IA AND

ittle squeal and moved closer to her mistress. Only Billy remained impass

first of the others

le irritably-the "Stop that!" addressed to Liz

rturbation added weight to the statement. It made M

you lived in th

r. Flemi

d. "And this is the first ti

ss in a courtroom. He restricted himself so precisely to a

t a row in her knitting

d you saw last night at the wind

lightly embarrassed. "

n's f

ugged

maybe. It th

lieve him-but she did. "Did you

r. "No thanks," he said cheer

other during the interrogation, terror and morbid interest figh

ull of oil but, do what I would, it kept going out, too-the minute I shut my eyes out that lamp would go. There ain't a s

and even Billy looked a trifle

that rattled the panes in the French windows drowned out the end of her sentence. Nevertheless she welcome

olt! She parted the curtains and looked out-a flicker of li

there's a gentleman arriving on the last train. After he comes you may go to bed. I'll wait up for Miss Dale-oh, and

that the moment for waiting had passed-the moment for action co

know what all this means," moaned Lizzie. "

p quiet," said her mistress acidly. "Lock

o long, dark flights of stairs up which she had to pass to

t while she lived made little difference to her-she was beyond the need of Truth's consolations. "I asked you on my bended knees not to take

elia was

o find out what's wrong with this place if it takes all summer

tifully at her mistress's face for a sign that the latter might be weakening

gged to herself all day, "I might as well tell you, Lizzie. I'm havin

d. "Miss Neily, you're keeping something

enough. Most of them are. But at least

d Lizzie. But Miss Cornelia

cularly atrocious one,'" she read.

could bea

ailed and hurried to close the windows in the billiard roo

ave been imagination. But, while she was here, she might as well put on the spring lock that bolted the door from the alcove to the terrace. She did so, returned to the living-room and switched off the

down on a

he said briefly to

Nice hour for him to ge

doubtful. English names still bothered hi

him to come in," she said. "

laid them on the table. Then he pointed to the

re-spring lo

ecure. One thing is fairly sure, Billy. If anyone tries to get in tonig

a seated herself when the door of the billiard room slammed open suddenly and Lizzie burst

mistress in a loud stage whisper which had a curious note of pride in it, as if she

by the shoulder-half-

id they

elled a

zzi

ard t

cried "Wolf!

said her mistress disgu

as opened by Billy to admit the new gardener. A handsome young fellow, in his late twenties, he came two steps in

servation that gave her fo

ooks, the n

man inclin

utler said you wan

ook soft-for a gardener's, she thought. And

dvanced another two steps. "You're the man m

le uneasy under her searching

eferences as the Brays are

I am sure if Mrs. Bray were here-" he began

lia in a curious voice. "Are

n a trifle defiant but Miss Cornelia's

e said in a soothing voice, while Lizzie r

king in confidence. "They-they're the ones that k

usly. Once more she scrutinized him and this time t

erience with rubeola?

ndeed," the gardene

a?" pursued

in his mind for the characteris

ted finally, and was evidently relieved to see Miss

tment for urticaria?" she propounde

e young man knotted his brows. Finally

needs-er-thinning," he

faced him. "Young man, urticaria is hives, rubeola is measles, and alopecia

she went on accusingly. "Why have you come here at thi

ed before her wrath, Instead he suddenly smiled at her,

"You'd have found me out anyhow! I don't know anything about gardening.

ed a stonier-hearted person than Miss Cor

s all,

finality. She couldn't help wanting to believe him, and yet, he wasn't what he had

teal the spoons?" she quer

ns?" he asked with

miling at his tone.

ish manner of his touche

Miss Van Gorder-but if you'll take m

wered with grim humor, knowing herself

e opportunity

Neily! He's too smooth!

I haven't asked for your o

to be put off by th

l the rest of 'em. A good-looking man comes in

urned, his eyes had made a stealthy survey of the living-room-a survey that would have made it plain to Miss Cornelia, if she had seen him, that his interest in the Flemin

to eat lately?" she a

t since this morning," he admi

nese. "Billy, give this man something to e

night and the approaching storm she felt her own courage weakening. Into the bargain, whe

east for tonight. Tomorrow we can-the housemaid's room, Billy," she told the

he local light company crawls under its bed every

ly to the door, he paused. "You're being mighty good to me," h

w-no matter what he is," she said to herself decidedly, and not even Lizzie's feverish "Haven't you any

ja-board to replace it on the bookcase with the prayer book firmly on top of it. And this time, with the roll of the t

rs still touching the prayer book, as if for prot

oom when he comes," she said. "You'd b

cove to ascend to the second floor by the a

een varnished. Miss Dale got a stain on h

es

a detective. Not even Billy.

at'll I s

body's b

safe in the bathtub." She shut the door with a little slap and disappeared. Miss Cornelia sat down-she had many things to think over-"if I ever get

ng-a long trill, uncannily loud in the quiet house.

e?" he asked urbanely.

he heard him at the door, then a murmur of voices-Dale's voice and anot

in that evening wrap!" thought Miss Cornelia. But

ren't you back

a moment patting back into its smoot

she said, sinki

nything?" Miss Corne

the time." She picked up the evening paper and looked at it without apparently seeing it. Miss Cornelia heard

here, Dale?"

a few minutes. Billy's just taking his coat." She rose, threw the paper aside, came over and kissed Miss Cornelia suddenly and passionately-then b

stions on her tongue, but before she could ask

ontent with the comparative rustication of his local practice. That shrewd, rather aquiline face, with its keen gray eyes, would have found itself more at home in a wider sphere of actio

, thank you. Well, many pe

head. "This failure of the Union Bank has knoc

en?" Miss Cornelia wa

arette case. "The cashier, a young chap named Bail

oward them from her s

cashier did it?" sh

on an errand-and didn't come back. The method was simple enough-worthless bonds substituted for good ones-with a good bond o

t hand drummed restlessly

else have done it?"

led, a trifle

e vaults," he said. "But, as you know, Mr. Courtleigh

of the Doctor's statement-to relapse into lassitude again at its conclus

now this young Bailey?

cigarette. The flame wavered in

strike another match, averting her f

come tax," she said, turning the subject, "the onl

ny-like myself!"

A month ago I'd never even heard of Mr. Fleming-though I suppose I should have-a

rded the end of

to rent you the property before the estate was settled. He must have d

ith him whe

. But with care he might have lived a considerable time. The trouble was that

ut of the corner of her eye, "that there is no susp

tify that he didn't have the loot with him." His tone g

on the Doctor for aid in her difficulties, but now that chance had

e. Once an intruder actually got in and was frightened away by Lizzie at the top of that staircase." She indicated the alcove stai

om her sette

t, Auntie! How dre

r impulse of confidence. She tried t

like a siren. It's the only thing she doe

e sat down again, her expression altering from one of anxiety to one of amusemen

tering crash of glass from one