaming. - -"Come, we'll have to hurry," said McKelvie, returning suddenly. - -In silence we let ourselves out the back door and crept through the -grounds to the gate. In another minute we had gained the corner and my -car. - -As I drove toward town I remarked, "Was there really someone in that -safe, McKelvie?" - -"Certainly. I thought I was mistaken at first, but he came back again, -as you observed. I thought you looked uneasy while I was talking," he -said laughing. - -I reddened. "It wasn't very pleasant to feel his eyes on me and be -forbidden to see who it was. You were facing the safe. You saw him?" I -questioned. - -"No, I didn't see him. He was too clever to risk that. He knew we were -there, and he came to find out how much progress we had made toward -putting him behind the bars where he belongs," retorted McKelvie -grimly. - -"You don't mean to tell me that it was the criminal himself who had the -nerve to come there to-night?" I said. - -"It must have been, for who else has a key to those doors? Remember that -he took Darwin's key, and mine is the only other one that will open -those locks. Also he would be too clever to take anyone else into his -confidence," he replied. - -"How did he know the combination that you used?" I continued. - -McKelvie laughed. "When I locked the safe the other day I used the word, -Darwin, the one you suggested. He has since made himself acquainted with -that combination. Just as he was too clever to change it so that I would -believe the safe untampered with, so was I too clever to let him know -that I suspected his visits." - -I nodded. "Why didn't you go over to the safe and capture him then?" I -asked. "You missed an opportunity." - -"What happened when we chased him before? The moment he saw us making -for the safe he would be gone. Besides, I was playing a little game. I -had put him on his guard by hunting for him. I decided to trick him into -thinking that I no longer had any interest in him." - -"Then all that very convincing conversation----" - -"Was mere bunk," he answered. "I'm glad it was convincing, though, for I -was trying to fool a very clever devil." - -He fished around in his pocket and drew out the ring. I could see it -gleam in the light of the street lamps as we sped toward the park. - -"Strange. I had an idea that there was a secret panel or something of -the sort where he could hide such things as he needed, for I could -figure no other reason for his coming to that house, and that is what I -was hunting for when you so opportunely caught your cuff-link in that -Persian cover. This ring must have been tangled in the fringe and when I -yanked the cover I dislodged the ring. That was a stroke of pure luck, -and it changes the whole course of the inquiry. Word from Chicago would -have told me something, but not as much as this band of gold does. Take -a good look at it and tell me whose it is." - -He took out his flash and played it over the ring while I looked at it. -Then I turned away, feeling sick at heart. The ring was a heavy gold -signet with a deep-cut monogram, and it was a ring I knew only too well, -since I had bought it myself at Ruth's request that she might give it to -her brother on his birthday. That was three years ago, and what a very -happy time it had been and how pleased Dick had seemed to receive the -ring, for he always made a fuss over Ruth. I remember that he swore to -wear it always as he slipped it on his finger, and now here it was -cropping up to bring more misery to the girl I wanted most to shield -from all harm and sorrow. - -"Well?" McKelvie's voice broke the thread of my thought. - -"It's Dick Trenton's," I said low. "And now shall I drive you home?" - -"Home? I should say not!" he almost shouted. "We're going to get some -dinner and then we're off to Water Street. The trail's too hot to turn -aside now." - - - - -CHAPTER XXV - -THE DECEPTION - - -I did drive McKelvie home after all, for he quite suddenly insisted that -I partake of his hospitality, saying that we should find a better dinner -at his house than at any restaurant in Greater New York. From there I -phoned Jenkins to look after Mr. Trenton, and then followed McKelvie -into a low-ceilinged old room lighted by a mellow glow which made the -heavy mahogany furniture seem even more ancient than it really was. - -I had not realized how tired I was mentally and physically (it's hard -work racing around the city in a car) until I faced my host across the -table, and saw how weary he looked. He smiled a little as I -unconsciously relaxed after partaking of the soup which the old darky -had served to us. - -"Mr. Davies," he said, "I shouldn't drag you around with me. It's not -fair to you. Go on home after dinner and I'll go to Water Street alone." - -"You are tired, too," I returned. - -"I'm paid to do this work. It's part of my business to chase after -clues," he said. "You are my client, so to speak, and the client is not -expected to aid the cause except in furnishing the means to carry it -on." - -But I shook my head. "I'm too keen on the result to stop now," I -replied. - -"Even if it should lead you into unforeseen channels?" he queried. - -"Even so. Ruth is the first consideration," I responded firmly. - -"Very well, and now the best thing we can do is to cease talking about -it," and forthwith he launched into an account of a trip he had once -taken through Africa. - -He was a born narrator, and under the spell of his voice and the -influence of that most excellent dinner, cooked as only Southern darkies -know how to cook, I forgot the problem that was troubling me, forgot -that there were such things as crimes and criminals; aye, even forgot -that there was such a place on the globe as New York City, while I -followed McKelvie on a lion hunt in the heart of northern Africa. - -"And that's where I got that skin," he said, as we rose and sauntered -into the living-room. - -I gazed at the great rug spread out before the fireplace, and pictured -to myself how it had looked the day McKelvie shot it when he spoke -again. - -"I'm afraid we'll have to smoke our cigars on the way. It's getting -late." - -With a sigh I returned to the business in hand, and as I drove through -the poorer sections of New York on my way to Water Street my mind -reverted to the first time I had visited that locality, which brought me -around to Dick and the signet ring. So Dick had been in the Darwin home -that night, and since his ring was in the secret room, then he must have -been behind the safe at some time during the evening. McKelvie claimed -that the criminal was hiding in the safe when Orton entered the room at -eleven-thirty, but he also maintained that the criminal was the man we -had heard when we ourselves had been in the study this very evening. If -that were the truth then it could hardly have been Dick, since Dick was -dead. Yet what did McKelvie hope to learn by visiting the scene of the -suicide? - -When we reached Water Street we pulled up before the lodging house where -Dick had stayed and rang the bell. Mrs. Blake opened the door and eyed -us suspiciously. - -"No lodgings," she said uncompromisingly, beginning to close the door. - -"Just a moment. We don't want lodgings," said McKelvie crisply, at the -same time displaying a bill as he held his hand toward the lighted -doorway. "We want you to answer a few questions." - -Seeing that we were not of the class to which she was accustomed, and -her suspicions allayed by the greenback, she wiped her hands on her -apron and asked us in. - -We went as far as the hallway, which was more ill-smelling than when I -had first made its acquaintance, and paused near the shabby old -staircase. - -"On the tenth of October a lodger of yours committed suicide by -drowning," said McKelvie abruptly. "Is this the man?" - -He took a photograph from his pocket and handed it to her. As she -grasped it I had a glimpse of the pictured face and was not surprised to -note that it was Dick's. - -"Well, I won't say for sure. It looks like the same man, only 'tother -was more like the men I takes to lodge," said Mrs. Blake after gazing at -the photograph. - -"And this one looks like a gentleman, is that it?" supplemented McKelvie -with a smile. - -The woman nodded, and taking a piece of charcoal from his pocket -McKelvie reclaimed the photograph and proceeded to blacken the lower -part of the face, giving Dick an untidy appearance, as though he had -not shaved for a week or more. Then he showed it to her again. - -"Yes, sir. It looks more like him now," she added. - -McKelvie pocketed the picture. "What's the name of the man who told you -about the suicide?" - -"Ben Kite." - -"Thank you," and he placed the bill in her hands. - -"Phew! It's good to get out into the fresh air. How do they stand it!" I -exclaimed. - -"So used to it they don't even notice it," McKelvie returned with a -shrug. "Drive down to the wharves and we'll have a talk with Ben Kite, -if we can find him." - -"What do you expect to learn by all this questioning?" I inquired -anxiously. - -He did not answer except to draw my attention to a group of men lounging -on the wharf. "Stay in the machine while I find out if Kite is among -them." - -He alighted and approached the group, but it was too dark for me to be -able to distinguish more than a general blur of outlines. - -"Can you tell me where I can find Ben Kite to-night?" I heard McKelvie -ask. - -"Who wants 'im?" growled a coarse voice in answer. - -"I do," replied McKelvie. - -"What you want, stranger?" remarked the same voice again. - -"Are you Ben Kite?" - -"That's the name me mither give me," the man returned, detaching himself -from the group, which laughed immoderately at his words. "What you -want?" - -"A moment's conversation and I'll make it worth your while, but I don't -care particularly for an audience. Do you see that car? Tell your -friends to remain where they are. You'll find me waiting in the machine -if you want a ten-spot." - -McKelvie returned to my side and entered the machine. Hardly had he -settled himself when the man was beside us. He was the same fellow I had -questioned. I knew his ugly face in the light cast upon it by the lamp -under which I had parked, but he failed to recognize me, since my face -was in shadow. - -"On October the tenth a man who lodged at Mrs. Blake's jumped into the -East River and was drowned. Am I right?" asked McKelvie without -preliminary. - -"Sure. I told the bulls all I knowed at the time," responded Kite. - -"I know. But I want the information first hand. He came to the wharf and -jumped in. Was that the way it happened?" - -"Sort of like that. When I seed him he was right on the edge. I hallooed -and he flung up his arms high and duve in. I ran to the edge, but he -never cum up. Current got 'im, I guess," answered Kite indifferently. - -"And the body has not been recovered?" continued McKelvie. - -The man grinned. "Well, they ain't had time. It's only four days. He -might bob up yet." - -I shuddered at the callous way in which he spoke of this boy of whom I -had been fond. - -"Is this the man?" McKelvie turned his flash on the picture. - -"Sure, that's 'im, all right." - -"Thank you. Here's your money. Drive quickly, Mr. Davies," McKelvie -added in my ear as the man moved away. "If they think we have money they -may try to get some of it for themselves." - -I gave the car more gas and we were speeding round the corner before the -man had more than joined his friends. - -"Where did you get that picture of Dick? I do not recall having seen it -before. It must be a recent one, for he looks older than I remember -him." - -"What picture of Dick?" he asked. - -"The one you just showed Kite," I returned. - -"Oh, that. I noticed it this morning when I examined the house, before -your arrival, and that is what I went back to get after our adventure in -the study to-night." - -"Do you think the body will ever be recovered?" I asked as we turned -into the Bowery from Catherine Street. - -"No. It would be a very strange thing to recover a corpse that never -existed," McKelvie responded grimly. - -"A corpse that never existed," I repeated slowly and recalled my own -doubts when Jones had first given me the news. "I understand. He was -hardly likely to drown, since he could swim too well." - -"Yes. Kite told us that plainly to-night. His words were: 'He flung his -arms high and dove in,' which meant that he could dive; from which I -deduced that he was probably a good swimmer. When a man who can swim, -strikes the water his instinct is to swim, no matter how much he may -want to drown. Besides, a suicide generally goes in feet first, not head -first, for it takes a lot of skill to dive, even when you don't -contemplate drowning," he replied, giving me his line of reasoning. - -"Then he left his things at Mrs. Blake's to create the impression that -he had committed suicide," I said heavily. - -"Yes, so that the world would believe that Richard Trenton had drowned -himself," returned McKelvie. - -"But why? In God's name why? Not because he--" I broke off, unable to -finish. Yes, I know I had dallied with the thought before, but then it -had only been conjecture with the belief that such a thing was -impossible to sustain me. Now, however, it was grim reality that stared -me in the face. What other reason could Dick have for the deception -which he had practised upon us all? - -"We're not going to jump at conclusions, Mr. Davies." McKelvie laid a -hand on my arm. "He may have had good reasons for his act." - -"What reasons could he possibly have?" I said impatiently. - -"When I hear from Chicago, which ought to be any day now, I can answer -that question more definitely. Until then we will give him the benefit -of the doubt, for, after all, he is not the only one who has vanished -without a trace, nor, which is more important, is he the only one in -love with Cora Manning," he added significantly. - -"That's the second time you've mentioned that the criminal is in love -with Cora Manning," I said, as we neared his house. "But there seems to -me to be a flaw in that assumption." - -"Why?" - -"It stands to reason, does it not, that if the murderer loves Miss -Manning he must know that she uses rose jacqueminot perfume?" I -remarked. - -"Yes, he knows it," agreed McKelvie. "In fact, it wouldn't surprise me -if he owned one of those yellow satin sachet bags himself." - -"Then he can't be as clever as you make out, or he would never have -made the mistake of putting a handkerchief scented with rose jacqueminot -in Mr. Darwin's hands, under the belief that it belonged to Ruth, -particularly if he saw Cora Manning in the study." - -McKelvie smiled. "Do you remember my saying that Lee's use of rose -jacqueminot looked bad for him? It was because of that handkerchief that -I made the assertion. The criminal, as I said before, uses rose -jacqueminot, and he has become so accustomed to the scent of it that his -olfactory nerves have lost the power to respond to it except when it is -present in a fairly detectable amount. There was only the merest trace -on that handkerchief, indistinguishable to him, and, therefore, deeming -it unscented, he decided it belonged to Mrs. Darwin. I have an idea that -he found it somewhere near the door leading into the hall. He would have -done better to carry away the handkerchief with him, but like all the -rest of his kind, he could not resist the chance to strengthen the -evidence against Mrs. Darwin and so put himself into our hands," he -explained. - -"But what applies to Lee, applies to Dick as well," I returned. "He also -possesses a yellow satin sachet bag." - -"Yes, that is true," he responded as he alighted before his door. -"Therefore we have no right to condemn one more than the other until we -have a few more facts at our disposal. I'll call you if there are any -new developments. By the way, don't tell Mr. Trenton that his son did -not commit suicide until we know definitely what happened in the study -that night. _Au revoir_, Mr. Davies." - -"I understand. Good-night, McKelvie," I replied. - - - - -CHAPTER XXVI - -JAMES GILMORE - - -In the morning I returned to the office, for I could hardly expect my -partner to carry on the business alone very much longer. He was -extremely interested in the mystery because of my connection with it and -also because he knew Ruth personally, and asked me what progress we had -made so far. I told him all the various facts that McKelvie had dug up -and he looked very grave when he learned the truth about Dick's -pretended suicide. We were still discussing the matter when McKelvie -called me on the phone to say that he had word from Chicago and would -like me to hear what Dick's friend had to say. - -"What is it, a new clue?" asked my partner curiously. - -I repeated McKelvie's communication, saying that I was sorry to have to -abandon him again, but that I would be back as soon as I could get away. - -My partner clapped me on the shoulder. "That's all right, old man, you -need not feel obliged to get back. I'll worry along somehow without -you," he said kindly, adding with a laugh, "besides, you're worse than -useless any way with this business uppermost in your mind. You'd be apt -to make a bear out of a bull market," and his eyes twinkled. - -So I drove to McKelvie's house and found him in his living-room talking -to an old-young man of some thirty odd years, whose hair was quite gray -and whose skin had a peculiar dead look, as though he had spent a part -of his life shut away from the sunlight. - -"Mr. Davies," said McKelvie when he had introduced me, "James Gilmore is -a friend of Dick Trenton, and he has come from Chicago in answer to my -request to relate to us what he knows of young Trenton's movements." - -James Gilmore nodded. "If you have no objections I'm going to begin -further back a bit so that you will understand how I came to be mixed up -in this affair. Ten years ago I was a teller in the Darwin Bank. I was -twenty-one, ambitious, and eager to make as much money as my pals. My -salary was small, but the son of one of the directors, Philip Darwin, -who was just a few years older than myself, took a fancy to me and told -me that he could help me to make all the money that I wanted. I was -young and foolish and I trusted him. I took money from the bank and gave -it to him to speculate with, money that he feared to take himself, -though I blame only myself for my folly. I did not have to steal, for, -in a measure, I knew the risk I ran. But he was such a smooth fellow, -and being the son of a director he declared that he could prevent any -chance inspections, and I would have the money to replace long before an -accounting was made. I believed him, and two days after I had given him -the money we had an unexpected visit from the inspectors, and I was -caught short. I went to Darwin for the money, but he shrugged his -shoulders and said that the market had gone against him and that that -was a risk that I had to stand. There was nothing to do but face the -music, for, of course, his part in the affair never came to light at -all." - -James Gilmore broke off to add with bitter emphasis, "He was the son of -a rich man, and I was poor, and so I paid for what he gained, for I -have since learned that he made money on that deal and kept it all, damn -him! - -"Well, I got ten years, since it was my first offense," he continued -presently in a quieter tone, "and when I got out last March I vowed -vengeance upon him. I found out what he was doing and where he spent his -evenings, and one night in the beginning of April I ran across a chap -whom I had met in Sing Sing. He told me that he had been hired by a man -to quarrel at cards with some boy whom this man was trying to ruin. The -place was one of the resorts that Darwin attended and the scheme sounded -like the sort of thing he would be capable of, so I asked this fellow, -Coombs, if I could sit in at the game, and he answered. 'Yes, just drop -in and I'll say you're a pal of mine.' - -"That night I repaired to a private room in the rear of the gambling den -and took a seat in a corner until Darwin and the boy had come in. They -were disguised, but Coombs gave me the wink, and instinct, a feeling of -antipathy, told me that the older man was Darwin, although I did not -really see his face, for the light was bad. When I joined them, Darwin -frowned, not because he recognized me (there was no danger of that--ten -years in jail make a difference in a man), but because he wanted no one -interfering with his plans. We began to play, and then Coombs, as per -orders, cheated, cheated so openly it was a farce. But the boy had been -drinking and he hadn't the wit to see that he was being made a fool of. -He accused Coombs of double dealing, and Coombs jumped up and made for -him with his chair, whereupon Darwin pulled out a gun and fired two -shots in rapid succession. The first one bowled Coombs over, but I -sensed what was coming and the second shot went over my head as I -ducked. However, I dropped to the floor, deeming discretion the better -part of valor. Then I saw Darwin press the pistol into the boy's hand, -firing another shot as he did so and exclaiming, 'You've done for him, -Dick, but don't worry, I'll get you away, never fear.' - -"A terrific pounding ensued on the door at this moment and calls and -yells came from the main room. Darwin sprang for the light and -extinguished it, and seeing my chance I, too, sneaked away by the rear -entrance just as the inner door gave way. I didn't want to be accused of -having killed Coombs, and I knew that I could not implicate Darwin, -since at no time had I seen his face. I was an ex-convict, and he a -prominent and wealthy man. It was my word against his. What chance had I -of using my knowledge to account? - -"The murder of Coombs came out in the paper, and there was quite a to-do -over it, and fearing that someone might recall that I had been there -lately, and that I also knew Coombs, I lit out for the West. In -September I drifted to Chicago, and having found a job, looked for a -boarding-place. I found a very respectable home and there made the -acquaintance of a handsome young fellow who called himself Richard -Trenton. I wondered about him, since he seemed above his surroundings, -but never was really intimate until I happened into his room to borrow a -book that he had offered to lend me and found him at his desk writing -the name Philip Darwin over and over on a sheet of paper. - -"I was stunned for the moment, and then I found voice to say, 'You know -him, too?' - -"'Yes,' he said bitterly. 'Do you?' - -"I nodded. 'Yes, I ought to know him. I served ten years in jail on his -account,' I said. - -"'Tell me about it,' he demanded. - -"When I was through he sat for a while in silence and then he said, 'He -has harmed me, too, but only in taking advantage of my own folly,' and -then he told me the story that Philip Darwin had concocted for his -benefit, a story which he, Dick Trenton, was too drunk to have been able -to contradict. He had quarreled with a man and had pulled out a gun and -killed the fellow and Darwin, like an angel of mercy, had got him away -and saved him from the chair. - -"When I heard that I let out a yell and told him the truth. He was mad -then, mad enough to kill, and he swore he would go back to New York to -have it out with Darwin. Then suddenly he seemed to recall something and -just collapsed, and when I urged him to go and revenge himself, all he -did was to shake his head. - -"'He forced my sister to marry him to save my life.' he said hoarsely, -clenching his hands. 'I must free her first and then--he shall pay.' - -"Under those circumstances things were different, so we concocted a -letter and sent it to Darwin, telling him we had proofs of his perfidy, -and he must promise to let his wife divorce him at once or face the -consequences. As soon as he got the letter there came a telegram from -him, saying that his lawyer, who was in his confidence, was on his way -to Chicago to confer with us. Well, we awaited the lawyer's arrival, and -he came to the house and asked for Trenton. He was a red-whiskered, -red-haired fellow called Cunningham, and he asked us for proofs of what -we knew. - -"Trenton did the talking, and he said that he could prove that it was -Darwin who had fired the pistol, that he could produce several witnesses -to that effect, that he had been investigating the thing for months. All -this was pure bluff, of course, but the old chap came off his high horse -and said that his client had deceived him and that under the -circumstances he had nothing more to say. He would return to New York -and advise that Mrs. Darwin be allowed her divorce and after that why he -had no objections if we saw fit to punish Darwin. - -"Seeing that we had won over the lawyer, we waited eagerly for news of -the divorce proceedings, but in the beginning of October there came a -long letter from Darwin. He explained that his lawyer had called on him -and that in view of the fact that we had the proofs he was willing to -grant Mrs. Darwin the chance to divorce him, but there was one -difficulty in the way of that. Mrs. Darwin did not want a divorce, and -he thought it was best for Dick to come to New York to see him -personally before any actions were taken. Then Dick could talk to his -sister and matters could be arranged to the satisfaction of all parties. -If this was agreeable Dick would find him home at eleven-thirty on the -night of October seventh. - -"Well, we talked it over, and as Mrs. Darwin's letters had always been -very cheerful and never held any complaint about her married life, why, -we were in a quandary, for, of course, we couldn't expect Darwin to -denounce himself to her. So the upshot was that Dick telegraphed that he -would confer with Darwin. I told him to go armed, as I didn't trust -Darwin around the corner, and Dick promised, though he said with a laugh -that he knew where Darwin kept his pistol, and it would be easier to -borrow that than to try to buy a new one. - -"I saw him off, and then on the evening of the eighth I read about the -murder in the papers. Right away I jumped to the conclusion that Dick -had fired the shot, but when I read further I was amazed to see that the -murder was the result of a quarrel between husband and wife and that -Dick hadn't been there at all. I wondered why he didn't send me word, -and then two days later I saw an account of his suicide in the papers. I -couldn't quite figure it out, and finally decided that he had arrived -too late to prevent the tragedy and drowned himself in a fit of grief." - -James Gilmore shook his head in a perplexed way. "And now this gentleman -tells me that Dick didn't commit suicide, and I understand it less than -ever. There is one thing sure. He's not in Chicago. The police got your -message, and after combing the city went to his boarding-place for -information, and that's how I caught on that someone was looking for -news of Dick. I said to myself, 'You're the boy to give it,' and here I -am." - -"And I am much obliged to you, I am sure," said McKelvie. "You have -helped me immensely. And now that we may be absolutely sure that no -mistake has been made, take a look at this picture and tell me whether -you recognize it." - -He handed Gilmore a photograph of Dick, an old one, not the one which he -had blackened for Mrs. Blake, and Gilmore nodded quickly. - -"Sure that's Dick Trenton, all right, except that he was wearing a very -full beard when I met him. He told me he grew it as a disguise, but that -he intended to shave it off the moment he reached New York. He said his -sister would disown him if he looked like Daniel Boone." - -McKelvie nodded, and I added, "He evidently kept his word, since he had -only a stubble when he pretended suicide, poor boy." - -"When you discover where he is, let me know," said Gilmore, rising. -"Take my word for it, he is somewhere in this burg. Well, I must be -going. There are some of my pals I want to look up before I go back to -Chi. I'll keep my top eye open, and if I get a hint I'll let you know." - -"I wish you would. Thank you again," said McKelvie, escorting Gilmore to -the door. - -When he returned his eyes were shining. "Well, that was worth-while -news," he said smiling. - -"It certainly was, providing he hasn't--" I said with a gesture. - -"We won't spoil it by dwelling on that fact. Remember what I said last -night. Stay for luncheon and then give me the benefit of your services -as chauffeur. I know you will want to go with me, for I am going to ask -Mr. Cunningham what advice he gave his client about this most -interesting affair." - - - - -CHAPTER XXVII - -THE STRONG BOX - - -After a luncheon, to which I did full justice, McKelvie flipped over the -pages of the city directory and studied the section devoted to -Cunninghams. - -"That's rather peculiar," he said. "He has no office in the city. If he -is a lawyer, where does he conduct his practice? Something wrong, -somewhere. Come on. We'll get him at his apartments." - -We drove to 84th Street and inquired for Cunningham. - -"Mr. Cunningham? He's not at home," replied the switchboard operator in -the hallway of the fashionable apartment house. - -"Do you mean that he is out of town?" asked McKelvie anxiously. - -"Oh, no. He'll be back at five, I guess. That's the time he usually -comes in when he's in the city," said the girl, bestowing a fetching -smile upon my companion. - -McKelvie improved the acquaintance. He returned the smile. "Is he away -very much?" - -"Yes, quite a bit." - -"Thank you, and you need not mention that I was asking about him. He -might not like it," remarked McKelvie. - -"You said it. He's closer than a clam about himself," she returned with -a little toss of her head. - -"Our friend Cunningham was once quite attentive in that quarter," -explained McKelvie with a laugh as we drove away. "So much I learned -when I first came here, and so I proceeded to make friends with Jane." - -"Where to?" I inquired, laughing. "Home?" - -"No, the Darwin Bank. I have a mind to see whether our lawyer friend, -who has no office, possesses a sufficient capital to live on his income. -Mr. Trenton is the best man to apply to I guess, since I have already -learned that Cunningham keeps an account at his bank." - -When we arrived at the bank I sent my card in, and we were admitted at -once to Mr. Trenton's private office. - -"What is it, Carlton?" he asked fearfully. - -"Good news," I replied, "which I should like you to convey to Ruth" (I -had ceased visiting her at her own request), and I told him Gilmore's -story. - -Mr. Trenton beamed on McKelvie when I had finished the tale. "My dear -sir, this is all your doing. How can I ever thank you? You have lifted a -great load from my mind, and I can think of him with great pity now -instead of horror in my heart." - -He bowed his head and I was glad he did not know that Dick was alive. It -was far better that he think his son drowned than that he know that Dick -was somewhere in New York, afraid to come home. - -"Mr. Trenton," said McKelvie presently, "I came here primarily to obtain -some information. Philip Darwin had an account here, did he not?" - -"Raines can tell you," Mr. Trenton replied, ringing for the head -cashier. - -I nodded to the young man as he entered, for we were acquainted and Mr. -Trenton introduced him to McKelvie, adding, "And Mr. Raines, you have -my authority to tell Mr. McKelvie whatever he desires to know." - -"I'm at your service, Mr. McKelvie," responded Raines, with a cordial -smile. - -"I wish to know whether Philip Darwin has a bank balance here and if so -how much," said McKelvie, getting down to business at once. - -"He closed out his account on the sixth of October," replied Raines. -"I'm not likely to forget it, since it was the very next night that he -was murdered." - -"And the amount of his balance was--" repeated McKelvie. - -"One hundred and fifty thousand dollars. I gave him the money myself." - -"Did he take it in gold or notes?" asked McKelvie. - -"In bills of large denominations, so that it did not make such a very -large package to carry. He put it into a small bag and took it away -himself." - -McKelvie took a turn around the room and then asked abruptly, "Does a -Mr. Herbert Cunningham, who lives on 84th Street, bank here?" - -"Yes. He's a red-whiskered chap, is he not?" - -McKelvie nodded. "Can you give me the amount of his balance?" - -"I'll get it for you in just a moment." Raines left the room and -McKelvie continued to pace the floor. - -"What do you suppose Philip did with all that money?" asked Mr. Trenton. - -"That's what I'm going to find out," returned McKelvie. "I have an idea -I know where it is." - -"According to Cunningham, Darwin lost it on Wall Street," I said. - -"Yes, and according to Orton Darwin was a cautious speculator. I'll -wager the secretary was the better judge of Darwin's character. Orton's -shrewd for all that he's a wretched creature. No, that money did not go -into Wall Street, and I'm going to locate it in just a moment. Well?" as -Raines came in again. - -"Cunningham's balance is ten thousand dollars," returned Raines. - -"Any increase lately?" asked McKelvie. - -"No, just a steady decrease," answered the cashier. - -"Has he a strong box?" - -"Yes, he has." - -"May I examine its contents?" inquired McKelvie. - -Raines looked at Mr. Trenton. - -"It's all right. I'll come along, too," and Mr. Trenton rose. - -"By the way, Mr. Raines," said McKelvie, "I should like this -investigation conducted as inconspicuously as possible. I'm a rich -eccentric who wants to hire a strong box, if anyone asks any questions." - -"All right, sir. Whatever Mr. Trenton says goes. I'll meet you -downstairs with the key," replied Raines. - -Mr. Trenton conducted us through the bank corridor to the rear of the -building and down a flight of stone steps to the entrance to the vault. -The guard swung open the heavy door with a "good-afternoon, sir," to Mr. -Trenton, and we entered the fireproof room where the safe deposit boxes -were kept and paused before the one marked Cunningham. - -When Raines came in he inserted the master key in the lock and opened -the deposit box. Inside was a smaller tin cash box and when he lifted -the lid, for it was unlocked, we saw that it was crammed with bills. -Raines' eyes opened wide with amazement, and if McKelvie hadn't caught -the box it would have fallen from his nerveless fingers. - -"Mr. McKelvie," he said in a strange voice, pointing to the contents of -the box, "those are the bills I gave to Philip Darwin!" - -"I thought as much," said McKelvie seriously. "Lock up this box again. -Until we can prove that Cunningham has no right to the money, we cannot -confiscate it. Thank you very much, Mr. Trenton, for your kindness in -allowing me this privilege, and I'd be much obliged if you will say -nothing to anyone about our discovery. You'll excuse us if we hurry -along?" - -Mr. Trenton nodded and we hastened out, leaving the president and the -cashier to lock up the one hundred and fifty thousand dollars in -Cunningham's strong box. - -"So Cunningham has the money," I remarked as we drove toward Stuyvesant -Square. "Can it be he murdered Darwin, and then helped himself to the -bills. The cash box in the safe was found empty," I added. - -McKelvie smiled grimly. "Oh, no, he didn't steal the money. I don't -believe it was ever in the house on Riverside Drive, but we will make -our friend explain its presence in his strong box just the same. It -should be an interesting account, to say the least," he ended -sarcastically. "Call for me here at five and we'll hear what he has to -say." - -I pondered McKelvie's meaning as I returned to the office. The -explanation should be interesting he had said. I agreed with him, yet -after all it could have no direct connection with the murder, since -Philip Darwin had never taken the money home. But how did McKelvie know -this latter fact? Was he merely theorizing, or did he know more than he -had told me? He had not appeared surprised when we discovered that the -lawyer had the money, for he had even hinted that he knew where it was. - -I determined to ask him what other information he had upon this point -when I called for him at five o'clock, but at four-thirty, as I was -making ready to leave, he phoned me to postpone our visit. His voice was -so high-pitched with excitement that my questions vanished from my mind -as if by magic, and all I could exclaim was, "What is it? What has -happened?" - -"Our friend Cunningham will have a pretty job on his hands explaining -away all the facts I have gathered against him to-day," he exulted. -"He's no more a lawyer than I am, Mr. Davies!" - -"Not a lawyer!" I repeated. - -"No. He's not registered, and he cannot practise law in New York City! -I'm going to look up one or two more details before we call upon him. Be -at the house at quarter to eight, please, providing, of course, that you -desire to accompany me." - -"McKelvie, if you dare to go to 84th Street without me, there's going to -be trouble between us," I warned and he laughed gayly as he rang off. - - - - -CHAPTER XXVIII - -GOLD AND BLUE - - -Though I was impatient to interview Cunningham, it was almost -eight-thirty before we arrived at 84th Street, for on the way we had a -blowout and the garage attendant was the slowest specimen of his type -that I had ever had the misfortune to encounter. - -Cunningham himself, debonair and genial as usual, admitted us into his -apartment and invited us into what he designated as his smoking-room. It -was a medium-sized room furnished in good taste, and as I sank into the -depths of a luxurious arm-chair and accepted the cigar he offered me I -felt assured that Cunningham could reasonably explain away the doubts -which I had lately entertained toward him. Yes, the personality of the -man and the soothing influence of that rare cigar had combined to make -me as eager to hear him justify himself as before I had been anxious to -prove him the murderer of his friend. - -But McKelvie was not so easily won over. He accepted a chair and a -cigar, it is true, yet I knew well that he was waiting as a person does -at chess for the next move of his adversary. - -"It is very pleasant to have you gentlemen call upon me," said -Cunningham, breaking the silence. "Have you come in a friendly or an -antagonistic spirit, Mr. McKelvie?" - -"I have come with an open mind," responded McKelvie quietly. - -"Explain yourself, please." Cunningham leaned back and puffed leisurely -at his cigar. - -"In an investigation of the sort that I am conducting one stumbles upon -many queer things." McKelvie paused to draw a long puff and to blow a -series of rings toward the ceiling. "As these smoke rings cross and -recross each other and finally merge together, so do the trails in this -case cross and recross each other until they all come together in the -final solution. To distinguish the truth from the myriad bypaths of -coincidence and false testimony is quite an art, I assure you, for I do -not believe in doing any man an injustice. Therefore, I have come here -to-night to give you a chance to explain certain curious facts which -have come to my knowledge." - -Cunningham bowed. "I thank you for the consideration, and I shall do my -best to satisfy you." - -McKelvie laid aside his cigar. "Are you a lawyer, Mr. Cunningham?" he -asked bluntly. - -If he thought to startle the man facing us so calmly McKelvie was -mistaken in his estimate of the lawyer's character. Cunningham removed -his cigar from his mouth, contemplated its lighted end for a moment, and -then replied simply, "I am not registered in New York, if that is what -you mean." - -"Then may I ask by what right you constituted yourself Mr. Darwin's -lawyer, and acted as Mrs. Darwin's counsel at the inquest?" continued -McKelvie imperturbably. - -Cunningham grinned sardonically. "I fancy that my estimate of the police -coincides with yours, Mr. McKelvie," he said. "They got the idea, from -Orton possibly, that I was Darwin's lawyer. They asked me to attend the -inquest. I assumed the position they thrust upon me. What would you?" he -shrugged whimsically. "It was no time to explain the complicated -relation between us. As far as Mrs. Darwin is concerned, I did not -advise her. In fact, I did not even see her until she entered the -study." - -He paused, and then leaned forward and said pointedly as he eyed -McKelvie coolly, "You have asked me if I'm a lawyer. Yes, I am in this -way. I have studied law and was ready for my bar examinations when the -death of an uncle in a foreign country left me wealthy. I had to go -abroad to secure my inheritance, and when I returned I had no desire to -restudy for those examinations. So you see, I am a lawyer without a -sheepskin, but, nevertheless, Philip Darwin had more confidence in my -judgment than in that of the men who legalized his affairs. I have given -him legal advice, yes, as between friend and friend, because I was his -confident and he asked me for it, but I have never attempted to practise -law in New York City or elsewhere. If you doubt my statement you are at -liberty to verify it." - -"I don't doubt you, Mr. Cunningham," responded McKelvie quietly. "I know -you haven't practised law. I was merely trying to get the connection -between you and Darwin, since you know so many of his affairs and -represented him in a legal capacity when you went to Chicago to see Dick -Trenton." - -A slight tremor of Cunningham's eyelids was the only indication that the -shot had told, but he replied as coolly as ever, "Not in a legal -capacity. He sent me because I was acquainted with the details of the -affair and understood merely that I was to find out how much real proof -the boy had. What Darwin called me in his telegram I do not know, since -I did not see it." - -"How do you know he sent a telegram?" queried McKelvie. - -"Is this the third degree, Mr. McKelvie?" asked Cunningham, frowning. - -"No, Mr. Cunningham. I know it sounds very much like it," apologized -McKelvie, "but it isn't meant to be. You have shown a disposition to aid -us before, and you will help me immensely by making certain matters -clear. Will you answer a few more questions?" - -The frown cleared. "Certainly. Glad to assist you. Fire away," -Cunningham returned indulgently. "And I don't mind saying that Darwin -told me he had sent a telegram when he asked me to go out to Chicago for -him." - -"What advice did you give Darwin when you returned from Chicago?" - -"I told him that the boy had a strong case and advised him to write and -request Dick himself to see Mrs. Darwin and arrange for the divorce. -Whether he followed my advice or not I don't know." - -"For your information let me say that he did follow that advice, that -Young Trenton came to New York and, without apparent cause, committed -suicide. Whether there was an interview between them or not I cannot of -course say positively," was McKelvie's astonishing reply. Why was he -permitting Cunningham to remain in ignorance of our latest discovery -concerning Richard Trenton? - -"I'm very sorry to hear this," murmured Cunningham. "I should hate to -think that my advice had brought him to such an end." - -McKelvie changed the subject as abruptly as he had introduced it. "You -said you had charge of Darwin's securities. What made you keep them?" -his eyes on the other man's face. - -"He was a very peculiar man and hated responsibility. I have cared for -his securities and valuables for many years." - -"Are you also caring for the one hundred and fifty thousand dollars that -he drew from the bank and that is now reposing in your strong box?" - -Cunningham looked annoyed, and then laughed cynically. - -"Nothing escapes you, does it?" he sneered, then in a different tone, -"No, that money is mine. A year ago I loaned Darwin enough to cover a -slump in the market and thus saved him his fortune. I told him I was in -no hurry for it, but as I've remarked more than once, he was peculiar. -He came to me on the sixth and handed me the cash. I asked him what I -should do with all that money in that shape and told him I'd prefer a -check. He said that I'd given him cash and he felt better returning it -in kind. And so he left it. I was going to add it to my bank account, -but I'm going on a trip shortly and decided the cash would be useful to -me. Therefore I put it in my strong-box for safe keeping." - -"Thank you very much. Sorry to have disturbed you," said McKelvie, -rising. - -"Answers satisfactory?" asked Cunningham with a wry smile. - -"Quite." - -"And how much nearer to the solution have I carried you?" Cunningham -continued with great politeness. - -"Unfortunately I have remained static. Your answers though satisfactory -as far as you yourself are concerned, have not helped me a particle -toward solving my problem. I shall have to resort to desperate measures, -I'm afraid," responded McKelvie, smiling rather oddly. - -"Desperate measures, eh? That sounds like business. Before you undertake -this work, honor me by drinking to your ultimate success," returned -Cunningham. "My man is away, so if you will pardon me a moment I will -get the whisky and soda." - -The moment Cunningham left the room, McKelvie to my astonishment, sprang -to the heavy portieres through which our host had passed and looked out. -Then he drew back and walking swiftly to a door at the side of the room, -he opened it and darted within. - -Wondering what he was up to, I rose and followed him to this doorway and -looked into the room beyond. To my surprise it was a bedroom, -extravagantly but exquisitely furnished in gold and blue, a woman's -boudoir, but I had no time to fix the details in my mind, for at this -moment McKelvie came toward me hurriedly from his search of the -dressing-table. - -With a final comprehensive glance, and a whispered, "I thought I heard -his step in the hall," McKelvie closed the door silently while I -retreated to my chair and sank into its comfortable depths, none too -soon. With a clink of glasses, Cunningham entered through the portieres. -He glanced at us rather suspiciously, I thought, but McKelvie was -contemplating the ceiling as he puffed his discarded cigar, and I was -deep in the pages of a book, what book I have no idea. - -Cunningham set the tray he carried on the table and poured out the -whisky, allowing us to help ourselves to the soda. Then we raised our -glasses and drank to the toast Cunningham had proposed, though I noticed -that McKelvie merely touched his glass to his lips and set it down -untasted. - -"I never drink whisky," he said quietly, as Cunningham raised his brows -in interrogation. - -"Is there anything else I can offer you?" - -"No, thank you. I appreciate your efforts in my behalf. Good night, Mr. -Cunningham," and McKelvie bowed, a trifle too deeply to be really -sincere. - -"Good night, Mr. McKelvie," responded Cunningham, returning the bow. -Then he offered his hand to me. "Good night," he said again as we left. - -"What on earth were you doing in that bedroom?" I inquired as we parted -at McKelvie's door. "By the way, it was rather an odd room--for a -bachelor." - -"Did you remark the gold and blue? Rather a familiar combination, eh? -Here's the true significance of that very charming room." - -Holding up his hand, he dangled before my eyes a tiny yellow satin -sachet bag embroidered in blue, a satin sachet whose fragrance was the -fragrance of Rose Jacqueminot! - - - - -CHAPTER XXIX - -THE REWARD - - -Cunningham and the fragrance of Rose Jacqueminot! Cunningham and a -yellow satin sachet embroidered in blue! - -These words kept pounding in my brain and though I went over them in the -light of the facts which we had gleaned, I could see no plausible reason -for Cunningham's having committed that murder. He could have no possible -motive for wanting to harm Ruth since he did not know her, nor could I -believe, despite the gold and blue room, that he was in love with Cora -Manning. He had evidently never called on her at Gramercy Park or her -landlady would have described him to us, and it was not likely that -being engaged to Lee, Cora Manning would have received the advances of -other men, at least so I judged from the manner in which Ruth had spoken -of her. - -Cunningham's explanations, too, had been eminently satisfactory, and had -cleared him even in McKelvie's eyes, as far as I could judge last night. -Besides, it wasn't as though Cunningham were the sole possessor of one -of those sachets. - -McKelvie was in much the same position as that robber in "Ali Baba and -the Forty Thieves," of which I used to be fond in my childhood days, -that robber who led his chief to the cross-marked house only to discover -that all the neighboring houses were also cross-marked. As a clue, then, -the fragrance of Rose Jacqueminot and the yellow satin sachet were as -useless as the robber's chalk-mark. - -It might also be that Cunningham's use of that particular fragrance, and -his acquaintance with a woman who also affected yellow satin sachets -embroidered in blue, was one of those coincidences that often occur in -life, where truth is in many cases stranger than fiction. - -As McKelvie had truly remarked, the trails crossed and recrossed until -the right one was lost to view in the labyrinth of paths. As I looked -back over the facts we had learned I was amazed to find how little real -progress we had made toward the solution. It was all conjecture and -except for Dick's ring, we had no clues which could rightly be termed -such. And when it came to suspects, Lee and Dick and Cunningham ran a -close race, though the greatest amount of evidence pointed toward Dick, -since McKelvie was inclined to hold Lee guiltless, and Cunningham had no -adequate motive. - -About two o'clock McKelvie called at the office and found me alone. - -"Can you spare me a few minutes?" he inquired, as he glanced at the work -on my desk. - -"I should say so," I returned quickly, pushing aside my papers. -"Anything new?" - -"No, I've come to the end of my tether--" - -"You don't mean that you're giving up the case?" I interrupted, -dismayed. - -He laughed. "Giving up the case when it's just becoming exciting? You -don't know me, Mr. Davies," he cried, and his voice was exultant, his -eyes fairly dancing. "I was going to say that I have reached the point -where skirmishing in the dark is no longer satisfactory. I'm coming out -in the open and I'm going to fight him with the plan of campaign spread -out for him to read." - -"You think that is wise?" - -"Yes, decidedly so. I'm going to let him know I'm after him, and then -we'll watch him struggle to escape my net," he declared. - -"Then you know who the criminal is?" I asked. - -"No. I suspect, but I have no proof," he replied. "Ah, he's a clever -devil, that fellow, and we're just beginning to break below the surface -in this affair. Here's my scheme." - -He drew from his pocket a folded sheet, opened it, and handed it to me -with the remark, "I've distributed copies of that around the city." - -I looked at the sheet, which still smelled strongly of the printer's -ink, and saw that it was a hand-bill offering a reward of one thousand -dollars for any authentic information which might lead to the discovery -of the present whereabouts of Lee Darwin, last seen about four o'clock -at the corner of Twenty-fifth Street and Third Avenue, on the afternoon -of October the eighth. There followed a description of the young man, -accompanied by his photograph and the added announcement that the reward -would be paid by Graydon McKelvie, at No. -- Stuyvesant Square. - -"Ought to bring results, eh? When some six million people become -interested in finding him we ought to locate him in short order." - -"What makes you think he is in New York?" I inquired. - -"Wilkins returned yesterday morning and reported that Lee never went -South at all. There is no trace of his having gone there. So I started -Wilkins at this end again. Last night when I got back from Cunningham's, -Wilkins was waiting for me. He had discovered that Lee had taken a taxi -as far as Third Avenue and Twenty-fifth Street. After that he vanished -completely. So the presumption is that he is still in the city." - -"In the city and in hiding," I mused. "Yet you said the night we chased -the criminal, that in accusing Lee you were putting the true culprit off -his guard by making him think you had no interest in him. That would -imply Lee's innocence, yet what other possible motive could he have for -disappearing?" - -"There are two reasons for his disappearance, as far as I can see. One -is the assumption that he is the criminal. This reason, as you remarked, -I have discarded. Lee did not kill his uncle. I'll tell you why I make -this assertion." He rose abruptly and took a turn around the room, then -halted in front of me again. "You saw and heard him at the inquest? How -did he impress you, as regards his character, I mean?" - -"He struck me as being a rather passionate, quick-tempered chap, one who -also possessed the power of self-control. He has a frank face and clear -eyes. Also I've heard Mr. Trenton say in discussing him that he is a -fine, upright boy, and that he liked him very much indeed," I replied. - -"Passionate and quick-tempered," repeated McKelvie. "Is he the type to -commit murder in cold-blood?" - -"No. In a moment of passionate anger, yes, but not in cold-blood," I -returned with conviction. - -"Just what I decided from the first, and as this murder was -premeditated, that let's him out. Now for the second reason for his -disappearance. He was engaged to Cora Manning, yet he denied knowing -her. When the coroner showed him the handkerchief he was in mortal dread -that he would recognize it as hers. Therefore he knew something of what -took place in the study, in which Miss Manning was involved. Or, -perhaps, he knew of her intended visit to the Darwin home. However that -may be, he knew something of importance. He left the inquest before all -the evidence was brought in, therefore he was in ignorance of the -verdict when he returned to the Club. Nevertheless he was a menace to -the criminal's plan to implicate Mrs. Darwin, for Lee would come forward -and tell what he knew the moment he learned of Mrs. Darwin's -predicament. What does the criminal do then? He decoys Lee from the Club -with a telegram, and keeps him a prisoner somewhere in the city, to -prevent him from giving evidence." - -"What a fiend the man must be!" I exclaimed. "But how did he know so -quickly that Lee was a menace to him. The papers were hardly out by that -time," I added. - -"Because he was at the inquest, and he deduced danger to himself from -Lee's actions," replied McKelvie. "That is, of course, he must have been -there to act so promptly since he has no confederate, I am sure. There -were any number of extra persons in the room. He could easily form one -of the curious, or disguise himself as a reporter, or any other -character that happened to occur to him. He is daring enough to have -impersonated the District Attorney himself." - -I agreed. "But, in that event, when the man realizes you are after Lee -because you need his evidence, for of course he will see your reward, -won't he murder the boy to get rid of him? He seems to be capable of any -outrage." - -"Unfortunately that is a risk I shall have to run. Now that I am -persuaded that the criminal is holding Lee a prisoner I've got to rescue -him, since the murderer is not likely to hamper himself with the boy -overlong--if he hasn't done away with him already. We have wasted much -valuable time following a false lead. Well, it can't be helped now, and -there is nothing to be gained by crying over spilt milk. Wilkins is -combing the East Side and I hope to have news in a few hours. From now -on it's a fight to the finish," he ended, exultantly. "I have shown the -criminal my hand. I want Lee, and the man I'm ultimately going to get -will do his best to balk me--if he can." - -"Here's to our side," I said, catching his enthusiasm. "And remember -that I want to be in on anything that happens." - -"Right. I won't forget you." - -But he did, for I heard nothing further from him during the remainder of -the afternoon, which I spent in an endeavor to pin my mind to market -quotations which I considered merely trivial beside the problem that was -worrying me, and when I called his house that evening Dinah reported -that he had gone out and she had no idea when he would return. -Disappointedly I sought my favorite chair and my pipe, offering Mr. -Trenton a cigar, which he declined. He had been to see Ruth that -afternoon and as usual after such a visit he was very disheartened. I -tried to cheer him, but with little success, since my feelings coincided -so accurately with his own and I could ill bear the thought of Ruth in -that dreadful place day after day, with no hope of release. I finally -turned in, determined to forget my troubles in oblivion. But I could not -sleep. Over and over I reviewed the case, particularly the latest phases -of it, and wondered if Dick's ring in the secret room, where it -certainly had no business to be, might not serve as a clue upon which to -secure Ruth's release. Then my mind wandered to Lee and the girl of the -perfume, to Cunningham and the gold-and-blue room, until gradually it -seemed to me that a delicious fragrance pervaded the room, and I drifted -into the land of dreams. - -And in that sleep I dreamed a weird and awful dream. I thought I stood -in the secret room behind the safe, which somehow resembled the -gold-and-blue room in Cunningham's apartment, and as I stood there -breathing the fragrance of Rose Jacqueminot a man dashed by me and -entered the study. He had a pistol in his hand and as he fired at -Darwin, whom I could see dimly in the distance, I heard a woman shriek. -Then the man came back, dragging a girl by the arm, and as he went by me -he dropped Dick's ring at my feet, and turned toward me such a face as I -hope never to see even in my dreams again. It was the face of a demon -distorted by passion, and it bore no resemblance to anyone I knew, or -rather, it was a composite of those concerned in the case, for he had -Dick's eyes, Lee's nose and chin, and Cunningham's red hair. A moment I -looked into his mad eyes and then I saw him raise his arm and fire at -the girl and I realized with horror that she was Ruth. With a cry I -flung myself toward him--and woke with my arms around my pillow. - - - - -CHAPTER XXX - -THE CURIO SHOP - - -I sat up and passed my hand dazedly across my brow and then suddenly I -was broad awake and listening intently to the sound that had startled -me, the sound of my door opening stealthily. I peered through the -darkness but could discern nothing. - -I waited a moment, but hearing no further sound reached under my pillow -for my revolver, for I knew I wasn't dreaming now, noticing by my -radium-faced watch that it was close to midnight. Then as I became -conscious of another presence in the room, the light was switched on -without warning, and I flung out my arm, covering the man who stood -there before me. - -He was a rough-looking customer in an ugly, worn blue suit, and his cap -was pulled low over his brow. His face was unshaved, his lips were -coarse, his nose was thick, his eyebrows bushy, and the eyes beneath -were sunken and dull, a dead black in color. - -"What are you doing here?" I demanded, holding the pistol in line with -his heart. - -But he did not reply except by a chuckle, and I flung down the pistol -with the cry, "McKelvie!" - -"I'm glad I pass muster," he said, chuckling again, but I could only -stare at him in genuine amazement. Except for that chuckle I should -never have known him! - -"Here," he said, flinging a bundle on my bed, "get into those things as -fast as you can, and meet me in your library. We have no time to waste, -but I knew you would never forgive me if I left you out of this." - -As soon as he was gone I attired myself in the battered old suit of -brown which he had provided, and clapped a greasy cap upon my head. Then -I surveyed myself in the mirror and turned away disappointedly. I was -disreputable enough in all conscience, but no one would have taken me -for anyone else but Carlton Davies, grown somewhat seedy in appearance. -How did McKelvie do it? - -In the library I found McKelvie talking to Jenkins, the latter clad in -bathrobe and slippers, as though he had just been dragged from his room. - -"Ready?" asked McKelvie, as I entered, and when I nodded he turned again -to Jenkins. "Stay out in the hall beside the phone and don't go to -sleep. If I do not phone you by one o'clock, call Headquarters and tell -them to rush some men to Hi Ling's curio shop. You understand?" - -"Yes, sir," answered Jenkins, blinking. - -"Don't fall asleep, as it may mean our lives," repeated McKelvie -impressively. - -"No, sir. I'll stay awake. You can depend on me, sir," said Jenkins in a -hurt tone. - -"Yes, I know I can," returned McKelvie. "Come on, Mr. Davies." - -McKelvie swung toward me and then began to laugh. "You're far too clean. -They'd spot you for a fake in a moment." - -He took what looked like a box of lampblack from his pocket and applied -it to my face. As we hurried down the hall I glanced at my reflection in -the mirror. My face was a dirty gray, sallow, unshaved. I smiled as I -followed McKelvie into the outer hall. - -"Ever read Gaboriau?" he asked as we crept stealthily down the stairs. - -"Yes." - -"Then you know the advice that Lecoq gave his men when they wanted to -disguise themselves. 'Change the eye,' he said. 'The eye is the -important factor in disguise.' He was right and I have spent some time -practising the maxim. Try to look stupid and your eyes will deaden. Not -that way," and he caught my arm as I made for the lobby. "The back -entrance for ours unless we want to land in a cell at the police -station." - -We sneaked out into the back yard, around the building, and out into the -street, where a motor car was waiting. - -"All right, Wilkins. Full speed ahead," said McKelvie as we got in. With -a jerk we were off toward the Park. - -"Now," I demanded, "what's it all about?" - -"You've got your pistol with you?" he asked, and when I answered in the -affirmative, he went on, "Don't use it unless I give you leave. The less -shooting the better for us, I expect." - -"Is it Lee?" I inquired. - -"Yes. My offer of reward hustled things up a bit." McKelvie leaned -forward and called out, "Faster, Wilkins. We'll never make it at this -rate." - -"He's in danger, then," I said, as we tore around corners and down side -streets to avoid the cops. - -"Yes. But let me begin at the beginning. Wilkins got onto the track of a -mysterious taxi that had been seen on Mott Street about four-fifteen the -afternoon of October the eighth, and while he was hanging around one of -those Chinese joints, he saw two toughs lounging down Pell Street, and -evidently discussing the reward, since one of them was waving the -hand-bill in the other's face. Wilkins followed them into an -eating-house and by securing a table next to them, overheard their -conversation. It seemed that they had identified Lee as the young man -they had kidnapped and they were weighing the respective merits of -giving their information to me or blackmailing the 'old man,' as they -called whoever had hired them. The younger tough was for telling me, but -the older one seemed to think they could make more from the 'old man.' -Whereupon the younger one declared that the old fellow was stingier than -hell and reminded his companion that Hi Ling had tipped them that the -young man was to disappear that night, after the boss's visit at one -o'clock. When the men separated Wilkins followed the younger one and by -many judicious hints and the added compensation of some money and -promised immunity from the police, he got the rest of the story. - -"This fellow and his companion had been hired to kidnap a young chap and -they had deposited him in Hi Ling's back shop in an upstairs room. There -was something the young man knew that the 'old man' wanted to learn so -much, he had gathered from the Chinaman who kept the shop. In other -words, Lee knew something of the murder and the criminal wanted to find -out just how much, or else he wanted to keep Lee from giving evidence. -It doesn't matter which. The main fact remains, that he is holding the -boy a prisoner. - -"Well, when he realized that through my efforts I was bound to learn -where Lee was, since he did not trust the toughs, he gave orders that -when he had paid the boy his customary visit at one o'clock, they were -to get rid of Lee for him. One more murder wouldn't disturb his -conscience very much, I guess. Our only chance lies in getting there -ahead of the criminal." - -"How do you know it's not a trap?" I asked. - -"I've provided for that by my orders to Jenkins. If it's a trap the -police will have to rescue us, that's all. I feel conscience-stricken, -lugging you into what may turn out to be a fight for life," he added. - -"You needn't. I wouldn't have missed it for anything," I returned. "But -why don't you surround the place with the police right away?" - -"Do you know where we are going?" he asked curiously. - -"To Chinatown, I should judge," I answered. - -"Exactly. They keep scouts on the watch at those places, which are -respectable without and--hells within. The moment they saw the sight of -a uniform Lee Darwin would disappear and no one would ever learn what -had become of him. Days later an unrecognizable corpse would be dragged -from the river." - -I shuddered. What a horrible end for the boy if we should fail to reach -him in time! - -At this juncture the car stopped with a jerk at the corner of Mott and -Hester streets, and we piled out. - -"Wait here for us. If we do not come by one-thirty, you can go home," -said McKelvie. - -The man turned off his engine and settled himself to wait, and the next -moment we were hurrying toward Pell Street. Then we turned another -corner and modifying our pace, lounged carelessly toward the back -entrance of Hi Ling's curio shop. - -Remembering Lecoq's advice I tried to look dull and stupid as McKelvie -opened the door. We stepped inside the shop and faced the Chinaman -seated behind a counter at the rear of the room. He was a fat old -Chinaman and he gazed at us stolidly as he smoked his pipe. - -In a coarse voice McKelvie asked whether the "old man" had come, saying -he had sent us to stay with the prisoner until his arrival. - -The Chinaman looked at us unblinkingly for five steady minutes, then he -waved his pipe toward a rear door. We shuffled toward it as fast as we -dared, and I for one, expected that every minute he would call us back -and question us more closely. But he did not move and we gained the -doorway and saw before us, in the flickering light of a gas-jet from -above, a staircase, steep, narrow, dirty. This we climbed and found -ourselves in a small entry with a door at the back. Stealing to this -door, McKelvie listened intently for a moment, then drew his revolver -and tried the door softly. It was locked. Shifting the gun to his left -hand he took out a long, narrow steel instrument, which he inserted in -the lock. As the door yielded silently, he stole into the room and I -followed him closely. - -I did not hear but I knew he had closed the door behind us, and then his -flash glowed and the disk of light darted here and there over the black -interior of the room, or, rather, hole, in which we found ourselves. It -was empty save for a narrow cot, on which lay an inert figure, -apparently asleep. We moved closer to the cot and McKelvie let the disk -of light rest upon the face of the man before us. - -It was Lee Darwin, I could not be mistaken, but he looked as though he -were in the last stages of some terrible disease. His form was quite -wasted, his eyes were mere sunken hollows in his ghastly face, and his -cheekbones stood out prominently where the flesh had fallen away. I -contemplated him in horrified silence, until a touch on my arm recalled -me to action. - -"I'm afraid he's too far gone to walk," whispered McKelvie. "We'll have -to carry him. The main thing is to get him out before the criminal -arrives. I don't think the old Chink will give us much trouble." - -Silently McKelvie bent over Lee and shook him into consciousness. The -boy opened his haggard eyes, stared at the flash, then shuddered away -from McKelvie's restraining hand. - -"Go away," he said feebly. "I have nothing to tell you. Nothing, I say." - -"Mr. Darwin," said McKelvie soothingly, "it's all right. We only want to -help you get away." - -Lee turned toward the sound of the voice, a dawning wonder in his eyes, -then as the sense of McKelvie's words penetrated his dulled brain and -the sound of McKelvie's rich voice fell like balm on his spirit, which -had been harassed for days by harsh voices and coarse threats, he put -out his hand and pushed aside the flash which McKelvie still kept -focused on his face. - -"Help me--get up," he said. - -In the darkness we helped him to his feet and got him out into the -corridor, where he collapsed again. So we lifted him by his head and -feet and carried him down the stairs. - -When we reached the bottom we looked across into the placid face of the -old Chinaman contemplating us fixedly from the doorway! - - - - -CHAPTER XXXI - -THE RESCUE - - -"Lord," McKelvie muttered low, as we set Lee down upon the lowest step. -"He's evidently in the game, too. No wonder he was so obliging about -letting us pass, since there probably is no outlet yonder," and he -jerked his head toward the top of the stairs. - -He pulled out his gun and leveled it at the Chinaman. "Now then, Hi, or -whatever your name is, just raise your arms above your head and back -into that room, or you'll get a taste of this," and he tapped his -revolver menacingly, but the Chinaman only continued to regard us -placidly, with no change of expression on his yellow countenance. - -McKelvie spoke to me in an undertone. "He knows darn well I won't shoot, -damn him, since it would bring the house about our ears. I have a better -plan. I'll take Lee on my back and you can give yonder Chinaman a punch -in the jaw. Then we'll make tracks for the door. Once we get outside -we'll be fairly safe, for these Chinamen don't want a row with the -police if they can avoid it." - -He slipped his automatic back into his pocket, and while he slung Lee -over his shoulder, I swaggered up to the Chinaman. - -"Better let us pass, bo," I said roughly in character, to gain time. -"You might get hurt, Chink." - -Again that stolid indifference, as though to him we did not exist, which -made my blood boil and gave my arm an added impetus. The next moment the -Chinaman was sprawling on the ground and we had gained the other room. -With my cap pulled well over my face I was making tracks for the door to -get it open for us to pass, when I heard a yell from McKelvie. - -"Duck!" he cried, and as I obeyed I heard something whizz over my head -and a hatchet buried itself in the wall ahead of me. I turned sharply -and grappled with a lithe, yellow-clad figure that had sprung at me from -the side of the room. - -In tense silence we struggled, each striving to reach the other's -throat, and as we fought I caught a glimpse of some heavy metal object -on a stand near one corner of the room. Warily, inch by inch, I forced -my adversary back until he fell against the stand, losing his balance -and almost carrying me with him. With an effort I kept my feet, freeing -my arm with a sudden movement, and as he swayed clutching at me, I -grasped the metal candlestick and brought it down upon his head. His -fingers loosened from my arm and he went down with a sickening thud. - -Then, panting, I turned to look for McKelvie. He was standing in the -opposite corner, shielding Lee's unconscious form, with his gun covering -the old Chinaman whom I had first knocked out and who had succeeded in -joining the fray again, and now stood as stolidly as ever beside a third -Chinaman, who lay prostrate on the floor. - -I advanced to McKelvie's side and as I did so I glanced again at the -prostrate Chinaman. To my horror he was not as insensible as I had at -first supposed. One arm was drawn back and he was on the point of -hurling a murderous looking hatchet at McKelvie's head. - -"Look out," I yelled, but McKelvie had seen him too. - -There was a spat from McKelvie's gun, the hatchet went flying backwards -and the Chinaman rolled over, howling with pain and rage. The momentary -diversion, however, had served the other Chinaman in good stead. Before -I could reach him he had glided to a counter, lifted a clapper and -struck upon a gong. The next moment the Chinks came pouring in about us -like rats from their holes. - -I managed somehow to reach McKelvie's side before the onslaught began, -and together we kept our backs to the corner where Lee lay huddled. Then -McKelvie raised his pistol and deliberately shot out the light. After -that, confusion reigned. I could hear the scuffle of feet, an occasional -flash from McKelvie's gun, and a scream of agony as the bullet tore its -way through soft flesh, followed by a quick report from my automatic, -which I had drawn even though he had given me no leave, then again the -shuffle, shuffle of feet, while we warded off blows and tried to keep -our unseen enemies at a distance. - -And then into the midst of this turmoil a high pitched voice cut like a -knife. It was not a Chinaman's voice. It was a refined, cultivated, but -distinctly American voice, and it seemed to me that I had heard its -intonation before at some time. - -Querulously it demanded a light, and as someone lighted the gas the -Chinamen fell away from before us. We were battered and bruised, -McKelvie and I, but otherwise unhurt, and we still stood with our backs -to Lee Darwin, protecting him from the assault of his foes. - -In the flickering light of the one poor burner I could see that the room -was filled with Chinamen, or perhaps I mistook shadows for the reality, -since though they remained inactive they shuffled about in the -background, passing and repassing each other continually. Then a man -stepped forward into the limelight and I saw the owner of that cutting -voice. - -With arms folded and head thrust forward, he stood and glared -malevolently at McKelvie, and I beheld with astonishment the bent old -figure and the white hair and beard shining like silver in that light. -Though he took no notice of me, still I could feel his antagonism and -wished for a moment that he would cast aside the heavy blue glasses he -wore and give me a chance to see his eyes. - -"So," he said, in that high-pitched voice, sarcastically strident in its -intonation, "you thought to get ahead of me, eh? You thought I was such -a fool that I wouldn't prepare for your visit, eh? There are a few -people still left who have more brains than you think, Mr. McKelvie." - -McKelvie returned his empty gun to his pocket very coolly, and then -laughed softly. - -"Stand aside and let Hi Ling take that boy. Then I will settle with you, -Mr. Detective," went on the old man, unfolding his arms and thrusting a -hand into the pocket of the long coat he wore. - -McKelvie laughed again. "Come and get him, you murderer," he said, -quietly. - -With a snarl of rage the man flung out his arm and fired. I saw McKelvie -draw aside quickly and then bite his lips as his left arm fell limply at -his side. With a curse I leaped forward, but McKelvie pulled me back -just as there arose a banging on the outer door and a shrill whistle -sounded clear and loud outside. - -There was a cry of "Police, the Police" and with an oath the old man -fired again, at Lee, and then he shot up tall and extinguished the -light. Pandemonium was let loose. There was a scurry of feet, the -banging of a door, yells and execrations, hoarse cries, men's voices -shouting loudly, and then something struck me on the head. I fell -heavily to the ground, and as I did so a flash was thrust into my face -and I heard Jones' voice exclaim as from a great distance, "Mr. Davies, -by all that's holy," and then blackness descended upon me. - -I came to myself with the sensation that someone was pouring red-hot -liquid down my throat. I sat up, gasping, to find Jones bending over me -with a brandy flask in his hand. - -"All right?" he asked. - -Recollection swept over me. "Where's McKelvie?" I managed to reply. - -"Yonder." Jones nodded his head toward the chair where McKelvie sat, -grinning like a Cheshire cat. - -His clothes were torn, his face was smeared with blood, and his left arm -had been recently bandaged, but he wore the expression of a conqueror, -as he commanded the doctor to cease fussing over him and to look after -Lee, who was still unconscious. - -Then I realized that we were no longer in the curio shop, but in -McKelvie's living-room, and that Lee was lying upon a couch, as -motionless and rigid as a corpse. - -The doctor ordered that the boy be put to bed, and McKelvie told Jones -to ring for Dinah. When she came in presently, wrapped in an old kimona -and with her woolly wig more belligerent than ever, McKelvie asked her -to get a room ready. Then the doctor and Jones carried Lee from the -room. - -"What happened after I went down?" I asked, feeling the lump on my head. -"I remember hearing Jones, and that is all." - -"I'm ashamed to acknowledge that when I knew that the police were -actually in the room, I fainted," he replied with a grin. "When I came -to myself, those Chinamen who could get away had vanished, and with them -the old man. I'd have given ten years of my life to get a glimpse of his -eyes behind those glasses. I have a feeling that once having seen them I -should never forget them." - -"So he got away," I said. - -"Oh, yes, Jones of course knew nothing about him, and when I was in a -condition to explain, the fellow was far away. The police searched for -him, but without avail. So I told them not to bother and ordered Jones -to bring us here." He sat back with a smile, but I could see that his -arm was giving him pain. "It was a great fight and the best part was -that we were able to rescue Lee." - -"Yes," I replied. "I should very much like to hear his story. By the -way, that vindictive old man didn't shoot him, did he?" - -"No, I don't believe he more than grazed him, if he hit him at all. -Naturally he was trying to prevent us from taking the boy away from -there." - -"He had no trouble recognizing you," I continued. "Has he seen you -before?" - -"Doubtless. A man of his caliber would acquaint himself with his -adversaries for safety's sake. He saw me the night we chased him in the -study, and what is more, I made no attempt to disguise myself to-night -when he stood there looking at me. That's why he tried to kill me. I -read his purpose though and waited until he had flung out his arm to -fire, and then I moved aside, but not quite out of range, as you saw," -and he glanced at his arm. "But here is Jones. What does the doctor -say?" - -"He'll pull him around. That black woman of yours is certainly a trump. -She's making him some broth. The boy's starved," answered Jones, then he -looked at us and grinned. "It's a good thing for you fellows that I -happened to be at Headquarters to-night, when your man called us, Mr. -Davies. I twigged what was up and had the dope in a second, so I was -able to get to you in time." - -"I'm eternally grateful to you, Jones, and so is Mr. Davies," returned -McKelvie, holding out his hand, which Jones accepted with a sheepish -smile. "But for you we might be occupying the river by now." - -"Don't say any more," expostulated Jones, as I added my share of -gratitude. "It's all part of the job. Well, doctor?" - -"He's coming on fine. He's got a good nurse. I'll be around in the -morning to have another look at him," said the doctor. "And now my -advice to you, sir," turning to McKelvie, "is to get to bed and let that -arm have a chance to recover. That was a nasty flesh wound you got. Come -along, Jones." - -"I'll be around again, too," said Jones, "to hear that young man's -story. I don't know what all this has to do with the murder, but his -tale should be interesting, to say the least." - -We agreed and then went upstairs, where we got rid of our rags and had a -good wash. Then McKelvie loaned me a pair of pajamas and a bed, which -had never been more welcome to my throbbing head. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXII - -LEE'S STORY - - -Despite his arm, which he had redressed himself and which was quite -stiff, McKelvie was up ahead of me, and when I came down at noon attired -in my own garments (McKelvie had phoned Jenkins to bring me my things) I -felt quite like myself again. - -"Has the doctor been here?" I asked as we had our luncheon. - -"Yes, but he will be back later. Lee is still asleep. We shall hear his -story this afternoon." Then he sighed. "I wish we had been able to catch -that old chap. I am positive he is the murderer. I felt it in my bones -when he looked at me and my bones are quite infallible, I assure you," -and he smiled whimsically. - -"It is a pity," I said, "for then this business would be over." - -When we rose from the table and went back to the living-room, McKelvie -moved about restlessly, and then said impatiently, "I wish the doctor -would come. I want to get at the boy's story as soon as possible, for I -think he may help us locate Cora Manning, and we shall have to work fast -now if we expect to catch the criminal. He's too clever to hang around -much longer, now that he knows the game is up as far as Mrs. Darwin is -concerned." - -I heartily indorsed McKelvie's words, for I was eager to hear what Lee -had to say, but he did not waken until five o'clock and the doctor, who -had come in some time previous, forbade our disturbing him. When we -finally mounted to his room, Jones, McKelvie and I, we could hardly wait -for the doctor's assurance that he thought it would not harm the young -man to talk. As we gathered about the bed, Lee leaned back against his -pillows, his hollow cheeks flushed and his black eyes glittering -strangely as he looked at us. I heard Jones mutter something about "eyes -like a madman's," which Lee evidently overheard, for he turned to the -doctor with an appealing glance. - -"Before I begin," he said, in a weak voice, "I want you, doctor, to -answer me a question. Am I perfectly rational and sane?" - -"Yes, perfectly sane," responded the doctor, quietly. - -Lee breathed a sigh of relief. "Please remember that, gentlemen," he -continued. "I may look mad but I'm not. No, nor ever have been, though -at times I thought I was pretty near to it." - -He paused to gather strength and then he told his tale almost without a -break, for it gripped him too vitally to admit of his stopping, once he -had begun. - -"To explain my actions I must go back to the morning of the seventh. I -testified at the inquest that I quarreled with my uncle about Ruth. I -lied. We quarreled about Cora Manning." - -At this name Jones leaned closer, a greater interest in his face. - -"I met her a year ago when she came to New York to study for the stage. -Three months ago we became engaged and I gave her, as is customary, a -diamond ring. Later I introduced my uncle to her. Instantly he evinced a -great interest in her, cloaking his infatuation (I know it was that now) -under the guise of a desire to aid her in her career. He took her out a -number of times and when I protested she accused me of being jealous of -my uncle, which she said was unworthy of me if I loved her, since my -uncle was an old married man. - -"To make a long story short, on the morning of the seventh, as I was -leaving the house, my uncle called me back into the study and there -showed me the ring I had given Cora, swearing she had bestowed it upon -him to return it to me, as she no longer cared for me and was coming to -see him there in the study that night. He had the ring on the little -finger of his left hand and he pulled it off with a laugh and held it -toward me. I snatched it from him and flung it in his face, and would -have leaped upon him to strangle him then and there, but he read my -purpose in my face, and like the craven that he was, he called to Orton -to come into the room. Then he ordered me to leave his house and I went -out by the window, vowing vengeance upon him. - -"I hurried to Cora's and accused her of treachery, declaring I'd kill my -uncle before he should have her. I was mad, crazy, and refusing to -listen to any explanations I rushed away and bought a pistol. That -evening I hung around the house on Riverside Drive. I would wait her -arrival and then go in and kill them both. I saw my uncle let himself -into the house and about an hour later Mr. Davies arrived, but still no -Cora. I began to think I had been a fool, but determined to wait a while -longer just to make sure. About eleven forty-five, for I looked at my -watch as I reached the gate, I saw her coming down the street with a -suitcase in her hand. Mad with rage, I hid behind some bushes and -followed her as she turned into the grounds. It was very dark and I lost -her as she slipped around the house. - -"I decided to enter by the front door and confront them, then I recalled -that Mr. Davies had not yet gone, and determined to try the windows. I -crept to the second window and by means of my flash saw that the shade -did not come level with the bottom of the window. I knelt down and -applied my eye to this space. By looking upward from the extreme corner -of the window I discovered that I could see what my uncle was doing. The -room was dark except for the lamp that threw its rays over the table and -chair, and in the latter my uncle was reclining asleep. Then as I -looked, suddenly Cora appeared beside the table and in her hand she -carried a small pistol. She pointed it at my uncle, and just then the -light went out. I judged that she had shot him, though I heard no sound, -and so paralyzed with horror was I that I remained where I was gazing -into the darkness of the room before me. - -"How long I stayed there I don't know. Presently I thought I heard the -sound of a step on the walk. I wrenched myself free from the entangling -ivy and hastened to the gate. There was no one in sight. For a long time -I stood there, debating whether to go back or not, and then I came to -the conclusion that if she had really shot my uncle she needed every -minute to get away. I fled the place and paced the streets in an agony -of suspense. In the morning I returned to the Club, where I slept until -noon. When the steward woke me my first thought was for Cora. I dashed -around to Gramercy Park. She was gone, had been gone since the night -before. Then I rushed up to my uncle's house, thinking she might have -been caught. I found the coroner in possession. Persuaded that Cora had -killed my uncle and not seeing her present, I determined to shield her -by denying all knowledge of her. After my testimony I went upstairs to -my rooms, gathered together a few necessary articles and went back to -Gramercy Park. She was still missing. I thought of advertising for her -and had gone as far as the _Herald_ office when it occurred to me that -by locating her I would only be putting her life in danger. - -"Dejectedly I returned to the Club once more and there found a written -message awaiting me. I read and destroyed it, but the words are burned -into my brain: - - 'Lee, my darling: I killed him to save my honor. If you love me, - help me to get away. I could not bear the notoriety of a trial. - Meet me at the corner of Twenty-third Street and Third Avenue and - I'll be waiting for you in a brown taxi. CORA.' - -"I told the steward to hold my rooms as I was going South on business, -and took a taxi to Twenty-fifth and Third Avenue, where I dismissed the -man and walked rapidly to Twenty-third Street." - -Lee paused and drew a gasping breath, whereupon the doctor hastened to -administer a stimulant. - -"The car was waiting?" prompted McKelvie. - -"Yes, and when I appeared the door opened and a hand beckoned. I entered -the car unsuspectingly, but I was no sooner seated and the door had been -closed (it was dark as pitch inside, since all the shades were drawn) -than I felt a hand on my face and smelled something that made me gasp. -Some instinct warned me not to breathe and I thrust out my hand and my -fingers closed on a man's rough coat. Then I realized I'd been trapped -and flung myself toward my assailant. He grasped my throat and thrust a -handkerchief over my face. The deadly fumes got into my lungs, for I -felt myself suffocating, and drawing a deep involuntary breath I fell -unconscious. - -"When I came to I was lying in the room where you found me, and a couple -of ruffians were guarding me. I do not recall much of this part of the -affair, for I was kept in a semi-conscious state most of the time and -left absolutely alone all day, with little or no food. I have an -impression that once every night I was shaken into consciousness by -someone who spoke in a harsh whisper and asked me a lot of questions -about the murder. Fearing for Cora, I refused to answer. Every day I -grew weaker and every day the harsh voice grew more insistent, until the -man, whoever he was, started to torture me as well. The day before you -rescued me I lost all consciousness of what was going on, for my mind -had been partly drugged, I believe. I guess that's all except that I -want to thank you fellows for getting me out of there." - -Lee closed his eyes wearily, and Jones scratched his head in perplexity. - -"If what he says is true," whispered Jones to me, "where does Mrs. -Darwin come in? He must have dreamed all this. Darwin was shot at -midnight." - -"He didn't dream that he had been held a prisoner, at least," I -returned. "As for the rest, I presume it's all true enough," and I -turned toward McKelvie to get his opinion in the matter. - -"Mr. Darwin," McKelvie said, as Lee opened his eyes again, "are you -strong enough to answer some questions?" - -"Yes," Lee answered. - -"Describe the man who questioned you?" - -"I never saw him. The room was always dark. I heard his voice, that is -all. It was always a harsh whisper. But wait, once I put out my hand -and felt a beard, long and silky." - -McKelvie nodded quickly. "What questions did he ask you?" - -"He asked me where I was the night of the murder, and he kept saying -over and over, 'someone you love is in danger and when you tell me what -you know about your uncle's murder, she will be freed.' - -"I had a feeling this was another trap," Lee went on, "since if I told -him that she had committed the murder they would send her to prison. I -had no idea what his connection with the affair might be, but I -determined not to be caught napping again." - -"There is no connection between him and the murder," responded Jones -authoritatively. "We've got the criminal locked up this minute." - -"Oh, have you," returned McKelvie, sarcastically. "Just listen to what I -have since discovered, Jones," and he sketched rapidly the main facts in -the case. - -They listened spellbound, as he told of the secret entrance and the -second shot, declaring that Darwin was murdered at eleven-forty by the -man we had seen in the curio shop, that this man was keeping Cora -Manning a prisoner, and had deliberately set about implicating Ruth in -the murder. Jones' eyes grew wide with astonishment as he listened, for -it upset all his preconceived ideas. - -"Then she didn't kill him, thank God, thank God," sobbed Lee, quite -overcome by all he had been through. - -"No, she didn't kill him," returned McKelvie kindly. "And now we are -going to do our best to find her for you." - - - - -CHAPTER XXXIII - -THE SECOND BULLET - - -When we were downstairs again and the doctor had gone, Jones turned to -me. McKelvie was smoking his pipe and pacing the room, his brows knit in -thought, and Jones did not like to disturb him. - -"I say, Mr. Davies, can't you give a fellow a few more details?" he -begged. "I seem to have got the dope all wrong in this case. Who is this -mysterious man?" - -I glanced at McKelvie, but he was paying no attention to our -conversation. I decided that there was no harm in telling Jones all that -we knew, since McKelvie himself had already disclosed the more vital -points. - -So I gave Jones a rapid account of our search for the criminal, how we -had discovered the secret entrance, where the trail of the sachet bags -had led us, how we had interviewed Orton, Mrs. Harmon, and Cunningham, -and how the finding of Dick's ring led to the discovery that he was -still alive. - -"But as regards the mysterious man in the curio shop," I ended, "I can't -tell you who he is since I don't know, but my impression is that he was -disguised and that he is not old at all, for one moment he was feeble -and bent, and the next, when he turned off the light, tall and strong." - -Jones slapped his hand on his knee. "By George, you're right. What did -he look like, anyway?" - -"When I first saw him he was bent and his head was thrust forward, his -hair and beard were silver-white, his eyes protected by blue glasses," I -answered. - -"Disguised all right," said Jones with conviction. "It's a remarkable -thing now, Mr. Davies, but when a man runs to disguise he always chooses -the appearance which is his very opposite, the idea being, I suppose, to -look as unlike his former self as possible. He stooped and was old, -therefore he really is young and tall. He wore whiskers and glasses, -therefore he is smooth-shaven and has good eyesight. That's your man." - -"And if you add the fact that he is dark, you have a pretty good -description of the murderer," put in McKelvie suddenly. - -"Good heavens!" I began, but McKelvie raised his hand. - -"Keep your suspicions to yourself," he said, and returned to his -meditation. - -"Seems to me you've made pretty good progress so far," Jones continued, -"but what you need is the police on his trail. We'd soon have him where -he belongs." - -"Well, I don't know that we have made so much progress after all," I -went on, as McKelvie ignored Jones' insinuation. "We have reduced the -number of suspects by finding Lee, but we really are no further than we -were three days ago. We progress so slowly," I added, impatiently, -"because we discover only unsubstantiated facts. We thought Lee might be -able to help us but he cannot swear to having seen his uncle die, and -without that proof Ruth must stay in jail." - -"I'm sorry," returned Jones. "The only thing to do is to catch the -criminal or learn his identity." - -"How?" I demanded. Did Jones think he could win out where McKelvie had -been unsuccessful? Then I recalled McKelvie's words before he took the -case, when he had handed me his list of questions. "Find the answers to -those questions and you will have the name of the man who committed the -crime." We ought to be able to answer almost all of them by now. - -I pulled out my wallet and opened it, drawing forth the sheets that I -had placed there less than a week ago (it seemed more like years) and -spread them out in front of Jones, explaining their purpose and how I -came by them. He read them through, glanced at McKelvie's back (he was -seeking inspiration from the falling night), and then he grinned. - -"Say," he whispered loudly, "we ought to be able to dope it out, you and -I. I'll read you the questions and you give me the answers." He took out -his fountain pen, prepared to fill in my replies, and I humored him. - -"Question one. Why was the pistol fired at midnight?" Jones asked. - -"To implicate Ruth," I returned. - -"Did the murderer also light the lamp?" Jones' pen scratched away as he -spoke. - -"Yes. He lighted it from the safe," I said, explaining how we had -ascertained this fact. - -"How did he enter and leave the room?" - -"He entered by the window and he left by the secret entrance," I -replied, remembering McKelvie's assertion. - -"Wrong." McKelvie swung toward us for a moment. "He entered by the -door." - -"But I thought you said--" I began. - -"I've changed my mind," he retorted, and turned his back on us again. - -Jones' eyebrows went up a trifle, and then he asked, "What was the -motive for the murder?" - -"I don't know," I said frankly. "It seems to me that answer depends on -who murdered him. Find the murderer and you have the motive, not learn -the motive and you have your man, as in most cases," I added. - -"We'll leave number four blank, then. Why did the doctors disagree, and -which was in the right? I recall that fact now. They had quite a tiff -over it and the young doctor was worsted." Jones laughed at the -recollection. - -My answer astonished him. "I'd say they disagreed because the coroner's -physician was a pompous old ass," I returned vindictively. I could not -forget that in very truth Ruth's accusal had been the result of this -verdict. "Dr. Haskins was in the right, since Darwin was shot at -eleven-forty." - -"Why did Philip Darwin put that ring on his finger and then take it off -again?" - -"Cunningham explained that Darwin did it in a moment of sentimentality. -It seemed an idiotic thing to do, after all, and I don't believe he was -addicted to sentiment," I said. - -"Well, no, he might have had it in his hand and slipped it on -unthinkingly, and then had trouble taking it off," replied Jones, -reflectively. - -I shook my head. "No, I am inclined to believe that he hurt his finger -with Cora's ring. Lee said his uncle was wearing it on his little finger -and that he removed it hastily and handed it to him. It was probably -tight for him, and so he bruised the finger," I said. - -"Where's the diamond then?" asked Jones. - -"It may have fallen out and the murderer may have found it," I -returned. "Or better yet, Orton may have taken it. You know Lee flung -the ring at his uncle." - -"That's plausible, and I never liked the secretary's face, anyway. Whose -was the blood-stained handkerchief?" continued Jones. - -"Cora Manning's, because of the perfume which all her male friends seem -to have adopted also," I remarked. - -"Where did the second bullet go?" - -"By the way, McKelvie, where did it go?" I inquired. - -But he pretended not to hear me, so I said to Jones with a laugh, -"Another blank. I have no idea where it went." - -"Did McKelvie search the room?" - -"With a magnifying glass. It's not there." - -"That's queer. It's bound to be somewhere. I'll have to have a look -myself. Why is there so much evidence against Mrs. Darwin?" - -I permitted myself a smile at Jones' evident estimate of McKelvie's -abilities as far as searching a room was concerned, then I replied to -his question. "I suppose the criminal believed in being thorough while -he was about it." - -"Who and what is Cora Manning?" - -"She is, or was, Lee's fiancée. As to what she is, I'll tell you better -when I see her. According to McKelvie she's a beauty," and I smiled. -"Also, if you can believe what he says, the criminal is in love with -this girl, so she is not the one who fired the shot." - -"So McKelvie says, but if the criminal loves her, how do we know she -wasn't his tool. Even the boy upstairs thought she had killed his -uncle," remarked Jones. - -"Don't be an idiot, Jones," said McKelvie's voice. "She wasn't likely to -shoot a man who was already dying when she entered the room. She got -there at eleven-forty-five, or later." - -"Oh, yes. I forgot that fact. But the boy's watch may have been fast at -that," replied Jones, unabashed. "She pointed a pistol at him, you know." - -"Yes, and I presume she kept the man she loves in duress all this time? -But have it your own way," returned McKelvie, dryly. Then I heard him -add to himself, "Where can she be? If I could only lay my finger on her -hiding-place, I'd have him in my toils." - -"What has become of Darwin's securities?" Jones returned to the paper -before him. - -"Cunningham says Darwin lost his fortune in Wall Street," I answered. - -"What is Lee Darwin's connection with the affair?" - -"Like Ruth he is a victim of circumstances and the criminal's -machinations," I said. - -"Why did Richard Trenton come to New York and then commit suicide?" -Jones went on. - -"He came to New York at Darwin's request to see him. This we know to be -a fact," and I told Jones the gist of Gilmore's story. "Also we know -that he did not commit suicide although he tried to give the world that -impression." - -"That looks very bad. What's Cunningham's relation to the murdered man?" - -"Just his friend since Cunningham is not a lawyer." - -"That looks bad, too," said Jones. "He acted as counsel at the inquest -illegally then." - -"He says not. That he did not see Mrs. Darwin and gave her no advice. -You can prosecute him when the case is over. We have no time for that -now," I added. - -"Which one of those having sufficient motive for killing Darwin answers -to the description: Clever, unprincipled, absolutely cold-blooded?" - -"There's an immense amount of latitude in that question. There might be -any number of men of that type, since we do not know how many may have -had sufficient motive for killing him. I expect that we haven't met all -the men who have grudges against him, not by a long shot. And now, Mr. -Jones, having doped it out, as you expressed it, would you mind telling -me who committed that murder?" I asked quizzically. - -Jones grinned. "I'll be hanged if I know," he replied. "But then we have -not answered all the questions, you know. There's the motive and that -second bullet. Oh, I say, McKelvie, what about letting me get busy on -the trail of the revolver that made that second shot? There's a good -substantial clue for you, though I know your preference for deductions." - -McKelvie turned away from the window laughing at Jones' irony, then said -quietly, "I won't trouble you to locate it as it might inconvenience you -sadly. You see, I know where it is." - -"You do?" Jones looked incredulous. "You know where it is and you -haven't produced it?" - -"How could I when you have had it under lock and key at Headquarters -right from the start," returned McKelvie, his eyes twinkling. - -"I? Oh, no, you're wrong there. I have only Darwin's pistol," replied -Jones. - -"That's the one I refer to." - -"But, man, there's only one shot fired from that, the shot that killed -Darwin," expostulated Jones. - -"Use your imagination, Jones. Did you never hear of a man's cleaning his -pistol and recharging it?" inquired McKelvie sarcastically. - -"By Jove," said Jones, then added quickly, "What about the second -bullet, then? I don't happen to possess that, too, do I?" - -"No, for there was no second bullet." - -"No second bullet!" I exclaimed, remembering the stress he had laid on -that fact. - -"No," he returned coolly, "there was no second bullet because--he took -the trouble to remove it before he fired the cartridge." - - - - -CHAPTER XXXIV - -THE WOMAN IN THE CASE - - -My mind remained appalled before the contemplation of the devilish -ingenuity of this man, who could plan the murder with such diabolical -cunning. No wonder we were finding it a difficult matter to secure proof -against him! Who was he? Was he someone I knew or a stranger who had -hitherto remained unsuspected by us? Did McKelvie have any idea of the -man's identity, or was he also groping in the dark? Persistently I -discarded the thought of Dick, even though the ring was his, and Jones' -description of the criminal fitted the boy, for I could not believe that -he could have become such a fiend, unless indeed he had suddenly lost -all sense of proportion and balance. - -It was at this point in my meditations that Jones arose and declared -that he must be going, but McKelvie refused to listen to him. He liked -Jones, even though the two were so often on opposite sides of the case -they were investigating. - -"Stay for dinner," McKelvie urged. "I owe you that much anyhow. Also, I -may need you. And now I wish you fellows would cease worrying about the -criminal's identity and put your faculties to work on a more pressing -subject. Where do you suppose he has hidden Cora Manning?" - -Where, indeed, with the whole of New York to choose from. - -We were enjoying our after-dinner cigars when McKelvie suddenly gave a -shout. "Eureka!" he cried. "I've got it. She's at Riverside Drive. What -an idiot I was not to think of it before." - -"How do you make that out?" asked Jones. - -"Lee thought he heard a step on the walk and assumed that it was the -girl leaving the grounds. He hurried to the gate, but when he looked -around there was no one in sight. If she had really left the place he -would have been in time to see her as she walked down the block. There -would be no place for her to disappear to unless she jumped in the -river, which would hardly be likely." - -"She may have hidden in the grounds and have waited for Lee to go away -first," I objected. - -"She did not know he was there and would have no reason then for hiding. -No, no, she's at the Darwin house. It was the easiest place to hide her -in, safe and secure, and it would not involve his having to take anyone -into his confidence. The house, doubtless, has more than one secret -room. We'll go out there now, and in an hour we'll have her free." - -"Do you want a taxi?" asked Jones. - -"No, we'll use the subway this time," replied McKelvie. - -We walked to Union Square and took the Broadway Subway to Dyckman -Street, walking from there to Riverside Drive. As we entered the Darwin -grounds I paused to admire the brilliancy of the stars, and noticed how -the reflection of the lights from the river craft twinkled in the waters -of the Hudson as if in friendly rivalry. - -But my companions did not wait to look at the scenery, and I had to -hurry to catch up with them. - -"We'll go in the back entrance again," said McKelvie. "I want to -question Mason." - -After a slight delay the old man admitted us and McKelvie asked him if -he ever took occasion to go into the main wing of the house. - -"Yes, sir. I have been in twice, sir, to open the windows and air the -place against Mrs. Darwin's coming home," he replied. - -"And while you were there did you hear any sounds, a person walking, for -instance?" continued McKelvie. - -Mason looked at him in great surprise. "Oh, no, sir. There is no one in -the house now, sir." - -"Is there an attic to the house?" - -"Yes, sir; but I'm sure there's no one there. I went in yesterday -morning to put away Mr. Darwin's things, sir." - -"Have you any provisions in the house?" was the next question. - -"Yes, sir, for myself." - -"Prepare some broth for me, please. I'll send for it when I want it." - -"Yes, sir." - -"What's the idea? Do you think she's starving, too?" asked Jones, as we -crossed the passageway and entered the main hall. - -"Does he strike you as the kind that would be gentle with his prisoners? -We'll ransack the whole house from attic to cellar, despite Mason's -assertions." - -We ascended the broad staircase to the second floor. McKelvie then -apportioned the back rooms to Jones, the front ones to me, and reserved -for himself the whole third floor, which was mostly the attic. My part -comprised the sleeping apartments of Ruth as well as Darwin's suite. - -I entered Ruth's rooms first, but did not remain in them long, since -every article spoke to me of the girl I loved and who was at this moment -enduring the hardness of a narrow cot in a barred and grated cell -instead of enjoying the comforts to which she had been always -accustomed, and all this because she had been accused of a crime that -she was utterly incapable of committing. - -Darwin's suite of dressing-room, bedroom, and bath were also -unproductive of any clues to Cora Manning's whereabouts, although once I -thought I detected a faint odor of rose jacqueminot and wondered idly -whether Darwin, too, had caught the epidemic. - -Out in the hall I encountered Jones. - -"Nothing doing," he said. "Besides, she wouldn't be lying around loose, -or that old butler would have come across her, unless he was lying. For -my own part, I think this is a wild goose chase." - -Before I could reply McKelvie descended from the attic. "Would you mind -talking in a lower key," he remarked in a whisper. "I could hear you -distinctly upstairs, Jones, and if the criminal should come here, we -would frighten him off for good." - -"You don't mean to tell me he'd have the nerve to come here!" exclaimed -Jones. - -"He's come here more than once, as Mr. Davies and I can prove," he -returned, drawing us into a room and closing the door. "Don't you -suppose he comes here to see the girl? It's my opinion he is trying to -break her into going away with him, though I can't see what is to stop -him from drugging her and carrying her away." - -He walked to the window and looked out into the night. "She's not in the -attic. There's no secret room up there; yet I'm positive she's in the -house. He wouldn't come back for anything less important, though I did -think once that he had a hiding-place in the room behind the safe. You -remember that I was looking for it the night we found Dick's ring," he -continued, more to himself than to us. Then he turned away from the -window, his eyes shining, "Lord, I'm growing dull! Do you recall, Mr. -Davies, that we heard steps on the stone staircase and that when I -opened the door and turned my flash on the stairs they were empty and -the door below locked?" - -I nodded, and he went on quickly, "It never occurred to me before, but -he must have vanished into a second secret room off those stairs. Come -on, I'll bet that's where he's got her hidden." - -At the door, however, he paused to issue final instructions. "Go softly -and obey me implicitly. Also don't talk, and have your gun handy, Jones, -in case of need." - -We tiptoed down the stairs and crossed the hall to the study door, which -McKelvie opened slowly and silently. The room was dark. With the aid of -his flash we walked down the length of the room to the safe, our -footfalls deadened by the thickness of the carpet. Then McKelvie -manipulated the dial and opened the safe. It was Jones' first initiation -into the mysteries of the entrance, and I pulled him down to a stooping -position as we passed through to the secret room. Then we crossed to the -door at the head of the stairs and McKelvie listened intently before he -inserted his key in the lock. Then he turned to us. - -"Stay here," he whispered. "When I locate the room I'll call to you. If -anyone comes in that lower door, don't hesitate to shoot, Jones." - -Jones and I obeyed and stood together in the darkness, watching the disk -of light from McKelvie's flash dart here and there along the walls as -McKelvie descended the stairs. Then the ray of light rested upon the -wall into which the staircase had been built and which extended about -three feet beyond the lowest step, that is, extended the length of the -distance between the bottom of the staircase and the outer door, which, -being but two feet in width, had plenty of margin with which to swing -inwards. On this three feet of wall space the light danced up and down -as McKelvie hunted for indications of a second secret room. Then we -heard him calling to us softly. - -We descended the stairs cautiously, and when we neared the bottom -McKelvie pressed a depression which he pointed out to us. We saw a -section of the wall disappear from view and the ray of light rested on -the interior of a dark room. McKelvie stepped through first and called: - -"Miss Manning, are you there?" he asked. - -There was no answer, and telling us not to advance further, he -disappeared into the darkness. We strained forward to look, and I -distinctly smelled a musty, damp odor, as though the room or cell, or -whatever it was, had been used as a vault, or maybe a tomb. - -Then McKelvie came out again and swung the panel into place. He shivered -slightly. "It's empty, but there are indications of a trap door in the -ceiling. What is the room directly above this end of the study?" - -"Darwin's dressing-room," I replied. - -"Any windows on this side?" - -"No." - -"Just as I thought. There is a room above that vault. We'll try the -second floor. I trust we are not too late," he added as we returned to -the study. There we waited while McKelvie relocked the entrance, and -when he was ready to lead the way upstairs again, Jones spoke in a -troubled whisper. - -"What's the idea of building a house with holes in the wall? It's a -regular rat-trap," he said. - -"I have a book at home that I'll have to lend you, Jones. The man who -built this house was a nut on old-fashioned ideas. He copied an -ancestral home, secret rooms and all. Not that he meant to use them, of -course, but because it suited him to put them in. The one I just -examined was used in ancient times, I think, to receive the bodies of -those who fell through the trap door from the room above. A convenient -way of getting rid of your enemy, that is all." - -"This criminal of yours seems very familiar with this house," said -Jones. - -"Yes, he had been here many times before the murder, and he took pains -to learn all he could about the place," returned McKelvie. - -"I thought he only learned of the entrance on the night of the murder," -I objected. - -"Well, what of it. He is clever enough to have deduced what I did. He -probably stumbled across the lower room in opening the outer door and -then it was mere child's play to discover the room above." - -Yes, that part was easy enough, but it was another matter to find the -hidden spring that worked the panel. We turned on the light in the room, -and divided the wall into three parts, each of us fingering a third -carefully and painstakingly from top to bottom. It was Jones finally who -stumbled on the spring. He had pressed the center of one of the -mahogany flowers that formed the carved border of the dash-board and -silently the panel slid back. - -Never shall I forget the sight revealed to my eyes as the light from the -dressing-room dispelled slightly the gloom of that interior. - -In the center of the narrow room kneeled a young girl, with her dark -hair streaming about her shoulders and her pale face raised to heaven as -she pressed the barrel of an automatic to her heart. In that attitude of -utter renunciation, she was very beautiful, so beautiful that she took -away our breath and held us motionless. - -That at least was her effect upon Jones and myself, but McKelvie was -less susceptible, or perhaps his quick eyes noted a motion that we did -not observe. At any rate, he sprang forward and knocked up the pistol. -There was a sharp report, and the girl fell forward into his arms in a -dead faint. - -He carried her into Darwin's bedroom and laid her on the bed. While he -worked over her, I descended to the kitchen where Mason was watching the -broth McKelvie had ordered him to make. - -When I returned she was sitting up, and as she sipped the broth I looked -at her again and felt my pulses stirring as I looked into her face. I'm -not much of a hand at describing beauty in a woman, and perhaps the -greatest compliment I can pay her is to say that though she had suffered -and her lustrous black eyes were dull and her face wan and pale, she was -beautiful still, and her voice held all the haunting quality of the -South in its depths as she told us her story, a story so unusual that it -was almost unbelievable. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXV - -A STRANGE ACCOUNT - - -"I come of a race whose blood is hot and easily provoked," she began in -a low voice, "and who consider honor a thing to be cherished and -guarded. A year ago I came to New York to study for the stage, which had -always been my ambition, and before I left New Orleans my dear old -teacher told me to beware of the pitfalls of that great metropolis, -which I intended to make my home. In the beginning I followed his advice -and was wary, receiving no visitors, although I made many acquaintances. -But when one is alone one becomes lonely, and so I permitted two young -men to call upon me, since I knew that both of them came from good -families. I was playing with fire without realizing it, for the elder of -the two, and he was hardly more than a boy, proposed to me when I had -known him a month. I did not love him, and I told him so. In a burst of -jealousy he accused me of being in love with his rival, and declared -that since I would not marry him he cared not what became of him. He -would go straight to the devil, he said. I tried to be kind and to -reason with him, but he was spoiled and wanted only his own way, so I -told him he must not try to see me again, and he never did, for six -months ago he left the city for good." - -As she paused in her recital, I realized with a shock that she was -speaking of Dick Trenton. It was she who had given him the sachet then, -and it was she who had been responsible, through the fault of that -beauty with which nature had endowed her, for the attitude of -devil-may-care, which had made the boy an easy prey to Darwin's -fascinations. What a mixed up mess life really was! - -"Three months ago I became engaged to Lee Darwin," she continued, "and -in an evil hour for both of us, Lee introduced his uncle Philip to me. I -knew Mr. Darwin was recently married, and so I deemed his interest in me -what he said it was, a natural desire to aid me in my career. He took me -to see the best actors and introduced me to one or two managers. Of -course, Lee was jealous, but as I was never out with Mr. Darwin alone, -and as Lee generally accompanied us, I felt I was doing no wrong, and -that he was very inconsiderate to feel that way. - -"The real trouble started on the sixth of October when I broke the -setting of my engagement ring. I was afraid Lee would think I had been -very careless, and I decided to have the ring mended and to say nothing -about it. When Mr. Darwin came in unexpectedly that evening with plans -for introducing me to an eminent playwright, he noticed that I wasn't -wearing the ring, and asked why. I explained the circumstances and asked -him to give me the name of a reliable jeweler, whereupon he offered to -take it himself to Tiffany's. - -"I had no suspicions of him," she said with an appealing glance for her -indiscretion. "I gave him the ring." - -She rested her voice as she sipped some more of the broth, which I -brought up at McKelvie's request. - -"The next morning about ten o'clock Lee came to Gramercy Park. His face -was pale and his eyes gleaming wildly. He called me names and accused me -of a liaison with his uncle, telling me that I might have saved myself -the trouble of returning the ring, as he did not want it. Then vowing he -would kill his uncle before the day was over, he dashed out, leaving me -terrified, cowed. - -"But not for long. When I realized Philip Darwin's perfidy I determined -to avenge myself for the aspersions he had cast upon my honor. I -recalled that Lee had declared that one of Mr. Darwin's assertions had -been that I was going to the house on Riverside Drive that night. Very -well. I would keep the appointment, and I would tell him I was coming, -meeting guile with guile. - -"I phoned his office and asked him whether my ring was ready for me. In -a voice as false as his heart he apologized for not having taken it as -yet to Tiffany's, but said he would return it to me, if I so desired, at -dinner time, when he hoped to have the privilege of taking me to the -Ritz. I pleaded a previous engagement, and asked him to let me come out -to the house that afternoon to get the ring. - -"He debated a while and then said that it was locked up in his study, -and as he would not be home until late it would be impossible for me to -come for it. I said that the lateness of the hour didn't matter, that I -must have the ring, for if Lee should learn where it was he would break -off the engagement. He inquired if I had seen Lee, and I said, 'Not -to-day, but he was asking for it last night, and I put him off with an -excuse.' - -"Then he said all right, that I could come to the house at quarter to -eleven. I wanted to know if there wasn't a window or some other way for -me to enter, because I didn't want his wife and servants to know of my -call. He laughed and said that I had only to use the secret entrance -and no one would be the wiser. He explained how to find it and said he'd -leave the doors unlocked for me. - -"I had fully intended being at the Darwin house at ten-forty-five, but in -thinking the matter over I became frightened. My anger had exhausted -itself and I was horrified at my own thoughts. I decided not to go. When -ten-thirty struck, however, the memory of all my wrongs swept over me -again, coupled with the thought that Lee had threatened to kill his -uncle, also. I must get there before my lover, since it was all my fault -that he was planning murder. Yet even in my haste I took occasion to lay -my plans with care. I would kill Darwin and myself since Lee no longer -cared for me. I wrote a confession and put it in my pocket, that I might -leave it in Darwin's study, so that no one else need suffer for the -crime. It was eleven when I came downstairs, and meeting my landlady I -informed her that I was going on a journey and should anyone inquire for -me to say that she had no idea where I had gone. - -"I took the Subway to Dyckman Street and walked from there to the Darwin -home. I slipped into the grounds and around the house to the place where -Mr. Darwin had told me there was a door in the masonry. I pushed against -the wall, the door gave way, and I found myself at the bottom of a -flight of stairs. I closed the door and then climbed the steps, feeling -my way in the darkness until my hand came in contact with another door -that yielded at my touch. I felt a carpet under my feet and knew I was -in a room. I groped my way along until I reached an open space, and -collided with what I thought was a bar. I remembered that he had told -me to stoop when I passed through the safe. When I straightened up I saw -that I was in his study and that the lamp on his table was lighted. At -the head of the table sat Philip Darwin asleep. I advanced toward him, -taking out my automatic as I walked. When I was close to him I pointed -the pistol at him, then staggered back in horror, just as the lamp went -out. There was a blood-stain on his shirt-front! Someone had reached him -ahead of me! - -"In the darkness I fled from him in a panic of fear, thrusting my pistol -into the bosom of my dress. Then realizing that I had gone in the wrong -direction, I ran back again--straight into the arms of a man! Before I -could scream he had flung a cloth over my head and carried me to a -couch. How long I remained thus I don't know, but just when I thought I -must suffocate, someone removed the cloth, a glass was held to my lips, -and Lee said, gently: - -"'Drink this and you'll feel better, dear.' - -"I thought he had rescued me. I drained the glass. Then I tried to ask -where I was, but my head began to feel queer and heavy and my tongue -refused its office. I closed my eyes and slipped into a dreamless sleep. -When I awoke I could still feel the couch beneath me. I got up and -groped my way around until I encountered the light switch. Then I saw -that I was in a small carpeted room, which was furnished only with a -divan and a smoking-stand. At either end of the room were doors. One of -these was locked but the other had been left partly open and gave egress -on the stairs that I had climbed. - -"I thought of going down again, but felt too shaky to risk it, and -returned again to the divan, deciding that I was in the room I had -crossed to enter the study by the safe. There was a beautiful Persian -cover on the couch and idly I examined it, lifting it clear of the -floor. Then it was that I saw something bright shining where the fringe -of the cover had swept the floor. I picked up the object and saw that it -was a ring, Dick Trenton's ring. - -"I knew it was his," she added, her pale cheeks flushing, "because when -he proposed to me he wanted to take it off and put it on my finger. - -"I gazed on the ring for a long time, trying to solve the mystery into -which I had stumbled. Philip Darwin was dead, I was evidently a -prisoner, and Dick's ring was in this room. If he had killed Mr. Darwin -it was only right that he should pay the penalty. I would keep the ring -and when the police found me, if someone else was in prison for the -crime I would give them the ring and tell them what I knew. - -"I still felt very drowsy, so I put out the light and as I lay down -again the thought occurred to me that if Dick should come back while I -slept and found the ring in my possession, he would take it away from -me. Hastily I conceived a plan. I tied the ring to the fringe of the -cover, where it would remain hidden until I could make use of it. - -"I was dozing off when a step on the stairs aroused me. Someone came -into the room. - -"'Dick?' I asked, tentatively. - -"He laughed oddly and replied, 'No, not Dick. Lee,' and I felt his arms -around me and his kisses on my face. - -"I was bewildered. Lee! Why had he drugged me then? - -"'Lee,' I cried, 'why am I here?' - -"'It's all right, dear. Uncle Phil was murdered and they think you did -it.' - -"'But I didn't kill him,' I protested, sitting up and pushing him away. -'He was dead when I entered the room!' - -"'I know,' he answered. 'But just the same the police are hunting you. -That's why I hid you away.' - -"I heard him moving around the room, then he came back to me and said, -'You must be thirsty. Drink this.' - -"But I was not going to be drugged a second time if I could help it, -police or no police, so I said, 'I'm not thirsty, Lee.' - -"'That doesn't matter. Drink, I tell you. I'm in a hurry.' - -"His voice took on a sinister note as he held the glass forcibly to my -lips. I gave his hand a shove, spilling the contents of the glass over -him. - -"'You she-devil,' he said, and crushed me to him. - -"Then he flung the cloth over my head again and almost strangled me. I -felt him lift me in his arms and carry me up a flight of steps. He -placed me on the floor of a room and went away. I was in that room a -long, long time before he came again. I was thirsty and hungry and -heartsore to think that he would treat me so, for the room was narrow -and bare and I hadn't even a bed to lie upon. My only comfort lay in the -fact that my revolver still reposed where I had placed it. I took it out -and held it in my hand, for I no longer trusted him. - -"The second time he came to see me he opened the panel that formed the -door to my cell and I could see his figure silhouetted against the dim -light in the further room. - -"'Lee!' I exclaimed. 'Why, oh why, have you done this! Is it because you -killed your uncle and are afraid that I will tell what I know?' - -"He did not answer and I went on: 'Why didn't you listen to my -explanation that morning? You would have known then that your uncle only -took the ring to have it mended. I do not know what he told you, but -whatever it was, he lied.' - -"'Did he lie about your coming to see him?' he replied then, in a hard -voice. 'Did he? Answer me that, when I saw you enter his study!' - -"'Yes, he lied,' I returned. 'I came to kill him and myself for his -perfidy. Only you had already shot him. Oh, Lee, Lee, why didn't you -listen to my explanation!' - -"'I don't believe you. You came because he asked you to, but I got him -first. And now your turn has come.' - -"He made as if to step toward me and I put the pistol to my breast. - -"'If you come any nearer, Lee, I'll kill myself,' I said steadily. 'Oh, -to think that I could ever have loved you, you murderer!' - -"He drew back. 'You'll pay for this. When you have starved for a couple -of weeks you'll be more amenable, I guess,' and he went away laughing. - -"I was horrified and I lay and wept for hours. Then as I moved about I -discovered a jug of water. For a long time I was afraid to touch it, -fearing it was a trap to catch me, but when my thirst got the better of -my judgment I drank just enough to satisfy my worst craving. I waited -to learn the results, and as I remained clear-headed, I decided the -water was pure and hoarded it with care. - -"I came to the conclusion that jealousy and its consequences had made -Lee mad and that he was not responsible for his actions. Instead of -horror, pity filled my heart for I loved him still. - -"He did not come near me again until to-night, and then he was more -fiendish than ever. He said he must leave the city, that he would come -for me to-morrow night, and I could then make my choice between going -with him and death. He pressed a button and showed me a yawning hole in -the middle of the floor, telling me that he would throw me down into the -pit below before he would let me go free to relate to the police what -had happened to me. Oh, it was dreadful! I was glad when he was gone. - -"I knew that nothing on earth could induce me to go with him, but the -thought of falling through that black hole was more than I could bear. -As long as I had to die I would choose a less harrowing way. I took out -my pistol and was just going to kill myself when you flung up the barrel -and rescued me." - -She gave McKelvie a tremulous smile and burst into tears. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXVI - -THE TRAP - - -For a space there was silence in the room while McKelvie paced the -floor, a worried crease between his brows. As for Jones and myself, we -looked from the girl to one another in undisguised perplexity. - -How was it possible for Lee Darwin, whom we had rescued from the hands -of the criminal at Hi Ling's shop, to be the same person who had kept -Cora Manning a prisoner? Or had the boy been merely pretending to be -unconscious, and the old man had been a confederate in the game which -they were playing to trap McKelvie? Yet, the doctor had said that Lee -was really ill, and the doctor could not possibly have any motive for -lying, since he had been called in by Jones and was a stranger to us. -Again, Cora had said that Lee had come to see her just previous to our -rescue of her, and at that time I can swear to it that he was upstairs -in one of the rooms in McKelvie's house. - -Of course there was always the chance that the young man we had saved -was not Lee Darwin at all (though who else he could be I had no idea), -for I had only seen him once the day of the inquest, and the others had -never laid eyes on him before. To counterbalance that hypothesis, -however, was the straightforward story he had told, which tallied point -for point with Cora's account. There was some deep mystery here which I -for one could not fathom. - -"My dear child," said McKelvie presently (from his tone one would have -judged him old enough to be her father), "are you sure that you did not -dream this tale?" - -"Dream it? Oh, no, it was too horribly real for me to have dreamt it," -she answered, astonished that he should doubt her. - -"I was not referring to the treatment you had received, but to Lee -Darwin's connection with your incarceration," he explained. "At the time -of which you speak, Lee was himself a prisoner in Chinatown. And -to-night he is at my home, ill in bed, too ill to have been able to come -here at all." - -"Lee--a prisoner? Lee--at your house ill? How can that be?" she asked in -wondering tones. - -"Miss Manning, did you see this man's face so that you could swear to -it?" continued McKelvie earnestly. - -"No. It was dark when he spoke to me in the little room, and up here the -light behind him was always dim. But I heard his voice, Mr. McKelvie. I -could swear it was Lee's," she insisted. - -"Voices are easily imitated. He did not talk to you for any great length -of time and he was careful that you should not see his face too closely. -If he had been Lee he would not have cared how much you saw his -features." McKelvie laid a hand on the girl's arm, as he added: "I want -you to believe that Lee had nothing to do with this affair. On the -contrary, he has done his best to protect you, almost giving his life -for your sake. Let me tell you his story briefly. He can fill in the -details for you later," and he told her of our trip to Hi Ling's shop. - -"I'm so glad," she said, raising tear-filled eyes to his face as he -ended. "You see I love him still, even though I thought him--all that -was bad. May I see him soon?" - -"Yes, but I'm going to ask you to remain in this house to-night. You are -not strong enough yet to take a journey in the Subway and I have no -desire to use the phone to call a taxi. The criminal may have a means of -tapping the wire, for all we know. Now, Miss Manning, are you sure he is -coming back to-morrow?" - -"Yes, he told me he would return to-morrow night. He said he had to get -money enough for our trip in case I should go with him, and that a woman -always needed plenty of spare cash. Besides, he'd be sure to come, if -only to give me my choice. He would not leave me here alive for someone -to discover. He made that very plain to me," she returned, with a -shudder. - -"Very well, then, we will meet him in your place. I'm going to guard you -to-night myself, in case he should change his mind and come again -unexpectedly. In the meantime, I wish that you, Mr. Davies, would spend -the night at my house to protect Lee. And if you will come around to -Stuyvesant Square at ten o'clock to-morrow morning, Jones, I'll give you -the other details necessary to catch the murderer in his own little -trap." - -"Do you want a taxi for to-morrow, then?" asked Jones, as we were -leaving. - -"Yes, send one around about nine o'clock. Tell him to wait at the corner -of Dyckman and Broadway. Or, better yet, send one of your own men with -the car, in order that there may be no hitch in our plans." - -Jones promised and we returned to town via the Subway, and parted -company at Union Square. When I reached McKelvie's house I stopped at -Lee's room and found that he was awake. He called to me to know whether -I had any news, so I told him the latest developments, watching his face -while I talked. He listened eagerly to what I had to say, was -unaffectedly glad of the girl's release and thankful to learn that she -was safe. His face darkened when I spoke of the impersonation, and he -was just as much at a loss as myself to account for it. - -When I turned in I had come to one conclusion at least, and that was -that Lee had had no hand in the murder, either as principal or as -confederate. - -At ten o'clock the next morning Jones put in an appearance, but McKelvie -had not yet returned, so we occupied ourselves with a discussion of the -events of the previous night. Finally we came to the conclusion that -Cora Manning in her dazed state had, perhaps, mistaken Dick for Lee, -since both were more or less of a height. But in that event, Dick -purposely misled her. Why? What reason could he have for such an action, -unless indeed, his love for her, coupled with the crime committed in a -moment of passionate anger against the man who had injured him, had -turned his brain. - -When McKelvie arrived he brought Cora Manning with him and asked me to -conduct her to Lee. I helped her up the stairs and to the room where Lee -was sitting, and as he rose and held out his arms to her I turned away -and went back downstairs, where McKelvie was issuing his orders to -Jones. - -"I want you to bring three men to the house with you, Jones. Be out -there at five o'clock and get Mason to let you in the back way. Wait in -the passageway for me. Get Grenville to accompany you. Tell him it's -important." - -"You think you'll be able to catch him?" inquired Jones, as he picked up -his hat. - -"He has no suspicion of our visit last night. Our rescue of Lee, -although in a measure it proves that Mrs. Darwin had nothing to do with -the crime, does not in his opinion help us to locate Cora. He only kept -Lee at Hi Ling's to prevent him from giving evidence in Mrs. Darwin's -behalf. He will come to the house to-night without the least suspicion -that there will be anyone there to greet him as he deserves," and -McKelvie laughed. - -"Then you know who he is?" I inquired, as Jones left the house. - -"I still suspect. I shall not know positively until to-night. And now -I'm going to get some sleep. Then we will go over to the Darwin bank. I -have a mind to see whether that one hundred and fifty thousand dollars -is still there." - -Taking advantage of the respite, I went back to my own apartments for -luncheon, and returned to Stuyvesant Square in my car. Evidently in -McKelvie's mind Cunningham was still under suspicion, yet I could hardly -credit that it was Cunningham who had kept the girl a prisoner. He did -not resemble Lee. - -When we arrived at the bank Mr. Trenton turned us over to Raines, who -conducted us to the safe-deposit vault. - -"Do you know whether Cunningham was in to-day?" asked McKelvie. - -"No, I don't. One of the tellers might be able to tell you," responded -Raines. - -"Never mind. The strong box will tell me all I want to know," McKelvie -answered. - -We approached Cunningham's box and Raines inserted his key in the lock. -As he pulled it open I leaned closer to look at the interior. Then I -gave an exclamation of astonishment. The box was empty! The one hundred -and fifty thousand dollars in bills was gone! - -It was two days ago that we had interviewed Cunningham and he did not -then contemplate removing the money from the bank. What had occasioned -this sudden need for so much cash? I could think of only one reason. His -must be the master mind that had conceived the crime and struck the blow -against Darwin, even though he had since hired confederates to aid him -in his scheme of holding Cora, as he had done in the case of Lee. - -I spoke my thought to McKelvie as we drove back to his home, but he -shook his head. - -"The criminal had no confederates to aid him against the girl. He has -played a lone hand all through with one exception, that is, in the case -of Lee." - -"Then why did he remove that money from the bank?" I asked. - -"Perhaps he is going on that trip he was telling us about the other -night," responded McKelvie cynically, and I knew by his tone that he -himself did not believe any such thing. - -"A trip which will end before it has begun, since it's very apparent his -only reason for flight must be that he killed Philip Darwin," I said -with a laugh. - -"Oh, no," responded McKelvie, coolly, "he is clever and unprincipled, -and all kinds of a blackguard, and I wouldn't be at all surprised if he -had a couple of murders to his name, but this I do know. He did not -murder Philip Darwin." - - - - -CHAPTER XXXVII - -M'KELVIE'S TRIUMPH - - -When we drove into the grounds of the Darwin home at five o'clock that -night, McKelvie ordered me to hide my car behind the garage and then to -join him in the passageway. As I obeyed I saw him helping Lee, with -Cora's aid, to mount the steps to the back door, for he wanted the two -of them for purposes of identification, since both had been victims of -the unprincipled man we had come there to-night to try to trap. - -I parked my car where it could not be seen by anyone approaching the -house and then returned to the servants' wing and entered the -passageway, where McKelvie was disposing of his forces. The three burly -policemen that Jones had brought with him McKelvie ordered to remain -where they were until it grew dark, when they were to hide themselves in -the grounds, toward the side of the house. When they saw a light in the -study they were then to group themselves around the door to the secret -entrance, which he had already pointed out to one of their number while -I was parking my car. If anyone came out through this door they were to -arrest that person, and under no circumstances to let him get away, even -if they had to shoot him. The men saluted and I could see by the -determination written on their faces that the criminal would have small -chance of escaping their vigilance. - -Then McKelvie opened the door into the main wing and asked Cora and Lee -to remain in Orton's workroom until they were needed. - -"And under no circumstances show a light of any kind," he added. They -did not need to promise, for they preferred a darkened room in which to -tell each other the sweet nothings that lovers are fond of murmuring, -and I envied them their happiness as I thought of Ruth shut away where -even my loving care could not reach her. - -In the fading daylight the study was dim, but we managed to make out the -outlines of the furniture, and so were able to move about without -turning on the lamp. McKelvie grouped some chairs around the table and -told us to seat ourselves, since at that distance we could not be seen -by the criminal as he stepped from the safe. Then McKelvie arranged the -shades, drawing them so that they did not quite reach the bottom of the -windows, thus allowing the light to gleam through later, as a signal to -the waiting policemen. - -When everything was ready McKelvie spoke to us in an undertone. "I do -not know how long we shall have to wait for him. He will come when it is -dark, perhaps, and again he may not turn up until midnight. In any -event, whether our vigil be long or short, I want to impress upon you -the necessity for absolute silence. A false move and we may lose every -advantage and the criminal as well." - -We declared ourselves ready to obey his instructions, however long we -might have to wait, and he crossed the room and took up his position -beside the safe door with the metal handcuffs in his hand, prepared to -snap them on the wrists of the man who should come forth from the -entrance. - -I glanced at Jones and Grenville and saw to my amusement that the police -detective was sound asleep. He reminded me of a watchdog that though he -might doze would yet be instantly on the alert at the least hint of -danger. The District Attorney caught my look and smiled, then he leaned -back in his chair and set himself to wait with what patience he might -possess. - -I turned to my thoughts, thankful that McKelvie had spared Mr. Trenton -this ordeal, for now that Cunningham was exonerated, the burden of the -crime must fall upon Dick, who, after all, was the only one well enough -acquainted with circumstances to have attempted the schemes which -McKelvie had foiled. Yet it seemed such a mad thing to do, to put his -head in the noose a second time when he had just been cleared of his -first crime, unless James Gilmore's story was all of a piece with the -other deceptions Dick had practised upon us. Who was Gilmore any way? -Had we any proof that his story was true? He may have been paid to put -us off the scent by making us believe that Dick could not commit another -crime since he was innocent of the first one. But, again, there was -McKelvie's statement that with the exception of the Chinamen and those -two ruffians, the criminal had steered clear of confederates. I could -not divine Dick's motive for the deed, since the murder was not and -never had been, one of impulse. - -I wished heartily that the whole thing was over and this suspense ended, -yet when the lamp suddenly lighted on the table and I knew that the hour -was at hand, since it must have been the criminal's hand that had -pressed the switch in the safe, I closed my eyes. I did not want to see -the door swing open and Dick step out of that safe. - -I heard a metallic click as McKelvie snapped on the handcuffs, and I -opened my eyes with a start as I realized by the snarl of rage that had -come from the murderer's lips that we had caught the man as neatly as -one traps a wild and dangerous animal. - -McKelvie laughed as he slammed the door of the safe, and the three of us -rose precipitately (Jones had wakened when the lamp went on), for we -could make out the criminal's figure as he came rapidly toward us. When -he stood within the circle of light, confronting the muzzle of Jones' -gun, I looked into his face, then I gasped audibly. - -The man before me was not Dick, but the lawyer--Cunningham! - -"This is an outrage!" he exclaimed furiously. "What do you mean by -putting such an indignity upon me?" and he glared at McKelvie. - -McKelvie smiled in an exasperating manner. "I was expecting the criminal -to come through that entrance, since he alone possesses a key to it. I -saw a man appear and clapped on the bracelets. It happened to be you. -How do you explain the circumstance?" he inquired politely. - -"Very easily," retorted Cunningham coolly, recovering his poise, "I was -going over a lot of old papers and came across a sealed envelope -addressed to me in Darwin's hand. Wondering what it could portend I -opened it. Inside I found a small key and the explanation of the secret -of the entrance. Darwin also went on to say that he was taking me into -his confidence in case anything should ever happen to him. Having a -fondness for amateur detective work, like yourself, Mr. McKelvie," here -he bowed ironically to McKelvie, "I decided to use the opportunity which -fate had bestowed upon me to do a little investigating on my own -account." - -"Very ingenious, but it won't do," returned McKelvie, adding with a -sarcastic inflection, "I suppose he also told you the six-letter -combination that I used to lock the safe--after he was dead?" - -Cunningham flushed and bit his lip, but before he could think of an -appropriate retort, McKelvie had turned to Jones. - -"You won't need to use that gun, Jones," he said with a twinkle. "Our -prisoner is too valuable to shoot--as yet. Call in the others, please, -and light the room as you pass the switch." - -Jones pocketed his gun, and departed on his errand, lighting the study, -as we had agreed to do, for the guidance of the men outside. In a second -he was back again with Lee and Cora. As Cunningham's eyes rested on the -girl, who had her arm around Lee and was helping him tenderly to a -chair, the man's face darkened and his eyes blazed upon her. - -"Miss Manning, have you ever seen this man before?" asked McKelvie when -Lee was seated and Cora had turned toward us. - -The girl looked Cunningham up and down, from the sole of his patent -leather shoes to the crown of his gray-streaked red hair, then she shook -her head and answered simply, "No, Mr. McKelvie, I have never seen him -before." - -"Now I trust that you are satisfied?" demanded Cunningham, insolently, -a gleam of triumph in his eyes. "You will oblige me by removing these -things." - -Though he held out his manacled hands to McKelvie, his eyes remained on -Cora's face with a look impossible to mistake. The man was in love with -her, though how that was possible when she did not know him, I was at a -loss to decide. McKelvie took a step forward and I thought he was going -to comply with Cunningham's request, but he made no move to release his -prisoner. - -"Sorry to have to refuse a gentleman of your standing, but you are far -safer to me with the bracelets on," returned McKelvie imperturbably. -"You are undoubtedly clever or you could not have evaded me so long, but -the trouble with you, as it is with all clever criminals, is that you -are egotistical. You commit a crime and get away with it and then you -immediately think yourself a genius, so much more wonderful than your -fellows who have paid the penalty for their deeds, so infinitely -superior to the police and the detectives that you have no fear of being -caught. But like all your class, there is a weak joint in your armor. -There is no such thing as an infallible criminal and a perfect crime. -You may get away once, or perhaps a score of times, but in the end your -weakness trips you and you fall into the hands of the authorities. In -your case the thing that tripped you and delivered you to us was--love -for a woman. A dangerous game to play, the woman game, Mr. Cunningham, -but love knows no reason. You were so desperately infatuated with Cora -Manning that the thought of going away and leaving her to a more -successful rival was agony to you, and so you remained to persuade her -to go with you. That is why you are here now, facing arrest under an -accusation of murder." - -In wondering silence we listened to McKelvie's words and Cora said -quickly, "In love with me? But I never saw him before." - -Cunningham only smiled coolly. "You have no proof, my dear sir, no proof -at all." - -"Haven't I? I am not as amateurish as I look," said McKelvie, dryly. -Then he faced the man before him squarely and addressed him in a tone of -grim earnestness from which all hint of banter had fled. "You demand -proofs. I will give them to you. I know why the murder was committed, -why Mrs. Darwin was implicated, because I know exactly what took place -in this room on the night of October seventh, from the moment when -Richard Trenton stepped through that French window to the moment when -the murderer left the room by the secret entrance. In other words, the -game is up--Mr. Philip Darwin!" and McKelvie's hand shot out toward his -prisoner's face. - -I heard Lee's wondering, "Uncle Phil?" and unable to believe my ears I -took a second look. Then, "Good God!" I cried, for the red hair and -beard were gone and the man standing where Cunningham had been was -indeed Ruth's husband, for whose murder she was even now enduring the -horrors of prison life, Philip Darwin, but Philip Darwin without his -eyeglasses and without his beard! - -Who, then, was the man we had found dead in this room, the man we had -buried under Darwin's name? A sudden conviction borne of McKelvie's -last words flashed across my mind. - -"Was it--?" I began. - -"Yes," replied McKelvie, "the man who was so foully murdered in this -room that night was--Richard Trenton!" - -Cora cried cut, "Dick, oh, not Dick!" and I put my hand to my head, for -my brain was in a whirl. Yet I was conscious of a feeling of -thankfulness that he was the victim rather than the perpetrator of the -crime. - -With a snarl of rage Darwin broke from McKelvie's hand and fled toward -the safe. Jones started to follow, but McKelvie checked him with a -laugh. - -"Let him go, Jones. Have you forgotten that there are three men guarding -the outer door?" he said. - -Darwin paused abruptly and turned a hate-distorted face toward us, then -he recovered his cool manner and walked back calmly to where we stood. - -"You win," he said to McKelvie with a shrug. "What do you want of me?" - -"If you will kindly be seated I should like to explain, with your -corroboration, just exactly what did take place in this room that -night," answered McKelvie. - -"No," returned Darwin, "let me tell the story, for you would bungle the -tale. I'll accept your word that you know what happened, since otherwise -you could not have unmasked me. Kindly take off those bracelets, they -annoy me, and give me a cigar. I swear to you that I shall make no -attempt to leave this room." - -For a long minute the two men looked into one another's eyes, then -McKelvie stepped forward and removed the handcuffs. He bestowed them in -his pocket, took out a cigar, and offered it to Darwin. - -The man accepted the cigar with a bow, lighted it, and then drawing a -chair into the center of the circle which we had formed, he leaned back -nonchalantly and began his tale. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXVIII - -THE MOTIVE - - -"You must know, then," said Philip Darwin, "that I was the child of a -second marriage contracted between my father and a young woman who had -just begun to earn a name for herself upon the stage. She endured two -years of walking the straight and narrow path as his wife, and then she -eloped with an actor friend. My father hushed the scandal and withdrew -from social life, becoming morose and bitter and narrower than ever, -watching over me with a zealous eye as I grew older, and endeavoring to -eradicate the talents which I had inherited from her, looking with -particular disfavor on my ability to act and mimic the speech of those -about me. - -"Knowing my inherited love of pleasures of all kinds he strove to curb -me by refusing to let me go out in the evenings with my young -companions. This I considered an indignity since I was then old enough -to be my own master, and so I took matters into my own hand, retiring -early and then sneaking away from my rooms to join my friends. This -practice I continued until by an unforeseen chance I was among those -arrested in a raid upon a gambling-house. I would have given a false -name but unfortunately the Sergeant knew me, and of course the affair -came to the ears of my father. - -"He was exceedingly wroth and threatened to disinherit me if I ever -disobeyed him again. I did not want to lose my chance to secure his -fortune, which would come to me intact since Robert, my older brother, -was dead, and my sister, Leila, had run away from home, so I remained at -home on my best behavior. It was just at this time that I came across an -old book in the study that gave the history of the house from which ours -had been copied. I investigated and found the door in the masonry, took -an impression of the lock, had a key made, and so discovered the secret -room. That room gave me an idea. I knew that it was next the study -although it had never been cut through, but this fact did not trouble -me. My father had planned to take me to Europe with him, but I told him -that I preferred to remain at home and look after the business, into -which I had been taken as junior partner on my twenty-first birthday. -Thinking that I had reformed he gave his permission for me to have a -safe built in the study, since I had pointed out to him that now that I -was a man of affairs I needed such a contrivance for my personal papers. -But though he left for Europe without me he did not altogether trust me, -for I discovered that his lawyer had orders to telegraph my father if at -any time he learned that I had deviated from the rule of conduct laid -down for me to follow. - -"I determined to outwit him. I sent Mason away, hired some workmen, had -a door cut between the study and the secret room and had a safe built -into the wall as a blind. Then I spent the rest of the year in evolving -the character of Cunningham. He should be a young law student, -red-haired, red-bearded, fastidious. Also as Darwin, I adopted glasses -to make myself and Cunningham as opposite as possible in appearance. - -"When my father returned he heard no scandal of me for Cunningham had -taken young Darwin's place in the beaumonde. Thereafter I had no -difficulty in getting away, retiring early and then leaving the house by -the secret entrance, after changing to Cunningham in the little room. - -"After my father's death Cunningham was of no further value to me, but I -was too clever to utterly destroy him, since I had no idea when I might -need him again. So he told his friends that a relative had died abroad, -leaving him a fortune, and that he was going on a trip around the world. -Then Darwin came back and took his place in the social world. - -"I pass over the next few years, in which I played the fool and -speculated beyond my means. Eight months ago I was in desperate need of -money, although none knew of it, and I saw that my only course lay in -marrying some wealthy woman. - -"I looked around me and decided that Arthur Trenton's daughter would -serve my purpose. I made friends with her brother and discovered to my -annoyance that the young lady in question had just engaged herself to a -young broker by the name of Carlton Davies and that the wedding was -scheduled to take place in a very short time. This was something of a -set-back, since I knew that Miss Trenton was not likely to jilt her -lover for a man she was barely acquainted with. But once I make up my -mind to obtain a thing I never give up until that thing is mine. I cast -about for a way to make her marry me, and having cultivated her brother, -Dick, for a month, I laid my plans accordingly. - -"I enticed the boy, who was inclined to be wild, to a gambling-den, -after I had taken the trouble to get him fairly intoxicated. I had hired -a jail-bird to quarrel with Dick and when the man pretended to go for -the boy, I shot and killed him, telling Dick that he had done it. He -became frightened and I took him to his home, where his father was told -my version of the tale, and Dick was dispatched to Chicago. Then I -forced Ruth to marry me to save her brother from going to the chair for -something he had never done!" - -Darwin paused in his narrative to puff his cigar and to let us -sufficiently admire the cleverness that had conceived such a plan. -Admire! I could only shudder at the thought that there could be in -existence a man who could carry out such diabolical schemes in -cold-blood, and actually pride himself on his accomplishment. - -"After the marriage I made Ruth sign away her dower rights as well as -her dowry, all to save her brother. Then I took up my old way of living -again. But now there was a fly in my ointment. People began to talk, and -I had enough of my father in me to make gossip distasteful to me. Yet -marriage was a bore, I discovered, and so I resurrected the lawyer, -Cunningham. If as Darwin I must endure life with Ruth, as Cunningham I -would be as gay as I chose. I hired an apartment and began my double -life. - -"When Darwin was bored to distraction by prosaic affairs, he would take -a business trip and Cunningham would have his fling. When pleasures -cloyed, Cunningham would be off to see his out-of-town clients and -Darwin would return to the city. The excitement and the danger of -detection that this sort of existence afforded fascinated me and I -should have kept it up indefinitely if fate in the person of a former -teller of the Darwin Bank had not intervened. - -"This man, James Gilmore, who had been my dupe ten years before, and had -since been in jail, was at the gambling-den the night I shot Coombs, and -he realized the trick I had played upon Dick. I thought at the time when -Gilmore fell that I had killed him also (I did not know him at the time. -I merely shot at him on the principle that dead men tell no awkward -tales), but by some freak of chance he escaped unhurt and became -acquainted with Richard Trenton. - -"The first intimation I had that my plans had gone awry was in a letter -from Dick explaining the circumstances. I thought the matter over and -finally made up my mind to go to Chicago as Cunningham, to kill Dick, -and then return as Darwin, abolishing forever the character of the -lawyer. - -"When I reached Chicago, however, and saw Dick, a new plan, more daring, -more subtle, more pleasing in every way leapt fully matured into my -mind, since by means of it Darwin would disappear and Cunningham would -remain, free to live his life unhampered by the marriage tie. - -"Dick had grown a beard. Trim it as mine was trimmed, give him a pair of -gold eyeglasses, and he could pass superficially for myself. I marveled -at the likeness then. Now I know it was only natural, since it seems he -was my nephew as well as my brother-in-law. - -"I pretended as the lawyer to be on his side, returned to New York, and -wrote him a letter in which I declared that as Ruth refused to divorce -me, which was one of the terms of reparation Dick insisted upon, he had -better call upon me and talk things over. He walked into the trap I had -laid for him, and telegraphed that he would come to see me." - -Again Darwin paused and eyed us in that strange exultant manner. - -"You will think, perhaps, that it was a daring thing to do, this that I -had in mind, but its very audacity would serve to carry it through, I -knew. Have you ever studied psychology? I commend it to you, for my -knowledge of that subject was the foundation stone upon which I built. - -"When a man is found shot in his own study, remaking his own will, -looking like himself to all outward appearance, the conclusion is -naturally that the dead man is the one whom the world believes him to -be, that is, the master of the house. Also I had no fear that the -deception would be remarked. Orton was near-sighted, Mr. Davies (for as -I shall show you presently, I intended to bring him into this affair -also), knew me only slightly, had not seen Dick for six months, and -never with a beard, besides being under the belief that the boy was in -Chicago, and Ruth would be too overwrought to notice anything amiss. The -only one I really feared was Lee, as he knew me thoroughly. I determined -to get rid of him. The question was, how? and the answer was supplied by -the girl, Cora Manning. - -"I had been intrigued by her beauty, but had no thought, despite my -nephew's assertions, beyond being allowed to gaze upon her occasionally, -but the night of the sixth as she told me of her broken ring I knew I -loved her and wanted her for my own. I saw a way ahead of me and seized -the opportunity presented to me. - -"I inveigled her into giving me the ring and the next morning I gave Lee -to understand that the girl had been false to him. He believed me and I -knew him well enough to guess that he would break off the engagement, -leaving the way free for me later. I also ordered him to leave my house -for his insolence to me, thus getting him out of the way for that night. - -"It was at this point in the game that a new element was introduced. I -had meant merely to leave Ruth a supposed widow, but when Orton showed -me the letter she had written to her former lover, I determined to make -her pay for my crime. I told him to piece the letter together and bring -it to me, and then I left for the office. - -"And now I was guilty of my first error. I permitted my infatuation for -Cora to get the better of my discretion, and told her to come to the -house at ten-forty-five, knowing I would have time to see her in the -secret entrance and get rid of her before Dick was scheduled to arrive. -I should have known better, for it was too dangerous a game to play. - -"At ten-thirty that night I called Ruth to the study and upbraided her, -threatening Mr. Davies in such terms that she took fright and declared -she would send for him to warn him. I only laughed and thoroughly roused -she left me to call her lover to her, as I hoped she would. - -"Then I locked the study door, opened the secret entrance as I had -promised, and waited for Cora. She did not come, and when eleven struck -I gave her up and was on the point of leaving the study to relock the -entrance when Dick suddenly stepped in through the window, one half-hour -before he was due. We talked for twenty-five minutes, while I waited for -Mr. Davies' arrival. Dick insisted upon seeing Ruth at once. I told him -she had gone out with friends and would not return until eleven-thirty. - -"At eleven-twenty-five I heard a motor drive up, and guessing it must be -Mr. Davies who had come, I set to work to carry out my plan. I told Dick -Ruth had come, and he sprang up and went to the door. I followed him and -as I did so I soaked a handkerchief with chloroform from a bottle I had -in my pocket, and as he fumbled with the key I came up behind him and -pressed the handkerchief over his face. As he sagged into my arms I -switched off the light and carried him to the secret room, depositing -him on the couch. - -"Then I returned to the study, unlocked the door, and called in Orton -that he might take away with him a mental image of myself seated in my -chair, as I later intended that Dick should sit. When Orton was gone I -relocked the door, and returned to Dick. I exchanged clothing with him, -and it was no easy task, for he lay an inert mass. Then I trimmed his -beard and placed my eyeglasses on his nose. Finally, I took out my -revolver and shot him through the heart as I supposed, but he had come -out from under the influence of the anesthetic and as I fired he moved -so that the bullet only penetrated his lung. I knew that he was done for -in any case and as I bent down to pick him up I noticed the ring on his -finger. I never wore rings, and that one was too familiar to Ruth to -risk leaving it. I was removing it with care when I heard a step on the -stairs of the entrance. I remembered Cora and dared not let her guess -the truth. Hastily I snatched off the ring, slipped it in my pocket and -carried Dick into the study, setting him down in my chair. Then I hid -behind the curtains of the window, which was nearest the safe. I saw her -enter, and as she advanced toward the table where only the lamp was -lighted, I slipped into the safe and switched it off. - -"I took off my coat and as she fell against me in the dark I flung it -over her head, and carried her to the divan in the secret room. Then I -went about my other business, for I had much to do. I cleaned my gun, -and recharged it, removing the bullet from the cartridge I intended to -fire later. I returned to the study, pushed back the chair so that it -would look as though Darwin had been shot when he rose to meet someone, -arranged the matter of the wills, and left a word half finished upon the -testament I was supposed to have been making, burning the old one which -I had torn up when I recalled it was in Lee's favor and not Ruth's. - -"When I saw that I had bruised Dick's finger I flung Cora's ring, from -which the stone had dropped that morning, on the top shelf of the safe -in order to explain the abrasion with some degree of plausibility, since -I knew that Lee had seen the ring on my finger in the morning. Then when -everything was as perfect as human ingenuity could make it, I went to -the door and unlocked it, that Ruth might find no obstacle to her -entrance. I switched on the lights for a moment for a last survey and -saw a handkerchief lying near the door. When I picked it up I saw that -it was Ruth's, but caution prevailed and I smelled it to make sure, -knowing well that Cora used Rose Jacqueminot, since I had adopted it -myself after becoming acquainted with her. The handkerchief was -unscented and I decided to add it to the evidence against Ruth. I put -out the light, stained the handkerchief with blood, arranged it in -Dick's hand, turned out the lamp, and waited for Ruth. - -"How did I know she would come to the study? Because I had decoyed Mr. -Davies to the house to bring about that very result. He was a man and he -loved her and he feared what I might do to her if I remained in -possession of that letter. I had purposely told her I was going out and -had let her see me throw the letter in the table-drawer. Mr. Davies, I -knew, would urge her to get the letter. - -"When she came in and I heard her fumbling with the contents of the -drawer I fired my revolver. I knew it would startle her, and that she -would move away from the table, so I slung the gun along the carpet, -trusting that it would carry as far as her feet. Then I hastened to the -safe and turned on the lamp, closing the door to behind me, but -remaining where I could hear what occurred in the study. - -"I heard Mr. Davies' order to Orton, and locking the safe I hastened -through the entrance to the front door, letting myself in just as they -disappeared into Ruth's apartments. I went into the dining-room and -opened a bottle of wine, into which I mixed a sleeping potion. While I -was there I heard the doctor arrive and go upstairs, then I returned the -way I had come, poured out a glass of the wine and gave it to Cora. Then -I locked the entrance doors and left her there to sleep while I returned -to the Corinth as Dick, so that there would be no undue search made for -him. The next morning I went back to my apartments as Cunningham, and -from there to the inquest. - -"When Ruth had been adjudged guilty, I determined to get rid of Lee, -since his actions told me plainly he knew something of Cora's visit. I -decoyed him from the club with a fake message and had him kidnapped, but -could get nothing from him. I decided to keep him a prisoner until after -Ruth had paid the penalty for the crime. - -"My thought now reverted to Cora, but I dared not return to the house -that night, as the police were still in charge. I waited until they had -left about nine o'clock the next morning, and went to the secret room, -where I found Cora awake. It was too risky a matter to take her to my -other apartments, besides she knew too much to suit me, so I -impersonated Lee to kill her love for him. Then as Cunningham I would -rescue her and through her gratitude I could earn her love. I did not -guess she had a revolver or things might have taken a different turn. - -"The afternoon of the ninth I carried out the plans for the suicide of -Richard Trenton. It was necessary to account for his disappearance, -since two men were gone and there was only one body which could be -produced. It was I who jumped in the river. It was an unpleasant duty, -but I had to make some sacrifice to attain my ends. I swam down the -shore and made my way to Chinatown to my refuge at Hi Ling's. - -"From then on I faced the world as Cunningham, and in the end I should -have triumphed but for one thing. Mr. Davies' refusal to believe Ruth -guilty brought a new element into the case, a man with brains as keen as -my own, who was not to be duped as I had fooled the police. He was -suspicious of Cunningham from the first, but I did not think that even -he could uncover the truth, so in the end I lost." - -Darwin ceased speaking and there was silence in the room for a moment, -then unexpectedly he rose and turned to McKelvie. "You are clever, but -you haven't got me yet. You think to try me. The man doesn't live who -can put me in a cell." - -Even as he spoke, before we could grasp the meaning of his rapidly -uttered words, he sprang down the room toward the door, wrenching it -open as Jones fired. We saw Darwin make for the stairs and we were after -him in a second. On the floor above he rushed into his dressing-room, -and as we entered we saw him disappear into the secret closet. There was -a whirring sound and a cry of dismay, then silence, horror-filled. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXIX - -CONCLUSION - - -Leaving Jones in charge of the house and its gruesome burden, McKelvie, -Grenville and I drove to Center Street to secure Ruth's release. On the -way Grenville asked McKelvie whether he would mind explaining how he -first divined the truth. McKelvie obligingly complied. - -"I owe my success to Miss Manning's quick-wittedness in leaving us that -clue in the secret room. But for that the case might still be hanging -fire. Until we discovered the ring I had no suspicions of the real truth -of the matter. I merely mistrusted Cunningham, because he was the only -clever unprincipled person connected with the case, but I could conceive -of no plausible motive which would cause him to commit the crime. - -"I had never swallowed that neat account of how Darwin's finger came to -be bruised. The reason was deeper than mere sentiment, I felt. When we -stumbled on the ring, the truth flashed across my mind. The ring had to -be removed because the dead man was Dick, not Darwin. If that were so, -then Dick could not have committed suicide. I determined to test my -theory. - -"I took with me to Water Street a photograph of Darwin taken when he was -Dick's age (I had seen it in an old album in the den upstairs when I -first examined the house on Riverside Drive). Both Mrs. Bates and Ben -Kite recognized it as the picture of the man who had jumped into the -river. So far, so good. Dick had been murdered and Darwin was alive. -What was the motive? James Gilmore supplied the answer and the case was -simplified. With Darwin as the murderer every fact fell into place with -the ease of a carefully pieced puzzle. - -"Darwin wanted to rid himself of his wife, Darwin knew she had written a -love-letter, Darwin knew that Mr. Davies was in the house and would urge -Mrs. Darwin to secure the epistle. Also the quarrel with Lee took on a -new phase, a scheme for ridding himself of a pair of keen eyes. - -"The only question to be solved was the one, Where was Darwin? Was he -still in the city or had he left the country? I could not rid myself of -the idea that Cunningham had some share in the affair. He was too keenly -interested to be a mere on-looker. Could it be that Cunningham was -Darwin, I asked myself. I investigated and discovered that the two men -were never in the city at the same time, that they had never been seen -together, although they were more than lawyer and client. The finding of -the one hundred and fifty thousand dollars in Cunningham's strong box -clinched the matter for me. I knew that Darwin was not likely to give -another man the money which he would need himself with which to get -away." - -McKelvie paused and turned to me. "Do you remember the night he told us -that pleasant fiction about the one hundred and fifty thousand dollars? -I was positive then that he was Darwin, but I had no way of proving it -and I had no desire to put him on his guard. That is why I advertised -for Lee. I wanted to frighten him into thinking I was on to him and so -catch him with the goods, which we were able to do, thanks to his own -folly." - -"And thanks to you, Mrs. Darwin's life has been saved," I said, as he -ceased speaking. "I can never repay you for what you have done," and I -held out my hand. - -He grasped it with an embarrassed laugh. "Don't thank me. I enjoyed -running him to earth. I'm glad he got his deserts." - -"Did he really mean to kill himself?" I asked presently. - -"No. I examined that closet. It had a double purpose. There was a -trapdoor in the ceiling as well, and when you pressed a button in the -wall a ladder was let down and you could escape over the roof. That was -Darwin's plan, but in his haste he touched the wrong spring, for they -were near together and it was dark, and so he fell to his death. Thus is -evil punished in the end." - -"How did Cunningham happen to have a sachet bag embroidered with his -initials when Cora did not know him as Cunningham?" I inquired. - -"He had foolishly preserved the one she had given him as Darwin. The -initials on it were P. D." - -"You told me that when I learned the answers to those questions that I -should know who committed the crime. Why was it then that Jones and I -did not guess the truth the night we heard Lee's story?" - -"Because you had no idea of the motive for the crime. Also you answered -some of the questions wrong," he replied with a smile. - -"Wasn't it odd that Ruth failed to recognize Cunningham as her husband -when he spoke to her at the inquest?" I asked. - -"No. He kept his voice disguised. Didn't he say he had a bad cold or -something of the sort? When I was positive that Cunningham was Darwin I -had a second interview with Mrs. Darwin. She told me then that when -Cunningham spoke to her she had an impression that she was hearing the -voice of her husband, but as she was persuaded that Darwin was dead she -thought it must be her own foolish fancy, and so said nothing about it." - -I nodded, recalling the puzzled look on Ruth's face when she glanced at -Cunningham at the inquest, for which I had at the time been unable to -account, and while I waited McKelvie's return in the reception room of -the Tombs, I pondered upon the kindness of Fate in having disposed of -the man who had stood so long between me and the one desire of my heart. -I wondered how I would tell Ruth the actual facts in the case, and was -debating the wisdom of enlightening her when McKelvie returned with a -beaming smile. - -"She'll be here in just a minute," he said, adding quizzically, "You -won't need my help in solving this problem, I'll wager," and he waved -his hand toward the door. - -The next moment Ruth was in my arms. - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's The Mystery of the Hidden Room, by Marion Harvey - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE MYSTERY OF THE HIDDEN ROOM *** - -***** This file should be named 41151-8.txt or 41151-8.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/4/1/1/5/41151/ - -Produced by Robert Cicconetti, Mary Meehan and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive/Canadian Libraries) - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org/license - - -Title: The Mystery of the Hidden Room - -Author: Marion Harvey - -Release Date: October 23, 2012 [EBook #41151] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE MYSTERY OF THE HIDDEN ROOM *** - - - - -Produced by Robert Cicconetti, Mary Meehan and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive/Canadian Libraries) - - - - - - -</pre> - - +<div>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 41151 ***</div> <div class="figcenter"> <img src="images/tp.jpg" alt=""/> @@ -2454,7 +2415,7 @@ harsher as he said abruptly: "You were not on good terms with your husband. Did you know that he was making a new will when he was shot?"</p> <p>Ruth opened her eyes wide in astonishment. "Why, how could I know what -he was doing when I did not know he was at home?" she asked naïvely.</p> +he was doing when I did not know he was at home?" she asked naïvely.</p> <p>"Do you know anyone by the name of Cora Manning?" pursued the coroner.</p> @@ -3916,7 +3877,7 @@ this question. Why did you deny knowing Cora Manning at the inquest?"</p> <p>"Very much."</p> -<p>"She's Lee Darwin's fiancée. I have never met her, but one day he +<p>"She's Lee Darwin's fiancée. I have never met her, but one day he confided in me and showed me her picture. She is a very beautiful and noble girl, so please don't drag her into this inquiry, for whatever Phil's motives in leaving his money to her, I am sure that she is @@ -3940,7 +3901,7 @@ no or yes. By the time the coroner repeated his question she had made up her mind."</p> <p>"That's so. Now that you mention it, I recall that she seemed disturbed -by the question. And so she is Lee's fiancée, yet he denied all +by the question. And so she is Lee's fiancée, yet he denied all knowledge of her," I mused aloud. "Strange that everyone should have been so intent on shrouding her identity in mystery. What was their reason, do you suppose?" I asked suddenly.</p> @@ -5754,7 +5715,7 @@ right have you to question me?"</p> McKelvie suavely.</p> <p>"And that gives you the right to intrude on my privacy, I suppose?" -continued Orton sarcastically (he had abandoned his rôle of "humble +continued Orton sarcastically (he had abandoned his rôle of "humble still," or rather he was Uriah Heep grown bold through triumph), "and to force yourself into my rooms?"</p> @@ -8774,7 +8735,7 @@ he was about it."</p> <p>"Who and what is Cora Manning?"</p> -<p>"She is, or was, Lee's fiancée. As to what she is, I'll tell you better +<p>"She is, or was, Lee's fiancée. As to what she is, I'll tell you better when I see her. According to McKelvie she's a beauty," and I smiled. "Also, if you can believe what he says, the criminal is in love with this girl, so she is not the one who fired the shot."</p> @@ -10291,387 +10252,6 @@ his hand toward the door.</p> <p>The next moment Ruth was in my arms.</p> - - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's The Mystery of the Hidden Room, by Marion Harvey - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE MYSTERY OF THE HIDDEN ROOM *** - -***** This file should be named 41151-h.htm or 41151-h.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/4/1/1/5/41151/ - -Produced by Robert Cicconetti, Mary Meehan and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive/Canadian Libraries) - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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