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diff --git a/old/69004-0.txt b/old/69004-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 526c19f..0000000 --- a/old/69004-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,7461 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Trevor case, by Natalie Sumner -Lincoln - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world 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. If you are not located in the United States, you -will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before -using this eBook. - -Title: The Trevor case - -Author: Natalie Sumner Lincoln - -Illustrator: Edmund Frederick - -Release Date: September 17, 2022 [eBook #69004] - -Language: English - -Produced by: D A Alexander and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team - at https://www.pgdp.net (Scans were generously made - available by The New York Public Library's Digital - Collections) - -*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE TREVOR CASE *** - - - - - - _The_ - TREVOR CASE - - - - -[Illustration: “De Morny’s eyes sparkled with anger as he watched”] - - - - - THE - TREVOR CASE - - By NATALIE SUMNER LINCOLN - - AUTHOR OF - - “C. O. D.,” “The Man Outside,” Etc. - - With Frontispiece by - EDMUND FREDERICK - - A. L. BURT COMPANY - PUBLISHERS - - NEW YORK - - PUBLISHED BY ARRANGEMENT WITH D. APPLETON & COMPANY - - - - - COPYRIGHT, 1912, BY - D. APPLETON AND COMPANY - - _Published February, 1912_ - - Printed in the United States of America - - - - - TO THE MEMORY OF - MY DEAR FATHER - AND - TO MY KINDEST CRITIC - MY MOTHER - - - - -CONTENTS - - - CHAPTER PAGE - - I. FACE TO FACE 1 - II. THE SECRET OF THE SAFE 4 - III. AT THE MACALLISTERS’ 14 - IV. THE INQUEST 26 - V. THE SIGNET RING 42 - VI. THE VERDICT 59 - VII. WHEELS WITHIN WHEELS 68 - VIII. THE CHALLENGE 81 - IX. “MAIN 6” 91 - X. CAUGHT ON THE WIRES 109 - XI. BEHIND CLOSED DOORS 127 - XII. BLIND CLEWS 148 - XIII. THE THREAT 168 - XIV. HAND AND PIN 183 - XV. MAN PROPOSES 196 - XVI. PLAYING WITH FIRE 204 - XVII. ACROSS THE POTOMAC 212 - XVIII. NIP AND TUCK 222 - XIX. THE CONFERENCE 228 - XX. CASTING OF NETS 240 - XXI. FORGING THE FETTERS 263 - XXII. AT THE TIME APPOINTED 280 - XXIII. THE LIFTING OF THE CLOUD 306 - XXIV. JOURNEYS END IN LOVERS’ MEETING 322 - - - - -THE TREVOR CASE - - - - -CHAPTER I - -FACE TO FACE - - -A FAINT, very faint scratching noise broke the stillness. Then a hand -was thrust through the hole in the window pane; deftly the burglar -alarm was disconnected, and the fingers fumbled with the catch of the -window. The sash was pushed gently up, and a man’s figure was outlined -for a second against the star-lit sky as he dropped noiselessly through -the window to the stair landing. - -For a few moments he crouched behind the heavy curtains, but his entry -had been too noiseless to awaken the sleeping household. Gathering -courage from the stillness around him, the intruder stole down the -steps, through the broad hall, and stopped before a door on his left. -Cautiously he turned the knob and entered the room. - -He could hear his own breathing in the heavy silence, as he pushed -to the door, and then flashed the light of his electric torch on his -surroundings. The room, save for the massive office furniture, was -empty. Satisfied on that point, the intruder wasted no time, but with -noiseless tread and cat-like quickness, he darted across the room to -the door of what was apparently a closet. It was not locked, and as it -swung back at his touch the front of a large safe was revealed. - -Placing his light where it would do the most good, the intruder tried -the lock of the safe. Backwards and forwards the wards fell under the -skillful fingers of the cracksman. His keen ear, attuned to the work, -at last solved the combination. With a sigh of relief he stopped to mop -his perspiring face and readjust his mask. - -“Lucky for me,” he muttered, “the safe’s an old-fashioned one. As it -is, it’s taken three quarters of an hour, and time’s precious.” - -The big door moved noiselessly back on its oiled hinges, and the -intruder, catching up his electric torch, turned its rays full on the -interior of the safe. For one second it burned brilliantly; then went -dark in his nerveless hand. - -God in Heaven! He was mad! It was some fantasy conjured up by his -excited brain. With desperate effort his strong will conquered his -shrinking senses. Slowly, slowly the light was raised to that fearful -thing which crouched just inside the entrance. - -Eye to eye they gazed at each other--the quick and the dead! The -intruder’s breath came in panting gasps behind his mask. Again the -light went out. In his abject state of terror, instinct did for him -what reason could not. His hand groped blindly for the safe door; but -not until it closed did he regain his benumbed wits. - -Silently, mysteriously as he had come, so he vanished. - - - - -CHAPTER II - -THE SECRET OF THE SAFE - - -“HELP! Murder! Murder!” - -The sinister cry rang through the house. - -Seated at the breakfast table, his daughter opposite him, the daily -papers at his elbow, the Attorney General, hardly realizing the -tragical interruption, sprang from his chair as the cry came nearer and -the door burst open admitting his confidential secretary. - -“In God’s name, Clark, what is the matter?” he demanded, seizing the -distraught man. - -“Father, Father, give him time, he is dreadfully upset,” begged -Beatrice, coming around the breakfast table and laying a restraining -hand on his arm. - -Wilkins, the impassive butler, for once shaken out of his calm, -hastened to assist his master in helping Alfred Clark to a chair, and -then he gave the half-fainting man a stiff drink of whisky. - -“It’s the safe, sir,” gasped Clark, struggling to regain his -self-control. - -“The safe?” questioned the Attorney General. - -“Yes; she’s there--dead!” - -“She--who?” - -“Mrs. Trevor.” - -“My wife! Nonsense, man; she is breakfasting in her own room!” - -“Beg pardon, sir,” Wilkins interrupted. “Mary has just brought the tray -downstairs again. She says she knocked and knocked, and couldn’t get an -answer.” - -The Attorney General and his daughter exchanged glances. It was -impossible to tell which was the paler. Without a word he turned and -hastened out of the room. He hardly noticed the excited servants -who, attracted by the cry, had already gathered in the spacious hall -outside the door of his private office. With swift, decisive step he -crossed the room and stood in front of the two opened doors. A cry of -unutterable horror escaped him. For one dreadful moment the room swam -around him, and there was a roaring in his ears of a thousand Niagaras. - -“Father?” - -With a violent effort he pulled himself together. “Do not enter,” he -said, sternly, to the shrinking girl who had remained by the hall door. -“This is no sight for you. Wilkins, send at once for Doctor Davis. -Clark, close that door, and see that no one comes in except the doctor. -Then telephone the Department that I shall not be there to-day.” His -orders were obeyed instantly. - -The Attorney General turned back to the safe; to that still figure -which was keeping vigil over his belongings. The pitiless light of a -sunny morning shone full on the beautiful face. The wonderful Titian -hair, her greatest glory, was coiled around the shapely head, and her -low-cut evening dress was scarcely disarranged as she crouched on one -knee leaning her weight on her left arm, which was pressed against the -door-jamb of the safe. Her lips were slightly parted, and her blue -eyes were wide open, the pupils much dilated. No need to feel pulse or -heart; to the most casual observer it was apparent that she was dead. - -His beautiful young wife! Edmund Trevor groaned aloud and buried his -face in his hands. Clark watched him for a moment in unhappy silence; -then moved quietly over to the window and looked out with unseeing eyes -into the garden. - -The large mottled brick- and stone-trimmed house was situated on one -of Washington’s most fashionable corners, Massachusetts Avenue and -Dupont Circle. On being appointed Attorney General, Trevor had taken it -on a long lease. He had selected it from the many offered because it -was very deep on the 20th Street side, thus allowing the drawing-room, -library, and dining-room to open out of each other. - -On the right of the large entrance hall was a small reception room, and -back of it the big octagonal-shaped room, with its long French windows -opening into the enclosed garden, that had appealed to him for his -own private use, as a den, or office. And he was particularly pleased -with the huge safe, more like a vault, which had been built in one of -the large old-fashioned closets by the owner. It had been useful to the -Attorney General on many occasions. - -The silence was broken by a tap at the door. - -“Doctor Davis, sir,” announced Wilkins. - -“I came at once,” said the doctor, advancing quickly to the Attorney -General’s side. A horrified exclamation escaped him as his eyes fell on -the tragic figure, and he recoiled a few steps. Then his professional -instincts returned to him, and he made a cursory examination of Mrs. -Trevor. As he rose from his knees, the eyes of the two men met. He -silently shook his head. - -“Life has been extinct for hours,” he said. “Rigor mortis has set in.” - -The Attorney General gulped back a sob. Reason had told him the same -thing when he first found her; but he had hoped blindly against hope. - -“Can she be removed to her room?” he asked, as soon as he could control -his voice. - -The doctor nodded his acquiescence, and with the assistance of Clark, -Wilkins, and the chauffeur, they carried all that was mortal of the -beautiful young wife to her chamber. - -Shortly afterwards, the Attorney General returned to his office, and -together he and Clark went over the contents of the safe. They had just -finished their task when Beatrice came into the room. - -Beatrice Trevor was a well-known figure in the society life of New -York, Paris, and Washington. Taller than most women, with a superb -figure, she carried herself with regal grace. She was not, strictly -speaking, a beauty; her features were not regular enough. But there -were men, and women, too, who were her adoring slaves. - -Her mother had died when she was five years old, and up to the time of -her eighteenth year she had lived alone with her father. Then he met, -wooed, and won the beautiful foreigner, whose butterfly career had -come to so untimely an end. - -“Father, I _must_ know just what has happened.” - -“Why, my dearest--” there was deep tenderness in the Attorney General’s -usually impassive voice--“I thought you had been told. Hélène evidently -went into the safe to put away her jewelry; and in some mysterious way -she must have pulled the heavy door to behind her. Thus locked in, she -was smothered. It is terrible--terrible--” His voice shook with the -intensity of his emotion. “But--well, Wilkins, what is it?” - -“A detective, sir, from headquarters.” - -“A detective! What on earth--did you telephone them, Clark?” The -secretary shook his head. “No? Well, show him in, Wilkins.” - -There was nothing about the man who entered to suggest a detective; he -was quietly dressed, middle aged, and carried himself with military -erectness. He had spent five years as a member of the Canadian -Northwest mounted police, and that service had left its mark in his -appearance. - -“Good morning, Mr. Attorney General.” His bow included all in the room. -“Sorry to disturb you, sir, but my errand won’t take long.” - -“Be seated, Mr. ----” - -“Hardy--James Hardy, sir. Just before dawn this morning, O’Grady, who -patrols this beat, noticed a man sneak out of your back yard. O’Grady -promptly gave chase and caught his man just as he was boarding a train -for New York. He took him to the station and had him locked up on -suspicion. As the fellow had a full kit of burglar’s tools with him, -including mask and sneakers, the Chief sent me round here to ask if -you’d been robbed?” - -“Oh, no,” replied the Attorney General. “I have just been through -my safe and everything is intact. There’s nothing missing in your -quarters, Wilkins?” he added, turning to the white-faced butler. - -“No, sir; nothing, sir.” Wilkins’ voice trembled, and he looked at the -detective with frightened eyes. - -“Perhaps he tried, and finding all the windows barred gave it up as a -bad job. I am--” continued the Attorney General, but his speech was cut -short by the entrance of Doctor Davis. - -“I am told there is a detective here.” The Attorney General bowed -and motioned to Hardy. “You are properly accredited?” went on the -physician. Hardy threw back his coat and displayed his badge. “Have you -told him of Mrs. Trevor’s death?” - -“No. Why speak of that terrible accident--” - -“It was no accident.” The physician’s voice, though low pitched, -vibrated with feeling. - -The Attorney General half rose from his chair; then sank back again. - -“Davis,” he said, almost fiercely, “you _know_ that by some fearful -mischance Hélène locked herself in the air-tight safe and was -suffocated.” - -The detective glanced with quickened interest at the two men. - -“On closer examination upstairs,” said the doctor, slowly, “I found a -small wound under the left breast. The wound was concealed by the lace -bertha of her evening dress. The weapon penetrated to the heart, and -she bled internally. Mrs. Trevor was dead before she was put in that -safe.” - -The detective broke the appalling silence with an exclamation: - -“Murdered!” - -Without one word Beatrice Trevor fell fainting at her father’s feet. - - - - -CHAPTER III - -AT THE MACALLISTERS’ - - -MANY called, but few were invited to attend Mrs. Van Zandt -Macallister’s stately entertainments. Possibly for that reason alone -her invitations were eagerly sought and highly prized by social -aspirants. - -For more years than she cared to remember, official, residential, -and diplomatic Washington had gathered on an equal footing in her -hospitable mansion on F Street. So strictly did she draw social -distinctions that one disgruntled climber spoke of her evening -receptions as “Resurrection Parties,” and the name clung. But all -Washingtonians took a deep interest in “Madam” Macallister, as they -affectionately called her. She was _grande dame_ to her fingertips. - -On the occasion of her daughter’s marriage to the Duke of Middlesex she -gave a beautiful wedding breakfast. The wedding was of international -importance. The President, his Cabinet, and the Diplomatic Corps were -among the guests. - -Mrs. Macallister was standing in the drawing-room with her back to the -dining-room door talking to the President. As the butler drew apart -the folding doors, the long table, covered with massive silver, china, -and glass, gave way under the weight. The crash was resounding. The -terrified guests glanced at each other. Mrs. Macallister never even -turned her head, but went on conversing placidly with the President. - -The doors were instantly closed; the guests, taking their cue from -their hostess, resumed their light chatter and laughter; and in -a remarkably short time the table was cleared and reset, and the -breakfast announced. As the President, with a look of deep admiration, -offered his arm to Mrs. Macallister, he murmured in her ear: - -“‘And mistress of herself though china fall.’” - -Washington society had never forgotten the incident. - -Mrs. Macallister had rather a caustic tongue, but a warm, generous -heart beat under her somewhat frosty exterior. Her charities were never -aired in public. Only the clergymen knew how many families she kept -supplied with coal in winter and ice in summer. And many an erring -sister had cause to bless her name. - -Mrs. Macallister glanced impatiently at the clock--twenty minutes past -five. She leaned forward and touched the electric bell beside the -large open fireplace. There were two things she abominated--to be kept -waiting--and midday dinners; the former upset her nerves; the latter -her digestion. - -“Has Miss Margaret returned?” she asked, as Hurley entered with the tea -tray. - -Before the butler could answer there was the sound of a quick, light -footstep in the hall, and then the portières were pushed aside. - -Mrs. Macallister looked approvingly at her granddaughter. Peggy was -more like her father’s people, and her grandmother’s heart had warmed -to her from the moment the motherless little baby had been placed in -her tender care. The young father, never very strong, had not long -outlived his girl-wife. Since then Peggy and her grandmother had lived -alone in the old-fashioned residence, which her grandfather Macallister -had bought years before when coming to live in Washington on the -expiration of his third term as Governor of Pennsylvania. - -“Well, Granny, am I very late?” giving Mrs. Macallister a warm hug. She -had never stood in awe of her formidable grandmother, but with all the -passionate feeling of her loving nature, she looked up to and adored -her. - -“My dear, five o’clock is five o’clock, not twenty minutes past,” -retorted Mrs. Macallister, smoothing her silvery hair, which had been -decidedly ruffled by Peggy’s precipitancy. - -“I declare, Granny, you are as bad as Nana; if it is three minutes past -five she says its ‘hard on six o’clock.’ I had an awfully good time at -the luncheon, and stayed to talk things over with Maud. She has asked -me to be one of her bridesmaids, you know.” - -“Did you hear the news there?” - -“News? What news?” - -“Mrs. Trevor has been murdered!” - -“Mrs. Trevor--murdered!” Peggy nearly dropped her teacup on the floor. - -“I really wish, Peggy, you would stop your habit of repeating my words. -It’s very uncomfortable living with an echo under one’s nose.” - -“Oh, Granny, please tell me all about it right away.” - -“Well, according to the _Evening Star_--_What_ is it, Hurley?” as that -solemn individual entered the room. - -“Mr. Tillinghast, to see you and Miss Margaret, ma’am.” - -“Show him in. Now, Peggy, we will probably get the news at first hand. -Good evening, Dick.” - -The young fellow bowed with old-fashioned courtesy over her beautifully -shaped, blue-veined hand. Clean living and plenty of outdoor sports -could be read in his clear skin and splendid physique. He was a -particular favorite of Mrs. Macallister’s. - -“I suppose you are discussing the all-absorbing topic,” he said after -greeting Peggy. - -“I have been reading this.” Mrs. Macallister held up the paper with its -flaring headlines: - - MURDER MOST FOUL - - MRS. TREVOR KILLED - BY BURGLAR - CRIMINAL IN THE TOILS - -“The police acted very promptly, and deserve a lot of praise,” said -Dick. - -“Well,” remarked Mrs. Macallister, slowly, “they have caught the -burglar, but whether he is also the murderer is yet to be proved.” - -“That’s true; but there is hardly any doubt. Nothing was stolen, -therefore it is a fairly easy deduction that Mrs. Trevor, disturbed by -some noise, went down into the office to investigate and was killed. He -had the safe already open, stabbed her, then locked her in. Probably -his nerve forsook him, and he fled without stopping to steal what he -came for.” - -“My _dear_ Dick! Your theory might answer if any other woman was in -question; but Mrs. Trevor--_she_ wouldn’t have troubled herself if -there had been a cloud-burst in the office. She was simply a human -mollusk. And as for--” Mrs. Macallister’s feelings were beyond -expression. - -“I say, aren’t you a little hard on her? I don’t know when I’ve seen a -more beautiful woman, and one so popular--” - -“With men,” supplemented Mrs. Macallister, dryly. - -Dick laughed outright. “Anyway,” he said, “the police have found that -the burglar entered the house by the window on the stair landing, which -looks out on the roof of the butler’s pantry. It is an easy climb for -an active man. All the windows on the first floor are heavily barred. -They found one of the small panes of glass had been cut out, and the -window unfastened, although closed. I’m afraid our friend, the burglar, -will have a hard time proving his innocence.” - -“It is terrible, terrible,” groaned Peggy, who had been reading the -paper’s account of the tragedy. “I must go at once and leave a note for -Beatrice,” and she started to rise. - -“Sit still, child; I have just returned from the Trevors, and left your -card and mine with messages.” - -“Did you see Beatrice, Granny?” - -“No, only that odious Alfred Clark. I cannot bear the man, he is so--so -specious--” hunting about for a word. “He told me that Beatrice and the -Attorney General would see no one.” - -“Beatrice must be terribly upset, poor darling.” - -“I didn’t know there was much love lost between them?” - -“There wasn’t,” confessed Peggy. “Mrs. Trevor was perfectly horrid to -her.” - -“That’s news to me,” said Dick, helping himself to another sandwich. - -“Beatrice is not the kind to air her troubles in public,” answered -Peggy, “and she never talked much to me, either; but I couldn’t help -noticing lots of things. I’ve got eyes in my head.” - -“That you have,” thought Dick, who had long since fallen a victim. - -“Why, last night Beatrice and I went to the Bachelors’ together. I -stopped for her, and she just broke down and cried right there in the -carriage. She had had an awful scene with her stepmother just before -I got there. We had to drive around for half an hour before she was -composed enough to enter the ballroom.” - -“What did they quarrel about?” asked Mrs. Macallister, deeply -interested. - -“She didn’t tell me.” - -“By Jove! what actresses women are,” ejaculated Dick. “I danced with -her several times, and I thought she was enjoying herself immensely.” - -Peggy sniffed; she had not a high opinion of a mere man’s perceptions; -then she qualified her disapproval by a smile which showed each pretty -dimple, and sent Dick into the seventh heaven of bliss. - -“Of what nationality was Mrs. Trevor?” asked Mrs. Macallister, coming -out of a brown study. - -“She was an Italian,” answered Dick. - -“No, Dick, I think you are mistaken. I am sure she was a Spaniard,” -declared Peggy. “She spoke Spanish faultlessly.” - -Mrs. Macallister shook her head. “That doesn’t prove anything. She -spoke French like a Parisian, and also Italian fluently. The only -language in which her accent was pronounced was English.” - -“Beatrice told me her maiden name was de Beaupré, so perhaps she was of -French descent,” continued Peggy. “Mr. Trevor met her in London. They -were married six weeks later very quietly, and Beatrice was not told of -the affair until after the ceremony.” - -“Indeed!” Mrs. Macallister smiled grimly. “Marry in haste, repent at -leisure.” - -“But being a lawyer perhaps he just naturally pressed his suit -quickly,” interrupted Dick, man-like, standing up for his sex. “I’d do -the same, if _you_ gave me half a chance,” he added in an ardent aside -to Peggy, whose only answer was a vivid blush. - -“Don’t talk to me of lawyers,” retorted Mrs. Macallister, who had -unpleasant recollections of a bitter lawsuit with one of her relatives. -“Their ways are past finding out. But I really must discover who Mrs. -Trevor was before her marriage.” - -“Why, Granny, I have just told you she was Mademoiselle de Beaupré.” - -“The only de Beaupré I have ever heard of, Peggy, is Anne de Beaupré. -And I imagine it is a far cry from Sainte Anne to Hélène whose very -name suggests sulphur. Must you go?” she asked, as Dick rose. - -“Yes. I have a special story to send on to the Philadelphia papers. If -I hear any further details of the murder, I’ll drop in and tell you.” - -“Thanks; but I have decided to attend the inquest, which the papers say -will be held at the Trevors’.” - -“Granny!” cried Peggy, in a tone of horror. - -“Tut, child, of course I am going. I dearly love a mystery; besides, -the world and his wife will be there.” - -“And so will I,” added Dick, as he bowed himself out. - - - - -CHAPTER IV - -THE INQUEST - - -THE dastardly murder created a tremendous sensation not only in -Washington, but in every State of the Union as well. The Trevors were -bombarded with telegrams and special delivery letters, and their house -besieged by reporters. - -Mrs. Macallister was right; all fashionable society turned out to -attend the inquest, and fought and struggled for admittance, rubbing -shoulders with the denizens of Southeast Washington and Anacostia as -they pushed their way into the Trevor mansion. - -The inquest was to be held in the library, the suite of rooms, -comprising parlor, library and dining-room, having been thrown open -to accommodate the public. A rope had been stretched in front of the -office door and across the square staircase to keep the crowd within -bounds. Uniformed policemen stationed in the wide hall warned those -whose curiosity caused them to linger about the room where the tragedy -occurred, to “move on.” - -Mrs. Macallister, true to her word, had arrived early, and she and -Peggy had been given seats in the library. As she glanced about her, -she caught the eye of Senator Phillips, who instantly rose and joined -her. - -“This is a terrible affair,” said the Senator, after they had exchanged -greetings. “Beautiful Mrs. Trevor--so young--so fascinating!” - -“It is indeed dreadful,” agreed Mrs. Macallister, with a slight shiver. -“The idea of any woman coming to such an end makes my blood run cold. -I cannot sleep at night thinking of it. Have you seen the Attorney -General?” - -“Yes. He sent for me; we were college chums, you know. I never saw such -self-control. He is bearing up most bravely under the fearful shock.” - -In the meantime, Peggy, sick at heart, was looking about her and -thinking of the many handsome dinners, luncheons, and receptions she -had attended in the Trevors’ beautiful home. When all was said and -done, Mrs. Trevor had been an ideal hostess; for besides beauty, she -had tact and social perception, and, therefore, had always steered -clear of the social pitfalls which lie in wait for the feet of the -unwary in Washington’s complex society. Only the night before the -murder, Mrs. Trevor had given a large theater and supper party, and -Peggy remembered that she had never seen her hostess appear more -animated or more beautiful; and now--“In the midst of life we are in -death”; the solemn words recurred to Peggy as she watched the coroner -and the jury file into the room and seat themselves around the large -table which had been brought in for their use. - -To one side, representatives of the Associated Press and the local -papers were busy with pad and pencil. Among the latter Peggy recognized -Dick Tillinghast. Some telepathy seemed to tell him of her presence, -for he turned and his eyes lighted with pleasure as he bowed gravely to -her and Mrs. Macallister. - -Senator Phillips and Mrs. Macallister were intently scanning the jury. -They realized how much might depend upon their intelligence and good -judgment. In this case the jurymen had apparently been selected from -a higher stratum of life than usual, and Senator Phillips sighed with -relief as he pointed to the men sitting at the end of the long table. - -“Why _did_ the Lord ever make four such ugly men?” he asked Mrs. -Macallister, in a whisper. - -“To show His power,” she answered, quickly. - -All further remarks were cut short by Coroner Wilson swearing in the -jury. Their foreman was then elected. All the witnesses were waiting -in the small reception room to the right of the front door. Policemen -guarded each entrance. - -“Have you viewed the scene of the tragedy, and the body of the victim?” -asked the coroner. - -“We have, sir,” answered the foreman. - -Then the coroner in a few words briefly stated the occasion for the -hearing. The first witness summoned was Doctor Davis. After being duly -sworn, he seated himself in the witness chair facing the jury. In a few -clear words he stated that he had been telephoned for by Wilkins, and -had come at once. On his arrival he had been shown into the private -office. - -“Please state to the jury the exact position in which you found Mrs. -Trevor.” - -“Mrs. Trevor was crouching on one knee directly inside the safe, with -her left hand pressing against the door-jamb, so--” and he illustrated -his statement. “From the condition of her body I judged she had been -dead about eight or nine hours. The pupils of her open eyes were very -much dilated.” - -One of the jurymen leaned forward and opened his lips as if to speak, -then drew back. The coroner noticed his hesitancy. - -“Do you wish to question the witness?” he asked. - -“I--I,” he was obviously confused by the attention drawn to him. -“Doctor, I always thought that when people died their eyes shut up.” - -“On the contrary,” answered Doctor Davis, dryly. “Their eyes usually -have to be closed by the undertaker.” - -“Did you order the body removed, Doctor?” asked the coroner, resuming -the examination. - -“Yes. I thought that Mrs. Trevor had been asphyxiated in the air-tight -safe. It was not until her clothes had been removed that I discovered -the small wound a little to one side under her left breast. At the -post-mortem we found no other cause for death, Mrs. Trevor having been -perfectly sound physically and mentally.” - -“Were there no blood stains?” - -“None. The weapon, which pierced the heart, was broken off in the wound -preventing any outward flow of blood. She bled internally. Death was -probably instantaneous.” - -“Have you the weapon?” - -“Yes. I probed the wound in the presence of the deputy-coroner and -Doctor Wells. Here it is.” - -There was instant craning of necks to see the small object which Doctor -Davis took out of his pocket. It was a piece of sharp-pointed steel -about four inches long. The coroner passed it over to the jury, then -continued his questions. - -“Could the wound have been self-inflicted?” - -“Impossible, unless the victim was left-handed.” - -“Now, Doctor, what kind of a weapon do you think this point belongs to?” - -“Well--” the doctor hesitated a moment--“I don’t think it could be -called a weapon in the usual sense of the word. To me it looks like the -end of a hat-pin.” - -His words caused a genuine sensation. A hat-pin! Men and women looked -at each other. What a weapon for a burglar to use! - -“Could so frail an article as a hat-pin penetrate through dress, corset -and underclothes?” asked the coroner, incredulously. - -“Mrs. Trevor wore no corsets. In place of them she had on an elastic -girdle which fitted perfectly her slender, supple figure.” - -The coroner asked a few more questions, then the doctor was dismissed. -The next to take the stand was the deputy-coroner. His testimony simply -corroborated that of Doctor Davis in every particular. As he left the -witness chair, the clerk summoned Alfred Clark. - -“Your name?” asked the coroner, after the usual preliminaries had been -gone through with. - -“Alfred Lindsay Clark.” - -“Occupation?” - -“Confidential secretary to the Attorney General.” - -“How long have you been in his employ?” - -“Eleven months.” - -“And before that time?” - -“I was a clerk in the Department of Justice for over two years, in -fact, ever since I have resided in this city.” - -“Then you are not a native of Washington?” - -“No. My father was in the Consular Service. At the time of my birth, he -was vice consul at Naples, and I was born in that city. I lived abroad -until two years and a half ago.” - -“You were the first to find Mrs. Trevor, were you not?” - -“Yes. I always reach here at eight o’clock to sort and arrange the -mail for the Attorney General. He breakfasts at that time, and usually -joins me in the private office twenty minutes later. At five minutes of -nine we leave for the Department. This is the everyday routine--” he -hesitated. - -“And yesterday, Mr. Clark?” - -“I arrived a few minutes earlier than usual, as there were some notes -which I had to transcribe before the Attorney General left for the -Department. I went immediately to the office.” - -“Did you notice any signs of confusion, or unusual disturbance in the -room?” - -“No. Everything was apparently just as I had left it the night before. -I started to typewrite my notes but had not proceeded very far when I -found I needed to refer to some papers which were in the safe. So I -went....” - -“One moment. You know the combination?” - -“Certainly. It is one of my duties to open the safe every morning, and -lock it the last thing at night.” - -“Did you find the safe just the same as when you left the night before?” - -“Exactly the same. Apparently the lock had not been tampered with.” - -“Proceed.” - -Clark spoke with a visible effort. “I unlocked the safe and pulled open -the door and found--” his voice broke. “At first I could not believe -the evidences of my senses. I put out my hand and touched Mrs. Trevor. -Then, and then only, did I appreciate that she was dead. In unspeakable -horror I ran out of the room to summon aid.” - -“What led you to think she was murdered? Doctor Davis did not know it -until much later.” - -“I beg your pardon. I had no idea Mrs. Trevor was murdered.” - -“Then, why did you cry ‘Murder’ as you ran along?” - -“I have no recollection of raising such a cry. But I was half out of my -senses with the shock, and did not know what I was doing.” - -Clark’s handsome face had turned a shade paler, and he moistened his -lips nervously. Mrs. Macallister noticed his agitation, and gave vent -to her feelings by pinching Peggy’s arm. - -“Was Mrs. Trevor facing you?” - -“Yes. She was crouching on one knee, her left hand extended.” - -“Could two people stand in the safe at the same time.” - -“Side by side, yes; but not one in front of the other. The safe, which -really resembles a small vault, is shallow but wide. The back of it is -filled with filing cases. In fact, Mrs. Trevor’s body was wedged in -between the cases and the narrow door-jamb. It was probably owing to -this that she remained in such a peculiar position.” - -“Was her head sunk forward on her breast?” - -“No; on the contrary, it was thrown back and she was looking up, so -that I, standing, looked directly down into her eyes.” - -“Did you touch or move anything in the vault before summoning aid?” - -There was a barely perceptible pause before the secretary answered. - -“No, sir; nothing.” - -“Did you see much of Mrs. Trevor?” - -“No. She came but seldom to the office during the day.” - -“Do you mean that it was her habit to go there often at night?” - -“As to that, I cannot say, because I am not with the Attorney General -at night unless some special work has to be done.” - -At that moment a note was handed to the coroner. He read it twice; then -addressed the secretary, saying: - -“I think that is all just now.” - -Clark bowed and retired. Coroner Wilson turned and addressed the jury. - -“I have just received a note from the Chief of Police. He says that his -prisoner, the burglar who was captured after leaving these premises, -has asked to be allowed to make a statement before this jury. Therefore -he has been sent here under guard. Up to the present time he has -stubbornly refused to answer any questions, although every influence -has been brought to hear to make him speak. I expected to call him -later, anyway.” - -The coroner’s remarks were interrupted by the entrance of the guard -with their prisoner. He was of medium height, and insignificant enough -in appearance save for his small, piercing blue eyes. His abundant -red hair was plastered down on his round, bullet-shaped head, and his -numerous freckles showed up plainly against the pallor of his face. - -“Swear the prisoner,” ordered the coroner. - -The clerk rose and stepped up to the man. “Place your hand on this book -and say after me: ‘I, John Smith--’” - -“Hold on; my name’s William Nelson. T’other one I just used to blind -the cops, see?” - -“I, William Nelson, do solemnly swear--” The singsong voice of the -clerk, and the heavier bass of the prisoner seemed interminable to -Peggy, whose nerves were getting beyond her control. She wished he -would get through his confession quickly. It was awful sitting in -callous judgment on a human being, no matter how guilty he might be. - -“Now, William Nelson, alias John Smith,” said the coroner, sternly, “I -am told you have volunteered to confess--” - -“Nix, no confession,” interrupted Nelson. “Just an account of how I -came to get mixed up in this deal.” - -“Well, remember you are on oath, and that every word will be used -against you.” - -The prisoner nodded, cleared his throat, then spoke clearly and with -deliberation. - -“I came to Washington just to get certain papers. We knew those papers -were kept in the Attorney General’s private safe. I used to be a -messenger at the Department of Justice, and knew this house well, as -I often brought papers to the Attorney General in his private office -here. I had my kit with me, and broke in by way of the window over the -pantry. The safe is an old one, and I found the combination easy. But, -though I crack safes--by God! I am no murderer! When I opened that door -I found the lady there--_dead_!” The man rose. “I know no more than -you who killed her, so help me God!” - -Nelson’s deep voice, vibrating with intense feeling, carried -conviction. There was no doubting the effect his words had upon the -jury and the spectators. - -“I ain’t no coward, but the sight of that figure crouching there, and -I looking down into her dead eyes, struck cold to my marrow bones. I -ain’t been able to sleep since,” and the prisoner’s hand shook as he -wiped the beads of perspiration off his forehead. - -“Quite a dramatic story,” said the coroner, dryly. “And the proof?” - -The prisoner struck the table fiercely with his clenched hand. - -“Go ask the men who hired me to come here and steal the papers showing -the attitude the Attorney General and the Department of Justice would -take against the Fairbanks railroad combine. Ask those who wanted to -get the news first, before it was given out to the public.” - -“Do you think they would incriminate themselves by admitting such a -rascally piece of business?” - -“Perhaps not,” sullenly, “but I’ll make them.” - -“Secondly, the motive of your presence here does not clear you of the -suspicion of being the murderer. Did you get the papers?” - -“No. When I saw that dead body I stopped for nothing. You don’t -believe me, but I’ve told you God’s truth. I don’t mind doing time for -house-breaking; but I ain’t hankering for the electric chair.” - -The coroner rose abruptly and signaled to the guards. - -“You will be summoned again, Nelson,” he said, and as the guards closed -about the prisoner, he announced that the hearing was adjourned until -one o’clock that afternoon. - - - - -CHAPTER V - -THE SIGNET RING - - -EXCITEMENT ran high among the spectators as they crowded into the rooms -a few minutes before one o’clock. The burglar’s story had impressed -them by its sincerity. But, if he was innocent, who could be the -criminal? - -“Nelson knew how to play on people’s emotions and made up a plausible -tale; but as the coroner says, he has given no proof to back his -statement that Mrs. Trevor was killed before he entered the house,” -said Philip White, in answer to one of Peggy’s questions. She and her -grandmother were occupying their old seats in the library, and Dick -Tillinghast and White had just joined them. Philip White, who stood at -the head of the district bar, was not one to form opinions hastily. -Therefore, he was usually listened to. He was a warm friend of the -Attorney General’s, and had been a frequent visitor at his house. - -“No, Miss Peggy,” he went on, “the fellow’s just a clever criminal.” - -“I rather believe in him,” said Peggy, stoutly. “He didn’t have to tell -what he knew.” - -“That’s just it--it was a neat play to the galleries. He would have -been summoned before the jury anyway, and his story dragged from him -piece by piece. He hoped it would tell in his favor if he volunteered -and gave a dramatic account of what occurred that night.” - -“Where did he get his information about the papers being in the safe?” -queried Mrs. Macallister, who had been an interested listener. - -“Probably there is some leak in the Department of Justice.” - -The low hum of voices ceased as the coroner’s clerk rose and called the -Attorney General to the stand. - -Many a sympathetic eye followed his tall, erect figure, as he passed -quietly through the room. Edmund Trevor had won distinction early in -life by his unremitting labor and ability. A New Yorker born and bred, -he had given up a large law practice to accept the President’s tender -of the portfolio of Attorney General. His devotion to his beautiful -wife, some twenty years his junior, had been often commented upon by -their friends. While not, strictly speaking, a handsome man, his dark -hair, silvering at the temples, his fine eyes and firm mouth gave him -an air of distinction. He was very popular with both men and women, -as his courtly manner and kind heart gained him a warm place in their -regard. To-day sorrow and fatigue were visible on his face. He looked -careworn and troubled. - -After he had answered the usual questions as to his age, full name, and -length of residence in Washington, the coroner turned directly to him. - -“How old was Mrs. Trevor, and where was she born?” he asked. - -“Thirty years old. She was born in Paris, France.” - -“Where did you first meet her?” - -“In London at a ball given by the American Ambassador three years ago.” - -“When and where were you married?” - -“We were married on the eleventh of June of the same year, at St. -George’s, Hanover Square.” - -The coroner’s manner was very sympathetic, as he said: - -“Now, Mr. Attorney General, will you kindly tell the jury of your -movements on Wednesday night, last.” - -“Certainly. I did not dine at home, as I had to attend the annual -banquet given by the Yale alumni, at which I was to be one of the -speakers. Just before leaving the house, I joined my wife and daughter -in the dining-room. Mrs. Trevor told me that, as she had a bad nervous -headache, she had decided not to go to the Bachelors’ Cotillion, -but instead she was going to retire early. My daughter Beatrice -had, therefore, arranged to go to the ball with her friend, Miss -Macallister, who was to call for her at ten o’clock. - -“My motor was announced, and as I kissed my wife, she asked me not -to disturb her on my return, as she wanted to get a good night’s -sleep. That was the last time I saw her _alive_--” His voice quivered -with emotion, but in a few seconds he resumed: “On my return, about -midnight, I went directly upstairs. Seeing no light in my wife’s room, -which is separated from mine by a large dressing room, I retired.” - -“Did you hear no noises during the night; no cries; no person moving -about?” - -“No. I am always a heavy sleeper, besides which I had had a very -fatiguing day; a Cabinet meeting in the morning; and I had also been -detained at the Department by pressure of business until six o’clock -that evening.” - -“Were your doors and windows securely fastened?” - -“Wilkins attends to that. I did not put up the night-latch on the front -door because I knew Beatrice had to come in with her latch key.” - -“How did you find the house lighted on your return?” - -“Why, as is usual at that time of night when we are not entertaining. -All the rooms were in darkness; the only lights being in the front and -upper halls--they were turned down low.” - -“In regard to Wilkins--” - -“I would trust him as I would myself,” interrupted the Attorney -General. “He has lived first with my father and then with me for over -twenty years.” - -“And your other servants?” - -“I have every confidence in them. The cook, second man, and -chambermaids have been in my employ for at least five years.” - -“And Mrs. Trevor’s personal maid?” - -“Came with her from England three years ago.” - -“Were you not surprised when Mrs. Trevor did not breakfast with you the -next morning?” - -“No. My wife was not an early riser. She always had a French breakfast -served in her room. Unless she called to me to enter, as I went -downstairs, I often did not see her until luncheon.” - -“Was Mrs. Trevor left-handed?” - -The Attorney General looked at the coroner in surprise. - -“She was, sir,” he answered. - -“Have you formed any theory as to who perpetrated this foul murder?” - -“I think the burglar, Nelson, guilty.” - -“Was Mrs. Trevor on good terms with everyone of your household?” - -The witness’ face changed, ever so slightly. - -“To the best of my knowledge, she was,” was the quiet reply. - -“Then that is all. Stay just a moment,” as the Attorney General rose. -“Will you kindly describe what took place on the discovery of Mrs. -Trevor’s body?” - -In a concise manner the Attorney General gave the details of that -trying scene. He was then excused. - -His place was taken by Wilkins, who in a few words confirmed the -Attorney General’s statement that he had served the Trevor family, as -butler, for nearly twenty-one years. - -“Did you securely close the house for the night on Wednesday, Wilkins?” - -“Yes, sir; I did, sir. I bolted every door and window, sir.” - -“Are you positive, Wilkins?” - -“Absolutely positive, sir.” - -“Did anyone call at the house after dinner that night to see either of -the ladies?” - -“No, sir, no one; except Miss Macallister came in her carriage to take -Miss Beatrice to the ball.” - -“At what time did they finish dinner?” - -“About twenty minutes past eight, sir. The hall clock was striking the -half hour as I carried the coffee into the library. Mrs. Trevor was -there, and she told me that Miss Beatrice had gone upstairs to dress, -so I left her cup on the table, sir.” - -“At what time did you go to bed?” - -“I went up a few minutes after ten o’clock, sir. All the other servants -had gone upstairs before me.” - -“Was that their usual hour for retiring?” - -“No, sir. You see, sir, Mrs. Trevor gave a very large supper party -for Madame Bernhardt on Tuesday night. The guests didn’t leave until -nearly four o’clock Wednesday morning. We were all dead tired from the -extra work and no sleep, so Mrs. Trevor told me in the library that -night, sir, that I was to tell the others to go to bed as soon as their -work was done, and that I needn’t wait up, nor her maid either, as she -would undress herself.” - -“Was that the last time you saw Mrs. Trevor alive?” - -“Yes, sir; the last time I saw her.” - -There was a peculiar inflection in Wilkins’ usually quiet monotone that -caught the coroner’s attention. - -“What do you mean, Wilkins?” - -“I didn’t _see_ her again, sir.” - -“Well, I’ll change my question. Did you hear her afterwards?” - -“Yes, sir,” reluctantly. - -“When?” - -“Why, sir, the door bell rang about a quarter to ten. It was a -messenger boy with a telegram for the Attorney General. I signed for -it, and walked over towards the library intending to hand it to Mrs. -Trevor. The door was partly open, sir, and I heard the ladies--” - -“Ladies! What ladies?” - -“Mrs. Trevor and Miss Beatrice, sir. I recognized their voices.” - -“Could you hear what they were saying?” - -“Perfectly, sir; but indeed I didn’t listen intentionally, sir. The -carpet deadened my footsteps; besides, they were too excited to hear -me.” - -“Were they quarreling?” - -“I--I--” - -“Remember, Wilkins, you are on oath to tell the truth, the _whole_ -truth.” - -“Yes, sir.” The unhappy man glanced appealingly at the jury, but found -no help there. They were all waiting expectantly for what was to -follow. “I only caught a few words, sir. Miss Beatrice said: ‘And your -price?’ ‘You know it,’ answered Mrs. Trevor. She said it in a voice -that seemed to infuriate Miss Beatrice, who cried out: ‘You devil, get -out of my way, or I may forget myself and strike you.’” - -Everyone in the over-crowded rooms felt the shock of the testimony. - -“What happened next?” - -“Just then the front door bell rang loudly. Putting the telegram on the -hall table, I went to answer it, and found Mrs. Macallister’s footman -waiting in the vestibule. I started to tell Miss Beatrice, but at that -moment she walked out of the library, with her cloak over her arm. When -I helped her on with it she was trembling from head to foot.” - -“What became of Mrs. Trevor?” - -“I don’t know, sir. After the carriage drove off, I went first into the -private office to fasten the windows, and from there into the other -rooms. I think Mrs. Trevor must have gone upstairs when I was in the -parlor. I went to bed very soon after.” - -“Were you disturbed in the night?” - -“No, sir. The servants’ quarters are all on the fourth floor. The -house is well built and the walls are very thick. We couldn’t hear any -sound up there, except the bells in the corridor, and they did not ring -at all.” - -“How did you find everything when you came down the next morning?” - -“Every window was locked on the ground floor, and the night-latch was -up on the front door, sir. The window on the stairway by which the -burglar entered is covered by heavy curtains; and as it was closed, I -never noticed it was unfastened until after the detective’s arrival.” - -“Did you enter the private office?” - -“Yes, sir; nothing had been disturbed.” - -“No sign of a struggle?” - -“No, sir. Every chair and rug was in its place.” - -“That’s all; you can go now,” said the coroner, after a moment’s -silence. Wilkins heaved a sigh of relief, as he hastened out of the -room. - -Interest was at fever heat among the spectators. For once Mrs. -Macallister was too shocked by the trend of suspicion to voice her -feelings to Peggy. - -Apparently the least concerned person in the room was Beatrice Trevor, -who had entered in answer to the clerk’s summons. Lack of sleep and -anxiety had left their mark on the girl’s finely cut features, but -there was no trace of fear in her large, candid eyes, which were turned -inquiringly on the coroner. - -Peggy’s heart was hot within her. How dare these people insinuate that -Beatrice, her dear, dear friend, was guilty of murder. The idea was too -preposterous! - -Even the coroner was struck by the young girl’s poise and dignity, and -his manner was very gentle as he said: - -“Miss Trevor, I have just a few questions to ask you. At what hour did -you return from the ball?” - -“We left the New Willard at a quarter to three, and reached here about -fifteen minutes later.” - -“Did you encounter anyone as you entered?” - -“No.” - -“Was the house dark?” - -“Yes; except for the light in the hall.” - -“Did you go directly to your room?” - -“Yes. I put up the night-latch, turned out the light, and went to my -room at once.” - -“When did you last see your stepmother?” - -“In the library, before the carriage came for me.” - -“Miss Trevor”--the coroner fumbled with his watch chain--“what did you -and Mrs. Trevor quarrel about that night?” - -The question struck home. Beatrice reeled in her seat. - -“What did you say?” she stammered. - -The coroner repeated his question. With a visible effort, Beatrice -regained her self-control. - -“That is a matter between my stepmother and myself. I decline to -discuss it with anyone.” - -“But you must, Miss Trevor.” - -“I will not. Our quarrel had nothing whatever to do with Mrs. Trevor’s -death.” - -“I am the best judge of that,” retorted Coroner Wilson, but Beatrice -remained obstinately silent. - -“Come, Miss Trevor, can you not see that you are injuring yourself by -this refusal. People will jump to but one conclusion. For your own -sake, I beg you to tell us what your quarrel was about.” - -“I decline to answer.” - -The coroner shrugged his shoulders. He had warned her; he could do no -more. - -“Very well, Miss Trevor. You may retire.” - -With pale, set lips and flashing eyes, Beatrice swept from the room. - -For a few minutes the coroner looked over his papers, then he beckoned -to his clerk. The next instant, Lieutenant-Commander Donald Gordon -had been called to the stand. There was a gasp of amazement from the -fashionable spectators. How came Donald Gordon to be mixed up in this -affair? - -But none was more surprised than Donald Gordon himself. He had been -subpœnaed as a witness that morning, to his great disgust, as he had -orders to accompany the President to New York on the afternoon train. -He reported the subpœna to his superiors, and another aide had been -detailed to attend the President in his place. - -Gordon had an enviable record as an officer in the United States navy. -He had served bravely under Admiral Dewey at Manila, and had on several -occasions received special commendation from Congress. Good-looking, in -a big, fine way, he was immensely popular in the service, and also with -his many civilian friends. - -“Mr. Gordon,” said the coroner, after he had been duly sworn, “I wish -to ask if this is your property.” As he spoke, he held up a heavy gold -signet ring. - -Absolute incredulity was plainly written on Gordon’s face, as he leaned -over and took the ring. - -“Yes,” he said, turning it over, “yes. It is my class ring. My initials -and the date of my graduation from the Naval Academy are engraved on -the inside.” Then his voice deepened. “How came you to have this ring -in your possession?” - -“It was found”--the coroner paused impressively--“it was found tightly -clasped in Mrs. Trevor’s right hand.” - -In stupefied silence, Gordon gazed at the coroner, while the meaning of -his words slowly took form in his brain. Then he leaped to his feet. - -“You lie--damn you--you lie!” he cried, fiercely. - - - - -CHAPTER VI - -THE VERDICT - - -SO totally unexpected had been the dénouement that for a few seconds -the spectators sat stunned; then pandemonium broke loose. It was only -after the coroner threatened to clear the rooms that quiet was restored. - -“Such violence is unnecessary,” said he, addressing Gordon. - -“I--I--beg pardon,” the young officer spoke with an effort. “Your -statement was so utterly unbelievable, so astounding that I forgot -myself.” - -“It is absolutely true, and can be proved by Doctor Davis and Detective -Hardy, who was present when the doctor found the ring. Mrs. Trevor’s -hand was so tightly clenched that he had to exert his strength to force -it open. Can you explain its presence there?” - -He gazed intently at Gordon, but the latter had his emotions under -control, and his face was expressionless, as he answered with perfect -composure: - -“I cannot, sir.” - -“Where were you on Wednesday night, last?” - -“I dined at the Metropolitan Club with Lieutenant James Raymond. We -went later to the Bachelors’ Cotillion.” - -The coroner held a whispered conversation with his clerk, then turned -to the witness. - -“Will you kindly withdraw to the waiting room, Mr. Gordon; but don’t -leave the house, as I wish to call you again to the stand.” - -Gordon nodded silently to Dick Tillinghast and several other friends as -he left the room. - -The next witness was Lieutenant Raymond. His testimony was very brief. -Yes, he and Lieutenant-Commander Gordon had dined together on Wednesday -night. They had left the Club about half past nine as he, Raymond, was -a member of the Committee and had to go early to the New Willard. No, -Mr. Gordon did not accompany him to the hotel; but had left him at the -corner of 17th and H Streets, saying he had to return to his rooms at -the Benedict, but would go to the dance later on. Gordon did not enter -the ballroom until just after supper, which was served at midnight. - -“Are you positive of that?” asked the coroner. - -“Absolutely positive, because I had to get a temporary partner for Miss -Underhill, who was to have danced the cotillion with Mr. Gordon.” - -“How long a time would it take for Mr. Gordon to go from 17th and H -Streets to his apartment?” - -“About five minutes.” - -“And how long would it take him to get from his apartment at the -Benedict to the New Willard?” - -“Seven minutes if he went in the cars, and fifteen minutes if he -walked.” - -Lieutenant Raymond was then excused, and after his departure Detective -Hardy was called to the witness chair. He gave a brief résumé of all -that took place after the murder was discovered. - -“Did you find any trace of the end of the weapon?” asked the coroner. - -“No, sir. I turned the whole place inside out, but could find nothing. -The only clue I had to go upon was the ring which we found in Mrs. -Trevor’s hand. I saw at a glance that it was a naval class ring, so -I at once went to the Navy Department. There I looked through the -register of Annapolis graduates, and found that two men in that class -had the two initials ‘D. G.’--Donald Gordon and Daniel Green. The -latter is stationed at Mare Island, California. That eliminated him, so -I went to Mr. Gordon’s quarters at the Benedict Apartment House.” He -paused. - -“Go on,” ordered the coroner. “Tell your story in your own way.” - -The jury to a man were leaning across the table, regarding the -detective with deep interest. - -“The janitor there is a friend of mine, so he let me into Mr. Gordon’s -apartment, which is on the second floor, with his pass key. I searched -his rooms thoroughly, but could find nothing. Then I went through his -personal belongings. In the inner pocket of his overcoat, I found a few -pieces of a torn note. - -“It didn’t take me long to fit the words together. I then pasted them -all on a sheet of note paper. Here, you can see for yourselves.” - -He drew out his pocketbook as he spoke, and removed from it a sheet of -paper on which were pasted scraps torn in different shapes, and handed -it to the coroner. After one startled glance, the coroner read the -contents aloud. - - “Come--Wedn--half--elev--must--you--for--leav--New Yor-- - - “HÉLÈNE DE--T--” - -Without a word of comment, the coroner handed the paper to the jurymen, -who eagerly scanned it. - -“Have you any further evidence to give to the jury?” - -“No, sir.” - -“That is all, then, Hardy. You are excused. Bayne,” to his clerk, -“recall Mr. Gordon.” - -Gordon was walking impatiently up and down the smaller room, eager to -be gone, and he answered the summons with alacrity. - -“Mr. Gordon, where were you between the hours of nine thirty P.M. and -midnight on Wednesday last?” - -“I decline to state.” - -“Tut! We know you called to see Mrs. Trevor at eleven thirty that -night.” - -“Indeed, and may I ask who your informant is?” - -The coroner paid no attention to the interruption, but went steadily on -with his examination. - -“Did Mrs. Trevor admit you?” - -Silence. - -The coroner repeated his question. - -Still no reply. - -“Come, sir; you must answer. Yes, or no?” - -Gordon stirred uneasily in his chair. “I was in my rooms at the -Benedict until I left to go to the ball,” he said. - -“Was anyone with you?” - -“No.” - -“Did anyone see you leave the Benedict?” - -“Not to my knowledge.” Then he added quickly, “At least, there may have -been some of the other tenants around, or perhaps the janitor; I never -noticed in my hurry.” - -“Mr. Gordon--” the coroner’s manner was abrupt and stern--“do you -see these pieces?” He took up the sheet from the table. “They are -apparently torn from a letter of Mrs. Trevor’s to you, making an -appointment to see you here on Wednesday night at eleven thirty. These -scraps were found in your overcoat pocket. Again I ask, did Mrs. Trevor -admit you?” - -Gordon glanced at the sheet and recognized the handwriting. His mouth -closed in a hard line, and he grew perceptibly paler. He straightened -his broad shoulders, and faced the jury squarely, saying: - -“I refuse to incriminate myself.” - -In the dead silence the scratching of the stenographer’s pen could be -heard plainly. - -“You may retire,” said the coroner. - -With perfect self-possession, Gordon left the room. - -The coroner’s summing up of the case was short and to the point. As -soon as he finished, the jury left the room to deliberate. - -The hands of the ormolu clock on the mantel had gone five times around -its dial, but there was no thinning out of the crowd. The majority -of the spectators had attended the inquest out of friendship for the -Trevors, others had been brought there by morbid curiosity; but none -had expected such an outcome to the investigation. Now, in silence -and nervous apprehension they waited for the return of the jury. -The tension was snapped by their reappearance. The coroner rose and -addressed them. - -“Gentlemen of the jury, have you reached a verdict?” - -“The jury find,” answered the foreman, “that Mrs. Hélène de Beaupré -Trevor came to her death on the night of Wednesday, February 3rd, -19--, in the City of Washington, District of Columbia, from a wound -inflicted by Lieutenant-Commander Donald Gordon.” - - - - -CHAPTER VII - -WHEELS WITHIN WHEELS - - -TRAMP, tramp, back and forth, back and forth, went the restless -footsteps. Would she never tire? Would she never stop? Alfred Clark -bent lower until his eye was on a level with the keyhole of the closed -library door. Suddenly the gong over the front door rang loudly. With -a smothered exclamation, Clark glided quickly across the wide hall and -entered the private office just as Wilkins came out of the dining-room. - -“Good afternoon, Wilkins. Can I see Miss Beatrice?” Peggy’s fresh young -voice sounded cheerily in Wilkins’ ears. During the last week he had -had a surfeit of horrors and unmitigated gloom. - -“Yes, Miss Margaret, she is expecting you. Will you please walk into -the drawing-room, and I will tell her you have come.” - -Peggy had only time to straighten one refractory curl which would trail -down on her forehead. It had been the cause of much mental anguish -in childish days because everyone dinned into her ears, “There was a -little girl, and she had a little curl.” Consequently she always took -care to tuck that particular lock carefully out of sight. As she turned -from the mirror, Beatrice came in through the communicating doors -leading to the library. - -“My dearest, how good it is to see you again,” exclaimed Peggy, giving -her a warm kiss and hug. - -“It is, indeed,” and Beatrice’s sad face brightened, as she -affectionately returned the embrace. - -“I have been here several times since the funeral, Beatrice.” - -“I know, dear, and it did my heart good to know you were thinking of -me. I feel so alone, so utterly alone.” Beatrice stopped to control -her voice, and Peggy, with loving sympathy, threw her arm about her -shoulders. - -They made a charming foil sitting side by side on the divan, one so -dark in her stately beauty, the other so fair and winsome, their faces -seen first in shadow then in light as the fickle wood fire flickered to -and fro on the wide hearth. - -“There, I did not intend to allude to the terrible happenings. Since -the funeral, which was private, I have tried not to let my mind dwell -on the tragedy. Otherwise I think I should go mad. I cannot, cannot -speak of it even to you, dearest.” Her hands twitched spasmodically, -and she bit her lips to hide their trembling. Regaining her composure -by a desperate effort, she signed to Wilkins to move the tea table -nearer the fire. “Two lumps and lemon, Peggy?” - -“Yes, please, and very weak.” - -“It was dear of you to come out in this snow storm.” - -“Puf! I don’t care that for a storm.” Peggy snapped her fingers -derisively. “I had been in all day and was longing for fresh air when -you telephoned me. And the walk up here did me no end of good. I -always eat too much at Granny’s lunches.” - -“Tell me who were there?” - -“Oh! just the Topic Club. One of the members gave out at the eleventh -hour, and Granny asked me to take her place.” - -“It must have been interesting,” ejaculated Beatrice. - -The Topic Club, composed of eleven witty women, was a time-honored -institution in the Capital. It met once a month at the different -members’ houses. Each hostess was always allowed to ask one of her -friends to make the twelfth guest, an invitation eagerly sought for. -The topic to be discussed was written on the back of the place cards. - -“What was the topic this time, Peggy?” - -“‘What does a woman remember longest?’ May I have some more hot water, -my tea is a little too strong?” - -“And what answer did they find for it?” asked Beatrice, taking up the -hot water kettle as Peggy held out her cup. - -“Why, they decided that no woman ever forgets ‘the man who has once -loved her.’ My gracious, Beatrice, look out!” as a few drops of boiling -water went splashing over her fingers. - -“Oh, Peggy, did I scald you?” - -“Not very much,” groaned Peggy, putting her injured finger in her -mouth, that human receptacle for all things--good and bad. - -“I am so sorry, dear. Tell me, did you hear anything exciting at -luncheon?” - -“Nothing in particular.” Peggy could not tell her that the chief topic -at the table had been the Trevor murder, so she rattled on: “People say -that divorce proceedings are pending in the Van Auken family. You know -their home is called ‘the house of a thousand scandals.’ But the latest -news is that Martha Underhill’s engagement to Bobby Crane has been -broken off.” - -“Why?” asked Beatrice, her curiosity excited. - -“Well, they quarreled about Donald Gordon--” Beatrice’s convulsive -start brought Peggy up short. As usual her thoughtless tongue had -gotten her into hot water. To hesitate would be but to make a bad -matter worse, so she went bravely on: “Bobby is desperately jealous, -and simply hates to have Martha even look at any other man. So he -was simply raging when she told him she intended dancing the last -Bachelors’ with Mr. Gordon, who is an old friend of hers. Bobby was -very nasty about it. Yesterday when we were all walking up Connecticut -Avenue from St. John’s, Martha remarked how mortified she had been at -being left without a partner during the first part of the cotillion. - -“‘Serves you jolly well right,’ snapped Bobby. ‘That’s what comes of -dancing with a murderer!’” - -“Oh, the coward!” exclaimed Beatrice. “The coward!” - -“That’s what we all thought, and I left Martha telling Bobby what she -thought of him. Result--the broken engagement. As to Mr. Gordon, we all -believe in his innocence,” declared Peggy, stoutly. - -“It is not the first time a Court of Justice has blundered,” agreed -Beatrice, wearily, and she brushed her soft hair off her hot forehead. - -“The idea of suspecting Mr. Gordon,” went on Peggy, heatedly. “He is so -chivalrous; so tender in his manner to all women! What matter if he is -a bit of a flirt--” - -Beatrice moved uneasily in her chair. - -“How is Mrs. Macallister?” she asked abruptly. - -“Very well, and enjoying herself immensely at present. She is having -an out and out row with the Commissioners of the District. Major Stone -applied to them for permission to cut an entrance to the alley through -Granny’s rose garden. My, she was mad!” and Peggy smiled broadly at the -recollection. - -“I don’t wonder,” exclaimed Beatrice. “Why, Peggy, it would be a -perfect shame. Mrs. Macallister’s garden is one of the beauties of -Washington.” - -“It would be beastly. You see, Granny owns nearly half the square -between 19th and 20th on F Street. To prevent apartment houses going -up, she wanted to buy the whole block. But the owners, finding she -wanted the real estate, asked her an exorbitant price, which Granny -naturally refused to pay. Now, I suppose to get back at her, old Major -Stone insists that the alley, which already has two entrances, must -have a third. - -“So yesterday, Granny and I went to call on Major Cochrane, the new -Engineer Commissioner, in the District Building. He didn’t know us from -Adam, and didn’t seem able to get a clear idea of our errand. Finally, -he asked Granny: - -“‘Do I understand you came here to get an alley put through?’ - -“‘No,’ replied Granny, with her blandest smile, ‘I came to get an -ally.’ And she did, too,” laughed Peggy. “Before we left she had won -him, body and soul, over to her cause.” - -“I prophesy Mrs. Macallister wins. Must you go, dear,” as Peggy started -gathering her wraps together. - -“It’s getting late, and I am far, far from home; besides which, I am -dining with the Van Winkles, and afterwards going to the Charity Ball. -So I have a busy night ahead of me. But I hate to leave you, dearie, -all by yourself. Won’t you come down and visit us? We’d love to have -you. Indeed, it is not good for you to stay shut up here by yourself--” -Peggy came to a breathless pause. - -There were tears in Beatrice’s eyes as she bent and kissed the soft, -rosy cheek. What it cost her to stay in that house, none would ever -know. She shook her head. - -“It is like you to ask me, Peggy darling, but I cannot leave Father. He -needs me _now_.” - -The slight emphasis was lost on Peggy, who was busy adjusting her furs. -With a searching glance around the dimly lighted room, Beatrice drew -a small, flat box from her dainty work bag, and going close to Peggy -whispered: - -“I am surrounded by prying eyes. You, and you only, can I trust. In the -name of our long friendship, and for the sake of the old school days I -beg, I entreat you, Peggy, to take this box and keep it for me!” - -“Indeed I will!” Peggy’s whisper was reassuring in its vehemence. “No -one shall ever see or know of it.” As she spoke, she thrust it in her -large muff. “Remember, Beatrice, Granny and I are always your devoted, -loyal friends. Do not hesitate to let us help you.” - -Beatrice’s only answer was to fold Peggy in a passionate embrace. -Then, as the latter left the room, she threw herself on the divan, her -slender form racked with sobs. - -As Peggy crossed the square hall on her way to the front door, she came -face to face with the Attorney General’s secretary. Alfred Clark, who -was putting on his overcoat, greeted her effusively. - -“Oh, good afternoon,” she replied, a trifle coldly; for his obsequious -manner always grated on her. - -“Can I see you home?” asked Clark, eagerly, opening the front door as -he spoke. - -“You are very kind, but I am going to catch the car at the corner, and -I wouldn’t think of taking you so far out of your way.” - -“On the contrary, it is right in the direction I am going,” rejoined -Clark, helping Peggy down the slippery steps. “I was so sorry not to -see you when I called last Sunday,” he continued, as they turned to -walk in the direction of Connecticut Avenue. “I thought you always -stayed at home that day?” - -“I usually do; but last Sunday I went down to the station to see a -friend off, so missed all my callers. Gracious! there’s our car. Do -stop it.” - -Obediently Clark ran ahead and signalled the motorman to wait until -Peggy could get there. But once inside the car they had no further -chance for conversation, for Clark, jostled by the crowd, was obliged -to stand some distance from Peggy, who had been given a seat further -up. On transferring to the G Street herdic they found they had that -antiquated vehicle entirely to themselves. - -“How do you think Miss Trevor is looking?” inquired Clark, after he had -stuffed the transfers into the change box by the driver’s seat. - -“She seems utterly used up, poor dear,” answered Peggy, soberly. “I am -afraid the strain is telling on her more than she will admit.” - -“You are right, Miss Macallister; and something should be done about -it.” Clark spoke with so much feeling that she glanced at him with -deepened interest. “Her father is so absorbed in his grief that he -never notices his daughter’s condition.” - -“It is a shame,” agreed Peggy, “and yet, not surprising. He was -perfectly devoted to Mrs. Trevor, and Senator Phillips says he is -heartbroken by her tragic death.” - -“That is no excuse for neglecting the living. Mr. Trevor owes much to -his daughter’s affection.” Peggy did not see the quickly suppressed -sneer that distorted Clark’s handsome features. “Miss Trevor acts as if -she had something preying on her mind, don’t you think so?” - -Peggy clutched the box secreted so carefully inside her muff in sudden -panic. What did the man’s insinuation mean? - -“No,” she answered tartly. “I think her nervous, over-wrought -condition is simply due to the tragedy, and its attending mystery.” - -“Mystery?” echoed Clark. “Why, all that has been cleared up by Gordon’s -arrest.” - -“Indeed it has not,” indignantly declared Peggy. “I don’t for a -moment believe him guilty. I think he is the victim of circumstantial -evidence.” Her rapid speech was interrupted by their arrival at her -street corner, and she did not finish her sentence until they stood -in the vestibule of the Macallister mansion. “In the first place, Mr. -Clark,” she continued, “where would you find a motive for such a crime?” - -“In Gordon’s past, Miss Macallister.” And, as Hurley opened the front -door, “Good night; thanks so much for allowing me to escort you home.” - -He ran down the steps and walked rapidly up the street before the -astonished girl could frame another sentence. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII - -THE CHALLENGE - - -JUST before midnight the Charity Ball, given annually for the benefit -of the Children’s Hospital, was at its height. The long ballroom at the -New Willard was almost too crowded for comfort, at least so thought the -dancing contingent. - -“Come on over here out of the crowd, Peggy,” and Dick Tillinghast -pointed to one of the deep window recesses. It looked cool and -comfortable after the heat of the room, and with a sigh of relief Peggy -sank back in its kindly shelter. She was beginning to feel weary, -having danced every encore and extra. - -“Now, I call this jolly,” went on Dick, fanning her vigorously. -“Peggy--you wretch--you have been flirting outrageously with little de -Morny all the evening.” - -“The Count is very agreeable,” answered Peggy, demurely. “Besides, I -was giving him lessons in English.” - -Dick snorted. “_You_ may call it what you like; but the Count is in -dead earnest.” - -“Really, Mr. Tillinghast--” Peggy’s head went up. Dick, seeing the -light of combat in her eyes, hastened to interrupt her. - -“Now, Peggy--please. You’ve been perfectly beastly to me all the -evening; never even saved me a dance, and I had to steal this one.” - -“It is customary to ask for them,” frigidly. - -“It wasn’t my fault. I was detained at the office, as you know -perfectly well. It wasn’t kind, Peggy, indeed it wasn’t.” - -Dick’s voice expressed more bitterness than the occasion warranted. -Swiftly Peggy’s kind heart relented. - -“I didn’t keep a dance, Dick, because,” she lowered her voice, -“I--I--thought you would prefer to take me out to supper.” - -“You darling!” Dick leaned impulsively nearer; then cursed inwardly as -Tom Blake’s stout form stopped before them. - -“Well, you two look very ‘comfy’; may I join you?” The chair, which -Peggy pushed toward him creaked under his weight. “This is a bully -alcove; you are in the crowd and yet not of it. Hello, de Morny, come -and sit with us. Miss Macallister was just asking for you,” and he -winked at Dick. - -De Morny was walking past, vainly searching for Peggy, and he accepted -the invitation with alacrity. He had met her early in the season. Her -sunny disposition and fascinating personality had made instant appeal -to the Frenchman’s volatile nature. Wherever Peggy went, de Morny was -sure to follow, much to Dick’s silent fury. - -Their mutual friends had not been slow to grasp the situation, and many -were the conjectures as to which man would win the little flirt, and, -incidentally, the Macallister millions. The money consideration did -not enter altogether into de Morny’s calculations, for contrary to the -usual order of things, he was wealthy. Belonging to the old nobility -of France, he was a most desirable _parti_, and had often been -relentlessly pursued by mothers with marriageable daughters on their -hands. - -But many times Dick cursed Peggy’s prospective inheritance. Without a -penny except his salary, it was bitter indeed to the proud fellow to -feel that he was looked upon as a fortune hunter. They had been boy and -girl sweethearts when their parents had lived next door to each other -until the crash came. His father gave up home and personal belongings -to meet his creditors, dying shortly after, and Dick had been thrown -on his own resources during his freshman year at Harvard. It was -simply another case of from shirt sleeves to shirt sleeves in three -generations, no uncommon occurrence in America. - -“Mademoiselle,” said the Frenchman, bowing before Peggy, “have I zer -permission to present to you _mon ami_, Count de Smirnoff.” He beckoned -to a tall stranger who had stopped just outside the alcove when de -Morny joined the little group. “And to you, also, Monsieur Blake, and -Monsieur Tillinghast.” - -Count de Smirnoff acknowledged the introductions most courteously, -and then, to Dick’s secret annoyance, promptly appropriated the chair -nearest Peggy and devoted himself to her. - -“Will you look at Mrs. Wheeler,” whispered Tom Blake to his companions. -“Solomon in all his glory couldn’t touch her.” - -Mrs. Wheeler was dazzling to behold. Dressed in scarlet and gold, -with diamonds in front of her, diamonds on top of her, she easily -out-diamonded every woman present. The crowd parted to make way for -her as she moved slowly, very slowly up the long room. With the -Vice-President on one side of her and the British Ambassador on the -other, the apotheosis of the house of Wheeler was reached. - -Dick drew a long breath after they had passed. “My eyes actually hurt -from such illumination. Why, oh, why does Washington accept such -people?” - -“Because she possesses the Golden Key which unlocks most doors in -democratic America,” answered Tom, dryly. “She wined and dined herself -into our midst, and now--” he paused dramatically--“she draws the line -on the Army and Navy people here, because her calling list is already -so large!” - -“How’s poor Gordon?” he asked, suddenly, a few minutes later. - -“He refuses to see anyone, or talk,” answered Dick. - -“Poor devil! What made him do such a mad action?” - -“I don’t believe he is guilty,” said Dick, slowly. “He isn’t that sort. -He wouldn’t kill a man in cold blood, let alone strike a woman.” - -“I agree with you, Dick. There has been some dreadful mistake,” chimed -in Peggy. - -“Is it the Trevor murder of which you speak?” asked de Smirnoff. He -spoke English perfectly, but for a slight accent. - -“Yes, Monsieur. Even the District Attorney thinks someone has -blundered; he is furious because the coroner’s jury brought in that -verdict against Gordon.” - -“Oh, well, he’ll have a chance to clear himself before the Grand Jury -two weeks from now. After all, Dick, he virtually admitted he was -guilty.” - -“I don’t see it that way,” answered Dick, obstinately. - -“Well, I hope he can prove an alibi. But if he does it will go hard -with Beatrice Trevor. Suspicion already points to her.” - -“Oh! no, no!” cried Peggy, in horror, and she looked appealingly at -Dick. - -“I’m afraid so,” he said, sorrowfully, answering her unspoken thought. -“You see, it’s very obvious that she has some secret to conceal.” - -Peggy actually jumped as her mind flew to the box which was at that -moment safely hidden in the secret drawer of her bureau. Beatrice -guilty--never--never--she put the thought from her, but it would return. - -“You mustn’t say such things,” she said, angry with herself for her -disloyal thoughts, and her face paled perceptibly. - -“I am sorry I spoke in that way,” replied Dick. “I had forgotten for -the moment that she is your greatest friend. Indeed, Peggy, I meant no -offense. You know I would do anything for you, anything.” - -“So would we all, Miss Peggy,” exclaimed Tom, and de Morny, but half -understanding the rapidly spoken English, nodded his head back and -forth like a china mandarin. - -“Then,” said Peggy, “find the real murderer of Mrs. Trevor. That,” -loyally, “would clear my friends from suspicion. And I will give -you”--unconsciously her eyes sought Dick’s and the look in them made -his heart throb with hope; then she glanced quickly at Count de Morny, -and his heart sank with sickening dread--“unto the half of my kingdom.” - -“I accept the challenge,” he said, gravely, and he raised her hand to -his lips; while Tom, in a few sentences, explained the wager to the two -foreigners. - -“To find ze murderer? But ze police have done zat, Mademoiselle,” de -Morny ejaculated. - -“No, no; they have only arrested a man on suspicion. Miss Peggy thinks -the murderer is still at large.” - -“As Mademoiselle sinks, so sinks I,” answered the Count gallantly. - -“It appears to me that the police acted with great discretion,” said de -Smirnoff, who had been an interested listener. “But they do not make -the most of their opportunities.” - -“In what way, Count?” asked Dick. - -“In regard to the burglar, Monsieur. Since my arrival here I have read -with deep interest all the newspaper accounts of the tragedy. Frankly, -I had not expected to find such a _cause celebre_ in the Capital of -this great country. It occurs to me that the burglar has not told all -he knows.” - -“Since telling his story at the inquest he refuses to talk.” - -De Smirnoff shrugged his shoulders. “In my country he would be made to -talk. The secret police of Russia, Monsieur, can extract information -from the most unwilling of witnesses.” - -“You really think Nelson is keeping something back?” asked Tom, -incredulously. “Why, the poor devil is only too anxious to clear -himself. Surely, if he knew he would not hesitate to tell the whole -truth?” - -“It is difficult to say, Monsieur. He may have been bribed to hold his -tongue; money can do much these days. Again, fear of the murderer may -force him to silence.” - -“That’s true, too; yet fear of the gallows would make most people talk.” - -“Ah, but he does not stand in very much danger there, for has not -another man already been arrested, charged with the crime? No, no, -depend upon it, he is holding something back.” - -“What, for instance?” inquired Dick, eagerly. - -“The weapon,” suggested de Smirnoff. “It is quite within the possible -that he found it. According to his testimony, he was the first to find -the body. Now, he may be keeping back this information so as to be able -to blackmail the murderer when his sentence for house-breaking is over. -Apparently, he is a clever crook, and undoubtedly knows how best to -look after his own interests.” - - - - -CHAPTER IX - -“MAIN 6” - - -BUZZ--buzz--sounded the alarm. Dick stirred, shivered slightly, and sat -up. - -“May the devil fly away with you!” he muttered, addressing the -clock. “I wish to thunder I could go to bed as sleepy as I wake up,” -stretching himself, and vividly recollecting how many hours he had lain -awake thinking of Peggy. His thoughts turned quickly to her challenge; -with a bound he was out of bed; no time for loitering now--too much was -at stake. - -Some hours later Dick was staring moodily at the snow and slush in -front of the District building on Pennsylvania Avenue. So far, he had -been unsuccessful. Gordon had refused to be interviewed by him, now he -was in search of Detective Hardy. Muttering uncomplimentary remarks -about the offenders who allowed the streets in Washington to get in -such a fearful condition, he waded ankle deep through the melting -snow to the sidewalk, and almost into the arms of the very man he was -looking for. - -“Hello, Mr. Tillinghast, how are you?” exclaimed Hardy, recovering his -balance as he slipped on the icy pavement. “What brings you down to -these diggings?” - -“You,” answered Dick, briefly. “I’m assigned to cover the Trevor -murder, as you know, and I’m looking for more material.” - -“Gwan,” chuckled Hardy. “Your paper has already spread itself some on -that line. In fact, it’s said just a leetle too much,” remembering the -furore Gordon’s arrest had made, and the attendant abuse heaped on the -detective force for not making more headway with the case. - -“Pshaw! Hardy, you know the paper has to cater to the public, and -Washington has gone wild over the murder. I’ve had to write columns and -give ’em all sorts of theories, but none hold water.” - -“’Course not. We’ve got the guilty man under lock and key.” - -“Hum! Found the weapon yet?” - -A look of chagrin crossed Hardy’s face. “Naw, damn it!” he growled. -“Mr. Gordon sure hid it safely; threw it down an open street sewer most -likely.” - -“How about Nelson?” - -“Nelson? Oh! he’s doing time for house-breaking; so we’ve got him dead -to rights if we find he’s wanted for the murder. Sorry, sir,” glancing -as he spoke at the clock over the City Post Office, “but I’ve got to -beat it quick.” Then, lowering his voice, “I’ve a bit of news which may -surprise some folks. Come round in a day or two and I’ll let you in on -it.” - -“Here, wait,” shouted Dick, making a futile dive for Hardy’s coat as he -swung himself aboard a south-bound car. - -“What are you wasting so much energy for, Dick?” asked a hearty voice -at his elbow. Dick swung around with a jump. - -“Why, where in ---- did you drop from?” he gasped, hardly able to -credit his senses as the newcomer seized his hand and wrung it -vigorously. - -“Just arrived via Panama,” explained General Long. “Let’s get on the -sidewalk, Dick. I didn’t come to Washington to be knocked down by a -dray horse,” and he dragged his still bewildered friend to the curb. -“Come into the Willard and lunch with me. I’m half dead with hunger.” - -“Now,” said Dick, after they had done justice to the Martinis, “give an -account of yourself, past, present and future.” - -“Past--Philippines; present--here; future--God knows!” General Long -sighed as he helped Dick and himself to the tempting dish in front of -him. “It’s good to taste Christian cooking once again. Don’t insult -good food by hurrying too much, Dick; take your time. At present I’ve -come here on waiting orders.” - -Dick inwardly wondered what necessity had induced the War Department -to send for Chester Long. A man of exceptional executive ability and -personal bravery, he had been rapidly advanced over the heads of -older officers, to their unspeakable rage, until finally he had been -appointed second in command in the Philippines. He had made a record -for himself out there, and Dick was astounded that his recall should -have been kept so profound a secret. - -“How did you slip away without the papers getting on?” he asked. - -“Orders from the Department hushed things up pretty well, and then I -traveled incog. The why and the wherefore, I may--guess--” he smiled -quietly. “Now, Dick, give an account of yourself.” - -It did not take long in the telling, as the two friends had never -completely lost sight of each other, and mutual friends had kept them -in touch with their doings. General Long was Dick’s senior by some -fifteen years, but since the days of the Spanish war in Cuba, where -Dick was sent as war correspondent, they had been sworn allies. - -“I’m dreadfully shocked about the Trevor murder,” said Long, after -Dick had finished speaking of himself. “The papers are filled with it. -Gordon is the last person I’d think capable of so dastardly a crime. -While at Annapolis, where he was a three-striper, he was voted the -most popular man, and the one most likely to succeed. He never lied, -and he never went back on a friend. Since his graduation his record in -the Service has been fine, fine. And now, to have such a charge against -him! How have the mighty fallen! Poor Gordon--poor devil!” - -“Things look pretty black for him,” admitted Dick. “But still the -evidence is not absolutely conclusive, simply circumstantial.” - -“In what way?” - -“In the first place no weapon has been found in his possession. -Secondly, the absolute lack of motive.” - -Long twirled his wine glass about in his fingers. - -“Is there none?” he asked, finally. - -“Apparently none. After years of absence Gordon came to Washington on -receiving his appointment as aide to the President one month ago. He -never went to the Trevors much. In fact, he and Mrs. Trevor were total -strangers. They met first at a theater party I gave, which Mrs. Trevor -chaperoned, on the night of Gordon’s arrival in town. You know he and -I went to Lawrenceville together.” - -Long glanced around the half empty café; their table was in the farther -corner, and their waiter had departed after removing the dessert and -putting the liqueur and coffee before them. There was no chance of -their conversation being overheard, but Long motioned to Dick to pull -his chair closer, as he said in a low voice: - -“I’ve always had great respect for your discretion, Dick; therefore, -I’m going to confide in you. You can use your judgment about speaking -of what I tell you now. - -“Some four years ago or more, I was military attaché at the Court of -St. James. One day I ran across Don Gordon in Hyde Park. He told me he -was there on leave visiting his sister, Lady Dorchester. I didn’t see -much of him because his entire time was taken up with paying desperate -attention to--Hélène de Beaupré.” - -“What!” shouted Dick, starting up in his intense surprise. - -“Hush, man,” said Long, sternly. “You are attracting attention.” Dick, -much abashed, subsided into his chair. “I can swear to what I am -saying, because at that time Hélène de Beaupré was the rage in London. -Men and women raved about her, and she was received everywhere. Gordon -lost his head over her, he was madly infatuated with her beauty; -whether his affection was returned, I know not.” Long shrugged his -shoulders. - -“Just about that time I was relieved from duty in London, and in the -rush of departure forgot all about Gordon and his affairs. But one day -on shipboard Alfred Clark told me that he had seen Gordon and Hélène de -Beaupré applying at the Home Office for a special license to marry at -once.” - -Dick looked at his friend too dazed to speak. “Well, I’ll be damned!” -he muttered. - -For a few minutes they sat regarding each other in puzzled silence. -Then Dick roused himself to ask: “Is the Alfred Clark of whom you speak -the man who is now secretary to the Attorney General?” - -“Is he tall, well-built, handsome, with a peculiar scar on his temple?” - -“You have described the man to a dot. Looks like a Gypsy?” Long nodded -in acquiescence. “He goes out here a great deal; sort of insinuates -himself into people’s good graces. I never liked him--too much of a -beauty man to suit me. What was he doing in England?” - -“He stopped there from Italy on his way to the States. At that time his -father had plenty of money, and Alfred did nothing but travel about at -his own sweet will. The crash came just afterwards, and then he had to -get to work.” - -“It must have been a bitter pill for him to swallow, poor devil. -I’ve gone through a somewhat similar experience,” and Dick sighed -sympathetically. “Strange that Mrs. Trevor, Gordon and Clark should all -be here at the same time!” - -“Fate plays strange tricks,” agreed Long. “I heard nothing further -about these three people until I read of the Trevor tragedy. How did -Gordon and Mrs. Trevor look, Dick, when you introduced them?” - -“I don’t know,” confessed Dick. “Gordon didn’t appear until about the -middle of the first act; the box was in semi-darkness. I introduced him -to all my friends as he was the stranger, and I remember hearing Mrs. -Trevor say she was ‘delighted to meet him.’ I took it for granted she -didn’t know him.” - -Long shook his head. “It’s a black business, Dick, whichever way you -look at it. If she jilted Gordon and married Trevor, it might be a -reason for the crime; or if Gordon really married her first, then there -is a still greater motive for the murder.” - -“Bigamy?” ejaculated Dick. - -“Perhaps. Gordon is poor--Trevor rich; apparently the balance dipped in -the latter’s favor. It is not the first time souls have been bought and -honor lost by the desire for filthy lucre. Mind you, Dick, this last -is all surmise. I may be entirely wrong. You can use the information -I have given you if you think best; and I’ll be here if you want to -consult me about it.” - -“Which way are you going?” asked Dick. - -“To the War Department, and you--?” - -“To the office. I’ll drop in and see you sometime to-morrow. It’s bully -having you back again, old man. So long,” and with a parting hand shake -the two friends parted. - -Dick was very tired when he reached his home in Georgetown that night. -His landlady heard his key turn in the lock and came out in the hall to -meet him. - -Mrs. Brisbane, “befo’ de wah,” had not known what it was to put on -her own silk stockings; now, she took “paying guests.” Her husband -and brothers had died for “The Cause”; her property near Charleston, -South Carolina, had been totally destroyed during the horrors of the -Reconstruction period. She had come to Washington, that Mecca for -unemployed gentlewomen, in hopes of adding to her slender income. -For years she had been employed in the Post Office Department, as a -handwriting expert. Then suddenly her eyesight failed her; and broken -in health and hopes, she and her young granddaughter kept the wolf from -the door and a roof over their heads as best they could. - -Dick was devoted to Mrs. Brisbane. Her gentle dignity and indomitable -pluck in the face of every misfortune had won his admiration and -respect. He had lived with them for over three years, and was looked -upon as one of the family. - -“You are late, Dick,” she said. “Have you had a busy day?” - -“Yes, Mrs. Brisbane,” he answered, “and I’m dog tired, having been on -the dead jump ever since I left here this morning.” - -“Not too tired to come into the dining-room and help us celebrate my -seventieth birthday, I hope?” - -Dick looked reproachfully at her. “And you never told me! I don’t -think that’s fair. Am I not one of the family? Yes-- Then I claim a -relative’s privilege.” - -Mrs. Brisbane beamed upon him. “You extravagant boy! That’s just why I -did not tell you. I hope you are not too exhausted to enjoy a glass of -eggnog?” - -“What a question! You know I would walk miles to get a taste of your -eggnog. There’s nothing like it, this side of Heaven.” - -“Heaven is not usually associated with eggnog,” laughed Nancy Pelham, a -pretty young girl of sixteen. “And Granny’s brew is apt to lead one in -the opposite direction.” - -“Tut! Child. As Pa once said, eggnog was invented especially for God’s -po’ creatures in their moments of tribulation. It puts new heart in -most everyone, even a po’ Yankee.” - -Dick laughed. “You are a pretty good hater, Mrs. Brisbane,” he said, -helping himself to the frothy beverage. - -“I reckon I’ve got cause.” Mrs. Brisbane’s drawl was delicious. “An’ -I’m from Charleston, Dick, don’t forget that. Why, one of my nieces -never knew until she got to New York that ‘damn Yankee’ was two words.” - -“Granny, Granny,” remonstrated Nancy. “Dick’s a good Northerner by -birth, and we mustn’t wave the bloody shirt.” - -“Nonsense,” said Dick, hastily. “I love to fight our battles over -with Mrs. Brisbane. What a beautiful punch bowl that is?” he added, -enthusiastically. - -“Isn’t it? It was given to Granny’s father, General Pinckney, by Mr. -Calhoun.” - -“It is the only piece of silver saved from the wreck,” said Mrs. -Brisbane, sadly. “I could not part with it for old associations’ sake. -Everything else of value, silver and jewelry, was sold long ago. -How many distinguished men have drunk out of that bowl!” she sighed -involuntarily. “Heigh oh! It is not good to reminisce. But I’ll never -forget, Dick, one dinner I attended here. - -“It was before I secured my place in the Post Office, and I was -visiting some Washington friends. They took me to a dinner given by Mr. -and Mrs. John Thompson, who were new-comers. They had struck ‘ile’ and -were entertaining lavishly that winter. Imagine my feelings when I saw -them using my entire silver service, even to the small silver! - -“I recognized our coat-of-arms, as well as the pattern of the silver. -They passed it off as family heirlooms! I found out later that they had -spent months collecting the pieces from different second-hand dealers -in antiques. I would not have minded so much if they had not been so -palpably nouveaux riches. It seemed a sacrilege! Why, they hardly knew -the uses of some of the pieces.” - -Dick leaned over and patted her hand sympathetically. - -“‘Heaven sends almonds to those who have no teeth,’” he quoted. “Now, I -wonder if you can tell me anything about Texas?” he added, suddenly. - -“Texas!” exclaimed Mrs. Brisbane. “Not much; I’ve never been there -myself, but I have been told that only men and mules can live in that -State. The climate usually kills all the women.” - -“It isn’t Texas in general I am interested in,” chuckled Dick, “but the -Gordons.” - -“The Gordons are Georgians, Dick.” - -“Not Donald Gordon, he was born in Texas.” - -“Now, I do recollect that Major Gordon moved to Texas just after -the wah. I believe he married a Galveston woman; and then went into -politics.” - -“Whatever the cause,” said Dick, his eyes twinkling, “he represented -Texas in the Senate for years; finally died in Washington, and is -interred in the Congressional Burying Ground here. Now, Mrs. Brisbane, -can you tell me anything about them?” - -“Not a thing, Dick, except that Senator Gordon was a man of very high -temper; he nearly killed a soldier once for disobeying orders. Why do -you ask?” - -“I know,” broke in Nancy. She had been an interested listener, and had -also seen that Dick’s glass was never empty. “It has something to do -with the Trevor murder.” - -“Yes,” acknowledged Dick, gravely. “I am doing my best to prove -Gordon’s innocence; and, hang it all! every shred of evidence I turn -up, is against him.” - -“It was a shocking murder of a defenseless woman. I do not believe a -Gordon could have done it,” declared Mrs. Brisbane. - -“And yet--” - -“Listen to me a moment, Dick,” Nancy tapped the table in her -earnestness. “Perhaps I can help you. That Wednesday was my night shift -at the North Exchange.” Nancy was temporarily working as a central -in the Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone Company until she had taken -her Civil Service examination for a Government position. “Well, about -fifteen minutes after two that morning a call came for the Trevors’ -house.” - -“What? Really?” - -“Yes. I don’t mean the regular house telephone, but for the Attorney -General’s private wire in his private office.” - -“What!” Dick’s voice grew in volume as his astonishment increased. “Are -you sure, Nancy?” - -“Absolutely positive. You know the number of the telephone in the -Attorney General’s private office at his home is not listed in -the regular book, as is his house wire. His private telephone is -‘North--123’; I remember it because it is so easy; and the other is -‘North--6795.’” - -“But as to the time, Nancy?” - -“I am certain about that, too. It was very quiet in the Exchange, and -when the call came I nearly jumped out of my skin. I looked at the big -wall clock directly opposite, and I saw it was fifteen minutes past -two.” - -“Nancy, you are a wonder--a brick. But why didn’t you come forward and -give your evidence at the inquest?” - -“Oh, I couldn’t, Dick,” the young girl colored painfully. “I went to -work at the Exchange because we are so frightfully poor; but I--I--just -couldn’t face the notoriety which I feared I would be dragged into. -Then again, it might not have anything to do with the terrible affair.” - -“Do?” echoed Dick; his tone was eloquent. “Was the telephone answered?” - -“Yes, at once.” - -“Now, do you happen to know where the call came from?” - -“Yes. It was--‘Main 6.’” - -Dick gazed at her too spellbound for words. - -_Main 6--The White House!_ - - - - -CHAPTER X - -CAUGHT ON THE WIRES - - -DICK was up betimes the next morning, stopping only long enough to -swallow a cup of coffee and a plate of oatmeal. Then calling a cheery -good-by to Mrs. Brisbane, he banged out of the front door and down -the steps in such haste that he collided violently with “Uncle” Andy -Jackson, the Brisbane factotum, who was busy shoveling the snow off the -steps. - -“Laws, Marse Dick,” groaned Uncle Andy, picking himself up carefully. -“’Pears like yo’ am in a hurry.” - -“Awfully sorry, Uncle,” said Dick, helping the old man to his feet. -“Here,” thrusting some loose change into the ready palm, “buy some -liniment for the bruises. Whew! I didn’t realize it snowed so much last -night.” - -As far as the eye could see the large, old-fashioned gardens, which -surround the old houses in Georgetown, were covered with banks of snow, -an unusual sight in the Capital City. In some places the drifts were -waist high. - -“Plenty mo’ snow fo’ ole Andy to shovel,” grumbled the old man, who -dearly loved the sound of his own voice, and seized every opportunity -to talk to Dick, whom he especially admired because he belonged to “de -quality.” “’Pears like de sky am a-tryin’ ter whitewash dis hyer wicked -city. Las’ night, sah, I went to hear de Reverend Jedediah Hamilton. He -sho’ am a powerful preacher. He says Satan am a-knocking at de gates ob -Washington; dat it am a whitened sepulcher; an’ dat we all am a-gwine -ter perdition. Hadn’t yo’ better git religion, Marse Dick?” - -“Oh, I’m not worrying just now, Uncle. You see, my brother John is a -minister of the Gospel, and I guess he’ll intercede for me.” - -“’Twon’t do, Marse Dick; de Good Book it say: ‘Every man shall bear his -own burden and every tongue shall stand on its own bottom.’” - -Dick waved his hand in farewell as he plunged through the drifts to -cross the street. Uncle Andy watched the tall, athletic figure out of -sight; then shook his head solemnly. - -“’Pears like Marse Dick am pas’ prayin’ fo’,” he muttered. Then, -hearing Mrs. Brisbane’s frantic calls for him, he shouted: “Comin’, ole -Miss, comin’.” - -The street cars were blocked by the heavy fall of snow, so Dick had to -walk from Georgetown to the _Star_ Building, a distance of nearly two -miles, consequently he was late. But after the first rush of work was -over, he stole a moment to call up the White House, and asked the names -of the night watchmen who were on duty in the Executive Offices on that -fatal Wednesday. - -“Wait a moment,” answered the White House central, “and I’ll find out. -Hello--the men were Charlie Flynn and Tom Murray.” - -“Much obliged,” called Dick, as he rang off. Luck was certainly -with him at last. He had greatly feared that he would not get any -information in regard to the mysterious telephone call without a great -deal of difficulty and delay, for “mum” was the word with all the White -House employés. - -But Tom Murray had been General Long’s orderly during the campaign -in Cuba, and, in fact, owed his present position to the General’s -influence. Dick knew where he lived, as Tom had married Peggy -Macallister’s maid, Betty; and once when Betty was ill with typhoid -fever, Peggy had asked Dick to go with her to Tom’s modest home on -Capitol Hill. - -Dick hurriedly covered his first assignment, rushed back to the office -in time to get his story in the afternoon paper, then tore out again -and jumped aboard a Navy Yard car. Twenty minutes later he was beating -a hasty tattoo on the Murrays’ front door. Tom himself admitted him. - -“Why, Mr. Tillinghast, sir! I’m mighty glad to see you. Won’t you come -in?” - -Dick stepped into the tiny parlor. “I’ve just stopped by for a moment, -Tom. Thought you’d like to know that General Long is in town.” - -Tom fell back a step in his astonishment. - -“Glory be,” he shouted. “Where is he stopping, sir. That is, if he -cares to see me?” - -“At the New Willard. He wants to see you to-night.” - -Tom’s face fell. “I can’t go, at least not to-night, sir. You see, -I’m on night duty at the White House now, sir. I get off at six every -morning and sleep until noon. I’m just up now, sir. Do you think the -General could see me in the afternoon?” - -“Sure; I’ll ask him. By the way, Tom, who answers the White House -telephones at night?” - -“I do, sir; leastways, I attend to the switch-board in the Executive -Offices.” - -“Do you happen to recollect what person in the White House called up -‘North--123’ on February third, or rather February fourth, at two -fifteen in the morning?” - -Tom looked searchingly at his questioner. - -“Ought I to answer that question, sir?” - -“I think you should. General Long sent me here to ask you.” - -“May the good Lord forgive me,” thought Dick, “I know Cheater will back -me up.” - -Tom’s face cleared. “Then it’s all right, sir. I hesitated to answer -you, sir, because--the call came from the President himself.” - -For a moment Dick was too aghast to speak. The President! Truly, his -investigations were leading him into deep water. - -“Are you quite sure, Tom?” he asked, soberly. - -“Quite, sir,” with military precision. “I remember the night perfectly, -sir. While the White House is often called up at all hours, it ain’t -usual for inmates of the household to ring up outside calls after -midnight.” - -“Had you any trouble getting your party?” - -“No, sir. Central was rather slow about answering, but that was the -only delay.” - -“Thanks, Tom, you’ve helped General Long a lot by telling me all this. -Go and see him about six to-night on your way to the White House. You -will probably catch him then. Is your wife well?” - -“Yes, sir, thank you. Please tell the General I will be at the hotel -without fail. Good-by, sir.” - -When Dick had departed, Tom walked into his kitchen with a grave face. - -“I’m afraid, Betty, I talked too freely with Mr. Tillinghast.” - -“Nonsense,” snapped Betty, whose temper was apt to get peppery when -she worked over a hot fire. “Master Dick isn’t the sort to get us into -trouble.” And that ended the discussion. - -Dick plodded along the streets too absorbed in thought to notice the -snow and ice. Should he, or should he not? Well, he would try anyway, -so quickening his steps he hastened over to the Congressional Library -and entered one of the pay-station telephone booths in the building. - -“What number, please?” asked Central. - -“Main 6.” A few minutes’ wait. - -“Drop in your nickel, there’s your party.” - -“Hello, White House, I want to speak to Secretary Burton--Hello, -Burton, that you? This is Dick Tillinghast talking.” - -“Well, Dick, how are you?” - -“Oh, so-so. Say, Burton, do you think the President would see me alone -for a few minutes?” Dick heard Burton whistle. “I know he is fearfully -busy with the arrival of the Grand Duke Sergius, but I swear it’s -important--a matter of life and death.” - -Burton detected the earnest note in Dick’s voice, and was convinced. - -“Hold the wire, old man.” - -Dick waited impatiently. So much depended on the answer. - -“Hello, Central, don’t cut me off--Burton, that you?” - -“Yes. The President says he will see you at ten minutes of five, -_sharp_.” - -“Burton, you are a trump. By-by.” - -Prompt to the minute, Dick appeared in the waiting room of the -Executive Offices. Burton came to the door and beckoned to him. - -“In with you,” he whispered. “I sincerely hope your news is of -sufficient importance to excuse my sending you in ahead of two irate -senators,” and he gave Dick’s broad shoulders an encouraging pat, as -the door swung open to admit him to the private office. - -Dick had been frequently thrown with the President, having been one -of the reporters detailed to accompany him when he toured the country -before his election, but he never entered his presence without feeling -the force and personality of the great American, who, with unerring -hand, was steering the Ship of State through such turbulent waters. - -The President straightened his tall, wiry form as Dick advanced to -greet him. His large dark eyes, set deep under shaggy eyebrows, gazed -rather blankly at Dick for a moment, then lighted with recognition as -they shook hands. - -“How are you, Mr. Tillinghast? Sit down here.” The President pointed to -a large arm chair close beside his desk, then he glanced at the clock. -“Burton said you wished to see me alone about a matter of life and -death.” - -“Well, yes, Mr. President; I put it that way to attract Burton’s -attention.” Then, seeing a frown gathering on the rugged, heavily lined -face, he hastened to add: “I came to see you about the Trevor murder.” - -There was no mistaking the President’s genuine start of surprise. - -“To see me! Why?” - -“I wanted to ask you, sir, who it was answered the telephone when you -called up the Attorney General’s private office on Thursday morning at -two fifteen o’clock?” - -The President leaned thoughtfully back in his chair and regarded Dick -intently. Apparently what he saw in his appearance pleased him, for -after a prolonged scrutiny, which Dick bore with what equanimity he -could, he reached over and touched his desk bell. - -“Is Secretary Bowers still in the White House?” he asked the attendant -who answered his summons. - -“Yes, Mr. President.” - -“My compliments, and ask him to step here.” - -Dick waited in silence, a good deal perturbed in spirit. What was to -pay? The President had but time to gather up some loose papers and put -them in his desk when the door opened and admitted his Secretary of -State, James Bowers, a man known throughout the length and breadth of -the land as representing all that was best in America and Americans. - -“Your attendant caught me just as I was leaving, Mr. President,” he -said. “I am entirely at your service,” and he bowed gravely to Dick, -who had risen on his entrance. - -“I won’t detain you long. You know Mr. Tillinghast?” - -“Yes,” smiled the Secretary. “He has interviewed me on many occasions.” - -“Then sit here by me.” The President pushed a chair toward him. “Mr. -Tillinghast has come to me about the Trevor murder.” The Secretary -raised his eyebrows in surprise. “I leave this matter entirely in your -hands, Bowers. Use your judgment in the affair. Now, Mr. Tillinghast, -tell us how you found out a telephone call came from this office at -that particular hour for the Trevor house.” - -Quickly Dick told them; and the two men followed each word with deep -attention. After Dick ceased speaking, the Secretary sprang from his -chair and paced the room rapidly in deep thought. - -“Tillinghast,” he said, stopping abruptly, “what I tell you now is -strictly confidential. I am not speaking for publication.” - -“Mr. Secretary,” replied Dick, quietly, “I give you my word of honor -that I shall never make use of what you tell me.” - -“Good! On the whole, I am glad you came, because I was just debating -whether or not to send for the Chief of Police about this very affair. -Have I your permission to speak freely to Tillinghast, Mr. President.” - -“You have.” - -Secretary Bowers settled himself more comfortably in his chair, cleared -his throat, and began: - -“On that Wednesday night I came here to have a secret conference about -a matter of national importance. The President and I talked until long -after midnight. During our discussion we found it necessary to get the -Attorney General’s advice on a vital law point. Knowing that Trevor -often stays until daylight in his private office, as I do--” a ghost -of a smile lighted his lips--“I took the chance of finding him and -rang him up there first, intending, if that failed, to call his house -’phone. The President’s voice and mine are much alike, and it is not -surprising that Murray thought it was he calling up Mr. Trevor at that -hour.” - -“And did he answer you?” asked Dick, breathlessly. - -“No--a woman did.” - -Dick sat back in his chair and gazed hopelessly at the President, and -then at the Secretary. Instantly his thoughts flew to Beatrice. Great -Heavens! He was almost afraid to ask the next question. - -“Did--did you by chance recognize her voice?” - -The Secretary hesitated a moment before answering. - -“She spoke with a decided foreign accent”--again he hesitated. “I -called her ‘Mrs. Trevor.’” - -“Mrs. Trevor!” gasped Dick. For once words failed him. - -“Let me describe the scene to you exactly,” went on the Secretary. -“I waited only a few minutes for the connection, and then I heard -the faint click of the receiver being removed from the hook, then a -woman’s cultivated voice asked: ‘Who is eet?’ I promptly replied: ‘Can -I speak to your husband, Mrs. Trevor?’ She made no answer, but in a -second the Attorney General came to the telephone, gave me the desired -information, and I rang off.” - -In absolute silence the three men faced each other, with bewilderment -and doubt written on their countenances. The long pause was broken by -the Secretary. - -“When I first heard of the tragedy I, like the rest of the world, -thought poor Mrs. Trevor had been murdered by the burglar, Nelson. On -the day the inquest was held, I received a telegram saying that my wife -was dangerously ill with typhoid fever in Cambridge. She had gone there -two weeks before to be with our son, who is at Harvard. I dropped -everything and hastened at once to her bedside. Until the crisis was -over I never left her. And so deep was my anxiety, for the doctors held -out little hope that she would recover, that I neglected everything -outside the sick room. I left all my business to my private secretary. - -“My wife rallied wonderfully after the crisis was passed, and I -returned to Washington on last night’s Federal. On the trip down my -secretary told me all the developments in the Trevor case. I was simply -thunderstruck!” - -“In his direct testimony Mr. Trevor denied being in his private office -after his return from the banquet; denied having seen his wife again. -He undoubtedly perjured himself,” said the President, thoughtfully. -“Still, even in the face of such evidence, he may be innocent of the -crime. For the time being I shall give him the benefit of the doubt.” - -“You are right, and very just, Mr. President,” exclaimed the Secretary. -“This phase of the case must be sifted to the bottom in absolute -secrecy. It would be ruinous to let the outside world know you even -suspect your Attorney General guilty of murder. The effect would be -appalling. Now, Tillinghast--” he spoke with greater emphasis--“I -know you to be a man of integrity. You have already shown great skill -in this affair; therefore, I am going to ask you to go and see the -Attorney General as my representative, and ask him for an explanation. -Then come and report to me. I could send one of the Secret Service men, -but the fewer people involved in this scandal the better.” - -“I’ll do my very best, Mr. Secretary, to merit your trust,” said Dick, -warmly. “But how am I to reach the Attorney General? He refuses to see -any newspaper men.” - -“That is easily arranged,” said the Secretary. “May I borrow pen and -ink, Mr. President?” drawing some note paper toward him as he spoke. -“I’ll write a few lines asking him to see you; that will be all that is -necessary.” - -Quickly Secretary Bowers’ hand traveled over the paper; then, folding -it neatly, he handed the note to Dick, saying: - -“Don’t fail us, Tillinghast; remember we depend on your tact and -discretion. I would see Trevor myself, but my time is entirely taken up -with the Grand Duke Sergius’ presence in the city. He dines with the -President to-night, as you doubtless know....” - -“Come in,” called the President, as a discreet knock interrupted the -Secretary. Burton entered and handed him a note. - -“This is marked ‘Immediate and Personal,’ Mr. President. Recognizing -the handwriting, I brought it right in.” - -As the President tore open the envelope and rapidly read its contents, -Secretary Bowers turned to Dick, who was standing by the desk awaiting -an opportunity to depart, and said quickly: - -“Come and see me at the State Department to-morrow morning at nine -o’clock.” - -The President signaled to Burton to withdraw; then he looked directly -at the Secretary of State and Dick. - -“This,” he said, tapping the letter in his hand, “is from Mr. Trevor, -tendering me his resignation as my Attorney General on the ground of -ill health.” - - - - -CHAPTER XI - -BEHIND CLOSED DOORS - - -A LOUD rat-a-tat-tat startled Dick as he dressed in his room that -night. On opening the door, he was much surprised to find General Long -standing on the threshold. - -“Didn’t expect to see me, did you?” asked Long, smiling at Dick’s -amazement. “Your very charming landlady told me I might come right up. -By Jove! she has fixed you up in comfort,” and he looked enviously -around Dick’s pleasant, home-like room. “This is something like,” -sinking luxuriously into a huge lounging chair. - -“It’s mighty good of you to look me up so soon, Chester. Sorry I can’t -spend the evening with you, but I must hurry along as soon as I am -fully dressed,” struggling to tie his cravat as he spoke. - -“Don’t mind me. I only dropped in to ask what you did to Tom Murray; -he’s in the devil of a flutter for fear he betrayed official secrets.” - -“Tom need not worry; he won’t get into trouble. Say, old man, I simply -must consult you; but first promise by all that you hold sacred you -won’t breathe a word of what I’m telling you.” - -“I swear.” Long’s mouth closed like a steel trap. When he spoke in that -tone Dick knew he meant what he said. - -“The Secretary of State asked me to keep these facts from becoming -public; but I know you can be relied on to be ‘mum.’” Dick spoke -slowly, weighing each word. “I must have your advice, Chester. Since -I saw you last I have received incontestable proof that Trevor _did_ -see his wife on his return from the banquet that night, although he -testified to the contrary.” - -Long whistled. “You think then that he had a hand in the murder?” he -asked doubtfully. - -“I cannot reach any other conclusion.” Dick stopped a moment to check -off his deductions on his fingers. “First, there is the possibility -of Gordon’s being Mrs. Trevor’s first husband--anyway, an old lover. -Secondly, he certainly was there that night. Probably Trevor returned -in time to catch them together.” - -“Or perhaps he overheard their conversation, waited until Gordon left, -then had it out with his wife,” interjected Long, quickly. “He may have -lost his temper--biff! Poor devil!” remorsefully. “We must not judge -too hastily, Dick; we don’t know what provocation he had--he may have -been insanely jealous, like Othello, for instance.” - -“Think of having to go and ask a man why he murdered his wife--oh, -Lord!--oh, damn!” Dick’s lamentations changed to maledictions. To -emphasize his remarks he had inadvertently used too much strength in -forcing his sleeve button through his cuff, and one of the links had -broken in his hand. “Here, help yourself to a cigarette,” pushing a box -towards Long, “while I mend this confounded button. Why aren’t you -dining at the White House to-night?” - -“Not sufficiently urged. Nothing under a Major-General was invited to -meet his Imperial Highness, the Grand Duke. The Russians are a mighty -fine looking race of men, Dick, and the Grand Duke’s staff is no -exception to the rule.” - -“Is that so? I met a very distinguished looking Russian last night, -a Count de Smirnoff. He spoke our language much better than most -foreigners.” - -“Oh, his nation are all good linguists. Is the Count a member of the -Grand Duke’s staff?” - -“De Morny didn’t tell me. By the way, we discussed the Trevor murder -last night, and Count de Smirnoff suggested that the burglar may have -picked up the broken end of the weapon used to kill Mrs. Trevor, and -being in no immediate fear of the hangman, is holding it back to use as -blackmail when he gets out of jail.” - -“That’s not a bad theory,” said Long. “Look into it, Dick. The deeper -we get in this affair the more involved it becomes. At present,” rising -as he saw Dick pick up his overcoat and hat, “it looks as if the -Attorney General were indeed the guilty man. And yet, Dick, if those -three people had a scene that night, Gordon, if innocent, must suspect -Trevor. Then why doesn’t he speak out and clear himself?” - -Dick shook his head despondently. “It’s beyond me,” he groaned. “Come -down and see me at the office to-morrow afternoon, Chester.” - -“I am sorry, but I can’t; for I have to escort the Grand Duke to -Fort Myer. The troops stationed there are to give a special drill in -his honor. But you come and dine with me at the Willard, about seven -thirty; for I am most anxious to hear the outcome of your interview -with Trevor.” - -“All right, I’ll be there. Come, hurry up, Chester, I’m behind time.” -So saying he hustled Long into his overcoat and out of the house. - -Twenty minutes later Dick ran lightly up the Trevor steps in much -tribulation of spirit. He heartily wished the night was over. - -“Can I see the Attorney General, Wilkins?” he asked, as that -functionary opened the door. - -“No, sir. He is not at home, sir.” - -“Sorry, Wilkins, but I must insist on being admitted. I come from the -Secretary of State. Take this note and my card up to the Attorney -General and ask if he can see me.” - -On entering the drawing-room Dick was surprised to see Alfred Clark -lounging comfortably back on the big divan near the fireplace. He -glanced up with annoyance at the sound of footsteps; but, recognizing -Dick, he came forward with outstretched hand. - -“Good evening, Tillinghast,” he said cordially. “I didn’t hear the -front bell ring; I must have been dozing.” - -“Indeed,” answered Dick. What was it about the fellow he didn’t -like? Ah, it came to him as Clark moved forward a chair--it was the -Secretary’s air of proprietorship--as if he were host and Dick a -tolerated intruder! - -“Can I do anything for you to-night, Tillinghast?” - -“No, thanks. I called to see the Attorney General.” - -“Ah!” Clark’s exclamation and shrug were foreign in their -expressiveness. “That is impossible. Mr. Trevor sees no one.” - -“I think he will see me,” said Dick, patiently. - -“I fear you are mistaken, Tillinghast. The Attorney General denies -himself to all callers,” Clark replied suavely. “You will really have -to confide your business to me.” - -“That is impossible,” replied Dick, shortly. - -Clark flushed at his tone, and his eyes flashed. - -“You forget, sir, that I am the Attorney General’s confidential -secretary, in fact, his representative. I would be perfectly within my -rights if I denied you admittance to this house.” - -The hot retort on Dick’s lips was checked by Wilkins’ entrance. - -“The Attorney General will see you, sir. Please walk into his private -office.” - -Try as he would, Clark could not prevent a look of deep chagrin -crossing his face, and Dick chuckled inwardly as he followed the butler -out of the room and across the broad hall. Just before he reached the -door leading into the office, he felt his nose twitching, premonitory -symptoms of a sneeze, and with hasty fingers he pulled his handkerchief -out of his cuff. - -The mended cuff link broke and made a tinkling noise as it struck on -the hearth of the open fireplace; and then, with the evil ingenuity -which sometimes possesses inanimate objects, it rolled far out of sight -under a suit of chain armor which hung to the left of the chimney. -Dick sprang in pursuit; Mrs. Macallister had given the set to him that -Christmas, and he was determined not to lose the button. So getting -down on hands and knees he groped about until his fingers closed over -it again; then rose hurriedly to his feet at the same time thrusting -the recovered link into his waistcoat pocket, to find himself face to -face with the Attorney General. - -“G--good e--evening, Mr. Attorney General,” he stammered, much -flustered. “I smashed my cuff link, and was hunting for the thing.” And -he exhibited his unfastened cuff to the Attorney General’s amused gaze. - -“I am sorry, Tillinghast,” said he. “Wilkins, see if you can help--” - -“Oh, I have the link,” broke in Dick, tapping his pocket reassuringly. - -“Then let us go into the office. I believe you wish to see me alone. -Ah! Clark,” as his secretary came out of the drawing-room, “you need -not wait any longer. Stay,” as Clark hastily put on his overcoat with -Wilkins’ assistance, “please stop on your way down Connecticut Avenue -and send this night letter for me. Good night, my boy.” - -“Good night, sir; good night, Tillinghast,” and the door banged to -behind his retreating form. - -After they were seated in the closed room Dick gazed in shocked -surprise at the Attorney General. Never had he seen a man alter so much -in so short a time. His hair and mustache were white, deep lines had -formed about his mouth and eyes, and the latter had a feverish light in -them which worried Dick extremely. For a moment he was at a loss how to -explain his errand, but the Attorney General solved the difficulty for -him. - -“Secretary Bowers in his note tells me that I can trust you absolutely, -and that you have confidential news of importance for my ear alone. Is -it in regard to my resignation?” - -“Well, partly, sir. I was with the President and the Secretary when -your letter was delivered. They both wish you to reconsider your -decision.” - -A shade of annoyance crossed Trevor’s face. “I am afraid that is -impossible, Tillinghast. I am an ill man, as you can see. It is -physically impossible for me to carry on my work at the Department of -Justice.” - -“Very true, sir. But could you not take a vacation only? That would set -you up wonderfully.” - -“My mind is made up,” said Trevor, stubbornly. “I intend to resign.” - -“The President told me, Mr. Attorney General, that he could not accept -your resignation until--until--” - -“Until what?” questioned Trevor, in growing surprise. - -Dick, taking his courage in both hands, continued: “Until you explain -your presence here with your wife shortly before she was killed.” - -“Are you mad?” shouted Trevor. “As I said on the witness stand, I never -saw my wife after my return that night--I--” - -“One moment, sir. You forget the Secretary himself talked on the -telephone to both you and your wife in this room at fifteen minutes -past two on Thursday morning.” - -The Attorney General grew so ghastly that Dick feared he would collapse -in his chair. - -“The telephone,” he croaked. “My God! the telephone--I forgot that--” -then, in uncontrollable agitation, he sprang to his feet and walked up -and down, head bent, eyes on the floor. - -Five minutes, ten minutes passed; but the silence between the two men -remained unbroken. Dick simply could not speak, he felt as if he were -torturing some dumb animal, for the look of agony on Trevor’s face -unnerved him. Finally the Attorney General dropped exhausted into his -revolving chair. - -“Tillinghast,” he said, slowly, “I am miserable--miserable--” His -shaking hand played for a second with his watch chain. “I thought that -by taking a certain course of action I could prevent knowledge of other -matters from becoming known broadcast.” - -“I beg your pardon, sir,” interrupted Dick, gently. “What you tell -me to-night will, as far as I am concerned, be repeated to only one -person--the Secretary.” - -“Thanks; that assurance makes it easier for me. If I had recollected -about the telephone call I would have gone to the President myself; -but--” a shrug completed his sentence. “Now, as I understand it, -Tillinghast,” he continued, “you three men think I came down here, met -my wife, quarreled with her, and killed her.” - -“Yes, that’s about it,” admitted Dick, reluctantly. - -“It is, I suppose, a natural inference. But the woman whom I was -talking to in this room--was not my wife.” - -Dick started so violently that he overturned a pile of magazines lying -on the desk by his elbow. He was too confused to pick them up, but sat -gazing blankly at Trevor. A vulgar intrigue! He had never supposed he -was that sort of man. - -The Attorney General colored painfully as he read Dick’s thought. - -“Don’t jump to conclusions,” he said, harshly. “To explain matters -fully I shall have to go back to my marriage to Hélène de Beaupré. We -met in London, and I, like many others, fell madly in love with her. -She returned my affection, and I persuaded her to marry me at once. - -“She has always been a good and loving wife to me. But I found she had -one fault; in fact, it became an overwhelming passion--she gambled. It -seemed to be some taint in her blood. Again and again I remonstrated -with her, but to no purpose. She gambled so persistently, so -recklessly, and her losses were so large that, finally, I told her my -income was crippled by her extravagance, and that hereafter she would -have to live within a certain allowance. She realized at last that I -was in earnest, and did her best to comply with my request. Would God I -had never made it!” Trevor spoke with passionate feeling. “I might have -known that a born gambler can never be cured or kept within bounds. - -“Well, to go on with my story, I thought that she had stopped gambling, -knowing that she had not overdrawn her allowance, or appealed to me for -extra money. But on Monday, February 1st, I went to the Barclays’ about -midnight to fetch my wife home from their card party. They play bridge -for high stakes in that house, and I had asked my wife to decline the -invitation. She refused to do so, however, saying if I would go there -for supper she would leave with me immediately afterwards. Knowing that -most of the high play took place after midnight, I agreed to do as she -requested. - -“When I entered the Barclays’ drawing-room the guests were still -playing, and I went and stood silently behind my wife’s chair. She was -absorbed in the play and did not notice my presence. To my unspeakable -horror, I saw her deliberately cheat. - -“For a moment the room swam around me, then gathering my wits I looked -to see if the other players had also detected her. As my eye traveled -around the table, Madame de Berriot raised her head, and I saw by her -expression that she also had caught my wife in the act of cheating. For -one sickening second I feared she would call everyone’s attention to -their table, but to my surprise, she said nothing. - -“I got my wife away as quickly as possible, but I was too sick at heart -to tell her of my discovery. I walked the floor for the rest of the -night wondering what was the best thing for me to do. - -“On my arrival at the Department Tuesday morning, I found Madame de -Berriot awaiting me in my office. It was not a pleasant interview.” -The Attorney General smiled bitterly. “We went over the whole dirty -business. She had come there to bleed me, and she did--$10,000 was her -price of silence. - -“I am a proud man, Tillinghast, and I could not bear to have my wife -and my name coupled with dishonor. I--I could not face the scandal that -would follow the exposé; therefore, I bought the woman off. - -“It was a large sum, and I could not give it to her at a moment’s -notice. She was then on her way to Baltimore, but intended to return to -Washington late on Wednesday afternoon to get her traps together, as -she was leaving here for good Thursday morning on the Colonial Express. -She did not wish me to call at the Embassy where she was stopping as -it might cause comment; she would not accept a certified check for the -same reason. - -“My engagements on Wednesday were such that I had no time free. -Therefore, in desperation, I suggested she should stop here for the -money. I knew my wife and Beatrice intended to go to the Bachelors’, -and that they never left a dance until the very end. So it was arranged -that she should come here on her way from the ball about two o’clock. - -“It was sheer madness to yield to a blackmailer, I know, but, -Tillinghast, I was half wild by that time, and lost my head; and -bitterly have I rued it since.” Trevor sighed drearily. “I came home -that night, as I testified at the inquest, and went directly to my -room, tiptoeing past my wife’s door, for I was desperately afraid of -awakening her. I threw myself down on the lounge and, overcome by -weariness, fell into a troubled sleep. - -“Some time later I awoke with a start, struck a match and glanced at -the clock; it was just five minutes of two. I raised the shade and -looked out of the window. The Embassy was not far away. Suddenly I -saw a woman’s figure coming slowly down 20th Street. I watched her -cross the street, and then hurried downstairs as noiselessly as I -could and admitted her. We went at once to the private office, and -there I discovered that I had left my wallet containing the money in -my bedroom, and I hastened back upstairs to get it. Just as I was -returning the telephone rang. Madame de Berriot, thinking the noise -might be overheard, removed the receiver, but instead of putting it -on the table answered the call; then beckoned to me. I talked to the -Secretary; then rang off. Immediately afterwards I gave Madame de -Berriot her money in gold certificates, and escorted her to the door. -That is the last I ever saw of her,” he added, leaning wearily back in -his chair. - -For some minutes Dick sat regarding Trevor in silence. Then he roused -himself. - -“Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?” - -“No; go ahead.” - -“Do you think anyone could have been in hiding in this room while you -were here?” - -“I think not. Madame de Berriot was as nervous as a cat, she kept -glancing in every direction.” - -“Was the safe open or closed?” - -“The outside closet door was closed, so the one to the safe had to be -shut.” - -“Why did you not keep the $10,000 in the safe?” - -“I had forgotten the combination.” Then, as he saw Dick’s look of -incredulity, he added: “I never can remember the complicated numbers; -so for convenience I wrote the word ‘safe’ and the numbers of the -combination down in a small memorandum book when I first took this -house. I seldom open the safe as Clark attends to it for me.” - -“Why didn’t you ask your secretary for the combination, or look it up -in your book?” - -“I forgot to ask Clark until after he had gone,” explained the Attorney -General patiently, “and when I looked for the book it was not in its -place.” - -“Indeed. Where do you usually keep it?” - -The Attorney General put his hand on the beveled front of his massive, -flat-topped desk. - -“This looks like a solid piece of mahogany,” he said, “but in fact it -is a secret drawer. To unlock it you open this upper left hand drawer -as far as it will go. There is a round hole in its back partition, -and by putting your hand through it you can touch the spring.” He -illustrated his words as he spoke, and the small secret drawer slid -noiselessly open. Dick examined the mechanism with care. - -“How many people can open this drawer besides yourself?” he asked. - -The Attorney General considered a moment before replying. - -“I am positive only Mrs. Trevor, my daughter, and myself can do so,” he -declared, finally. “My daughter bought the desk at an auction in New -York, and gave it to me shortly after we moved here.” - -“Did you go immediately upstairs after Madame de Berriot’s departure?” -asked Dick, continuing his inquiries. - -“I did; going straight to my room. Everything upstairs was perfectly -quiet. I went to bed at once, and fell sound asleep shortly after my -head touched the pillow.” Then, as Dick rose, he added quickly: “Tell -the Secretary everything. Now that I know I may be suspected of -murder, I withdraw my resignation. I will stay here and fight it out. -Tell him, also--” his voice rang out clearly, impressively--“that, as -God is my witness, I know nothing of my wife’s murder!” - - - - -CHAPTER XII - -BLIND CLEWS - - -“AND what is your opinion, Tillinghast?” asked the Secretary. They were -sitting alone the next morning in his private office. He had listened -attentively to Dick’s detailed account of his interview with the -Attorney General. - -“I believe Mr. Trevor’s statement,” he answered, looking squarely at -Secretary Bowers. - -“And so do I,” heartily agreed the other. “Trevor had to buy Madame de -Berriot’s silence. If the scandal had gotten out it would have meant -social ostracism, not only for the guilty woman, but for Beatrice -Trevor and her father as well. It is another case of the innocent -suffering with the guilty. Now, Tillinghast, do you know any facts -about Mr. Gordon’s connection with this affair which have not been -made public?” Seeing Dick’s hesitancy, he added, “Murders are usually -outside my province, I know, but this one touches the President -closely; first one of his aides is suspected, then his Attorney General -is dragged into the affair. If innocent, they must be cleared as -quickly as possible. Come, sir, I must have an answer.” - -“You are right, Mr. Secretary,” replied Dick. “I only hesitated fearing -I might get Gordon into further trouble.” Then, in a few words, he -repeated what General Long had told him. - -“Whew!” whistled the Secretary. “That certainly complicates matters. Do -you think Trevor knew of Gordon’s former infatuation for his wife?” - -“Indeed, sir, I was afraid to speak of Gordon,” confessed Dick. “I -didn’t know what effect it might have. Mr. Trevor looked so desperately -ill and worn.” - -The Secretary nodded comprehendingly. “I am going to send for him to -lunch with me to-day to tell him that he must on no account resign -just now, and I will try and find out how much he does know of Mrs. -Trevor’s old love-affair.” He paused a moment, then resumed: “There are -two things which I think have a bearing on this case.” - -“What are they, Mr. Secretary?” asked Dick, eagerly. - -“First--find out who removed the Attorney General’s memorandum book. -Secondly--while everyone has tried to prove who entered the Trevor -house, no one has sought to find out when a certain member of the -household left there.” - -“Whom do you mean?” - -“Why, what time did the private secretary leave the house, and where -did he spend the evening?” - -“By Jove! I never thought of him.” - -“Look up those two things. I feel sure they will repay you.” Then, as -Dick picked up his hat and cane, “Tillinghast, you have acted with -great discretion in this affair, and I feel convinced you will carry -your investigations to a successful issue. If I can be of service to -you at any time, come and see me.” - -Thanking the Secretary warmly for his encouraging words, Dick hastened -out of the room. At the _Star_ Office, he found a note awaiting him -from Peggy. She asked him to come and see her that afternoon and -“report progress.” - -“‘Report progress,’” groaned poor Dick. “I’m damned if I can. Your -Uncle Dudley’s up a tree for sure, Peggy darling, but he’ll do some -tall climbing before he gives up, you bet.” - -“Say, son, the City Editor wants you P. D. Q.,” called Dan Conner. -“Stop mooning and hump yourself.” - -Taking the hint, Dick fled upstairs to the city room on the double -quick. - -“Morning, Dick,” said Colonel Byrd. “Gibson has just sent word that he -is sick, so you will have to take his place at the Capitol. Get down -there early, as there are some important committee meetings to cover. -By the way, any further news about the Trevor murder?” - -“Not now, sir. There may be some new developments shortly, though. Can -I get off if I hear of anything turning up in that quarter?” - -“Sure; drop everything and run. Get your stuff in as quick as you can.” -And the busy editor turned back to his desk. - - * * * * * - -The clock was just striking half past five when Dick, after an eventful -day at the Capitol, reached Mrs. Macallister’s hospitable mansion on -F Street. The old house with its Colonial architecture looked like a -relic of antebellum days, for standing as it did well back from the -sidewalk, with two fine old elms on either side of the brick walk, -it had an individuality of its own. A central hall ran through it, -the drawing-room and dining-room being to the left of the front door, -while the large library and billiard room were on the other side. The -ceilings were very high, which made the house most comfortable in hot -weather. That fact, combined with her beautiful rose garden, induced -Mrs. Macallister to stay in the city until July. - -True to the traditions of old Washington, Mrs. Macallister kept her -“Fridays at Home” from November until June. The fashion of having -only four days in a month did not suit her hospitable mind, and those -who put first and third Tuesdays, or Wednesdays, as the case might -be, on their visiting cards, drove her nearly frantic. “I was always -a poor mathematician,” she informed one of her friends. “I know two -and two make four, but this dot and carry one business is beyond me.” -Therefore, she usually flung the offending pasteboards into the scrap -basket and went serenely on her way, returning calls when it suited her -pleasure and convenience. - -Another innovation to which she seriously objected was having tea -served in her drawing-room. Five o’clock tea at home in the bosom of -her family was one thing; but having a small tea table, littered with -cups and saucers and plates, stuck in one corner with an unhappy matron -presiding over it was quite a different matter. Therefore, every Friday -the dining-room table was regularly set and covered with tempting -dishes of all descriptions; and Peggy poured tea at one end, and -one of her numerous friends was always asked to take care of the hot -chocolate at the other. - -The callers had thinned out by the time Dick arrived, only about a -dozen people, mostly men, were sitting comfortably around the table. -His heart sank when he saw de Morny in close attendance upon Peggy. To -his jealous eyes they appeared to be on very confidential terms indeed, -which completed his misery. Mrs. Macallister beckoned to him to sit by -her, so, casting a lingering glance at Peggy, he obediently carried his -cup and saucer to her side of the table. - -“Any further developments in the Trevor murder, Dick?” Mrs. Macallister -asked him, after a few minutes’ chat about other matters. - -Her words were overheard by a tall, showily dressed woman sitting -across the table from them, and she leaned over and joined in the -conversation. - -“Yes, do tell us, Mr. Tillinghast,” she begged, with an ingratiating -smile. Matilda Gleason was one of four sisters who lived in a -handsome palace on Columbia Road. It was rumored to have cost in the -neighborhood of two hundred thousand dollars; as to the architecture, -the Gleasons _said_ it was Early English, but having employed three -architects before the house was completed, the effect was more or less -startling. It had been nicknamed “Gilded Misery.” - -Where the Gleasons had come from was a mooted question, but they had -taken a good many staid Washingtonians into camp by the splendor of -their entertainments. Mrs. Macallister had never called upon them, but -in an unwary moment the chairman of the Board of Lady Managers of the -Children’s Hospital had put Miss Gleason on the same committee with -Mrs. Macallister, and the former had seized the opportunity to call -that afternoon on the pretext of discussing business pertaining to the -Hospital. - -“Why, no news at all,” answered Dick, cautiously. He knew Miss -Gleason’s love of scandal, and that the sisters had been nicknamed -“Envy, Hatred, Malice, and All Uncharitableness” by one long-suffering -matron, who had been their victim on several occasions. - -“When does the case go to the Grand Jury, Dick,” called Peggy, from her -end of the table. - -“In about ten days, I think.” - -“I hope Mr. Gordon’s sentence will be all that the law allows,” said -Miss Gleason. It was apparent to everyone where the shoe pinched. All -Washington, which in some ways is like an overgrown village, knew of -her relentless and unsuccessful pursuit of Gordon during the month -that he had been stationed at the White House, and several of the men -present, who had suffered from the same cause, smiled to themselves. - -“It is not at all certain he committed the crime,” said Mrs. -Macallister, freezingly. - -“He virtually admitted it,” retorted Miss Gleason. - -“We look on a man as innocent until proven guilty, you know, Miss -Gleason,” answered Dick, quietly. - -“Well, if he isn’t guilty, who is?” asked Miss Gleason. - -“The burglar,” promptly chimed in Peggy. - -“Nonsense, my dear; why should such a person use a hat-pin when he had -his revolver, and where would he get such a thing?” - -For a moment Peggy was at a loss for a reply. She had the same doubt -herself, but she was determined not to give in to Miss Gleason, “horrid -old cat.” Count de Morny, all unconsciously, came to her rescue. The -other guests were silently listening to the discussion. - -“I sink Madame Trevor haf stick herself wiz ze pin,” he volunteered, -struggling with the _langue terrible_, which he had never been able to -master. “But yes, Monsieur,” catching Dick’s incredulous stare, “did -not ze doctaire say it was possible for one who was left handed to -strike herself the blow?” - -“How do you know Mrs. Trevor was left handed?” demanded Miss Gleason -loudly. - -“I haf played ze cards wiz her most often,” answered de Morny, simply. - -“But why should Mrs. Trevor commit suicide?” asked Dick, unbelievingly. - -De Morny shrugged his shoulders, and answered his question with -another: “Why should Monsieur Gordon kill her?” - -“That’s right,” declared Captain McLane, of the U.S. Marine Corps. -“Why should he? I served three years on board the same cruiser with -Donald Gordon, and there isn’t a more honorable, lovable fellow in the -Service. It is absolutely unbelievable that he could perpetrate so -ghastly a crime.” - -As Dick looked across at Peggy he caught Count de Smirnoff’s eye. The -Russian was sitting between his hostess and Miss Gleason. For the first -time he joined in the conversation. - -“Your theory is weak, Henri,” he said, mildly. “Why should a young and -beautiful woman, who enjoys health, wealth, and a happy home, kill -herself?” - -“You nevaire can tell about ze ladies,” retorted de Morny, obstinately. -“Zey are--what you say--‘a law unto themselves, and easily wrought-over -and deviled up. Zey make trifles into mountains.” - -“Granting that Mrs. Trevor might have had a motive for suicide,” said -Dick, smiling at the excited Frenchman, “it was utterly impossible for -a dead woman to lock herself in the safe.” - -“Could she not have killed herself in the safe after shutting the -door?” inquired de Smirnoff. - -Dick shook his head. “Possibly you do not recollect that witnesses -testified at the inquest that her left arm was pressed tightly against -the door-jamb, supporting her weight.” - -“She might have fallen forward into that position.” - -“I hardly think it likely. Mr. Clark, who was the first inmate of the -household to find Mrs. Trevor, testified that her body was literally -wedged into the safe.” - -“You have but his word for it.” - -A peculiar tone in the speaker’s voice caused Dick to glance sharply -at him, but he learned nothing from the Russian’s face. It was -expressionless. Before Dick could pursue his questions, Miss Gleason -threw herself into the conversation. - -“How is that dear Mr. Clark bearing up under this terrible tragedy?” -she asked, addressing Peggy directly. - -“He looked very well the last time I saw him,” said the latter, a -twinkle of mischief in her deep blue eyes. - -“I am so glad to hear it. You know, dear Mrs. Macallister, he is -such a delightful man to have around. He always looks after one so -attentively. I never want for anything when he is in the room; and then -he is so handsome, so cultivated! It is a dreadful blow having him in -mourning.” - -“I wasn’t aware he is in mourning,” said Peggy, surprised. “Has he lost -a relative?” - -“Oh, no. But of course he will accept no invitations now, on account of -his engagement to Beatrice Trevor.” - -“What!” Peggy nearly overturned the urn in her excitement. “Miss -Gleason, you are entirely mistaken. Beatrice never was engaged to Mr. -Clark.” - -“Indeed? Mrs. Trevor led me to suppose otherwise. From what she said -I gathered the engagement was to be announced shortly. It is not -surprising I thought it a love match,” she continued, catching a -glimpse of Peggy’s indignant expression. “He is desperately attentive -to her, and I see them together all the time.” - -“Speaking of seeing people,” broke in Captain McLane, “have you seen -Bertie Lee since he and his wife returned from their honeymoon? He came -into the club the other night looking absolutely woe-begone.” - -“He did, indeed,” laughed Dick. “I couldn’t help thinking of the lines: - - ‘“When I think on what I are - And what I uster was - I feel I threw myself away - Without sufficient cos!”’” - -“They suit him to a ‘T,’” agreed McLane, helping himself to a glass of -cherry bounce. - -“You know the Courtland Browns, do you not, Mrs. Macallister,” asked -Miss Gleason, pulling on her gloves preparatory to departing. “I hear -they are going to air their marital troubles in court, but it’s a -long story, and I must go. Good-by, dear Mrs. Macallister, such a -delightful afternoon. Good-by, everybody, don’t get up?” She waved her -hand to them all and tripped out of the room. - -“‘The wicked flee when no man pursueth,’” quoted Mrs. Macallister, a -naughty twinkle in her eye. - -“Have you heard of the dinner the Gleasons gave at which they separated -the goats from the sheep?” asked Captain McLane. “They served Veuve -Cliquot at one table, and American champagne at the other.” - -“Oh, why do we put up with such ill-bred behavior?” cried Peggy, -impulsively. - -“My dear, you are wrong,” said Mrs. Macallister. “The Gleasons belong -to a large class who show ‘the unconscious insolence of conscious -wealth,’ as one of our statesmen aptly puts it.” - -“Miss Gleason is very highly colored for a woman of her years,” said de -Smirnoff, gravely. - -“Highly colored!” exclaimed Mrs. Macallister. “It’s a wonder she -doesn’t die of painter’s colic. Must you go?” as her guests rose from -the table, and she walked with them into the drawing-room. - -It was some few minutes before the other callers started on their -way, and Dick listened with what patience he could muster to their -interminable good-bys. But Peggy soon joined him in the drawing-room. - -“Now, sir, give an account of yourself,” she said, with mock severity. -“You haven’t been near me since the ball--” a sudden recollection -caused her to blush hotly, and Dick thought what a lovely, dainty bit -of femininity she was. Her shimmering crêpe de chine Princess dress of -sapphire blue showed up her blonde beauty in a way to tantalize any -man, let alone poor Dick, who was already hopelessly in the toils. - -Dick promptly lost his head. “Peggy,” he stammered. “Dearest--be--” - -“What are you two talking about?” asked Mrs. Macallister, coming -suddenly back into the room. - -“Er--nothing,” gasped Dick, who had a wholesome dread of incurring her -displeasure. Having a very modest opinion of himself, he feared she -would bitterly oppose his suit. “I was just going to ask Peggy about -Alfred Clark and Beatrice Trevor. Was there ever anything between them, -Peggy?” - -“Well, really, Dick!--” - -“I know, Peggy, I know you won’t break a confidence; but indeed it is -important that I know.” - -Peggy debated for a moment while Mrs Macallister looked thoughtfully at -them. What were those two young people up to? It behooved her to find -out. - -“Then, I think I’d better tell you, Dick; particularly as I’m not -breaking any confidence. Alfred Clark _is_ devoted to Beatrice, and I -overheard him making desperate love to her at their house on Tuesday -night, or rather Wednesday morning. I was searching for Beatrice to -say good-by and walked in upon them in the private office. You know -it was a very large party, and the entire first floor was thrown open -to accommodate the guests. Beatrice seemed glad of the interruption, -but Mr. Clark looked as black as a thunder cloud. I rather enjoyed -his discomfiture,” and Peggy laughed at the recollection. “One gets so -tired of his perpetual smile.” - -“Do you think Miss Trevor returns his affection?” - -Peggy looked troubled. “Beatrice is very reserved,” she said. “She -seldom speaks of men’s attentions to her, even to me, her best friend. -If you had asked me that question a month ago I would have said -positively, ‘No’--but lately, Beatrice, without actually encouraging -Mr. Clark, has allowed him to be with her more than formally.” - -“Then you think--?” - -“I don’t know what I think,” pettishly. - -“Was this supper given the night before the murder?” - -“Yes. Madame Bernhardt was the guest of honor.” - -“Was Gordon there by chance?” - -“Oh, yes. He took me out to supper and was just as jolly and nice as he -could be.” - -“I am sorry to interrupt you young people,” called Mrs. Macallister -from the doorway. She had strolled out into the hall to speak to her -maid. “But I must remind Peggy that she has to dress for a dinner at -the Pattersons’.” - -“Gracious!” exclaimed Dick, in dismay, glancing at his watch. “I had no -idea it was so late. Do forgive me, Mrs. Macallister, for staying so -long.” - -“I will, provided you promise to come and dine with us on Wednesday -next, at eight o’clock.” - -Peggy’s eyes seconded the invitation, and Dick accepted so joyfully -that Mrs. Macallister’s eyes danced wickedly. “Count de Smirnoff is -very agreeable,” she said, as Peggy left the room, “and I am indebted -to Count de Morny for bringing him to see me. They had been to the -drill at Fort Myer, and the Russian gave a most entertaining account -of it. It is a relief to talk to him after struggling with Count de -Morny’s broken English.” - -“It is indeed,” agreed Dick, heartily. “Poor de Morny certainly murders -the King’s English.” - -“I asked Count de Smirnoff to call again,” pursued Mrs. Macallister. “I -like him, and we have many mutual friends.” - -“How long is he going to be here?” - -“Until the Grand Duke returns to New York. Good night, Dick; come and -see us soon again.” - - - - -CHAPTER XIII - -THE THREAT - - -ON that same afternoon Beatrice sat in the library gazing with troubled -eyes at a letter lying open in her lap. Suddenly she tore it into -shreds and flung the pieces into the open fire. - -“How dare he?” she exclaimed aloud. - -“Beg pardon, Miss Beatrice,” said Wilkins, patiently. He had already -addressed her three times. - -“What is it?” asked Beatrice, for the first time aware of his presence. - -“Detective Hardy is at the telephone, miss. He wishes to know if you -can see him this afternoon.” - -“No, I cannot.” She shivered slightly. “Tell him, Wilkins, that I am -lying down, but that I will see him to-morrow about this time. I am not -at home to anyone to-day.” - -“Very good, miss.” - -Just as Wilkins hung up the telephone receiver, the front bell rang so -loudly that in the library Beatrice paused in her rapid pacing back and -forth to listen. She heard voices raised in a heated altercation. “Some -more reporters,” she thought, shrugging her shoulders nervously. She -threw herself on the lounge and took up her embroidery. - -“Well, here I am,” said a heavy bass voice from the doorway. Beatrice -glanced up in surprise, and saw Mrs. Curtis, wife of the Secretary -of War, standing on the threshold. Wilkins’ flushed and unhappy -countenance could be seen over her shoulder. It was not often that he -was out-maneuvered as a watch-dog. “Your servant said you were out, but -I knew he was _lying_, so just walked right by him. I simply had to see -you, Beatrice,” kissing her affectionately. - -“And I’m very glad to see you, Mrs. Curtis,” answered Beatrice, warmly, -as she helped her off with her wraps. - -“Joe said you wouldn’t want to see me,” went on Mrs. Curtis, picking -out a comfortable chair and seating her two hundred odd pounds in it -very gingerly. “Joe also said I must not allude to your troubles--Mercy -on us!”--greatly embarrassed--“well, the murder’s out--good gracious!” - -Her consternation was so ludicrous that Beatrice smiled as she pulled a -chair forward. Mrs. Curtis’ faculty for making “breaks” was well known -among her friends. - -Short of stature, her weight made her waddle when she walked, and no -art of any dressmaker could give her a waist line. Boasting as she did -of a long line of ancestors, whose names were illustrious in American -history, she considered she could do as she pleased, live where she -pleased, and associate with whom she pleased. Her manners could not -always be relied on; they were apt to vary with the state of her -digestion. Abrupt and often overbearing at times, she had, however, -two traits of character shared by few--loyalty and the courage of her -convictions. - -She had always been fond of Beatrice, and some recent gossip about the -Trevors coming to her ears that afternoon had made her very angry. She -championed their cause at once, to the consternation of the two worthy -women who, having repeated the gossip, wilted under her indignant -glance. Hence the determined assault on the Trevors’ front door. - -“Tea!” she exclaimed, overhearing Beatrice’s order to Wilkins. “My -dear, don’t have it on my account. I detest the stuff. A glass of -sherry and a biscuit will do me more good than anything else you can -offer.” - -“How is the Secretary?” asked Beatrice, placing the decanter and -biscuits which had been quickly forthcoming, before her guest. - -“Very well, barring an attack of gout. I told him it was a case of -suppressed kicking against the powers that be on Capitol Hill. I met -your father on the street this morning. He looks dreadfully, poor man. -Is there any truth in this rumor of his resigning?” casting a keen -glance at the unconscious girl. - -“No truth at all,” Beatrice answered emphatically. “We may both go to -Atlantic City for a week, but that is the only time father will be -away from his office until June. I can’t imagine how such a report -started.” - -“Washington is a hotbed of rumors always,” retorted Mrs. Curtis. “What -people don’t know, they make up. But I did not come here to talk about -my neighbors’ shortcomings, but to ask if you won’t go motoring with -me as soon as the condition of the streets permits. You need to be out -in the fresh air,” and she patted Beatrice’s thin cheeks. The somber -black garb enhanced her pallor, but for all that Mrs. Curtis decided in -her own mind that she had seldom seen her look more lovely. “If that -man has been playing fast and loose with her affections,” she thought, -“I’ll--I’ll give him a piece of my mind.” It was no idle threat. Those -who had experienced a piece of her gray matter would rather have faced -a Gatling gun; at least, the end came swiftly. - -“I’d love to go with you, Mrs. Curtis.” - -“Good. And you’ll come back and dine with us?” - -“Oh, I wouldn’t like to, just yet, because of our deep--” for the life -of her she could not say grief--“mourning,” she supplemented. - -“Tut! No one stops to think of that, nowadays.” Suddenly realizing -that she might be treading on rather painful ground for Beatrice, Mrs. -Curtis pulled herself up short. “I’ll take another glass of sherry -after all, for I am simply exhausted. Ever since three o’clock I’ve -done nothing but peddle cards from house to house.” - -“Done what?” asked Beatrice, in blank amazement. - -“Peddle cards--visiting cards. I have a calling list as long as the -Washington Monument. It’s perfectly fearful. First they call; you call; -they call, and so it goes, back and forth, battledore and shuttlecock.” - -“It is a treadmill,” agreed Beatrice, laughing. “It is a pity someone -doesn’t open a clearing house for callers, it would simplify matters, -particularly for the official set.” - -“The habit is just as bad among the Cave Dwellers (old Washingtonians), -” she explained in parenthesis. “_They_ even make tea calls! I work -like a slavey, and yet it’s all I can do to make my bread and butter -ones. By the way, did you go to the Constables’ dinner dance two weeks -ago?” - -“No,” answered Beatrice, interested. “I heard it was a feast.” - -“A feast? It was a feed! One hundred and fifty dinner guests, and fifty -extra couples for the cotillion afterwards. The favors were beautiful, -so beautiful that there was great rivalry to get them, and later in -the evening it was noised around that the souvenir favors were twenty -dollar gold pieces. Anyway, that particular favor was given out in -cardboard boxes, and none of the men would give them away to a girl -until they investigated them first for fear they wouldn’t get one in -return.” - -“What were they?” asked Beatrice, greatly diverted. - -“Oh, pieces of handsome jewelry. By the way, I saw Margaret Macallister -there flirting outrageously. That nice Mr. Tillinghast is very -attentive to her.” - -“He has been in love with her for years. But Peggy flouts him, as she -does all the rest.” - -“To take up with a broken stick in the end, I suppose. Well, it’s a -pity young Tillinghast is wasting his time. Mrs. Macallister would -never consent to her marrying a poor man when a title is in sight.” - -“You are wrong, Mrs. Curtis,” said Beatrice, politely but positively. -“Mrs. Macallister is a woman of the world, not a worldly woman. She is -devoted to her granddaughter, and would not let money considerations -interfere with Peggy’s future happiness.” - -“Still, my dear, Count de Morny is a matrimonial prize. Perhaps he -will win her after all, the diplomats have such charming, delightful -manners--a great contrast to our men.” - -“Quite true, Mrs. Curtis; but personally give me an American every -time. Our men may not know parlor tricks, but they are tender, loyal -and brave.” Beatrice spoke with unwonted feeling. - -“Hoity-toity, child, don’t get so excited. I meant no particular -criticism of our men. Haven’t I a dear old bear at home, whom I’d -positively _hate_ if he wasn’t an American. Mercy on us, it’s nearly -six o’clock, I must run along. Good-by, my dear,” kissing Beatrice with -unusual tenderness. “Keep a good heart.” And she bustled out of the -house. - -Beatrice walked rather slowly back to the library. She was deeply -touched as well as surprised by Mrs. Curtis’ blunt kindness. “From -those we expect the least, we get the most,” she thought bitterly, -while gathering up her workbag preparatory to going to her room. - -“May I come in for a moment?” asked a voice from the doorway. Beatrice -glanced with some astonishment at the speaker, and answered quietly: - -“Why, certainly, Mr. Clark.” - -“Your father has just telephoned that he is detained at the White -House, and will not be back until late.” He stopped speaking, and -fingered the table ornaments; then burst out: “Miss Beatrice, why do -you not take better care of yourself?” - -Beatrice flushed. “I am stronger than I look. You must not always judge -by appearances.” - -Clark shook his head. “It does not require much intelligence to see -that you are nearly worn out. Why,” leaning a little closer, “your eyes -are actually red from crying.” - -“You are not very complimentary,” said Beatrice, vexedly, biting her -lip, “and,” drawing herself up, “just a trifle personal.” - -“You mean familiar?” - -Beatrice made no answer. - -“Well, I plead guilty. Do not be angry with me. I am only personal -because I cannot bear to see you ill--suffering.” - -“Indeed, Mr. Clark, you are mistaken,” she answered lightly. “There is -nothing whatever the matter with me, except the physical exhaustion -which naturally follows such a tragedy. A good sleep would be my best -tonic. I am going upstairs now to rest before dinner. Ring for Wilkins -if you wish anything.” - -As she moved towards the door Clark put out his hands beseechingly. - -“Don’t go; stay just a moment. I so seldom see you now. Why do you -avoid me?” - -“_You_ ask me that?” - -“Yes,” steadily. - -“Your own conscience can answer better than I.” - -“It tells me only of my love for you.” - -“You must have it well under control then.” - -Clark’s dark eyes flamed. “You doubt my love, my devotion, after all -these months?” - -Beatrice faced him squarely, her face showing white and drawn in the -cold electric light. - -“Do you call it ‘love’ to torment me day after day with unwelcome -attentions; to use my stepmother as a lever against me; to poison my -father’s affection for me with lying tales? Do you think _that_ a way -to win a woman?” - -Clark’s handsome face paled under Beatrice’s accusing eyes. - -“I deny your charges,” he said, keeping his self-control with -difficulty. - -“What is the use?” Beatrice sighed wearily. “It was owing entirely -to your influence that my home became unendurable. Mrs. Trevor did -everything in her power to force me to accept you.” - -Under his breath, Clark muttered a remark that was not complimentary to -the dead woman. - -“Beatrice,” he said, gently, “in your sheltered life you know little -of the temptations, of the evil of this world. Before I came to your -father, I had knocked about from pillar to post and been thrown with -all sorts and conditions of men and women. The least said about the -latter the better.” He smiled unpleasantly. “Then I met you, so kind, -so courteous to the poor secretary. Is it any wonder that I lost my -head, and built castles in the air? As week followed week my admiration -for you changed to passionate love. God knows, you never gave me any -encouragement. But I have hoped on, my starved heart feeding on every -stray crumb of attention that you showed me. - -“Beatrice, Beatrice, look at me.” He flung back his head, shaking -his black hair off his broad forehead, his handsome face alight with -feeling; and he drew his well-knit, slender figure to his full height. -“Am I deformed? Am I hateful to look upon? My darling, my dear, dear -one, give me but a chance.” - -Beatrice’s face softened. He was making it very hard for her. As she -hesitated, he caught the look of pity in her beautiful eyes, mistook -it, and springing forward clasped her in his arms, showering frantic -kisses on her brow, face and lips. - -Desperately Beatrice struggled to free herself. With superhuman -strength she thrust him from her. - -“You coward--you coward!” she cried. - -Clark stood a short distance from her, panting a little from his -emotions. - -“You coward,” reiterated Beatrice, “to take advantage of a defenseless -woman!” - -Slowly the hot blood ebbed from Clark’s face, and his eyes gleamed -wickedly. - -“Take care,” he said. “I admit I forgot myself; but God! you don’t know -how I’ve longed to hold you in my arms; to feel your heart beating -against mine. It was sheer madness; but the look in your dear eyes went -to my head like wine. I thought I had won.” - -“Do you think that such a cur as you can win an honest woman’s love?” - -“Stop! Don’t go too far. I come of a race that never forgets an insult. -My mother was a Neapolitan.” He drew a long breath. “That one moment -was worth your hate.” - -“My hate!” echoed Beatrice. “Say rather my loathing!” And she drew her -handkerchief across her lips as if to wipe out the burning kisses he -had showered upon her. - -Clark saw the gesture and read its meaning. The fierce anger in his -eyes almost made her quail. - -“So,” he said, as soon as he could speak; “so I am not good enough to -touch you--” He laughed insultingly. “Bah! you are not worth my love.” - -Shaken and outraged as she was, Beatrice faced him proudly. - -“This scene has gone far enough,” she said. “Go!” - -“Go? Yes, I’ll go.” Clark fairly shook with rage as he bent towards -her. “But be sure of one thing: I’ll get even, although it ruins me. -Oh, I can do it, too--” seeing her look of disdain--“for--I know your -secret!” - -With ashen face and fast beating heart, Beatrice stood transfixed -gazing at Clark’s retreating figure. As the library door slammed to -behind him, she staggered rather than walked to the lounge and threw -herself face down upon it. - - - - -CHAPTER XIV - -HAND AND PIN - - -“AND so you are no nearer clearing poor Gordon than you were -twenty-four hours ago?” said Long, thoughtfully. - -“Exactly,” answered Dick, glumly. The two friends were sitting in -Long’s room at the New Willard, and Dick had been giving an account -of his efforts to straighten out the tangled threads of the Trevor -mystery. He was tired in body, and discouraged in mind. Even the -fragrant Havana he was smoking gave him no comfort. Then his teeth came -together with a snap, and he threw back his head defiantly. “I refuse -to give up. I’ll find out the truth if it takes me years!” - -“Bully for you, old man. I wish I could help you.” - -“After all, the evidence against Gordon is simply circumstantial,” -argued Dick. - -“Many men have been convicted on that alone; and these against Gordon -are pretty damning,” commented Long. “We have already established a -motive for the crime.” - -“Hold on. Clark’s statement of Mrs. Trevor’s marriage to Gordon has -never been substantiated. He simply saw them--” - -“Applying for a license. Quite true; but there is one fact you cannot -overlook. Gordon was infatuated with the murdered woman; for that I can -vouch. He knew her intimately in London; and yet, you say they greeted -each other as strangers when they met here three years later.” - -“A lot can happen in that time.” - -“Very true. But why were they not consistent in their behavior? -Outwardly posing as mere acquaintances, Mrs. Trevor made an appointment -with Gordon at a most unconventional hour when she _knew_ her -husband would be absent. Do you think she would have run the risk of -compromising herself if some vital interest had not been at stake?” - -“No.” - -“Obviously they quarreled--what about we have yet to find out--and the -murder followed.” - -Dick shook his head in dissent. “I cannot reconcile the perpetrator of -so frightful a deed with the Gordon I have known and admired.” - -“Mrs. Trevor probably goaded him past human endurance, and he struck -her in a moment of ungovernable rage.” - -“Where did he get the weapon?” - -“Very likely Mrs. Trevor left her hat-pin in her husband’s office some -time during the day, and forgot about it. Gordon may have picked it up, -and toyed with it, all unconscious of the use he could put it to until -the blind moment came.” - -“It may have been no murder at all,” exclaimed Dick. “Perhaps Mrs. -Trevor tripped, and Gordon, forgetful of the pin in his hand, tried to -catch her and accidentally pierced her side in a vital spot.” - -“Then how did her dead body get into the safe?” - -“Ask me something easy,” groaned Dick. “Perhaps Gordon, fearing his -story of an accident would not be believed, thrust her in there and -fled, thinking he would not then be connected with the affair.” - -“How did Gordon get the safe open?” - -“Possibly Mrs. Trevor opened the safe before he got there.” - -“Did she know the combination?” - -“The Attorney General declares that only he and Clark knew it.” - -The room telephone rang loudly, and Long hastened to answer it. -“Hello! Yes, at the ’phone. Yes; he’s here--all right.” He hung up the -receiver. “It’s a note for you, Dick, so I told the clerk to send it -right up.” - -“Thanks. Secretary Bowers advised me to find out the whereabouts of -Clark on the night of the third,” pursued Dick, tossing his cigar stub -into the ash receiver, “but up to now I’ve been so busy I have not had -a chance.” - -“That’s not a bad idea-- Come in,” called Long, as a knock sounded on -his door. A district messenger boy entered. - -“Mr. Tillinghast?” he asked. Long motioned to Dick. “Sign here, sir,” -and he extended his book and the letter at the same time. - -“How did you know Mr. Tillinghast was here?” asked Long, idly, as Dick -hurriedly scrawled his name in the place designated. - -“The lady at his house told me he was dining here with you, sir; and as -the Attorney General said it must be delivered at once, I came right -here. I’ve already been paid, sir, thankee, sir, good night,” and, -taking back his book, the messenger departed. - -“I have so many hurry calls that I always tell Mrs. Brisbane where -I am to be found when I dine out,” explained Dick, tearing open his -note. “Hello! the Attorney General wants to see me on ‘most important -business’ to-night, if possible. I wonder what has turned up? Will you -excuse me, Chester, if I hurry along?” - -“Sure. It looks as if things might be getting exciting. I wonder if -Trevor hasn’t some clew; some person in mind whom he suspects?” - -“He swears he hasn’t.” - -“Could it be that Mrs. Trevor overheard his interview with the -Frenchwoman, became alarmed at the prospect of discovery as a card -cheat and committed suicide?” - -“That’s what de Morny suggested yesterday. By gracious! I wonder if he -knew she cheated at cards?” - -“If he played much with her, he may have discovered it,” answered Long, -dryly. “Who is this Count?” - -“One of the attachés of the French Embassy,” explained Dick, struggling -into his overcoat. “He and Mrs. Trevor did play often together, for I -have seen them. Can’t afford to play auction myself, but I drop in for -supper at many of the card parties.” - -“There is the same objection to the theory of suicide as to that of -accidental death--how did her body get into the safe?” - -“Trevor might have placed her there, if he knew she killed herself, to -conceal the fact and make people think it a murder. Otherwise she could -not have been buried in consecrated ground. They are Roman Catholics, -you know.” - -“He told you that he had forgotten the combination, and couldn’t open -the safe.” - -“Somebody must be lying,” answered Dick, with conviction. “Coming?” as -Long started for the open door. - -“Yes; I am going down to the lobby.” The two men left the room together. - -Wilkins was expecting Dick, and showed him at once into the private -office where the Attorney General was sitting. - -“Good evening, Tillinghast. It is good of you to come,” said he, -warmly. “I want to see you particularly. Sit down and I will explain.” - -Dick took the chair pushed toward him, and waited for the Attorney -General to begin. - -“My nerve is not what it was,” said Trevor. “It has been badly shaken -by the tragic event through which I have just passed. Ordinarily I -would not pay any attention to an anonymous letter. But I confess this -one has upset me.” - -He opened the secret drawer and took from it a soiled sheet of paper. -“Read this, and tell me what you think of it.” - -Dick’s eyes opened wide with astonishment as he perused the badly -written scrawl. - - If you prosecute the Fabriani Merger as being in violation of the - Sherman Act, you seal your own Death warrant. You have tasted of our - Power. Take heed to this Warning lest worse should befall you. - - Remember--February third! - -Dick examined the letter closely. It was written on a soiled sheet -of cheap, ruled paper, and the handwriting was evidently disguised. -Towards the bottom of the page were crude drawings of a black hand, a -coffin, and a hat-pin! - -“When did you receive this, Mr. Attorney General?” he asked. - -“By the four o’clock post. Wait a moment,” as Dick started to speak. -“The mail was delivered just as I was leaving the Department to go -to the White House, and I hastily gathered up what I thought were my -personal letters, leaving the rest of my correspondence for Clark to -look over. I opened this while driving home.” - -“Can I see the envelope?” - -“Certainly; but I am afraid you will find no clew there. It is -postmarked ‘Times Square Station, N. Y.,’ and was mailed early this -morning. It is next to impossible to trace anonymous letters through -the post office, for they are usually mailed at an hour when no one is -about.” - -Dick tossed the envelope on the table. There was nothing to be learned -from its ordinary exterior. It was addressed in the same disguised -writing as the letter. - -“Who is Fabriani?” - -“An Italian importer. He and two other Italian merchants have merged -their business, and have crowded out the smaller importers. Fabriani -has resorted to illegal measures to force his rivals out of business. -They have appealed to the courts to protect them against the merger.” - -“I see.” Dick balanced the letter in his hand. “Do you think that it is -Fabriani who is trying to intimidate you by making use of a Black Hand -threat?” - -“It has that appearance. Come,” glancing keenly at Dick, “what is your -opinion?” - -“Why, that this rascal Fabriani has concocted this scheme in his own -head and is using your wife’s tragic death in hopes to check your -actions against his merger. Of course, he may be a member of the Black -Hand. But in the numerous accounts of murders attributed to that -society some token of the Black Hand has always been found by the body -of the victim. Besides, I really do not think they would perpetrate so -wanton a crime on so slight a provocation.” - -“That would not stop them,” declared Trevor. “They are a bloodthirsty -crew, and when lust and hate lure them on will commit any crime.” - -“But in this instance they had neither of those motives,” said Dick, -obstinately. - -Trevor moved restlessly in his chair. “I would give much to believe in -your theory.” - -“What makes you doubt its truth?” asked Dick, quickly, and he looked -searchingly at his companion. - -Trevor’s face flushed darkly, and he considered a moment before -replying. - -“I have had a long talk with my friend, Secretary Bowers,” he said -finally. “He advised me to do all in my power to have the real -murderer apprehended; and to that end thought I should offer a large -reward for his detection. I cannot believe that Mr. Gordon murdered -my wife--cannot, cannot believe there was a--a--” he stumbled in -his speech--“an affair between them. Whatever her faults, my wife,” -proudly, “was faithful to me. Nothing will make me believe otherwise. -I am convinced there is an innocent explanation of their meeting that -night.” - -“I am sure there is,” exclaimed Dick, heartily. “And, Mr. Attorney -General, I honor you for the stand you are taking.” - -“Thanks, Tillinghast, thanks,” said Trevor, huskily. “I have been -searching vainly for a clew. This letter,” taking it from Dick, -“puzzles me greatly. On thinking the matter over I decided to send for -you and ask your advice. Publicity is hateful to me, and I find it -easier to discuss these details with you, as you already know so much -about my family affairs.” - -“I shall be delighted to be of any service, sir.” - -“I think I told you in our last interview,” began Trevor, “that my wife -and I were married after a six weeks’ acquaintance. We met through -mutual friends. I know nothing of her past. I loved her devotedly, and -was satisfied when she told me that my affection was returned and that -she was free to become my wife. During our happy married life I never -questioned her, being content to live in the present and let the dead -past bury its dead. But about eight months ago I discovered that my -wife was in deadly fear of one man--” he hesitated. - -“Do go on,” urged Dick, bending forward in his eagerness. “Did you find -out who he was?” - -“He was an Italian.” - -“And his name?” - -“Giovanni Savelli.” - -Dick sat back in his chair and stared at the Attorney General. - -“Giovanni Savelli,” he repeated, thoughtfully; “Giovanni Savelli. Why, -he is said to be one of the heads of the Camorra.” - -“Exactly,” replied Trevor, dryly. - - - - -CHAPTER XV - -MAN PROPOSES - - -PEGGY went to her room that night very cross and very sleepy. The -Patterson dinner had been a very long and, to her, a very tedious -affair of many courses and numerous pauses. - -“I never before worked so hard to make conversation,” she confided -to her grandmother in the privacy of her pretty bedroom. No matter -how late Peggy stayed out, she always found her grandmother awake and -waiting for her when she returned. - -When no social engagements took her from home, Mrs. Macallister, who -required very little sleep, always retired to her own sitting room -about ten o’clock. She dressed in a warm wrapper and made herself -comfortable by her reading lamp and perused magazines and the latest -novels at her leisure. - -“You see, Granny, it was a mixed affair,” explained Peggy, sitting on -the edge of her bed while she took down and shook out her lovely “lint -white locks,” as Dick called them. “And one man gave out at the last -moment, so I sat between old Mr. Forsythe and Mrs. Wheeler.” - -“Good Heavens! what a combination! Were you the only young person -present?” - -“No; Sybil Ferguson and Tony Forsythe were across the way from me, and -Captain McLane sat by Mary Patterson. Mrs. Patterson invited Ned Morgan -for me, but, as I said before, he could not come as he is ill in bed -with grippe.” - -“Did you play auction afterwards?” - -“Yes. I had miserable luck; everything went against me,” Peggy sighed -with vexation. “I even drew Mrs. Wheeler as my first partner. Have you -ever played with her?” - -“Once!” Mrs. Macallister’s tone spoke volumes. “Was Ruth Wheeler there, -also?” - -“No, she went to a débutante dinner given by the Wilsons. Oh, Granny, I -must tell you something so funny. During dinner, Mr. Forsythe leaned -across me and asked Mrs. Wheeler if Ruth enjoyed being out. - -“‘She does indeed,’ answered Mrs. Wheeler, with a beaming smile, ‘and -she has been a great success since her début last December. Why, Mr. -Forsythe, she has already had two proposals and one hint.’” - -“That is just like Maria Wheeler,” laughed Mrs. Macallister. - -“What did you do this evening, Granny? You read a blood-curdling -mystery story as usual, I suppose.” - -“Indeed, I did nothing of the sort. I was most agreeably entertained by -a young man.” - -“General de Peyster?” - -“I said a young man,” with dignity. - -“I give it up, Granny; you have too many of the male gender anxious to -call on you. It would take me an hour to go through the list.” - -“Tut! child, I am not to be flattered,” but she smiled quietly, well -pleased. She had queened it too long in salon and drawing-room not to -know her power. “My visitor this evening was Count de Morny.” - -“Count de Morny! Why, good gracious, Granny, he was here only this -afternoon.” - -“I know it,” placidly. - -“Why did he come a second time?” - -“He came to ask my permission to pay his addresses to you.” - -Peggy dropped her slipper with a thud on the floor, while the rich, -warm blood mounted to her cheeks. - -“And you told him?” - -“That he could--yes.” - -The clock ticked loudly in the quiet room. Mrs. Macallister was the -first to break the silence. - -“Peggy, look at me.” - -Slowly the deep blue eyes were raised to hers, but the dearly loved -face was blurred by the tears that filled them. - -“Granny, Granny, I cannot leave you. Why need we speak of marriage, we -are so happy, we two?” - -“Nonsense, child,” Mrs. Macallister’s tone was husky, and she cleared -her throat of a suspicious lump. “Do you think I want you to be a -lonely old maid? No, dear heart, I wish you to marry a man worthy of -you. I want to see you rich in domestic happiness, so that when you -reach my age and look back over the past, you can say, as I do: ‘My -life has been one grand Thanksgiving Hymn.’” - -It was not often that the stately dame showed emotion, and Peggy was -deeply touched. She dropped down on her knees and pressed her cheek -against her grandmother’s as the loving arms met around her. - -“Hush, dearie, do not cry.” Mrs. Macallister rocked her back and forth -as she had been wont to do in her babyhood. “You do not have to accept -Count de Morny if you do not care for him. I did not think it fair to -either of you to forbid his proposal. He says he loves you devotedly, -and he offers you a most distinguished name, and a splendid social -position in the Old World. I know nothing against him, and I like him -personally. But, Peggy, I warn you, de Morny is not a man to trifle -with. He has a high temper under that debonair manner. Come, it is -late; go to bed, dear, and do not worry any more. Remember, I shall -not force you into any marriage. The decision must rest with you. Now, -hurry and undress,” kissing her warmly. “I will come back and tuck you -up in bed.” - -Left alone, Peggy went thoughtfully over to her bureau. She took up a -photograph in its silver frame and studied it long; the Court dress -was becoming to de Morny. Then her left hand strayed toward a kodak -picture, a snap shot, and she gazed down into a gay, laughing face, -but the lips, which curved in a merry smile, were well shaped, and the -chin determined. A strong face, and a lovable one; and the other--Peggy -sighed as she put them back in their places. - -Glancing at the clock she was shocked to find it long after midnight. -Hastily picking up her jewelry, she pressed the spring of her secret -drawer. It opened half-way, then stuck. Slipping her hand inside the -small opening, she felt about to find the obstruction. A box was jammed -against the top, and with impatient fingers she pulled it out breaking -the side of the pasteboard in her effort to get it free. Its contents -fell into the now fully opened drawer. She picked it up and examined -it; then let it fall as if it scorched her fingers. It was the broken -top of a hat-pin which she had given Beatrice Trevor that Christmas. -She recognized it instantly because of the curious design in gold -surrounding the cat’s-eye. She picked up the box. It was the identical -one which Beatrice had entrusted to her care. The twine around the -middle still held; only one end had been broken. - -Merciful Heaven! what had she discovered? No, it could not be -possible--her gentle, charming friend could not be guilty. It was -too monstrous for belief. And yet, Beatrice’s intense desire to -get the box out of the house, her quarrel with her stepmother--the -doctor’s testimony that Mrs. Trevor had been killed by a stab from a -hat-pin--all pointed to her guilt. - -With trembling fingers the bewildered and over-wrought girl thrust the -telltale cat’s-eye back into the box, put it securely in the drawer, -dropped in her jewelry and snapped the lock. Then, for the first time -in her healthy, happy life, Peggy fainted just as Mrs. Macallister -re-entered the room. - - - - -CHAPTER XVI - -PLAYING WITH FIRE - - -IT was a very woe-begone Peggy who came into the drawing-room the next -afternoon, and Dick looked with consternation at her pale cheeks and -heavy eyelids. - -“Peggy! What have you been doing with yourself?” he exclaimed, -detaining her small hand in his. - -“Sit down here,” patting the chair next her. Dick needed no second -bidding. “I could not sleep--Granny was so upset,” she began, -incoherently, “I simply had to send for you.” - -“Is Mrs. Macallister ill?” he demanded. - -“Oh, no. I gave her a dreadful fright, that was all. She found me in my -room last night in a dead faint.” - -“Great Heavens!” bending toward her much alarmed. “My dearest--what--” - -“I am all right now; my fainting was caused by a shock. I made a -terrible discovery. But before I tell you about it, you must give me -your solemn word of honor not to repeat what it was.” - -Dick gave her the desired promise; then he listened with growing -amazement to her account of finding the broken hat-pin in the box -Beatrice had entrusted to her care. He drew a long breath when she -finished. - -“Rosamond’s Bower can’t be mentioned in the same breath with this -Trevor maze,” he said. “This discovery of yours, Peggy, certainly -complicates matters more than ever.” - -She looked at him with troubled eyes, and her lips quivered as she -answered: “Indeed, Dick, I cannot think Beatrice knew anything of this -fearful murder, or that she is implicated in any way in it.” - -“Of course not, Peggy,” returned Dick, soothingly, but there was doubt, -black doubt, in his heart. He remembered the quarrel Wilkins overheard. -“Don’t you think the simpler way to find out would be to go and ask -her!” - -“Oh, I couldn’t,” wailed Peggy, wringing her hands. “And I would not -hurt her now when she is in such trouble, by letting her think I have -doubted her, and had betrayed her trust. She would be sure to jump to -that conclusion. Dick,” with sudden energy, “you have just got to clear -her. Think of the suffering of a proud, delicately reared, and lovable -girl being under the stigma of murder. It would kill her.” - -“I’ll do my very best, Peggy,” declared Dick, stoutly. “I do not need -your urging. Remember all that is at stake for me.” - -A bright blush dyed Peggy’s pale cheeks, and she hastened to change the -subject. - -“Have you seen Mr. Gordon?” - -“No,” vexedly. “Gordon still declines to see anyone, and his lawyers -are equally reticent. He even refused to allow them to apply for bail.” - -“I thought a man arrested on a charge of murder was never permitted to -be bailed out?” - -“Oh, it has been done in the District on several occasions. I am told -Gordon takes the situation very calmly.” - -“My heart aches for him. It is like him to face his troubles so -bravely. What has the Navy Department done about him, Dick?” - -“Done? Oh, nothing. They cannot take any steps in the affair until -after the Civil Court decides whether he is innocent or guilty. Now, -Peggy,” he went on, glancing at her sorrowful face, “I don’t want you -to make yourself ill worrying, so I am going to tell you in strict -confidence that the Attorney General is convinced that Mrs. Trevor was -a victim of the Camorra. But mind you,” as her face brightened with -relief, “he has no direct evidence, only surmise and a threat to go -upon, so far. But he is sending for the head of Pinkerton’s Agency to -investigate these clews. If necessary he will communicate direct with -the Italian Government.” - -“That is splendid!” exclaimed Peggy, her eyes shining with relief. “But -then,” again perplexed, “why should Beatrice secrete the top of her -hat-pin?” - -“It is bewildering,” acknowledged Dick. “Perhaps she accidentally found -the broken pin and did not dare confess that she had it, thinking it -might involve her in further difficulties with the police.” - -“Of course that is it,” agreed Peggy. “Under the same circumstances I -might have done the same myself. I am so glad I consulted you, Dick. -You have taken a weight off my mind. Can’t you stay and have tea with -me?” - -“I am sorry that I cannot. I must hurry off. At present I am covering -the Russian Grand Duke’s visit here for an out-of-town paper, and -am to have an interview with his Chief-of-Staff at five o’clock. If -anything else turns up let me know, and above all--” his tone was very -tender--“take care of your precious self.” - -Her reply was interrupted by Hurley’s quiet entrance. - -“Count de Morny, Miss Margaret,” he announced, holding back the -portière, as the Frenchman appeared in the doorway. - -“Ah, Mademoiselle,” he exclaimed, advancing with outstretched hand, “it -is ze great plaiser to find zat you are in.” - -Peggy was instantly conscious of the restrained antagonism between the -two men as they greeted each other. - -“Monsieur Tillinghast and I, like ze great minds, sink alike,” smiled -de Morny. “We each decide to come here. We shall wear out ze chairs.” - -“To-day it is just how-de-do and good-by, Count,” said Dick, briefly. -“Unfortunately I must hurry away. Good-by again, Peggy.” - -De Morny’s eyes sparkled with anger as he watched their cordial leave -taking. As Dick disappeared he drew his chair closer to Peggy and -proceeded to improve his opportunity. - -“You look fatigue, Mademoiselle,” glancing keenly at her. - -“I have been doing too much,” confessed Peggy. “Fortunately Lent will -be here soon, and I can then take a much-needed rest.” - -“It ees hard to go every night and in ze day time, too, yes,” -sympathized de Morny. “I nevaire haf known so fas a season. But I like -eet. I feel as keen as a mink.” - -“As a what?” questioned Peggy, puzzled. - -“As a mink,” complaisantly. “I am ver happy to-day, Mademoiselle; for -Madame, your _grande mère_, has given me permission to tell you how -much I lof you.” - -Peggy’s heart beat fast, and she crumpled her handkerchief into a -little ball. De Morny stopped to glare at Hurley, as that solemn -individual came in with the tea tray. - -“Will you not gif me some hope,” he pleaded, as soon as Hurley went out -of the room. “_Mon cœur_, I adore you; I cannot lif without you.” - -The excited Frenchman bent forward, caught Peggy’s little hand, and -impulsively kissed it before she could snatch it away. - -“Monsieur, monsieur, you go too fast,” she remonstrated. “You forget -that at the Charity Ball I said I would listen to you and,” hesitating, -“my other friends, only on one condition.” - -“And that condition, Mademoiselle?” - -“Is that you find the murderer of Mrs. Trevor.” - -The pupils of de Morny’s eyes contracted suddenly. An involuntary -shiver ran down Peggy’s spine as they met hers. - -“And zen--what, Mademoiselle?” he asked, slowly. - -“Come and have a cup of tea.” Peggy held the tongs poised over the -sugar bowl. “One lump, or two, Count? Oh, Granny,” as Mrs. Macallister -walked in, “you are just in time to have some hot toast and tea.” - - - - -CHAPTER XVII - -ACROSS THE POTOMAC - - -AFTER getting his special story on the wires, Dick had only time for -a hasty meal at a down-town restaurant. Then he hurried over to the -_Star_ office, and was soon at work in the city room. About half past -nine his chief sent for him. - -“This is the busiest Saturday night we’ve had in years,” grumbled -Colonel Byrd. “You know Dr. Gibson, superintendent of St. Elizabeth’s, -don’t you?” Dick nodded assent. “Well, go over there as quick as you -can and see if you can get him to talk. Word has just come in that -two of the criminally insane have escaped and are still at large -terrorizing the neighborhood. Get all the details, for it is local news -and we will feature it.” - -St. Elizabeth’s, The U. S. Government Hospital for the Insane, is -on Nichols Avenue beyond Anacostia. Anacostia, one of the most -beautifully situated suburbs of Washington, is on the Eastern Branch -of the Potomac, and directly across from the Navy Yard. The scenery in -that vicinity is very fine, and from the extensive grounds about the -Insane Asylum there is a wonderful view of the winding Potomac, with -Washington and its environs in the distance. - -At no time an accessible place even in summer, on that stormy night it -was a fearful journey to the Government Reservation; and Dick prepared -for his trip with no great alacrity. - -Some hours later he stopped, footsore and weary, at the intersection -of Sheridan Road and Nichols Avenue and sought shelter from the storm -on a porch of a vacant house. He had not only interviewed Dr. Gibson, -but, joining one of the searching parties, had been present at the -capture of the two escaped lunatics. The pursuit and capture would -make a readable story, so, well satisfied with his night’s work, he -waited patiently to catch the last car to Washington, which left at -eight minutes past one o’clock. It lacked fifteen minutes of that time, -so, pulling his coat collar up about his ears, he made himself as -comfortable as circumstances permitted. - -While waiting, his eyes, grown accustomed to the darkness, discerned a -solitary figure coming toward him from Anacostia. When opposite Dick -the newcomer paused and, screening himself from the storm behind one -of the porch pillars, struck a match. Holding it in the hollow of his -two hands, he lighted his pipe. As the tiny flame flared up his face -was visible. Dick, too amazed to speak, drew back deeper in the shadow -of the friendly porch. With growing curiosity, he watched the slender -figure glide rapidly up Nichols Avenue. What was Alfred Clark doing in -that neighborhood after midnight? - -Dick hesitated. It was obviously his duty to return to the _Star_ with -his story, but a certain furtiveness in Clark’s movements caused all -doubt to vanish. Throwing his duty to the winds, he pulled his soft -hat low on his head, scrambled down the steps, and turned up Nichols -Avenue. - -Dick picked his way carefully along the frozen and slippery sidewalk, -keeping Clark in view, but not getting close enough to let him suspect -that he was being shadowed. On and on they went, past the entrance -and the extensive grounds of St. Elizabeth’s, past the few straggling -houses marking the outskirts of the little village, and into the more -desolate country beyond. - -After about twenty minutes’ walking, Clark turned into a lane on his -right, and going some distance in the direction of the Potomac River, -he suddenly leaped a fence and struck off across country. It was not -very easy to follow him in the more open fields, and Dick, fearful of -being discovered, dropped far behind. On reaching the top of a slight -rise in ground he was dismayed to find that Clark had disappeared. He -glanced about him in every direction, but save for himself the field -was deserted. - -Cursing himself for going on so wild a goose chase, he started forward -in the direction he judged Clark might have gone. But his hopes fell -when, after trudging along for ten minutes, he found no trace of his -quarry. Thoroughly discouraged, he rested for a moment against a rail -fence before retracing his way to Anacostia. As his eyes traveled over -the low, rolling country, he noticed three trees forming a triangle -standing in a field a quarter of a mile away. His heart gave a bound; -at last he knew where he was. He could not be mistaken. He hurried -over to the trees; yes, he was right, they were the tall poplars which -he himself had named “The Three Sisters.” He was on land belonging -to Allan Dorsey. While he had accompanied Allan there in the summer, -he had never been there in winter or at night. Allan Dorsey, whose -paintings were known the world over, had purchased the deserted farm -because of the magnificent views which stirred his artist soul. He -would work for days at a time in solitude, and only Dick was privileged -to come and see him on rare occasions. - -“Lord! I wish Allan were there instead of in Paris,” thought Dick. -“He’d give me a high ball for the inner man, and a dry suit for the -outer one.” He shivered in his damp clothes. “May the foul fiend seize -that Clark! I wonder where in thunder he went to.” - -As if in answer to his unspoken question, an idea flashed into his -head. The studio! By Jove! that was it; and yet, what in the name of -Heaven was Clark doing in so deserted and forsaken a place? - -There was but one way to find out and suiting the action to his -thought, Dick walked in the direction of the old barn which had been -converted into a roomy and up-to-date studio. It stood some distance -from the “Three Sisters,” hidden from view by a grove of trees. - -Dick cautiously approached the building. There was no sign of life or -human habitation. The heavy, old-fashioned wooden shutters were tightly -closed, but as Dick bent and placed his ear against the wide door, he -distinctly heard the sound of several voices. Certain now that he was -on the right track, and his curiosity at fever heat, he paused to -think over the situation. - -The rain and sleet had stopped some time before, and the wind was dying -down. Suddenly he thought of the skylight Allan had built into the -roof of the barn to obtain a better light. If he could climb up there -he could see all that was going on inside the studio. To think was -to act with Dick; his blood was up and he was determined to see the -adventure through, whatever the consequences. Taking off his coat and -shoes and hiding them behind a large bowlder, he proceeded to climb a -tree whose limbs stretched out close to the roof of the barn. He hated -to trust his weight to the slender limb, but there was no other way to -accomplish his object. So, putting his trust in Providence, he crept -along until just parallel with the chimney, then dropped lightly as a -cat to the shingled roof. - -Very gingerly and softly he crawled forward on hands and knees to the -skylight. Gently he ran his hand over the portion of the glass frame -nearest him. Joy of joys; one of the panes of glass was out, and his -hand passed through the opening and touched the large Holland shade -which was drawn over the inside of the skylight. Light was visible -around the edges of the shade; that was all he could discover. He -pulled out his penknife and gently cut an opening in the green shade, -and applied his eye to the hole. - -Seated directly beneath him around a table were four masked men. Their -voices carried distinctly in the closed room to where he crouched above -them. To his great surprise they spoke in Italian, a language with -which he was fairly familiar, having studied it with a view to going -into the Consular Service. - -The smallest man of the four placed a square box in the center of the -table. - -“Draw,” he said briefly. “The one who gets the marked card is accepted -by the Brotherhood as its Avenger.” - -One by one four hands were slipped inside of the small opening in the -end of the box and silently withdrawn, holding a card at which each -glanced indifferently. Dick could not tell from their quiet movements -which had drawn the fatal card. The leader rapped softly on the table -before speaking. - -“Our plans are now perfected,” he said. “There can be no failure. In -this country of the free we, children of the Camorra, can wreak its -vengeance upon those who have thwarted our society. The Grand Duke -Sergius has seen fit to hound certain of our members who have come -within his power. The Brotherhood has decreed his death. The Grand -Duke, the President, the great men of this country, and the Diplomatic -Corps will be assembled five days from now to attend the dedication of -the Lincoln Memorial. No better opportunity could be found. The means, -I leave to the fortunate holder of the marked card. Remember--the Place -and the Hour.” - -Dick could hardly believe his ears. The Camorra! Surely he was in some -mad dream. So bewildered was he that he missed a few sentences, but his -wandering attention was attracted by the excited gestures of the masked -man who sat facing the leader. - -“You ask for an explanation,” said the latter. “For that you must apply -to Giovanni Savelli. The Trevor affair is in his hands. But are you not -his direct agent?” - -The man’s answer was spoken in so low a tone that Dick, not catching -what he said, bent far over the skylight, forgetful of the frailness of -the structure. Glass and frame gave way beneath his weight, and, with a -resounding crash, Dick fell forward into space. - - - - -CHAPTER XVIII - -NIP AND TUCK - - -BEFORE Dick, half stunned by his fall, could get upon his feet, the -four masked men threw themselves upon him, and, despite his struggles, -bound him hand and foot. They cleared away the débris made by him in -his unlucky fall, and placed him in the cleared space. - -“Do you speak Italian?” asked the leader in fairly good English, as -the men, after reconnoitering outside, returned and grouped themselves -about their prisoner. - -“No,” lied Dick, calmly. - -“That is not so,” spoke up one of the men next the leader. “He is a -good linguist and speaks our language fluently.” - -Dick recognized the voice despite the mask. - -“Clark! You renegade!” he shouted with sudden fury. - -Clark made a hasty move in his direction, but the leader checked him. - -“What matter,” he said, indifferently. “It will not be long in his -power to injure us by any information he may have picked up to-night.” - -The finality of his tone sent a cold shiver up and down Dick’s spine. -Apparently his doom was sealed. Only a game of bluff might pull him out -of his ghastly predicament. - -“Don’t be too certain of that,” he said, coolly. “Clark, there, can add -to the information he has already given you of me by saying that I am -a representative of the _Washington Star_, one of the most influential -newspapers in the country. You know the power of the press in America.” - -His words made a visible impression on the three men. They glanced -uneasily at each other. The leader spoke hastily and sternly. - -“It does not matter who is at your back. You are in our power and -cannot escape the fate of a spy.” - -Dick’s heart sank, but he refused to give up. He was fighting for -time. Something must intervene. - -“I was sent over to follow that man,” pointing to Clark. “Do you think -my disappearance will not be noticed if I don’t turn up safe and sound? -Well, you are wrong. By noon to-morrow you will all be in custody; your -precious plans for murdering the Grand Duke will then be nipped in the -bud. Thus, instead of carrying out the orders of the Camorra you will -be preparing to swing for my death.” - -“Your arguments are all very fine, my friend,” returned the leader -composedly, “provided everything happens as you say. But no one will -know of your disappearance. It is an easy matter to secure a specimen -of your handwriting, forge a letter from New York to your employers -saying you were called there suddenly. One of the Brotherhood will -impersonate you on a voyage to Europe. We never fail in our plans. -Months will elapse before your disappearance will be noticed. You will -never be traced.” - -“Sounds well,” commented Dick. “You forget I have a very substantial -body which is apt to betray your best laid schemes.” - -“It will not be found.” - -“Pooh! Murder will out!” - -“Not in this instance.” The leader rose and stepped over into a corner -and picked up a satchel, which he opened. He took out a hypodermic -syringe and a small black leather box such as surgeons carry. “We have -plenty of disguises with us,” he continued. “You will be dressed in one -of them. Your body will be found, but it will never be recognized as -yours. In this little vial,” taking it out of the leather case, “there -is a deadly poison. Under its influence your body becomes bloated and -your features unrecognizable. It will be necessary to bury you at once, -as decomposition follows fast. Therefore, no lengthy examination can be -made.” - -A terrible fear was upon Dick, brave fellow that he was. He could -have faced death by dagger or revolver without flinching, but this -creeping horror shook his nerve. Despairingly he glanced about the -room; there was no help there. His eyes traveled back to the leader, -and, fascinated, he watched him fit on the hypodermic needle and fill -the syringe. His back and forehead were bathed in a cold perspiration, -and his throat was parched and dry. He thought of Peggy, his dear, dear -love, and involuntarily a groan escaped him. - -“Tut!” said the Italian. “Just a pin prick. A few twists of your limbs -and all will be over.” - -At his signal two of the men tore off Dick’s left cuff and bared his -arm. As the hand holding the needle hovered above Dick’s wrist, a shot -rang out, and the leader crumpled up and fell forward over him, the -syringe flying across the room. - -“Throw up your hands!” commanded a stern voice from the broken -skylight. The amazed men looked up into the barrels of four revolvers, -while Dick fainted away. - -A few minutes later Dick recovered consciousness. Dazed and bewildered -he looked at the tall man bending over him, and put out his hand to -push the brandy flask away. - -“De Smirnoff!” he gasped. “How in h--l did you get here?” - -“Gently, gently, my friend; drink this cognac,” and, as Dick complied -with his request, he added, “I am a member of the Russian Secret -Police. It is my special duty to guard the person of his Imperial -Highness, the Grand Duke Sergius.” - - - - -CHAPTER XIX - -THE CONFERENCE - - -“HOW my head aches,” groaned Dick, “and every part of my body.” He -touched himself tenderly as he changed his position on the lounge. - -“It is not surprising,” said Long, dryly, “after the experience you -went through last night, or rather early this morning. How I wish I had -been with you, instead of sitting up and chatting small talk with a -stuffy dowager. Just my beastly luck!” - -“You are a nice one to begrudge me such an adventure, after all the -fighting you have seen,” retorted Dick. “I wish you had been with me, -though. Just thinking of that fearful needle hovering over me sends my -heart into my mouth.” He shuddered. “I never was so glad to see anyone -in my life as de Smirnoff.” - -“It was a close shave. Have you had a chance to ask the Russian how he -came to be there?” - -“No. I was in pretty bad shape, so de Smirnoff sent me back to town -with one of his assistants. We came directly here. It was good of you -to square me with my chief, Chester,” looking gratefully at Long. “How -did you do it?” - -“After hearing your story I went to see Colonel Byrd and told him you -had stumbled into an affair of state over in Anacostia which couldn’t -be divulged at present. The old boy was very decent, took my word for -it, and said you were not to return to work until fit to be up and -doing. Then I returned here, and Mrs. Brisbane gave me a capital midday -dinner. She told me you did full justice to the share she sent up to -you.” - -“Bless her heart! She is the salt of the earth. As poor as she is, -she is always doing something for her fellow man. Only last week she -sent five dollars to an indigent Southern friend, who is frightfully -hard up, thinking she would buy some much-needed underclothing. She -received a note yesterday from the Southerner saying that she and her -daughter were so obliged for her kind assistance. It had enabled them -to buy a canvasback duck, which they had wanted for a long time!” - -“De Smirnoff said he would drop in this afternoon,” continued Dick. “He -ought to be here at any moment now,” glancing at his watch. “I asked -Mrs. Brisbane to have him shown right up.” - -“Then I’ll be going.” Long started to rise. - -“No, no, Chester; sit down. I particularly want you to know each other.” - -A quick rap interrupted him, and Long hastened to open the door. - -“Here is Count de Smirnoff,” said Mrs. Brisbane’s cheery voice from the -hall. As the Russian, with innate courtesy stood aside to allow her to -enter first, Dick rose and went into the hall. - -“How are you, Count?” he said, cordially, and their hands met in a -strong, firm clasp. “Thanks so much, Mrs. Brisbane, for taking all this -trouble. Won’t you both come in?” - -But Mrs. Brisbane shook her head and disappeared down the corridor. -Dick ushered the Russian into his room and closed the door. - -“Count de Smirnoff--my friend, General Long,” he said, quickly. - -“General Long is well known to me by reputation,” exclaimed de -Smirnoff. “It is a great pleasure to meet so distinguished an American.” - -“I am glad of this opportunity of thanking you for what you did for my -friend, Tillinghast, last night, Count,” answered Long, shaking hands -warmly; while Dick busied himself putting cigars and cigarettes on the -table alongside a syphon of vichy and its accompanying bottle of Scotch. - -“I am a poor hand at expressing my feelings, Count,” said the latter, -gravely. “I owe you a debt I can never repay.” - -“If I have won your friendship, I am repaid,” replied de Smirnoff, -looking with admiration at Dick’s fine, determined face. - -The Slav and the Anglo-Saxon have one trait in common--neither is -demonstrative. Long, seeing that both men were much embarrassed, broke -the awkward pause. - -“Suppose, Count, you tell us how you came to arrive at the studio at so -opportune a moment for Dick.” - -“May I speak of confidential matters?” asked the Russian, glancing -hastily about the room. - -“Yes, indeed; there is no danger of our being overheard.” - -“Some months ago our Secret Service Bureau, which is probably the -finest in the world, received information that the Camorra were -plotting against the Grand Duke’s life,” began de Smirnoff. - -“I thought it was usually the Nihilists who do that,” interposed Long. - -“The hands of the Nihilists, anarchists, the Mafia, and the Camorra are -all raised against law and order, General; call them what you will. -At present the Camorra desire to punish the Grand Duke because he was -instrumental in having certain information against their leaders given -to the Italian Government. - -“Russia wishes to honor the memory of that great American, Lincoln, -whose friend she was; therefore, it was decided that the Grand Duke -should come to this country to attend the ceremonies of the dedication -of his Memorial. The moment they heard this the Camorra leaders laid -their plans to assassinate his Imperial Highness. I was put on the -case, and my researches brought me here. - -“When I reached Washington I communicated with the Chief of your Secret -Service, and he immediately coöperated with me to safeguard the Grand -Duke. My agents brought me word that several Italians, disguised as -fruit venders, were spending much time in Anacostia with a certain -Tamaso Velati. I had my agent point out the latter to me. Despite his -disguise I recognized him as a man long suspected of having secret -dealing with that society. My suspicions were aroused, and I placed a -watch upon his movements. - -“Last night, accompanied by four of your Secret Service men, I crossed -over to Anacostia. We went to a tavern near the water-front and -waited for my spy to join me there. He was very late in keeping his -appointment; I was on the point of starting out after Tamaso without -waiting for him, when he appeared. He told me that he had traced Tamaso -to a deserted building some miles away, and had waited about until he -saw several men join the Italian. Thinking some deviltry was to pay, -he hastened back to warn me. He is familiar with the country about -Anacostia, and so took us by a short cut direct to the studio. The -Italians were so absorbed in dealing with you, Monsieur Tillinghast, -they never heard our cautious approach. I saw the light shining above -the broken skylight, climbed on the roof by aid of the tree, and -reached the opening just in time to shoot Tamaso as he bent above you.” - -Dick drew a long breath. The agonizing scene was too fresh in his mind -to be pleasant. - -“Take a drink,” he said, by way of relieving his feelings, and he -pushed the paraphernalia towards the Russian. De Smirnoff helped -himself liberally, and the others followed his example. - -“What have you done with the prisoners?” questioned Long. - -“Tamaso is to be buried to-morrow. I surrendered the two Italians to -your Chief of the Secret Service.” - -“That accounts for three men; what became of the fourth?” asked Dick. - -De Smirnoff colored with vexation. “He escaped,” he said, bitterly. -Dick swore softly. “It was this way,” hastily explained the Russian: -“As two of my men forced open the studio door one of the masked men, -who stood near a window, threw up its sash. The detective covering him -fired, but missed, and before he could take aim again the prisoner had -pushed open the shutter, vaulted through the window and was gone. Luck -was with him; every one of our shots went astray, and though I sent men -in pursuit, he made good his escape. The other two men, cowed by the -death of their leader, gave us no trouble.” - -“Were they Italians?” inquired Dick. - -“Yes. Why do you ask?” - -Dick pondered a moment. Should he take de Smirnoff into his -confidence? He looked earnestly at the Russian’s face; the broad brow -and clever, handsome eyes, the slightly aquiline nose, and the firm, -thin-lipped mouth--he looked what he was: a keen, brilliant officer of -the Secret Service, brave to a fault, secretive perhaps, but withal a -gentleman. Quickly Dick made up his mind to trust him. - -“Because the fourth masked man was an American,” he answered, slowly. -Long, as well as de Smirnoff, glanced at him in surprise. “It was -Alfred Clark.” - -“Well, by gad!” muttered Long, completely taken aback. - -De Smirnoff looked inquiringly at Dick. - -“I went to Anacostia to cover an assignment for my paper,” the latter -hastened to explain. “While I was waiting for a Washington car, Clark -passed me. I never trusted the fellow, and seeing him there on such a -night and at that hour made me suspect that he was up to no good. So I -followed him, with what results you already know.” - -“Did you overhear much of their talk?” - -“Enough to know that the men were plotting to assassinate the Grand -Duke at the dedication of the Lincoln Memorial. Then they spoke of the -Trevor murder.” - -“What did they say about it?” asked Long, as Dick stopped to strike a -match. - -“If I remember correctly, Clark asked some question which I did not -catch, and Tamaso replied: ‘The Trevor affair is in the hands of -Giovanni Savelli. But are you not his direct agent?’ In trying to hear -Clark’s reply I leaned too far forward and fell through the skylight. - -“Now,” went on Dick earnestly, “this fits in with a Black Hand threat -the Attorney General received on Friday afternoon. He is convinced the -Camorra is responsible for his wife’s murder, chiefly because he knows -she lived in fear of this Giovanni Savelli. He doesn’t know why she -feared him. The Black Hand letter spoke of the Fabriani Merger, but -that looks to me like a blind to throw him off the trail. Can you tell -me, Count, the best way to get track of this Savelli?” - -De Smirnoff leaned thoughtfully back in his chair and considered the -question. - -“It seems to me,” he said finally, “that the person you need to put -your hands on is Monsieur Clark. You heard Tamaso say that he was -Savelli’s direct agent in the affair.” - -Dick sat up as straight as his sore body would permit, and swore -fluently. “Of course, you are right. What a blundering fool I have -been.” - -“You were in no condition to reason out clews last night, Monsieur,” -smiled de Smirnoff, consolingly. - -“I am sure your theory is right,” argued Long. “Clark must be the -guilty man. He knew the combination of the safe, and he also knew when -certain inmates of the house would be absent.” - -“It looks plausible,” agreed Dick. “Clark may have joined the Camorra -while in Naples. But he must have been very deeply involved to commit -murder for this Savelli.” - -“Perhaps Monsieur Clark is using the Camorra to shield his own deed,” -suggested de Smirnoff, slowly. “We, in the Secret Service keep in -touch with every country in the world. I recollect now that this Alfred -Clark, of whom you speak, was a resident in Naples for many years. He -did not have a very savory reputation. Madame Trevor, or as she was -then, Hélène de Beaupré, spent several winters in that city. Monsieur -Clark, before he lost his money, was her devoted lover.” - -Long bent forward and helped himself to Scotch and vichy. - -“The plot thickens,” he said, laconically. - -De Smirnoff nodded his head. “I must take steps to have this Monsieur -Clark apprehended,” he said. “According to Count de Morny, Madame -Trevor,” he raised his glass and examined its contents critically, -“Madame Trevor was not--a good woman.” - - - - -CHAPTER XX - -CASTING OF NETS - - -DICK was awakened out of a sound sleep the next morning by a loud -banging on his door. - -“Come in,” he shouted, sleepily; then, realizing that the disturber of -his peace could not crawl through the keyhole, he scrambled out of bed, -unlocked the door and jerked it open. - -“I ax yo’ pardon, Marse Dick,” said Uncle Andy, bowing and scraping -on the threshold, “but dis hyer note done come fo’ yo’, an’ de bearer -am waitin’ fo’ an answer, sah.” As he spoke he handed Dick a sealed -envelope and a small package. - -“Wait a minute, Uncle, and I’ll see what it’s about,” and Dick, going -inside his room, plumped himself down on the edge of his bed and tore -open the note. Not recognizing the bold, clear writing, he turned at -once to read the signature on the last page. It was from Beatrice -Trevor. With quickened interest, he read the few lines. - - _Dear Mr. Tillinghast_: - - My father tells me that you are doing your best to clear up the - terrible mystery which surrounds our house. I am in great trouble. I - must see you. - - I am going to dine alone with Mrs. Macallister to-night. Will you come - there at eight o’clock? I have told Wilkins to wait for your answer. - - Sincerely yours, - BEATRICE TREVOR. - - P. S. Wilkins tells me the accompanying package belongs to you. - -“Thank the Lord!” ejaculated Dick, aloud. “Your note’s a direct answer -to my unspoken wish. You want to see me, Miss Beatrice, but I bet not -half so badly as I want to see you. But what does your postscript mean?” - -Taking up the small package he looked doubtfully at it. “Best way -to find out is to open it,” he muttered, tearing off the string and -wrapping paper. It proved to be a small pasteboard box, and on lifting -the cover he saw his broken cuff link lying inside on some cotton. It -was unmistakable. The round gold button with his interwoven initials -“R. T.” stared him in the face. - -With a startled cry, he sprang up and pulled out his white waistcoat -from the half-opened bureau drawer. Quickly his fingers fumbled in the -little pocket--yes, there it was, just where he had put it four nights -before. In growing excitement, he jerked out his fingers and disclosed -not his broken cuff button, but a round coin attached to a broken, -golden link! - -With open mouth, and eyes fairly popping from his head, Dick -contemplated the two links, while his bewildered mind gradually pieced -together the scene in the hall. It was not surprising he had made such -a mistake, the two were identical in size; and in the semi-darkness of -the large hall and his hurry he had never glanced at the recovered cuff -button, but had taken it for granted it was the piece of jewelry he had -dropped. - -As busy as he was, he had not troubled to get his broken set mended. He -had used a second pair the next morning; and this was, therefore the -first time he had thought of the broken set since thrusting the button -into his waistcoat pocket. - -Taking up the coin, he examined it closely. It was apparently very old; -the edges were worn thin and the hieroglyphics on the two sides were so -defaced he could make nothing of them. It was attached by a swivel to -the heavy red-gold link. The link itself was worn at the rough ends, -but still it must have been a powerful wrench which had caused it to -break off. To Dick it looked like a link torn from a watch chain; and -an unusual one at that, for the outer side was delicately etched in -some intricate design. Pshaw! What was the use of puzzling his brains, -Wilkins could tell him all about it; and with the thought Dick walked -over to the closed door, and, opening it, looked into the corridor. -But Uncle Andy, tired of waiting, had gone about his work. There was -nothing for it but to go to the back stairs and “fetch a yell” for the -old darky, as the ancient house boasted of no bell except the one to -the front door. - -Mrs. Brisbane answered Dick’s stentorian shout from the kitchen, where -she had gone to superintend the cooking of the Maryland beaten biscuits -for the morning meal. - -“What is it, Dick?” she called. - -“Oh, good morning, Mrs. Brisbane. Will you please ask Uncle Andy to -show the messenger up to my room. Thanks, ever so much.” And Dick -retreated hastily, conscious of his pajamas as a female boarder thrust -her head out of the door to find out what the noise was about. - -He was busy writing at his desk when Wilkins’ discreet tap sounded on -his door, and at his bidding the butler entered and closed the door -behind him. - -“Good morning, Wilkins; sorry to keep you waiting, but I was delayed.” - -“Morning, sir. That’s all right, sir. Miss Beatrice wanted me to be -sure and see you received her note, and told me to come over here -before you left for your office. I was to be particular and get an -answer.” - -“I am writing it now. I’m much obliged to you for returning my cuff -link. By the way, where did you find it?” - -“I didn’t find it, sir. The second man took up the large rug near the -fireplace to shake it in the yard yesterday morning and saw the bit of -jewelry lying under one corner. He brought it to me, and as I knew you -had broken your cuff button, sir, I was pretty sure it was yours.” - -“Quite right, Wilkins, and here’s a small token of my thanks,” handing -the butler some change. And as the man thanked him profusely, Dick held -up the coin, and asked: “Who does this belong to?” - -Wilkins stared at it in astonishment. “I don’t know, sir.” - -“Oh, come, Wilkins, I picked it up in the hall under the armor the -other night, thinking it was my cuff link. Surely, you know who owns -it?” - -Wilkins turned it over curiously in his hand; then shook his head. “I -have never seen it before, sir,” he said, positively. - -Dick sat for a few moments thoughtfully nibbling his pen. He -recollected that the Attorney General’s watch chain was a plain gold -affair, very different from the link in his hand. - -“Did Mrs. Trevor, or perhaps Miss Beatrice, have a chain like it?” he -asked. “Women wear such peculiar gewgaws nowadays.” - -But Wilkins stuck to his guns. “No, sir, they didn’t. It’s an uncommon -thing, and I’m sure I’d ’a’ remembered it if I had ever seen either of -them wear such a thing,” he stubbornly declared. “Some guest must have -dropped it, though I dunno how it stayed so long unnoticed.” - -Dick looked at Wilkins queerly. A sudden thought had entered his active -brain ... by Heaven!... Suppose.... - -“Has the front hall been swept since the murder of Mrs. Trevor?” he -asked. - -Wilkins looked bewildered. “We don’t sweep it, sir,” he answered. “It -is a hard wood floor, sir. The different rugs in the hall are shaken -and gone over by a vacuum cleaner every day. We oiled the entire floor, -sir, the morning after the supper for Madame Bernhardt. If the gold -link had been there _then_, sir, we would have found it.” - -“The morning after? Why, that was the third--Mrs. Trevor was murdered -that same night?” - -“Yes, sir,” stolidly. - -“Does Mr. Clark, the secretary, own such a chain?” - -“No, sir; he always wears a fob.” - -“At what hour did Mr. Clark leave the house the day Mrs. Trevor was -killed?” - -“Why, I suppose about the usual time, sir, five o’clock.” Wilkins -hesitated. “I really don’t know the exact time because I didn’t see him -go, sir.” - -“Well, ask the other servants if they know, and then send me word. But -don’t rouse comment by too many questions, Wilkins. I’ll make it worth -your while if you get that information on the quiet.” - -Wilkins hesitated a perceptible moment. “It wouldn’t be much use asking -them, sir. Mr. Clark can run in and out of the house at any time,” he -volunteered, finally. “He has a front door key. Mrs. Trevor said she -couldn’t have the front bell rung so often, and asked the Attorney -General to give him an extra key.” - -Dick looked thoughtfully at Wilkins, but the butler’s expressionless -face told him nothing. - -“Was Mr. Clark with the Attorney General yesterday?” - -“No, sir; I don’t think he has been to the house since Friday -afternoon. I heard Mr. Trevor tell Miss Beatrice he had been called -away on business.” He paused, and looked suggestively at the clock. -Dick signed his note and hastily sealed the envelope. And he was on the -point of handing it to the butler when Secretary Bowers’ advice about -the missing memorandum book occurred to him. - -“Can you tell me, Wilkins, how Mrs. Trevor and Miss Beatrice spent the -afternoon of the third?” - -“Yes, sir. Mrs. Trevor was at home receiving callers, for Wednesday -is Cabinet Day, you know, sir. Mrs. Trevor never served refreshments -except at private teas, so I spent the afternoon in the hall with the -footman helping her guests with their coats and wraps. Miss Beatrice -went out directly after luncheon and didn’t return until about five -o’clock, sir.” - -“Did she join her stepmother?” - -“Not at once, sir; she first went into the private office and took off -her wraps. After that she went into the drawing-room.” - -“Was anyone else in the office at that time?” - -“No, sir.” - -“How long did she stay there?” - -“About fifteen minutes, sir. Mrs. Trevor sent me to ask her to come -into the drawing-room as Mrs. Macallister wished to see her.” - -“What was Miss Beatrice doing when you entered the office?” - -“Sitting at her father’s desk, sir, and writing.” - -“Had--had she a memorandum book in her hand?” asked Dick hesitatingly. -So much depended on the answer. - -“I didn’t see any such book, sir,” answered Wilkins, surprised. “After -I gave her Mrs. Trevor’s message, Miss Beatrice picked up her hat and -fur coat and went immediately out of the room.” - -“What did she do with the papers on which she was writing?” - -“She stuffed them inside the pocket of her fur coat, sir.” - -“Could you see what she had been writing?” - -“No, sir; I couldn’t.” - -“Well, I won’t detain you any longer, Wilkins. Here’s the note for Miss -Beatrice. By the way, were Mrs. Trevor and Mr. Clark good friends?” - -“Not always, sir.” Then, seeing Dick’s surprise, Wilkins hastened to -add: “Mrs. Trevor had a very quick temper. Many’s the time I’ve nearly -given notice on account of her hasty way of finding fault. She and Mr. -Clark were very thick, that is,” stumbling in his speech, “good friends -like. Mr. Clark had eyes for nobody but Miss Beatrice, and he and Mrs. -Trevor often had words over her. They had several nasty quarrels last -month, sir. Is--is that all, sir?” - -“Yes. I’m very much obliged to you, Wilkins,” replied Dick, heartily. -“Good day.” - -“Good day, sir,” answered Wilkins. He stopped for a moment on the other -side of the door to scratch his head in perplexity. “He’s a rum cove, -wonder what he’s up to.” - -Dick wondered very much himself. It was a case of the blind leading -the blind. If Clark was guilty, and certainly suspicion pointed his -way, why should Beatrice hide the hat-pin? Above all, who had dropped -the broken gold link in the Trevors’ front hall? More and more puzzled -by the facts which he had elicited from the communicative Wilkins, he -dressed with what speed he could, and, not waiting for breakfast, ran -across to the corner drug store and rang up a taxi-cab. While waiting -he telephoned to Peggy and then to Mrs. Curtis. Both of them told -him they had never owned a chain of any description with such a coin -attached to it. - -The taxi-cab was not long in coming, and he was whirled away to the -Treasury Department as rapidly as the speed laws of the District -allowed. On his arrival there he went direct to the Secret Service -Division, and on mentioning his name and errand he was at once taken to -Chief Connor. - -“I won’t take up a moment of your time, Chief,” explained Dick, as the -two men sat down. - -“Count de Smirnoff told me of your share in the capture of the three -Italians on Saturday,” said the famous Secret Service man. “What can I -do for you?” - -“Did the Count tell you the identity of the fourth man?” - -“Yes. Apparently Clark realized the game was up, for on inquiry at the -Buckingham we learned that he hasn’t been to his room since Saturday -afternoon. I have sent a description of him to every Secret Service man -in the country, and have also had the trans-Atlantic steamship lines -watched. We shall catch him, never fear, but I am afraid he will get -off afterwards. Conspiracy is a mighty hard thing to prove.” - -“I am convinced you can hold Clark for another crime,” said Dick -slowly. Chief Connor looked at him in surprise. - -“As for instance?” he asked. - -“Mrs. Trevor’s murder.” - -“Indeed!” The Chief sat back and pulled his mustache thoughtfully. “And -your grounds for such a charge?” - -“Clark is the one person beside the Attorney General who can open the -safe. Mrs. Trevor’s body, you may remember, was found locked inside it. -The burglar, Nelson, declares on oath that she was there when he opened -the safe. According to the butler, who has lived with the Trevors for -over twenty years, Clark and Mrs. Trevor quarreled often. He had a -key to the Trevors’ front door, so that he could enter without anyone -in the house being the wiser. And,” added Dick, “he knew where every -member of the household would be on that night. Then the Camorra had -evidently decreed her death; Clark was said to be their direct agent in -the affair.” - -“And his motive for killing Mrs. Trevor?” - -“Count de Smirnoff informed me Clark was an old lover of hers in -Naples. I know that he has been paying great attention to Miss Trevor. -Possibly he did not take the precaution of being off with the old love -before being on with the new.” - -Chief Connor followed Dick’s arguments closely. - -“Circumstantial evidence does point toward him,” he admitted. “There is -no doubt that Clark is a pretty thorough-going rascal. Have you tried -to find out where he was on the night of the third?” - -“Not yet. I came to find out if Clark had been arrested, to tell you of -my suspicions, and to ask your advice in the matter.” - -“My men are busy now tracing Clark’s career. If they discover any facts -which point to the murder I will send for you. In the meantime, haven’t -you a mutual friend who would know something of Clark’s life here?” - -Dick’s face brightened. “Of course, there’s Charlie Archibald; he knows -Clark pretty well. Charlie works in the Department of Justice. I’ll go -right over there.” He rose as he spoke. - -“Let me know the result,” said Chief Connor. - -“All right, sir. Many thanks for your suggestion. Good-by.” And he -hastened out of the building. - -“The chase is getting warm,” thought Dick, as the taxi turned and -started up Fifteenth Street. “If only--only Peggy meant what she said. -Well, here’s for another try,” and he opened the door just as the car -drew up in front of the Department of Justice. - -Dick hastily threaded his way through the busy rooms searching for his -friend. - -“Hello, Charlie, you’re a sight for sair een,” he hailed. “Where have -you been keeping yourself?” - -“Oh, boning for an exam,” said Archibald, his tired face lighting up -with a smile. “You look as if the world were treating you pretty well, -Dick?” - -“Nothing to boast of. Say, Charlie,” drawing him to one side and -speaking in a low tone, “can you tell me anything about Alfred Clark?” - -“Tell you anything about him?” echoed Archibald, surprised. “Well, -no, not much; he’s a quiet sort of chap, keeps himself pretty much to -himself, not a good mixer with the boys. I’ve seen more of him than the -others because he’s lending me a hand in my studies for the District -Bar examination.” - -“Perhaps you can tell me where he was on the night of the third?” - -“The third,” repeated Archibald. “What the deuce was I doing that -night? Wait a moment.” He took out a memorandum book and turned the -leaves rapidly. “22nd January--1st of February--ah, here we are--‘study -with Clark.’ Of course, I remember now. That night I went over to his -rooms at the Buckingham, to go over some papers with him. He has often -told me to go up to his room and wait if he wasn’t there; and so I sat -waiting and waiting until after midnight, but he never showed up. Then -I cleared out.” - -“Did he ever tell you what detained him?” - -“Nope, just said he forgot the engagement.” - -“Do you know where Clark generally spends his time when not working?” - -“He used to be with the Trevors all the time. He is quite a lady -killer, you know.” Dick shivered involuntarily, while his unconscious -friend went on. “He is society mad, but lately he’s not been like -himself. It may be money troubles; he plays the races and has been a -heavy loser. I know because I made him a small loan, and lately the -money lenders have been pressing him for payments.” He looked curiously -at Dick. “Why do you want to know all this? You and Clark never hit it -off very well.” - -“I’ll explain some other time. Many thanks, old man. By-by,” and Dick -turned and ran down the corridor after the Attorney General, who had -just entered the building. - -“How are you, Tillinghast?” said he, cordially, as Dick brought up -breathless before him. “Want to see me?” - -“Only to ask you one question.” As he spoke, he took the gold coin out -of his pocket. “Have you ever seen this before, sir?” - -The Attorney General examined the coin with interest, then handed it -back to Dick. - -“Never laid eyes on it before,” he said. “Why do you ask?” - -But Dick never waited to reply; he was off down the corridor as fast as -his legs could take him. - -“District Building,” he called to the chauffeur as he jumped inside and -slammed the door. - -Detective Hardy was reflecting on his week’s work with great -satisfaction when Dick burst hurriedly into his office. - -“Time’s up, Hardy,” he said, coolly. “Come, divulge your news.” - -Hardy smiled indulgently. He could afford to tease Dick a little. - -“News in regard to what, sir?” - -“Who killed Mrs. Trevor?” - -“That’s rather a large order,” smiled the detective. - -“Well, I’ll amend the question. Who do you _think_ killed Mrs. Trevor?” - -Hardy’s eyes flashed with anger. He hated to be made fun of, especially -by a young “Mr.-Know-It-All,” and he instantly determined to take the -wind out of his sails. - -“It isn’t a case of ‘think,’ Mr. Tillinghast; I have absolute proof.” - -“Against whom?” - -“Miss Beatrice Trevor.” - -“Oh, nonsense!” exclaimed Dick, roughly. But his heart sank as he -thought of the hat-pin and Beatrice’s endeavor to secrete it. Should he -confide in Hardy? His conscience pricked him. Undoubtedly the detective -should be told. But he had given his word to Peggy to shield her -friend; let the consequences be what they might, he would keep it. - -“Nothing of the sort,” retorted Hardy. “We know they had a bitter -quarrel; she threatened to strike her stepmother.” - -“Pooh! If we believe everything an angry woman says--” Dick shrugged -his shoulders expressively. “Their bark is worse than their bite, -Hardy.” - -“Maybe so, but not in this instance.” - -“Next?” questioned Dick, with a tantalizing smile. - -“Her maid--” began Hardy, then checked himself. “Look here, sir; this -is absolutely private, it must not get into the papers until I say so.” - -“Sure; I’ll keep absolutely mum.” - -“I’ve made myself solid with Suzanne, Miss Trevor’s maid. Nothing like -using a little tact in that direction, sir,” chuckled Hardy. “Anyway, -she told me that a handsome, strong (mind you, _strong_) hat-pin that -was given to Miss Beatrice by Miss Macallister is missing. Wait a -moment,” as Dick opened his lips to speak. “Suzanne says Miss Beatrice -wore it that afternoon, and when she came in went into the private -office and took off her hat there, later, carrying it up to her room, -but she didn’t have the hat-pin with her, because Suzanne asked her -where it was when she put her coat and hat away. Miss Beatrice made no -reply, and shortly after went downstairs to dinner. Suzanne never saw -the hat-pin again. She remembers it distinctly because of the curious -design of the gold about the cat’s-eye in the top.” - -“See here, Hardy, that’s not much to go on. You haven’t found the -weapon remember, and therefore cannot prove it belonged to Miss -Beatrice. Secondly, Mrs. Trevor was found locked in the safe, not on -the floor.” - -“Quite true, sir. But you must recollect that Mrs. Trevor was a small, -slender woman. I don’t believe she weighed over one hundred and -twenty-five pounds.” - -“I know; but a relaxed body is a mighty heavy, unwieldy thing to lift.” - -“Miss Trevor is tall and strong,” said Hardy, dryly. “She is a fine -tennis player, a good fencer, and is also a magnificent cross-country -rider. It wouldn’t be much exertion for her to get Mrs. Trevor into the -safe, which was a short distance away.” - -Dick shook his head. “I can’t agree with you, Hardy.” - -The detective leaned toward Dick and raised his hand impressively. - -“Listen to me, sir. Her initialed handkerchief with blood stains upon -it was found in the safe near the body.” - -Dick stared with unbelieving eyes at the triumphant detective. - -“You are crazy,” he said, tersely. “In the first place, Doctor Davis -said no blood was visible on Mrs. Trevor’s outer garments. Then all the -witnesses, including yourself, testified at the inquest that nothing -had been found either in the safe or in the room.” - -“I have just seen Doctor Davis,” explained Hardy, patiently. “He said -that undoubtedly some blood must have spurted out on the murderer’s -hand when the foul blow was struck. Secondly, we didn’t find the -handkerchief. It was brought to me by a person who said his conscience -would no longer permit him to keep the matter secret. He had held back -the information to protect Miss Trevor; but now, convinced of her -guilt, he could no longer shield her.” - -“And may I ask the name of this--this shrimp?” asked Dick, boiling with -rage. - -“Certainly. Alfred Clark, the secretary!” - - - - -CHAPTER XXI - -FORGING THE FETTERS - - -DICK sat back in his chair and glowered at Hardy. - -“Do you know that your informant is at present a fugitive from -justice?” he asked. - -“What!” cried the detective, springing to his feet in his surprise. - -“It’s a fact,” declared Dick. “The Secret Service men are after him. I -expect to hear of his arrest at any moment.” - -Hardy sank back in his chair and mopped his red face. He had very much -the appearance of a pricked gas balloon. - -“Would you mind putting me wise?” he asked, finally. “I’ve been so busy -shadowing Miss Trevor, I am all in the dark about Clark. The Secret -Service Bureau haven’t notified us yet. I suppose they want him for -some Government business.” - -In a few terse sentences Dick told him of his interview with Chief -Connor, and of the evidence he had collected against Clark. At the end -Hardy swore with fluency and ease. - -“What a blank--blank--fool I’ve been to be taken in by that scoundrel,” -he gasped. “Then this handkerchief business is only a plan to throw -dust in my eyes.” - -“I think so,” agreed Dick. “Clark evidently wanted to turn suspicion -against Miss Trevor, so manufactured this evidence. It was probably an -easy matter for him to pick up one of Miss Trevor’s handkerchiefs; as a -rule women shed them wherever they go. Then he pricked his arm, or made -his nose bleed so as to get blood stains on it. Depend upon it, Hardy, -he is your man.” - -“You are right, sir,” exclaimed Hardy, banging his fist on the table. -“Now that you have shown me the way, I’ll bring the murder home to -him, or bust. Here, Johnston,” to a plain clothes officer who had just -entered the office, “get your hat and come on.” - -Dick left the two detectives at the main entrance of the District -Building and rushed down to the _Star_. After a satisfactory -interview with Colonel Byrd, he hastened to his desk where he found -an accumulation of work waiting for him. But, as it happened, that -particular work was never finished by him, for at that moment a -District messenger boy handed him a note, the contents of which -surprised him very much. It read: - - _Dear Dick_: - - Get over here as quick as you can. Must see you. Most important. - - Yours in haste, - TOM BLAKE. - -Blake the phlegmatic--Blake the most easy-going and laziest of clubmen! -Dick wondered what was to pay as he closed his desk and got his -overcoat and hat. After a few words of explanation to Colonel Byrd, he -left the office and hastened up to Stoneleigh Court. - -Blake’s apartment on the sixth floor faced on Connecticut Avenue, but -from the side windows there was a magnificent view of the White House -grounds and the Washington Monument, whose wonderful white shaft -seemed to float aloft, detached from the solid earth, a part of the -fleecy clouds themselves; while still farther to the south a glimpse of -the Potomac River could be caught now and then as it twisted and turned -along the Virginia and Maryland shores. - -Dick had plenty of time to admire the view before Tom made his -appearance, dressed immaculately. - -“Sorry to keep you waiting, old man, but I had to shift after traveling -all night, first getting some sleep; never closed my eyes all night in -a beastly upper berth. Lunch ready, Lambert?” as his man came to the -door. “All right, come along, Dick.” - -Dick sighed with satisfaction, as he helped himself to a juicy piece -of beefsteak and some French fried potatoes. He was almost famished, -and Tom was in like condition. For a short time conversation languished -while they both attended to the wants of the inner man. - -“Where have you been, Tom?” Dick finally asked, helping himself to a -hot muffin. - -“Philadelphia,” answered Tom, his speech somewhat impeded by a large -mouthful which he, with difficulty, swallowed in a hurry. “I had to -go over there to see about the strike in the Warren textile mills. -I’m a big stockholder in the concern, so had to take an interest in -the blooming business. Can’t say I was much help; couldn’t seem to -understand the rights of the row. Far as I could make out, the workers -wanted more wages.” - -“Most people do,” interrupted Dick, laughing. - -“I know, but the business doesn’t warrant a raise, hasn’t paid a -dividend for months. The strikers claim they can’t even buy the -necessities of life at the present scale of wages. The whole trouble -is, no one knows nowadays what are necessities and what luxuries, and -no one attempts to live without them both.” - -“Oh, I could exist without the necessities if someone supplied me with -all the luxuries,” laughed Dick. “But seriously, Tom, why did you send -me this urgent note?” - -Tom beckoned to Lambert. “Put the cigars and coffee on the table, -and don’t wait.” He remained silent until his order had been swiftly -obeyed, then continued, “While I was in Philadelphia, Dick, I saw your -brother John.” - -“How’s the dear old chap?” inquired Dick, much pleased to get -first-hand information, as he and his brother were poor correspondents. - -“Looking finely, but, of course, as busy as ever. Never saw such -a man for work,” grumbled Tom. “He told me he was on the point of -coming to Washington, when he read in the papers that I was at the -Bellevue-Stratford. Therefore, he decided to consult me instead of you.” - -“What did he consult you about?” - -“The Trevor murder.” - -Dick straightened up in his chair. “What on earth induces him to take a -particular interest in that?” - -“In the first place he knows you are investigating the murder, having -read your signed despatches to the _Inquirer_. Secondly, he feels that -he is holding back some information which may help to elucidate the -mystery. He confided certain facts to me, first making me promise to -tell no one but you.” - -“What did he tell you?” eagerly demanded Dick. - -“That Beatrice Trevor and Donald Gordon were married on the first of -January.” - -His startling news had more effect on his friend than Tom expected. For -a moment Dick felt physically ill, and the dishes on the table whirled -up and down. - -“Here,” exclaimed Tom, startled by his white face. “Take some whisky, -quick!” He poured out a liberal portion. “There, that will soon set you -up.” - -“Are you sure there is no mistake?” asked Dick, imploringly. - -“Absolutely positive,” answered Tom, gravely. “Your brother and I both -realize the scandal that must follow if the secret leaks out before -Gordon is cleared of this monstrous charge. John gave me all the -details known to him. The marriage was perfectly legal. He performed -the ceremony, and Mrs. John Dundas and Arthur Vandergrift were the -witnesses. The affair was kept absolutely quiet for personal reasons -given by Mrs. Dundas. John wouldn’t, of course, tell me what they were, -except to say that everything was open and above board.” - -“Did he tell you anything else?” - -“Only that the marriage took place at three o’clock in the afternoon. -He gave me this copy of the marriage certificate for you.” He took the -paper out of his notebook and handed it to Dick. The printed lines -danced before the latter’s eyes as he studied them. - -“Whichever way I look at it, Gordon’s guilt seems certain,” he said, -finally. - -But Tom shook his head in doubt. “I still don’t see where the motive -comes in,” he argued. “Just because he married Beatrice in secret he -didn’t have to kill her stepmother.” - -“It happens that Gordon was an old lover of Mrs. Trevor’s,” answered -Dick, shortly. “General Long says he was madly infatuated with her, and -there’s a rumor they were married in London before she met Trevor.” - -“Good Lord!” ejaculated Tom, in open-eyed amazement. “Do you mean that -Gordon intentionally or unintentionally committed bigamy?” - -“I don’t know,” moodily. “Apparently the marriage was kept from the -Trevors. But why? From a worldly point of view it was a most suitable -match. Both are well-born, wealthy, and good looking. Why, then, elope?” - -“Blessed if I know.” Tom scratched his head hopelessly. “Mrs. Trevor, -as proved by her letter, made an appointment with Gordon at a most -unconventional hour. Perhaps she refused to keep silent about the -past in that last interview, and in a boiling fury he snatched up the -hat-pin.” - -“But then how did Beatrice get so entangled in the affair?” asked Dick. - -“Is she?” inquired Tom, puzzled by the new development. - -“Yes,” despondently. “I know positively that she had the top of the -broken hat-pin in her possession after the murder. It was undoubtedly -the weapon used to kill Mrs. Trevor. Also, Beatrice’s blood-stained -handkerchief is said to have been found inside the safe by the body -of her stepmother. Gordon is the last man to throw suspicion on an -innocent woman by using her handkerchief and her hat-pin. Even if -guilty, he would never hide behind a woman’s petticoat.” - -Tom’s eyes grew bigger and bigger as he listened to Dick. - -“It strikes me you are on the wrong tack,” he said when the latter -paused. “All your arguments appear to me to point to the fact that -Gordon is trying to shield Beatrice. Innocent himself, he might have -purposely let them arrest him for her crime.” - -“Good God!” Dick looked at Tom in sudden horror. - -“Beatrice might have been concealed behind a curtain and overheard the -scene between her husband and her stepmother. Mrs. Trevor was very -beautiful, also very fascinating; perhaps Gordon lost his head and made -love to her. Beatrice’s jealousy roused--” - -“No, no,” exclaimed Dick. “Beatrice was at the ball then. I was with -her myself at the very time Mrs. Trevor and Gordon were together.” - -“Why not later on then?” pursued Tom. “She was the last person to -enter the house--everyone else was in bed--perhaps the two women met -and continued their quarrel. You remember Wilkins overheard Beatrice -threaten her stepmother earlier in the evening. Stronger than most of -her sex, blind hatred may have nerved Beatrice’s arm and eye to strike -the fatal blow.” - -“I won’t believe it!” declared Dick, fiercely. “I won’t! I stick to it -that Alfred Clark is the criminal.” - -“The secretary?” asked Tom, much astonished. - -“Yes. He was Mrs. Trevor’s old lover, too....” - -“Another! Apparently the woods were full of them,” interpolated Tom. - -“Mrs. Trevor was probably jealous of his attentions to Beatrice, and -threatened to disclose some disgraceful secret of his past. Clark, to -silence her, killed her, the cold-blooded fish. He would not scruple to -throw suspicion on Beatrice, particularly as, being married to Gordon, -she must have rejected his suit.” - -“For all that, Dick,” said Tom, obstinately, “if Beatrice Trevor ever -comes to trial for this crime, you will have great difficulty in -convincing twelve good men and true that she is innocent.” - -“I’ll do it!” Dick’s eyes snapped with determination. - -“How?” - -“By proving that that black-hearted scoundrel Clark is guilty.” - -“Beg pardon, sir,” Lambert’s discreet voice from the doorway -interrupted them. “James has just sent up word, sir, that the car is -here, sir.” - -“All right, Lambert; get Mr. Tillinghast’s coat and hat, and mine. -I’ll take you wherever you wish to go, Dick, but first come with me to -Galt’s. I have to buy a wedding present for May Seymour. Please come -and help me select it.” - -Dick consulted his watch. “If you won’t be very long, I’ll come. I have -an appointment with General Long at four o’clock.” - -Lambert helped them into their overcoats, and a few minutes later they -were whirled away in the big Pierce Arrow car which was Tom’s latest -addition to his overstocked garage. - -“I had a great mind to turn detective and use the knowledge of -Beatrice’s secret marriage to find the murderer of her stepmother,” -said Tom, as the big car slowed up at a street crossing. “You remember, -Dick, that Peggy Macallister challenged us all. But don’t worry, old -man,” seeing the telltale color rise in Dick’s face. “I know when I am -out of the running. But what struck me as being extremely ludicrous -was her including Count de Morny in the wager. I was the only one to -appreciate the humor of it.” - -“I fail to see any particular humor in the situation,” retorted Dick, -warmly. “De Morny has as great a right to win Peggy as any man; far -more than I, in fact.” And he sighed as he bitterly thought of his -small bank account. - -“Tut! I wasn’t thinking of your rivalry, but of de Morny’s putting -himself out to revenge Mrs. Trevor’s death. Why, man alive, they hated -each other like poison.” - -Dick looked curiously at Tom. “What makes you think so?” - -“I don’t think--I _know_. De Morny told me so himself. He said she -affected him as a cat does some people; simply couldn’t stand being in -the same room with her, and yet they were constantly thrown together -at bridge parties. I thought it simply one of his over-charged Latin -speeches; but one day at the Macallisters I inadvertently overheard -them talking. They were in a bay window concealed by the curtain, and I -stood with my back to them waiting for the crowd to thin so I could go -and speak to Mrs. Macallister.” - -“And what did you overhear?” asked Dick, with growing interest. - -“At first I paid no attention to the few words I caught; but finally I -heard a woman’s voice say: ‘Indeed, Count, I will not agree....’ - -“‘You must. If you do not, disaster will overtake you. Be warned in -time.’ - -“His voice was so threatening that I involuntarily turned to interrupt -them just as Mrs. Trevor parted the curtains and walked out. Until -then I had not known for certain who they were. They spoke in French. -From that moment Mrs. Trevor won my admiration. There was no trace of -excitement or embarrassment in her manner. Jove! she carried off the -situation with a high hand, and de Morny followed her lead.” - -“Probably they didn’t know they had been overheard,” suggested Dick. - -“That must have been it,” answered Tom. “Come to think of it, the last -time I saw Mrs. Trevor was on Wednesday about noon. She was sitting in -her limousine in front of de Morny’s small house on K Street.” - -“Considering their dislike was mutual, it’s strange she should drive up -to his door. Was the Attorney General with her?” - -“No, she was alone; probably she stopped to leave a note. They played -auction a great deal. De Morny told me the other day, though, that he -would have to give up playing as his losses had been very heavy this -winter. Here’s Galt’s, come on in.” - -It did not take Tom long to select a present. He picked out an -after-dinner coffee service, and gave directions as to its marking and -delivery. Dick glanced impatiently at the clock. He had barely time to -keep his appointment if he left at once. As he turned to speak to Tom -he heard a man standing next him say: - -“My mastaire wishes it repaired and returned at once, Monsieur.” - -Dick’s eyes traveled over the speaker, obviously by the cut of his -clothes a foreigner, then on to the piece of jewelry which the man laid -on the counter as he spoke. It was a long, heavily linked, red-gold -watch chain. Dick waited for the valet to go before addressing the -clerk, who had often waited on him. - -“May I look at this chain?” - -“Why, yes, Mr. Tillinghast.” - -Dick took it up in his left hand. The outer sides of the links were -covered with intricate scroll work. One link was missing. With -trembling fingers, he took the coin out of his pocket and placed the -link in the broken chain. It fitted exactly! - -Dick’s heart was beating nearly to suffocation as he asked, in little -more than a whisper: - -“Can you tell me to whom this chain belongs?” - -“Certainly, sir. Count de Morny.” - - - - -CHAPTER XXII - -AT THE TIME APPOINTED - - -DICK leaned limply against the high, glass counter, his cold fingers -holding fast to the telltale chain. - -“Mr. Tillinghast.” He whirled around and found Hardy standing by his -side. “I tried to see you at your office, but Colonel Byrd said you -were at Stoneleigh Court. On going there, Mr. Blake’s servant told me -I might catch you here. Chief Conner has received word that Clark was -arrested this morning in New York on board an outgoing tramp steamer. -He was disguised as an Italian stoker. Two Secret Service men are -bringing him back on the six ten train to-night. Chief Conner sent me -word to look you up at once, as he--” - -“Just a moment, Hardy,” Dick interrupted. He had done some rapid -thinking, and a daring plan had occurred to him, which he decided to -put into instant execution. “Are you a good bluffer?” - -“You bet; try me.” - -“Then go to the head clerk and tell him you need this chain,” picking -it up, “as a piece of evidence in a murder. Do that, then come with me, -and by night you will have the real murderer of Mrs. Trevor under lock -and key. Be quick.” - -Hardy did exactly as Dick suggested, meeting with but little opposition -from the head clerk after he had convinced that individual that he was -a properly accredited representative of the law. - -“Come on, Tom,” called Dick, as his friend stopped for a moment to -examine a tray filled with cigarette cases. - -“What’s up?” he inquired, joining the two men at the door. - -“Another clew,” answered Dick, briefly. “In with you both,” bundling -them unceremoniously into the waiting motor. “I want half an hour’s -uninterrupted talk with you and Hardy, Tom.” - -Tom looked keenly at Dick’s serious face. “Drive to the Mall,” he -ordered, and the chauffeur started slowly off in that direction. “Out -with your story, Dick.” - -The latter took the broken link out of his pocket and handed it to -Tom. “I found this link in the Trevor house under the armor in the -front hall. No member of that household can identify it. Wilkins, their -butler, declares it was not there on the morning of the murder, as he -and the footman oiled the floor then. Clark, according to the butler, -wears a fob. Swarms of people called and left cards at the Trevors’ -but they go no further than the front door. I am telling you all this -to prove that that broken link was not where I found it _before_ the -murder, nor could it have been dropped there after the finding of the -body. Now, that broken link is exactly the same design and fits in this -chain which Hardy has just received from the clerk at Galt’s.” - -“Well, what then?” demanded Hardy, eagerly. - -“Just this.” Dick spoke slowly and distinctly so as to be heard by the -deeply interested men. “This chain belongs to Count de Morny.” - -“Hold on--hold on,” exclaimed Tom, recovering from his surprise. -“Perhaps some person attending the inquest dropped it?” - -“That part of the house was roped off and guarded by policemen.” - -“You are right,” agreed Hardy. “I remember the careful arrangements we -made to keep the crowd to the left as they entered the house. Besides,” -examining the chain closely, “it must have taken a tremendous wrench to -break off that link, and the few pieces of furniture on the way to the -library and parlor were moved to make room for the people passing back -and forth.” - -“Exactly,” said Dick. “My theory is that de Morny, after committing -the murder, concealed himself behind the armor in the corner by the -chimney. In getting up, his chain must have caught and wrenched off the -link.” - -“But the motive?” demanded Hardy. “Count de Morny is a member of the -Diplomatic Corps; there will be an awful howl and international -complications unless we have absolute proof of his guilt before we -arrest him.” - -“Mr. Blake can tell you that Mrs. Trevor and the Count hated each -other.” - -“Yes, he told me so,” corroborated Tom, as the detective looked at him. -“I also overheard the Count threaten her.” - -“Gordon was not the only man late in arriving at the Bachelors’ -Cotillion that night,” went on Dick. “De Morny never got there until -after midnight. He gave very evasive answers to Miss Macallister when -she asked what had detained him. We all teased him about his unusual -solemnity; and then towards the end of the ball he astonished us by -sudden outbursts of hilarity. At the time I attributed them to too many -convivial glasses of champagne. But a more sinister cause may have been -responsible for his conduct. - -“To sum up--we know de Morny hated Mrs. Trevor; we know he threatened -her; we know this chain belongs to him; we know one link from it was -found in the Trevor house; we know he could have killed Mrs. Trevor -that night and have gone afterwards to the ball--it is what Gordon is -accused of doing. - -“Now, I propose we go to de Morny and demand an explanation. If he -cannot give a satisfactory one, Hardy, here, as a representative of the -law, can threaten to arrest him.” - -“I can--” Hardy looked troubled--“but you gentlemen have got to stand -by me, for I may get into a devil of a row by exceeding my authority.” - -“Don’t worry,” said Tom. “I am convinced de Morny is the murderer, and -that our bluff will work.” - -“I must speak to Captain Brown first, sir,” objected the detective. - -Tom wasted no time in words, he leaned across and spoke to his -chauffeur. - -“Police Headquarters,” he ordered, “as fast as you can get there.” - -About an hour later the big car purred softly up K Street and stopped -before a modest red-brick house. Tom led the way up the short flagged -walk and rang the bell. A Union Transfer baggage wagon drove up to the -curb, and Hardy nodded toward it, whispering to Dick: “Making a quick -get-away.” - -“Take my card to Monsieur le Comte,” said Tom to the attendant who -answered the door. “I will detain him but a moment.” - -His air of authority had its effect on the servant, and he promptly -showed them into the small parlor, saying he would summon his master. - -Too nervous to sit down, Dick wandered around the cozy room, looking -at first one ornament and then another. The place spoke of wealth and -good taste. A Corot and a Millet hung on the walls. The rich coloring -of the oriental hangings and rugs gave out an air of comfort and warmth -which was added to by the cannel coal fire burning cheerfully in the -grate. It had grown bitterly cold outside, and the men, grateful for -the warmth, stood grouped about the fireplace as Count de Morny entered. - -“Ah! Monsieur Blake, most welcome; and you, too, Monsieur,” shaking -Dick warmly by the hand, “and--” looking at the detective. - -“Detective Hardy,” supplemented Tom, feeling exceedingly uncomfortable; -but the Frenchman apparently did not notice the air of constraint in -each man’s attitude, but greeted Hardy with all the courtesy of his -nation. - -“Won’t you seet?” he asked, pulling the lounging chairs nearer the -fire. “Eet ees cold outside, _n’est-ce pas_?” - -“Thanks. We have only come for a moment,” answered Dick, “just to ask -you--” He hesitated, glancing at Hardy. - -“To ask you,” said Hardy, stepping forward, “what took place between -you and Mrs. Trevor on the night of Wednesday, February third?” - -A look of blank astonishment crossed de Morny’s face. - -“Ze night of ze sird!” he exclaimed. “But I do not see Madame zen. -I do not remembaire--one moment--” As he spoke, he drew a small -Morocco-bound memorandum book from his vest pocket, and rapidly turned -its leaves. “_Mais, oui_--I was at ze Bachelors’ zat night,” he added, -triumphantly. - -“You did not go there until after midnight,” said Dick. - -“_Oui_, Monsieur,” said de Morny. He eyed the men sharply. It just -occurred to him that their behavior was somewhat peculiar. “And what -then?” haughtily. - -“We wish to know where you were between the hours of ten o’clock and -one in the morning on the night of the third.” - -“Why should you question me, Monsieur Hardy?” turning squarely on the -detective. - -“Because I want to know when you killed Mrs. Trevor,” he bluntly -replied. - -The detective’s meaning dawned slowly upon de Moray’s mind; then he -leaped to his feet with an oath, his handsome eyes flashing with fury. - -“_Pardieu!_” he cried. “You dare--you dare--” Not able to express his -indignation in his limited English, he burst into French. - -Tom tried to stem the torrent of his words by addressing him in his -native tongue, while Dick and Hardy stood hopelessly looking on, but de -Morny would not be appeased. - -“I--I--” he began, lapsing into broken English, “I--a de Morny--am -accused by a pig of an Americaine of a crime so foul! Bah!” Then, -mastering his rage by a great effort, he asked more calmly, “May I ask -Monsieur for his reasons of a charge so monstrous?” - -“Certainly,” said Hardy. “You were heard to threaten her--” - -“_I_, Monsieur?” in great astonishment. - -“Yes; I overheard you do so at Mrs. Macallister’s,” interrupted Tom. - -De Morny looked at him with an enigmatic smile. “So!” was his only -comment. - -“You cannot give a satisfactory account of your whereabouts on February -third between the hours of ten and one in the morning; at least you -haven’t yet.” - -“So!” Again the Frenchman smiled. - -“Now, Count--” Hardy spoke slowly, to make sure that de Morny -understood him--“we have irrefutable evidence that you were in the -Trevor house on that night. A piece of your property was found there.” - -“What is eet?” questioned de Morny, with a rising inflection. - -“This--” taking the watch chain out of his pocket. - -“_Mais c’est impossible!_” ejaculated the Frenchman. “I myself sent the -chain to ze jeweler to be mended.” - -“Exactly, Count--_to be mended_. Here is the broken link you lost in -the Trevor house on the night of February third.” - -Spellbound, de Morny gazed at the coin lying in Hardy’s broad palm. -Then he reached over, took up the watch chain, laid it on the bare -mahogany table, and fitted the broken link into place. In silence -the three men watched him, as a cat watches a mouse, but they could -learn nothing of the passion burning within him from his set face and -brooding eyes. Finally, he broke the long pause to ask: - -“And you sink--” - -“That the owner of that chain is the murderer of Mrs. Trevor.” - -“You are right, sir,” said a low, clear voice back of the detective. -“_I am he._” - -With a convulsive bound Hardy swung round; Dick and Tom being too -petrified to move. - -“Ah, _non, non_, de Smirnoff, say not so,” cried de Morny, deep feeling -in his shaking voice. - -The Russian had entered unnoticed some minutes before by a door -communicating with an inner room. Too shocked for speech, and sick at -heart, Dick gazed at him. This--this was the man who had saved him -from a horrible death--and he had repaid the debt by hounding him to -the gallows. But for his intervention the criminal would have gone -undetected. - -“And why not, Henri?” asked de Smirnoff, quietly. “I cannot have you, -_mon ami_, arrested for my crime. And so, Monsieur,” to Hardy, “you -found my lucky piece and traced it here--I do not know how you did it, -but it was clever work. I thought I had covered my tracks.” - -“Hold, sir,” said Hardy, his sense of fair play causing him to -interrupt. “I must warn you that everything you say will be used -against you.” - -De Smirnoff shrugged his shoulders. “It can make no difference.” Then, -as Hardy pulled out a pair of handcuffs, his face flushed hotly. “Not -that--my God!--not that; I will come quietly with you.” - -At a sign from Dick, Hardy reluctantly put them back in his pocket. - -“My warm thanks, Messieurs,” said de Smirnoff, slowly, “for the great -kindness; and I have another favor to ask of you. My host, Count de -Morny, knows nothing of this affair. I would like, if possible, to -explain my share in it to him and to you. It was no sordid murder. Will -you not sit a moment?” - -Dick held a whispered conversation with Tom and Hardy, and then turned -to de Smirnoff. - -“We agree to listen, Count.” - -De Smirnoff bowed his head in grave acknowledgment, and then signed to -the men to draw up their chairs. It was a scene Dick never forgot: the -room, lighted only by the winter twilight and the bright blaze of the -cannel coal, the five men seated in a circle around the hearth, the -firelight flickering on their excited faces. De Smirnoff was by far the -calmest of them all. - -“It will not take long in the telling,” he began; “but to make the -present situation clear, I must speak first of the past. Hélène de -Beaupré’s mother, Olga Weletsky, was a Russian. She married Claude -de Beaupré, and they lived first in one country and then in another, -finally returning to St. Petersburg. There they lived in comparative -poverty and obscurity, having spent most of their patrimony in their -wanderings about the world. - -“About five years later they both died within a very short time of each -other, leaving their only child, a girl of twenty-three, in the care -of an uncle, Colonel Weletsky. I saw her often before the death of her -parents. She was very beautiful then--the beauty of the devil--the -beauty that destroys men’s souls. - -“My only son, Sacha de Smirnoff, met her frequently at a friend’s -house, and fell madly in love with her. She returned his passion, but -she would not consent to a marriage ceremony being performed, as she -said she did not believe in the solemn rites of the church. I think -she simply did not wish to bind herself legally to one man. They lived -together for two years.” He paused, then resumed his story. - -“While this was going on, I was in Persia looking after some mining -interests, which I inherited from an uncle. News travels but slowly in -that country of no telegraphs, telephones, or railroads, and during -those two years and more I heard but seldom from Sacha. Therefore, -you can understand my horror and my agony when, on my return to St. -Petersburg, I found that my son had been arrested as a nihilist, -secretly tried, and sent God knows where.” His voice shook with -feeling. “Hélène had also vanished. I joined the Secret Police as a -political spy. For nearly four despairing years I searched Siberia for -my boy, visiting every penal settlement in that vast land. - -“There is no need of recounting the humiliation and suffering I -endured during that time; the worst agony being my anxiety for my son. -Finally, I found him in the worst settlement of all, broken in health -and in spirit, a physical and almost mental wreck. Remembering him as -I did in the glory of his young manhood, tall, handsome, brave, it was -a fearful shock to me to find him crippled, scarred, and cringing. -Shortly after my arrival Sacha fell ill with brain fever, and for days -I nursed him, fearing he would never recover. He rallied finally, and -slowly day by day regained his strength. I did everything I could to -lighten his confinement, while all the time planning his escape. - -“One day a fresh batch of political prisoners arrived, among them an -old friend of Sacha’s. When he found who I was, he told me that he -himself after Sacha’s arrest, had gone to Hélène and given her proofs -of Sacha’s innocence of the crime he was charged with, thinking that -of course she would use the papers to clear him. But the Vampire was -already tired of Sacha. She disappeared with the papers, believing that -safe in the wilds of Siberia Sacha would never trouble her again, and -she could live her own life untroubled by the past. - -“Boris advised me to recover those papers, give them to the proper -authorities, and secure my son’s release. It seemed the only thing to -do, as Sacha’s health was such that to try and escape in the rigors of -that climate was courting certain death. Therefore, I left Siberia, -first arranging with one of the Cossack officials at the settlement to -send me word every month of my son’s physical condition, care of my -Paris bankers.” He stopped and sighed deeply, then drew out his cigar -case. “Will you not join me, I speak more calmly when I smoke? - -“I will not weary you with a detailed account of my search for Hélène. -My connection with the Secret Police helped me, and I was of great use -to the Bureau, as few suspected that I belonged to the force. Finally -I traced Hélène to Italy, Paris, England, and then here. I knew of the -Grand Duke’s proposed visit, and asked permission to accompany him; and -I was sent on as special agent to guard him against the Camorra, as -you already know,” to Dick. “I came on to Washington before the Grand -Duke, however, and meeting Henri,” placing his hand affectionately on -de Morny’s shoulder, “an old friend of Sacha’s, accepted his invitation -to visit him during my stay here. That was on the second of February. - -“On Wednesday morning as I was going out of the front door, I was -astounded to see Hélène sitting in her automobile by the curb. I -believe her chauffeur was in the vestibule waiting to deliver a note. I -paid no attention to him but went straight to the limousine and opened -the door. I have altered little, and Hélène knew me at once. She shrank -back in her seat. - -“‘You have nothing to fear,’ I said, quickly. ‘I simply want those -papers which will clear Sacha. Have you kept them?’ - -“My one terror had been that she might have destroyed them, and my -heart leaped with joy when she told me she had the papers, but she also -said she had no intention of giving them up. - -“‘I am not here to haggle with you,’ I answered. ‘What is your price?’ - -“‘Twenty thousand.’ - -“‘Roubles?’ - -“‘No, dollars.’ - -“Her ruling passion was gambling. It was an inherited vice. She would -sell her soul for money to lose over the gaming tables.” - -“It ees so,” interrupted de Morny. “I was warning her, Monsieur Blake, -when you overheard me. She was my cousin, but yes, and I did not want -the name disgraced. I hated and despised her for her treatment of my -friend, Sacha; and it was I, Messieurs, who first notified Count de -Smirnoff that she was in Washington.” The Frenchman’s eyes sparkled -vindictively. - -“Hélène leaned back in her car, thinking, thinking,” continued de -Smirnoff. “Finally she said, speaking low that the chauffeur should not -hear: - -“‘Come to my house to-night at one o’clock. I can see you alone then; -the others will be at the ball. Knock very softly on the front door.’ - -“I nodded understandingly, saying: ‘I will bring the money, do not fail -me,’ and closed the door of the car as the chauffeur cranked the engine. - -“The rest of the day was taken up with arranging my affairs. I produced -my letters of credit and drew out the money without difficulty from -different banks until I had the requisite amount. It was a quarter of -my fortune, but no sum was too great to spend in rescuing my son from -his living death. After helping me Henri went to Baltimore on business -connected with his Embassy--” - -“_Oui_, I did,” again interrupted de Morny, “and I only return by ze -midnight train.” - -“I was sitting here by the fire about eight o’clock,” went on de -Smirnoff, “thinking and planning for the future--the happy future--when -Sacha and I could go to sunny Italy and in that ideal climate, he would -regain his shattered health. We would take a villa on Lake Como-- Just -then the housekeeper brought in a cablegram. I tore it open--my son was -dead! - -“In letters of fire the message burned into my brain. How long I sat -here I do not know; but when I rose my soul was frozen, my mind made -up. She who was blood guilty should answer for her crime. I would keep -my appointment, get the letters, and forward them to Russia, thus -making certain that Sacha should sleep in no unhallowed grave, but be -brought to the old vault in St. Petersburg to rest at last with honor -unblemished by the side of his illustrious ancestors. - -“At the time appointed I was in the Trevors’ vestibule, and I tapped -softly on the door. In a few minutes Hélène admitted me, and we tiptoed -softly into what was apparently a private office. The light was on -and I glanced about the room to see if we were alone; the open safe -attracted my attention. Hélène noticed my glance in that direction. - -“‘My papers are there with my jewelry. I had to get the combination -before I could see you. Have you the money?’ - -“I nodded. She went to the safe and picked up a small bundle. As I -watched her my hand closed over a hat-pin lying on the top of the desk -I was standing by; I glanced down at it--the long, sharp-pointed steel -caught my attention. It was an ideal weapon for my purpose; far better -than a revolver shot which might arouse the household. As it happened -the pin broke in the wound--” There was not a trace of feeling in his -voice. - -“Hélène returned, and in silence I handed the money to her and watched -her count it. Beautiful as ever, living in the lap of luxury--while he, -Sacha, her devoted lover always, had experienced the dregs of life in -that hell upon earth. Merciful God! Could such things be? - -“In silence she handed me the papers; in silence I took them. She was -about to speak when her eye caught the glitter of a ring on the floor. -She dropped on one knee to pick it up, resting her left hand against my -thigh to balance herself. - -“Quickly I seized my chance; and with one strong, straight stroke drove -the hat-pin into her heart, putting out my left hand to catch and -steady her body. And I held her until her head fell back and I saw her -eyes glazing. Thus died Hélène--the Vampire!” - -No one spoke. In the terrible silence the ticking of the small clock -sounded clear and distinct. De Smirnoff roused himself. - -“My tale is soon finished. I carried the body to the safe and fastened -the door; but first I put the twenty thousand dollar gold certificates, -wrapped in her handkerchief, by her side. She had paid the price, I had -no further use for the money.” - -A gasp came from Hardy. “Good God! Clark must have stolen the money,” -he cried, “he found the handkerchief.” - -“What matter?” said de Smirnoff, indifferently. “It is blood money, -ill-gotten gains! To continue; I put out the lights in the room and -went into the hall, but just as I started for the door I heard someone -coming downstairs, so I hid behind a suit of old armor. The man, whom I -judged to be Mr. Trevor, went straight to the front door and admitted -a woman. They went immediately into the room I had just left. Just as -I started to go, Mr. Trevor returned into the hall and went upstairs. -He came down at once, and in a few seconds I heard him talking at the -telephone. This was my opportunity. I rose up hurriedly; but in my -haste I caught my watch chain in some sharp part of the iron stand -which supported the armor. I heard something snap, but dared not stop -to investigate. I slipped out of the front door and down the front -steps as noiselessly as I could,--but dropped the head of the hat-pin -in opening the door. - -“With a supreme effort, I took up my everyday life the next morning, -attending to my duties in safe-guarding the person of the Grand Duke, -and accepting the invitations I received as Henri’s guest. It has given -me infinite satisfaction to see Hélène’s wicked past revealed gradually -to the world she had fooled so long. - -“Monsieur Tillinghast--” he turned directly to Dick--“I am glad, glad I -was of service to you the other night, for you remind me of Sacha.” His -voice quivered on his son’s name. - -“Count--Count--what can I say,” faltered Dick. - -“Say nothing. It is Kismet. In my grief for my son I have never given -the loss of my lucky coin another thought; but I hated to be without my -chain, a present from Sacha when a lad; so I asked Henri to send it to -a jeweler’s to be mended. That--is--all--I--think--Messieurs--” - -For some time his voice had grown husky from weariness and emotion; now -he could hardly articulate. None of his listeners cared to break the -painful pause. Suddenly, Hardy, the most callous of the four men, rose -and turned on the lights. As he did so a cry escaped de Morny: - -“Look--look!” he shouted pointing to de Smirnoff. - -With a bound Dick was by the Russian’s side, his hand on his heart. -De Smirnoff’s head was thrown back, his body, unnoticed in the dimly -lighted room, had twisted slightly, and his eyes were fixed in a -dreadful stare. There was no need for Dick to speak. Each man in the -room knew de Smirnoff was dead. - -Tom leaned over and took the half-burnt cigar from the nerveless -fingers. - -“The poison was here,” he said. - -Dick’s pitying gaze fell on the livid face. - -“Better so,” he said softly. - - - - -CHAPTER XXIII - -THE LIFTING OF THE CLOUD - - -“DURLEY, fill up Miss Beatrice’s champagne glass. I insist, my dear,” -as Beatrice protested. “Your health needs such a tonic, and it can do -you no harm. I promised your father that I would take good care of you, -so you must prepare to do exactly as I say,” and Mrs. Macallister shook -a warning finger at her guest. - -Peggy had called for Beatrice that afternoon and carried her home in -the Macallisters’ landaulet. And already their tender but unobtrusive -sympathy, and the cheery atmosphere of the house had had a beneficial -effect on her over-wrought nerves. - -Intuitively, Mrs. Macallister knew that Beatrice was silently grieving -her heart out, too proud to complain even to those dear friends, as -each day added its burden to those which her sensitive woman’s soul -was bearing so bravely. As her handsome dark eyes, filled with unshed -tears, encountered Mrs. Macallister’s piercing ones, that astute dame, -deeply touched by their wistful appeal, then and there registered a vow -to do everything within her power to help her. “There’s some man in the -case,” thought she, watching Beatrice covertly. “And what on earth ails -Peggy? She hasn’t been herself since the night I found her in a dead -faint.” - -All through dinner Peggy had eaten nothing. She sat, pale and -preoccupied, making bread balls and leaving her grandmother to -entertain Beatrice. The hat-pin was weighing heavily on Peggy’s mind, -taking away both appetite and sleep. She was trying to screw up her -courage to ask Beatrice to explain its presence in her box, but each -time she looked at her friend’s sad face her heart misgave her. -What--what if she couldn’t explain? Peggy sighed drearily. - -“For goodness’ sake, Peggy,” exclaimed Mrs. Macallister thoroughly -exasperated. “You are very depressing to-night. What is the matter?” - -“Nothing, nothing,” she hastily declared, suddenly waking up to the -fact that she had not taken any part in the conversation for some time. -“I was thinking of a story Mr. Sinclair told me this morning when I -was in the bank about Mrs. Wheeler. He said his bookkeeper sent word -to Mrs. Wheeler that she had overdrawn her bank account. She promptly -wrote a note to him saying she was so sorry the mistake had happened, -and she enclosed her check on them to cover the overdraw!” - -“Poor Mrs. Wheeler,” said Beatrice, as they rose from the table and -strolled into the library. “I wonder what Washington would do without -her, her blunders are so numerous?” - -“Their name is legion,” agreed Mrs. Macallister, helping herself to -coffee. “Is that the door bell, Hurley?” - -“Yes, ma’am.” - -“I think it is probably Dick Tillinghast,” exclaimed Beatrice rising -in her agitation. “I took the liberty of asking him to call here, Mrs. -Macallister. I hope you won’t mind, but I--I--” she broke off. “It was -imperative that I see him at once.” - -“My dear, of course not. I am always glad to see Dick,” answered Mrs. -Macallister, concealing her surprise. Could it be that he was the man -in the case! Why, good gracious, _she_ had other plans for him. “Ask -Mr. Tillinghast to come in here, Hurley.” Her usually tranquil tones -were so emphatic that the well-trained servant positively jumped as he -hastened out of the room. - -Mrs. Macallister looked at the two girls very sharply. Surely she had -not been mistaken? Dick had seemed to have only ears and eyes for -Peggy; and yet--Beatrice’s very evident excitement; Peggy’s open-eyed -wonder. “Oh, these men!” thought Mrs. Macallister, disgustedly, “you -can’t tell by the looks of a toad how far he’ll jump. If that young man -has played fast and loose with my Peggy, I’ll--” And in growing anger -she waited. The silence was unbroken by the two girls. They could hear -the front door opened, and Hurley’s raised voice; then steps sounded -down the hall and stopped when they reached the library. Hurley threw -open the door and announced: - -“Mr. Gordon.” - -Too astounded to move, Peggy and her grandmother sat gazing at the -young officer, thinking they saw an apparition. As he crossed the -threshold, one wild scream of agony burst from Beatrice, and she swayed -forward a dead weight into his arms. - -“Beatrice--Beatrice--my darling--my dear, dear wife!” he cried, -distractedly. Then, seeing no answering gleam of recognition in her -dazed eyes, he turned appealingly to Mrs. Macallister. “Merciful God! -have I killed her?” - -“Nonsense!” cried Mrs. Macallister, her active mind instantly grasping -the significance of the situation. “Joy never kills. Quick, Hurley,” to -the butler who was standing by with mouth agape, “some champagne.” And, -as he darted out of the room to obey her order, she bade Gordon lift -the limp form on to the wide lounge. - -With Peggy’s assistance, he chafed her cold hands, and watched with -anxious eyes while Mrs. Macallister forced Beatrice to swallow some -foaming champagne. The stimulant had instant effect, a little color -crept up into the wan cheeks, and she made a feeble attempt to sit up, -all the time keeping her eyes fixed on Gordon as if she feared he would -vanish from her sight. - -“Donald--Donald--is it you?” she gasped, the pent-up longing of days -finding voice at last. Then, as recollection gradually returned to her, -her features were distorted with agony. “Don--Don--how could you?” - -“Hush, my darling, you are wrong, wrong--I am innocent!” Her eyes -distended with dawning hope as she glanced from one anxious face to the -other. - -“Here, take another glass of this,” insisted Mrs. Macallister, who -firmly believed that a sip in time often saved many ills. “You will -need all your strength, for I judge there are many things which will -have to be explained to-night.” - -“You are right, Madam,” exclaimed Gordon. “And the one to begin is -right behind you.” - -Mrs. Macallister wheeled around with such energy that she knocked a -cherished vase off the center table, to find Dick Tillinghast just -within the door. - -“Mercy on us, Dick,” she said, divided between vexation over the -fate of the vase, and anxiety to hear what extraordinary events had -transpired. “Come in and tell us at once what has happened.” - -Dick took the chair Peggy pushed toward him, and reading the agonized -question in Beatrice’s pleading eyes, he said briefly: - -“The real murderer, Count de Smirnoff, has confessed.” - -A cry of surprise broke from Mrs. Macallister and Peggy, but Beatrice’s -feelings were too deep for words. She bowed her face in her hands, and -only Gordon caught the fervid whisper: “God, I thank Thee,” while hot -scalding tears trickled through her fingers. Regardless of the others’ -presence, he threw himself on his knees beside her. - -“My best beloved, can you ever forgive me for doubting you; I, who am -most unworthy--” - -Beatrice raised a radiant face. “Hush!” she said. “Do not let me hear -you say such a thing again. I, too, am greatly to blame.” - -“Pardon me,” interrupted Dick. “Neither of you have any cause for -self-reproach. You were simply the victims of circumstances. But it -strikes me that you two have played at cross-purposes long enough. -If it isn’t too painful,” addressing Beatrice, “would you mind -straightening out some of the kinks in the rope?” - -“Gladly,” she answered. “Where shall I begin?” - -“Suppose you start with the marriage ceremony,” suggested Dick, smiling -covertly. - -“What!” exclaimed Beatrice, astonished. “You know of our marriage?” - -“Yes. As it happened, my brother performed the ceremony.” - -Gordon’s amazement was evident. “I never connected him with you; but go -on, dearest--” and he touched her hand lovingly. - -“Last November I went to visit my aunt, Mrs John Dundas, my mother’s -sister, in Philadelphia. At that time I was very unhappy at home. -Alfred Clark wanted me to marry him, and Mrs. Trevor encouraged his -suit. Mr. Clark,” coloring vividly, “did not behave well. If I wanted -to live in peace and tranquillity I had to be nice to him. Every time -he thought I slighted or neglected him, he would complain to her, and -between them they would hatch up all sorts of stories to tell Father. -He believed my stepmother’s lies, and often bitterly reproached me for -making disagreeable scenes. If Mrs. Trevor stopped tormenting me, Mr. -Clark always egged her on to more deviltry. They were not always good -friends, though, and I hoped one of their numerous quarrels would lead -to his dismissal. But I think he must have had some hold over her, for -she apparently feared to break with him altogether.” - -“He had,” interrupted Dick. “I have just seen Clark. Under Chief -Connor’s severe examination, he has made a complete confession. It -seems--” Dick hesitated for words. It was not a pleasant tale he had -to tell; he would have to expurgate it as best he could. “It seems -that Mrs. Trevor, while living in Naples, had a desperate affair with -Giovanni Savelli. In about a year he found she was unfaithful to him. I -suspect Clark was the other man in question, but he wouldn’t admit it. -Anyway, Giovanni threatened to kill her when he turned her out in the -streets; he was so violent in his anger that, in desperate fear, she -fled the city at night. - -“Some time after her marriage to your father, Clark came to Washington, -and through her influence secured his secretaryship. To terrorize Mrs. -Trevor, he told her that Giovanni was planning to revenge himself on -her, and that if she did not do exactly as he, Clark, wished, he would -inform Giovanni of her whereabouts. - -“Now comes his devilish ingenuity. While in Naples, both Clark and Mrs. -Trevor joined the Camorra. Clark, desiring at last to get Mrs. Trevor -out of his way as he feared she would speak of his disreputable past in -one of her violent rages, sent word to Giovanni six weeks ago that she -was betraying secrets of the Camorra to the Italian Embassy here. To -further involve her, he himself sent information to the Ambassador in -Mrs. Trevor’s name. The Camorra leaders promptly investigated Clark’s -charges, found they were apparently true, and decreed her death.” - -“What a fiend!” ejaculated Mrs. Macallister, horrified. - -“He will have plenty of time to repent in one of our penitentiaries,” -said Dick, dryly. “Won’t you continue your story, Miss Beatrice?” - -“Right after my arrival in Philadelphia, I met Don at a hop at the -League Island Navy Yard, where he was stationed. On Christmas day -we became engaged--” Gordon caught her hand in his and kissed it -passionately. - -“I was very, very happy. On the 29th of December I received a long -letter from Father saying Mr. Clark had asked formally for my hand in -marriage, and that, after due consideration, he had given his consent. -Then he enumerated the advantages of the match. Through the whole -letter I could perceive my stepmother’s fine Italian hand. I knew the -great influence she had over him, and while he said he would never -force me to take anyone I disliked; still, he hoped, and so forth. - -“The letter frightened me, Mrs. Macallister; and so when Don, after -reading it, suggested that we marry secretly and at once, I agreed. -We told my aunt, and she, also knowing that Father always sided with -Mrs. Trevor, said that it would probably come to an elopement sooner -or later. Therefore, liking and trusting Don as she did, she consented -to arrange the affair for us. I returned to Washington with my aunt -immediately after the ceremony, and Don came down the following day to -report for duty at the White House. - -“Ah, Don!” she broke off, turning towards him, “you should not have -asked me to postpone the announcement of our marriage on the flimsy -excuse that you found on your arrival only unmarried officers were to -be the President’s aides. You should have given me your full confidence -then.” - -“I was wrong,” admitted Gordon gravely. “But you do not know the -tangle I found myself in. Go on, dearest.” - -“I was cruelly hurt,” said Beatrice, slowly; “though I tried to -convince myself that everything you did was for the best. And so things -drifted until the evening of the third.” She stopped and drew a long -breath. - -“As I came downstairs dressed for the Bachelors’ that night, I was -surprised when Mrs. Trevor called me into the library. While outwardly -civil, we usually saw as little of each other as possible. She asked me -if it was true that I had definitely refused Mr. Clark, and when I said -it was, she flew into a terrible rage. When her anger had spent itself, -she begged and implored me to change my mind and marry him, saying that -I would bitterly rue the day if I did not. - -“I laughed the idea to scorn; and told her I was pledged to another, -better man. ‘His name?’ she asked. ‘Donald Gordon,’ I replied. Without -a word she leaned over and took out several notes from the drawer of -her secretary, saying: ‘I am afraid your chevalier--_sans_ _peur et -sans reproche_--is but human. Here is a letter from him to me; read it.’ - -“Startled, my eyes fell on the handwriting I knew so well, and I read -the first few lines--words of endearment and love were written there, -Donald--” A fierce exclamation broke from him, and he started to -interrupt. “Wait,” she said. “Your turn will come later. To go back: -for a moment the room swam round me, and the black demons of jealousy -and despair conquered. Remember, I thought I already had cause to doubt -you. Mrs. Trevor’s beauty had proved irresistible to others; why not -to you? But I was determined not to give in; so I told her I did not -believe her, and she laughed, oh, a laugh of pure deviltry. At least, -it seemed so to me. She handed me another note from you, which said -that you would be there that night, and would rap on the door for her -to admit you. - -“It was damning evidence, and my hope and faith crumbled away. In a few -passionate words I renounced you; and then, tearing off your signet -ring, which I always carried concealed since our wedding, I gave it to -her and bade her return it to you. - -“As I started to leave the room, she said: ‘I will stop urging your -marriage to Alfred Clark on one condition.’ - -“‘And that is?’ I asked. - -“‘That you give me your mother’s pearls.’ - -“For a moment I stared at my stepmother, thinking she had taken leave -of her senses. My dear mother’s rope of pearls! They are worth about -twenty thousand dollars. Grandfather Trowbridge had collected them from -all parts of the world, and their great value lay in their wonderful -match. Therefore, I thought my ears had played me false, and I asked -unbelievingly: ‘And your price?’ ‘You know it,’ she answered. By that -time I was wrought up beyond endurance, and cried out: ‘You devil, get -out of my way, or I may forget myself and strike you!’ That is the part -overheard by Wilkins--” her voice trailed off in a sob. - -Dick broke the pause that followed. “Clark also told me that Mrs. -Trevor was trying to raise a large sum of money, hoping to buy his -silence,” he said. “She must have realized that she was nearly at the -end of her resources.” - -“‘Whoso diggeth a Pit shall fall therein,’” quoted Mrs. Macallister, -softly. - - - - -CHAPTER XXIV - -JOURNEYS END IN LOVERS’ MEETING - - -“BEATRICE, dear, why did you secrete your broken hat-pin, and where -did you get it after the murder?” demanded Peggy, finding courage at -last to ask the question which had worried her so much. Then, seeing -Beatrice’s open-eyed surprise, she added: “Your box caught when I -opened my secret drawer on Friday night, and your cat’s-eye fell out. I -instantly recognized it. But believe me, dear, I never for one moment -thought you were connected with Mrs. Trevor’s death.” - -“She never did,” affirmed Dick. “In fact, it was Peggy’s desire to -clear you from suspicion which urged me on in my efforts to find the -real murderer.” - -“Peggy, dear Peggy; you best of friends.” Beatrice leaned forward and -kissed her warmly. “Did you open the box?” - -“No, indeed!” indignantly. “The cat’s-eye fell out of the broken end, -and I simply thrust it back again without investigating further.” - -“I wish you had, dear; you would have understood then the dilemma I -was placed in. I put our marriage certificate in the bottom of the box -under the cotton, and then dropped the cat’s-eye on top. Father told -me, after Don’s arrest, that the police would have great difficulty in -proving his guilt because they could find no motive for the crime,” she -went on to explain. “He himself was as puzzled as they. I instantly -thought of our marriage certificate, and fearing its discovery might -injure Don, I made plans to hide it. - -“As to the broken pin--I never found it until after Mrs. Trevor’s -funeral. When I put on black I decided to send all my dresses to a -dear friend in New York. It was Suzanne’s afternoon out, but I was in -a great hurry to send the express package, so I took down my dresses -myself and laid them on the bed. On folding the ball dress I had worn -at the Bachelors’ Cotillion I found the cat’s-eye securely caught by -the gold setting in the lace underflounce of the train. - -“I was simply horrified. I had no doubt whatever that the pin had been -used to murder my stepmother. I knew I had left it in the private -office on that Wednesday afternoon when I took off my coat and hat -there. I went to the office to write a note to Peggy, which I gave -to Mrs. Macallister in the parlor later on. I thought,” she glanced -appealingly at Gordon, “that the guilty man had dropped the pin in the -vestibule; for it must have caught in my dress when I let go of my -train to insert my latch key and open the front door. - -“I reasoned that the police would never believe my explanation if they -found the pin in my possession, unless I told them the story of my -quarrel with Mrs. Trevor, and of our marriage, Don. I knew Peggy was -coming to see me, and made up my mind to ask her to keep the pasteboard -box for me. You already know what took place on my return from the ball -by my testimony at the inquest,” continued Beatrice. “When I heard Mrs. -Trevor had been murdered, I thought Don had come to the house that -night and had killed her in a moment of ungovernable rage. Can you ever -forgive me, dear?” clasping his hand in both of hers. - -“There can be no question of that,” said Gordon passionately. “You had -every cause to doubt me. Mine was the fault. I have acted like a blind, -crazy idiot. Listen: when in London some four years ago, I met Hélène -de Beaupré and became very much infatuated with her. Well, she made a -fool of me, as she did of others. One day, tired of having me around, -she dismissed me. That ended the affair as far as I was concerned.” - -“Just a moment,” interrupted Dick. “Did Alfred Clark see you and Hélène -at the Home Office applying for a special license?” - -If he had exploded a bomb under their noses, he could not have created -a greater disturbance. Gordon sat up as if he had been shot, gazing -incredulously at Dick. - -“Great Heavens!” he ejaculated. “What an accomplished liar Clark is! -And yet, this fabrication has a foundation of truth. He did see us in -the Home Office talking to the clerk in charge of special licenses. We -were waiting there for Sam Peters. You remember him, don’t you?” Dick -nodded. “Sam was to be married at noon. He knew no one in London, nor -did his American bride-elect, except Hélène and myself. He asked me to -be his best man, and Hélène to act as a witness. He had to procure his -special license, so we agreed to meet him at the Home Office and go -with him to the church. Sam will verify what I am telling you, if you -care to ask him.” - -“No, no, Don, I’ll take your word for it,” said Dick, hastily. - -“Beatrice has just told you of our marriage,” continued Gordon. “I -never knew until your theater party, Dick, which you gave on the night -of my arrival here, that Beatrice’s stepmother and Hélène de Beaupré -were one and the same person. Beatrice always spoke of her as ‘Mrs. -Trevor.’ Mrs. Trevor greeted me that night as a stranger, and of -course I took my cue from her. In the days that followed she must have -seen how deeply and passionately I loved Beatrice, for she hinted as -much to me. Then she told me that she had a package of my foolish, -extravagant letters written years ago. - -“‘I never throw anything away that might be of possible use,’ she went -on. ‘Do you think the Attorney General would look with favor on your -suit for his daughter’s hand if he saw those letters?’ - -“I stared at her aghast, as the whole horrible situation flashed -over me. What in Heaven’s name was I to do? I should have confided -everything to you then, my darling, but no man likes to speak of past -love affairs, no matter how innocent, to his bride. - -“For days Hélène played with me as a cat does with a mouse, keeping me -on tenter-hooks. But on the morning of the third I received a note from -her, asking me to go and see her that night about eleven thirty, and -saying that she had decided to return my letters. Overjoyed, I gladly -kept the appointment, and she admitted me after I had given the signal -agreed on. We went at once to the private office. - -“Here are the letters,” she said, speaking in a low voice. “I return -them to you freely. But first you must pledge me your word as an -officer and a gentleman never to mention them to either my husband or -Beatrice.” - -“Of course, I willingly promised, and after a few words of thanks I -left the house as silently as I had entered. I went directly to the -Benedict, destroyed the letters, then on to the ball.” - -“Good Heavens! did she not give you my message--my ring?” gasped -Beatrice. - -“No; neither of them.” - -“Clever woman,” commented Mrs. Macallister. “She arranged it so you -were in honor bound never to speak of the letters to Beatrice; and -the latter, believing you false, would never refer to them either. Of -course, she reckoned without the knowledge of your secret marriage. -Mrs. Trevor was a shrewd judge of human nature. It was a pretty scheme -she hatched to separate you two, and not get caught herself.” - -“You have summed it up exactly, Mrs. Macallister,” agreed Gordon. “The -first letter she showed Beatrice was probably one written years ago. -I was bitterly hurt and angry, Beatrice, when you refused to speak to -me at the hall. Then you returned my letter, unopened, which I wrote as -soon as I heard of Mrs. Trevor’s death. - -“I was much surprised, at being summoned as a witness at the inquest. -But when the coroner showed me my signet ring, which you, my dearest, -had said you would never part with, and told me it had been found in -the dead woman’s hand, I was bewildered--horrified. I jumped to the -conclusion that you two had met, quarreled and--God forgive me--” -Gordon could not continue; and Beatrice, with shining eyes bent toward -him. - -“And so,” she said, “you took the crime upon yourself that I might be -spared. It was noble of you, dear heart,” and before them all, she -kissed him passionately. - -Mrs. Macallister swallowed a suspicious lump in her throat, while Peggy -buried her nose in a convenient pillow. - -“Tell us, Dick, how the real criminal came to confess,” she said as -soon as she could speak clearly. - -With bated breath they listened to his thrilling account of de -Smirnoff’s vengeance. - -“Some of the unfortunate story has to come out in the papers,” ended -Dick. “It cannot be hushed up, altogether, as justice has to be done -the living.” - -“My poor father!” cried Beatrice. “Where is he!” - -“At his house completely prostrated by the news.” - -“I must go to him at once.” Beatrice sprang to her feet. “Will you call -a cab, Don?” - -“Mine is waiting; but, dearest, you cannot go without a coat,” as -Beatrice, forgetful of everything, hastened to the door. Quickly Peggy -ran upstairs to collect her belongings. - -“Miss Beatrice,” Dick asked, “did you leave a handkerchief of yours in -the private office that Wednesday?” - -“I don’t remember. I may have dropped one in the library just before -Peggy called for me in the carriage. I burst out crying on the way to -the ball, and she had to lend me one of hers. Thanks, dear,” as Peggy -returned with her wraps. Hurley ran down the steps and put her suit -case in the waiting vehicle. - -“Here is your box, Beatrice,” and Peggy handed it back to her. - -Beatrice looked at it with great distaste. “Except that it has my -marriage certificate in it, I could not bear to touch it,” she said. - -“Give it to me.” Gordon took the box and slipped it into his overcoat -pocket. “I will return you the certificate, dearest; but to-morrow I -intend to go over the Aqueduct Bridge and throw the cat’s-eye into the -Potomac.” - -“Good night, dear Mrs. Macallister.” Beatrice’s eyes were bright with -tears as she kissed her. “How can I thank you all for what you have -done for me? Good night, dear, dear Peggy,” and shaking hands warmly -with Dick, she ran lightly down the steps, as Mrs. Macallister closed -her front door. - -Gordon helped her into the cab, gave the address to the driver; then -hesitated. Beatrice leaned forward and touched the empty seat beside -her. - -“Donald--my husband--come home.” - -And even in the dim illumination of the street lamp, Gordon saw in her -glorious eyes the light that never was on land or sea, and he gathered -her in his arms with a sigh of deep happiness as the cab started -homeward. - - * * * * * - -Dick followed Peggy back into the library with a fast-beating heart. -Now or never! Mrs. Macallister had discreetly disappeared. - -“Peggy,” he said, standing back of her as she faced the open fire, -“there’s something I want to say to you--” - -“Well, say it,” provokingly; but catching sight of Dick’s determined -face in the mirror over the mantel, she took fright. “I wonder where -Granny is?” - -“Oh, bother Granny! Peggy, darling--no, you sha’n’t dodge,” as Peggy -moved slightly away and stood with head half averted. “I’ve always -adored you, always. The first, the very first encouragement you ever -gave me was that challenge. I have won, thank God! I know I am not -half worthy of you; but I want you so, my darling.” There was no -doubting the passionate longing in his low, tense voice. “Peggy--I have -come for my reward.” - -No answer. A log broke in half in the glowing fire, casting sparks in -every direction. Dick drew a long breath and squared his shoulders--so -be it, he would go. - -As he moved slightly, Peggy turned her blushing face, and the alluring -eyes twinkled at him for a second. - -“Why don’t you take your reward?” she whispered. - - - THE END - - - - -TRANSCRIBER’S NOTES: - -On page 39, the word “be” has been added to the phrase “will used -against you.” - -On page 70, half-past has been changed to half past. - -On page 157, hatpin has been changed to hat-pin. - -On page 159, door jamb has been changed to door-jamb. - -On page 235, everyone has been changed to every one. - -On page 253, watch-chain has been changed to watch chain. - -On page 341, “in in” has been changed to “in it”. - -All other spelling, hyphenation, dialect and non-English pronunciations -have been left as typeset. - -*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE TREVOR CASE *** - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law 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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